Sunshine

Well, the time just flies when you're flying, too! I started this year's summer vacation early and flew to my beautiful country of birth.

When other parts of Europe were shivering of cold, Finland was sunbathing and loving it. The beginning of the summer was just gorgeous - for over two weeks the sun kept on shining. In the summer in Finland, people shed their dull, thick winter coats also metaphorically, and start livin' it up!

Summer is also the time of celebration. We had the honour to celebrate our beloved grandma, who turned 80 in the beginning of June. A respectable age!

A stormy sky as a back drop and the sun shining from the back gives such a vivid image that is every photographer's dream setting! :)

Easter Week Visit - Motocross

Yes, that testosterone-filled activity that I referred to earlier was, of course, motocross!

About 20 kilometres north of Bogotá is another motocross track, where we hadn't been yet.

And, as you might have guessed, we didn't lack action-packed moments!

It is quite safe to say that track plus speed equals drama, but luckily no trauma. A big grin was all! :D

Saying goodbye on the last morning before Paul and David headed back to Europe. Thank you for visiting us, it was a real pleasure having you guys over. See you soon!

Easter Week Visit - Bogotá

No visit to any country is 100% complete before you have seen the capital from above. So during our Easter week's visit we took the guests to a mirador (sightseeing place) to show just how extensive Bogotá is.

Colombia has 18 festivos (public holidays), which often fall on Monday. As it happens, there are long weekends, when people tend to take off and fleed to their weekend getaways, fincas. In practice it means that a big percentage of people abandon the city leaving it ghost-town like. One would not think that a city of nearly 10 Million people could just evacuate. And you are right - not all can or will. Many northern, wealthier areas are empty, but the core of the city, the centre, is and remains well populated. Many people gather around the main square, Plaza de Simon Bolivar, where there is always something going on.

The military band is waiting for their cue to play.

The week-long vacation of our guests in Colombia was soon coming to an end. However, there was still one manly, unforgettable activity that we had planned, but more about that later...

Easter Week Visit - Cartagena

David and Paul came for a visit during the Easter week. We had a leisurely programme planned which took us on the next day - after the first welcome-night in Bogota - to Cartagena de Indias. There the idea was to soak up some Caribbean flavour, sunshine and warmth.

As laying on the beach was not in the guys' agenda, we opted for some sightseeing in Colombia's most prestigious gem. Even if only the toes were dipped into the sand, the Colombian feminine beauty left the guys chuckling. ;)

Lunch - meat for men, ceviche for me

Also I learned during my second visit to Cartagena that there is more to see than just the famous old city. Up the La Popa hill we drove to visit an old monastery, a beautiful building overlooking the city.

"No happier is the one who has more, but who needs less."

 

Castillo de San Felipe

The second monumental place to see was the Castillo de San Felipe, a fortress built by the Spaniards during the colonial times. The castle is located on the Hill of San Lázaro in a strategic location, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea. The castle is spectacular for its grand entrance and its complex maze of narrow tunnels. UNESCO listed the castle, with the historic centre of the city of Cartagena, as a World Heritage Site in 1984.

Paul playing the Guacharaca with señor Luis.

Guacharaca is a typical Colombian instrument used in many kinds of occasions. It is usually made out of the cane-like, hollow trunk of a small palm tree, having small ridges on its surface. Played with a metallic fork, which is scraped along the instrument's surface to create its characteristic scratching sound.

The guacharaca was invented by native American Indians from the Tayrona culture in the region of la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia as an instrument to simulate the guacharaca (or Ortalis ruficauda) bird's singing. Today, however, it is mostly played by Vallenato and Cumbia musicians who adopted the instrument, and nowadays, it is most often associated with these musical styles.

After the sightseeing, we were thirsty, so the natural course of events took us to the same beach bar where another guest sat last August.

As the weather was not on our side and the strong wind kept knocking our drinks over and sprinkling us with sand, we decided it was time to go get freshen up. We did see some of the other important monuments, such as the Café del Mar, La Cocina del Pepino and the walled city, but as those activities took place at night time, there is no photographic evidence about them. You just have to take my word for it! :)

... to be continued...