Sep. 13, 2023: Monserrate

The next chance we got to do something as a family, we went to Monserrate.  It's one of Bogota's famous landmarks.  It was a sacred mountain in pre-Columbian times, and a Catholic church has been there since 1650, although an earthquake wrecked the original in the 1920's.  We walked up the 1.5 mile trail with an elevation gain of 1,968 feet (elevation 10,341 ft at the top) and about 1,605 stairs. We felt like we were from flat Kansas and were dying.  Isabel ran down almost all of it, and the rest of us ran down parts (except Leo--it was brutal on your knees).  It was so nice to be out and doing something.  Of course if you want to see someone bike down it, Red Bull has done it and you can find it on YouTube.

I love my family!

Efraim is obsessed with butterflies.  But he actually is really great at catching them too.  

One of the little shrines on the path to burn candles in.

Lollipops we bought along the way kind of helped keep kids going.

We had lunch on the steps.

Efraim said he was dead after hiking up the hill, and refused to walk anymore.  Sebastian was kind and just carried him around for a bit. 

And then suddenly Efraim had energy again.

I love Leo!!!

This was a photo I stole from the web.