We chose Villa de Leyva. Villa de Leyva is well known among locals, it is the town where the busy bogotanos escape on the weekends.
The town is historic, cultural and religious treasure only 3 hours drive away from the country's capital. Founded in 1572, it is a preserved colonial city with a huge central plaza.
In addition to the church, the true heart and soul of the locals can be seen and felt at the market place on weekends.
Typically it is a cobblestone square that is filled by people, fruits, stands, baskets, shoes, meat - anything worthy of selling, usually what can be produced by oneself.
There the local farmers bring their products and get drunk, the villagers exchange weekly news and gossip, buy groceries, and where the tourists take pictures and wonder "what on earth".
Perhaps the social nature of the latinos can be explained with the fact that they take children with anywhere they go. No matter the age, children come along. As soon as they are old enough to understand, they are also old enough to help with work.
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On the weekends also the town square, the main plaza fills with people who have nothing better to do. They fly the kite, meet with relatives, share some chit-chat; just get together and socialize.
As the evening set and we had had a long, active day, we decided to go back to our hotel.
On the way to our hotel we passed a colonial petrol station.
We stayed at the lovely little boutique hotel called Villa Roma, here photographed in the morning sun.
Little relaxation at the hotel's jacuzzi before dinner after the day of many activities. But more about the pre-historic activities later...
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