One Cold December Night...

... my friend Hanna took me to the horse stable with her.

Atte.

After the evening chores, such as feeding Atte, getting him ready and geared up, the youngster took us for a ride in the pitch black Finnish woods. Already after ten minutes, I couldn't feel my toes or fingers anymore. However, the ice cold wind was not the only reason that brought tears to my eyes - it was wonderful! :)

A warm, velvety nuzzle on the palm is a great feeling on a cold winter's night.

Hanna must have many stories about Atte, but the one I got to experience was this handsome young man as a mischievous stallion with a sense of humour. When picking him up from the corral, he pretended to be cuddling, rubbing his muzzle against your shoulder. The next second, his teeth reached for the top of Hanna's woolly hat, stealing it away. :D

As wonderful the ride was, I must say how happy I was being back at the stables, defrosting myself and inhaling the therapeutic smell of the horses. 

Atte's stable mate in her own pen.

Guatapé

On the third and last day of our trip to Medellin few weeks back, we were driven outside of the city. We were clueless but the weather was promising - sunny and luke warm like my morning coffee in Bogota - so we were really looking forward to seeing yet more of the beautiful Colombian landscape.

When we arrived to our destination, my grin grew wider. We were going on a boat ride! Everyone who knows me, also knows how much I love being on the water, and it had been already a long time since I was sailing on a boat.

The biggest surprise for me was the fact that the sweet-water lake is artificial. Man-made. Fake.
Well, the water is real - the town is bordering a reservoir created by the Colombian government for a hydro-electric dam, built in the late 1960s.

Our hosts were very thoughtful and had packed a picnic basket with some bubbly for the ride. This day was getting better and better!

The main stop was in colourful Guatapé, a town founded in 1811. The huge stone you see in the horizon is la Piedra del Peñol or Peñón de Guatapé.

Some legends are related to the stone and its origin, wilder guesses claim that it is a meteorite, but actually it is a rock formation, that formed along the Antioquia Rock Base 70 million years ago. A long time ago, they started to paint the letter G.P. (GuataPé) on the side of the stone but that high-risk project was cancelled.

Nowadays a popular tourist attraction, the stone is 220 metres high, which can be climbed up:
740 steps all the way to the top.

Meanwhile, we were getting closer to the harbour in Guatapé.

Latin music was playing from the Rumberos, party boats that were parked in the harbour, waiting for more passengers. 

In Colombia, Sundays tend to be days, when people get out for lunch, socialize, meet friends and family, and go to church. Seeing the easy-going, carefree lifestyle and the happy locals brings you in a good mood, too.
A favourite pastime for many Colombians is sitting on a plastic chair, sipping a chilly Poker beer.

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen.

Getting geared up for the "Cable Flight"

To get an adrenaline kick, Lukas wanted to try the strength of the 600 metre long wire we saw earlier.

Piece of cake for him! :)

After some delicious pizza lunch at the lake's Beach Club, we headed back to the marina. The dark clouds that were glooming on us decided to let the rain drops wait so that we were able to finish the day as planned.

It meant, of course, climbing up the 740 steps to get a full 360 degree panoramic view of the area. As the battery in my camera died, unfortunately I have no pictures from the top... You just have to take my word! ;)