There are two ways to travel from Villa De Leyva to San Gil. The 'safer' way as recommended by Julian at the hostel returned to Tunja before catching a direct bus to Bucaramanga. The other was 'quicker', according to the men at the bus station, going to Arcabuco and transferring to the bus that started in Tunja. We chose to take the risk of not having a seat when we caught the second bus to avoid retracing our ride back to Tunja.
Little did we know, that the first part of the journey was over a four-wheel-drive one-line mountain pass that led through a national forest. This bumpy bus ride was in a small collectivo, a local van that collects people all along the path. I'm not sure that we saved any time at all, but it was definitely new scenery!
When we arrived in Arcabuco we were let off in front of a restaurant with no idea when a San Gil bound bus may come by. Keith read as I sat beside the road waiting to 'hail' a bus. One eventually did stop for me but it was only going a little way up the highway. Because it was such a nice bus and had no passengers at all we hopped in and enjoyed the ride. They dropped us off in the center of Barbosa and pointed to the shuttle service which had a collectivo leaving in 30 minutes. The bus was packed with and it goes without saying SCARY. These bus drivers are in such a hurry, even in packed traffic on a two lane busy highway with trucks of all sizes in front of them and motorcycles passing on either side weaving in between any vehicle, the drivers all seem to need to be at the front of the line. How I wish they would slow down and let us enjoy the outrageously gorgeous views! My neck and back ache from near whiplash!!
The second day in San Gil we set out to see Barichara, a picture postcard perfect town about thirty minutes up and around the mountain.
What a day we had!!
After meandering around the beautiful small town of Barichara and enjoying a whipped cream filled frozen mocha coffee, we happened upon your average Colombian bus. People from within asked where we were headed as we approached, I had temporarily forgotten the name of the next pueblo on our list just 20 minutes down the hill, so I answered 'I'm not sure' with a smile. (Of course, all of this is in Spanish) They responded 'Come with us!' and we countered 'Why not?!' Off we went... destination unknown.
As it turned out we landed exactly at our proposed destination, the very small town of Guane, the ex-capital of the state of Santander and homeland to PreColombian indigenous culture of Guane people. We sat apart on the bus taking the only two seats available and both were treated to lengthy discussions the whole way there. Keith sat next to a man from Spain and I sat with a woman from San Gil, where we are now staying at Sam's VIP Hostel just off the main square.
I could tell right off that there was something different about this bus ride, everyone was talking with their seat partner in loud, friendly tones. As it turned out we were on a chartered bus of a group of neighbors deeply involved in their parish who take monthly excursions together to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions as they have for the last twelve years.
As we got off the bus I asked to have my picture taken with the person I had enjoyed meeting on the trip, thinking we would be parting ways.
The group of 24, mostly older women, went into the church and Keith & I visited a small museum full of fossils, religious artifacts and colonial memorabilia as well as indigenous relics including a mummy. Right around 3 pm, our tour guide asked if we were taking the 3 pm bus back to San Gil, the only other bus leaves at 6 in the evening. We replied that we guess we are and she ran outside to see if it had come and gone, which it had. With no other transportation option we finished our tour of the museum.
We could hear the enthusiastic singing coming out of the church as we left the museum and we joined another visitor from Spain on the steps of the church after looking through a couple of small shops that bordered the square.
Chatting with the young woman on the steps we learned that she was a native Colombian who had visited Spain five years ago, fell in love with a Spaniard her first day there, married him two years later and was now on holiday with her husband and two friends. Her mother was part of the bus group and as mass ended she invited us all to join them up the road when the other Spaniards finished their look inside the museum.
When the Spanish men joined us we followed them up the road. With nearly 2 hours to wait for the bus we were open for any activity that appeared interesting. A surprise was ours at the end of the block. The group was seated around a long decorated table in a hotel ready to have a birthday dinner. We were invited to join them and sat with the leader of the group and her brother, the priest! We were served a delicious dinner~ salad, chicken breast covered in a creamy sauce and potato salad. We joined in a toast for the birthday ladies and clapped after they 'blew out' the birthday sparkler that resembled a Fourth of July firework.
The toast included a special welcome to the guests from across the sea, both from Spain and the United States.
We felt honored to be included and so warmly welcomed and when we tried to pay for our meal were told absolutely not, we were invited guests!
On the way home another special recognition was made for everyone who participated in planning the event and celebrating the birthdays and after the group broke out in song, we were again recognized as special guests of the group and all wished us a very safe journey and invited us back again. This is what is happening in this dark video taken in route. Notice the curves and oncoming traffic!
They sang all the way back to San Gil, an easy 45 minute serenade! It was a day & night we will never forget.
Anyone who may think that Colombia is a poor country has not experienced the intense richness of its friendship offered to all!
We have been truly blessed to visit here!
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