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Manizales
It is time to continue our journey. We are regrettably leaving our neighbours.
To reach our next destination, we have to drive the road in the opposite direction in order to avoid an impassable road, which would save us kilometers... We prefer to travel in good conditions.
We are tired of these national roads completely smashed and used by lines of trucks. To get to Jardin we found ourselves on a princely road with several works in progress which implies alternating traffic, and even on a stretch of road that had completely disappeared ...
We have well integrated that we should not count in kilometers to cover but in km/hour ....
It takes us two days to get to Manizales where we look for a supermarket ... As often, the parking lot of supermarkets is incompatible with our motorhome and it is impossible to park in the street ... Same punishment here!!
We’re having trouble finding the entrance to "Recinto del Pensamiento".
It is a natural park of 170 hectares that one visits by a circuit of 2 h 30 and that allows a walk
combining observation of hummingbirds, butterflies, crossing a Zen garden with bonsai trees, then a rainforest with orchids and finally the Guadua pavilion (prototype of the pavilion presented by the great local architect Simón Vélez)
The guided tour wasn’t an unforgettable experience.
However, we are allowed to stay overnight there.
Jardin
Our next "Jardin" stage is far away and we know it takes 2 days to reach it.
We are forced once again to cross "Medellin" with its lot of traffic jams!!!
There is nothing to visit on our route .... But we decide to make this long detour to discover this village described as a little wonder.
When we arrive on the spot there is already a French motorhome .... Camille, Paul and their two lovely daughters are on the road for 17 months ...
Nice meeting ... They travel on a "Laika" and of course we exchange our feelings about the brand and the various small problems encountered during our travels
The name El Jardín is perfectly suited to this "Colombian Heritage Village" founded on 23 May 1863. It is a colonial town surrounded by pastures and plantations of coffee and bananas.
Its main park, listed as a historic monument, is decorated with small gardens whose red, pink and white roses open to give a palette of colors that can be found on all the balconies of the white houses.
Only one exception to this explosion of colors, the church of the Immaculate Conception which is a Minor Basilica. Its semi-gothic style is characterized by its handcrafted stone construction that the faithful brought from a construction site, in remission of their sins. It was built between 1918 and 1942.
We spend this first day strolling through the busy alleys.
In the evening we are invited by our neighbors for the aperitif that ends very late.
The next day we take a hiking trail that gives a glimpse of the plantations of coffee, bananas, sugar cane and glittering fincas with their flowering gardens.
Finally we go down to the village with the "cable car" built in 2006, the chosen device is a single-track cable car equipped with 3 cables.
The cabin "rolls" on two load-bearing cables anchored downstream and upstream, and is set in motion by a tractor cable that flies over a creek and various agricultural crops.
At the end of the afternoon we visit the botanical garden that no paper guide talks about. It is a Colombian guide who also travels by camper who offers to take us there.
It is the only chance to see the "Gallito de Roca". It has a nice plume with its bright red puff and its almost invisible beak.
We fell under the charm of this village which is well worth the detour.
Second evening with our neighbors still around an aperitif
Guatape
It is time to leave Medellin, it has rained all night and we wonder how we are going to get out of this completely soaked ground ...
After saying "goodbye" to our Canadian friends we continue our journey to Guatape.
We descend into the valley where the temperatures are more pleasant, avoiding the city center.
We got used to lunch in a restaurant by ordering a menu of the day ... easy and economical.
Along the way we stop at the "Piedra del Penol"
Miniature version of Rio Sugar Bread. This impressive 200 m high granite monolith rises on the shores of the artificial lake, near Guatapé.
It is accessible by a staircase of 650 steps carved on one side of the rock. The observation terrace at the top reveals a spectacular view of the Antioquian countryside.
It was a sacred place for the natives "Tahami", and like all divinity, there are many legends surrounding it, Like that of the fault in which the staircase was built which tells that the devil wanted to take the stone and that it was his mark that he left during his unsuccessful attempt.
We climb to the top to appreciate the beauty of the site.
Then we go to "Guatape"
It is a very touristic village for both Colombians and foreigners.
It is known for its "zócalos", raised friezes on the walls of colourful houses that refer to the customs and legends of the region.
We are very disappointed by this village ... The friezes are not beautiful and not of good quality ... a little too naive and especially coarse
.
We stay there at night before heading back in the opposite direction.
ROAD BOOK 123
MAVROS ODYSSEE
