San Gil is famous for its extreme sports activities. Not really into it, but San Gil was still worth a visit, because it also serves as perfect starting point for a trip to the beautiful colonial towns of Barichara and Guane.
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| View from the hostel's balcony directly on the central plaza.. Green... |
I only stayed 2 nights here, so fairly short. But still, at least it should be possible to find
any restaurant, right? No... Nothing. I survived on sweet buns, nuts, and other snacks. Not really satisfying. But then again, the fruit was awesome. Ever had yellow dragonfruit? So good! More taste and much juicier than the red variety I knew from Asia. Turned into one of my culinary faves on the trip and whenever I came across it (unfortunately not too often), I got some.
Also soursop, physalis and... apples were really good. When I don't have apples for more than a couple of days, I really start to crave them. Hey, I'm from Germany's major apple region, ok?! And surprisingly, here in San Gil apples were tasty, whereas most times during my trip their taste should turn out to be less than average.
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| Quince jelly and cheese is a common treat in Colombia |
From San Gil it is a short trip by bus to beautiful Barichara. Although I had to wait quite a while for the bus, it did not feel too long, as some elderly Colombian left the café next to me in order to keep me company and to help me to flag down the right bus. Finally, the bus came and shortly after I arrived in Barichara. At a bakery, I got some provisions for the journey, walked along the narrow streets... but when I was almost ready to start the hike to nearby Guane, I changed my mind, returned to Barichara's centre and looked for a decent meal. Always better to have something in the stomach before going on a tour.
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| Smell, appearence, texture... Everything seemed to be fine. Nowadays it's so hard to get fluffy, yet rich doughnuts. Could have been such a good one, but then the jam was waaaay too sweet... |
My radomly picked place turned out to be a vegetarian restaurant. Food
was average, but still: San Gil doesn't feature not even one real
restauarant, and in tiny Barichara they cater to a group highly strange
in Colombia. And at least during my stay Barichara was not touristy at
all. So only hoping for the vegetarian tourists to come seems to be a
bit pointless...
After a humble meal, I finally was on track. The
Camino Real (Royal Way) leads from Barichara to Guane. In less than 2 relaxed hours of walking, you can enjoy beautiful nature and landscapes. And what was more: I felt much safer than when going on a hike back in Mexico. I was totally alone, nobody and nothing disturbed me and so I could silently wallow in my feelings, memories, and ideas, only surrounded by plants and some animals. Priceless.
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| Beginning the trip to Guane. |
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| Walking on Camino Real |
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| Some harmless animals were the only "distraction" |
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| Poor guy. Could not do much to help him - he had already died. |
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| Arriving in Guane |
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| Don't take viagra, take goat's milk. |
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| Tangy yet sweet physalis. |
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