Tunja, Boyacá

The central plaza with, of course, a statue of Simón Bolívar.  

This was the parking garage we found in Tunja and kind of sums of Tunja.  Sorry, it wasn't my favorite city.  It did have some of the steepest, hilly streets I've ever driven on.  

We drove to Tunja after stopping at Puente de Boyacá.  This was our shower by the way.  It took a bit to figure out how to get mildly hot water.  Tunja is not a hot place, just fyi. It was cold!  

But my kids were SOOOOOO happy to stop at this hotel.  It was just off the main plaza in an old building from the 1600s.  But BEDS!!  That's why my kids were so thrilled.  It was the first time they had all slept in beds since our last trip to Choco in October.  

Sebastian even posed in his, he was so happy.  

The doors were awesome and the whole building had a central courtyard.  It was really cool.  

We wandered around the main plaza in Tunja for a bit.  I wish I had photos (they passed too rapidly for me to really register what they were and take photos). When I first came to Colombia in 2009, I remember seeing hides just staked to the ground on the hillsides when we drove to Puente de Boyacá.  This time there were these rows of, well, I couldn't really tell what they were honestly.  But kind of low triangular things that reminded me of the small calf shelters I've seen.  Anyway, I finally realized hides were draped over them all, drying in the sun.  And all through the streets of Tunja, you can buy leather belts and leather bags, etc.  It was handy because Sebas had forgotten his belt and we bought him a new one, because really most of his pants don't stay up otherwise.

Tunja was established in 1539 and it does have a really pretty main plaza.   I wish I had a chance to visit the museum Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón--the house of the conquistador that settled Tunja.  It was built in the 1540-1570.  But we were on a strict timetable, so I had to limit myself and I don't think the kids are as interested in history as I am.

I LOVE the massive doors.

This was in the oldest cathedral in Colombia.  It was finished being built in 1574.  

Gorgeous ceiling.  I think church ceilings are my favorite part of seeing the old Catholic churches.

This was driving to Villa de Leyva the next day.  Again, it's not well captured in my photos, but there's so many greenhouses perched like they're about to fall of the side of the hills everywhere near Villa de Leyva.  They grow blueberries for the most part from what I understand.  

As we got closer to Villa de Leyva the terrain got drier and and drier.  

I think this was taken in Villa de Leyva (I think) and you can see it's practically deserty--for Colombia anyway.  Actually, it's a fairly typical Mediterranean climate, they grow olives and have a ton vineyards near there as well.