3 hours outside of Bogota, up and down a ravine in the Andes Mountains, lies the old colonial town of Villa de Leyva. In recent years, Colombian tourists flock to the scenic pueblo during peak vacation. For those from afar, it's a recommended visit. Geralyn and I went earlier this week when the famous old stone plaza and hotels were sparsely populated. What stood out for me was a peace/calm in the air; dogs, sheep and children came and went in the clean, thin mountain air, locals wandered from café to café, and the old Plaza church featured a celebration-of-Mary processional out and down a stone-cobbled street. G and I took it all in, walked the streets the next morning, bought some local yarn, visited a couple of local Museos, and sat in cafes, enjoying the strong coffee (tinto) and sugar-coated churros (donuts filled with caramel).

Would we recommend a visit to the old Spanish colonial town? Absolutely! The views alone of the Andes valleys, hills and green mountain fields are in themselves worth the trip. Here are some images of our visit. All the best, Don

(P.S. Exif should read K3 and SMC F 50mm, F1:1.4 for all images.)

[hjoseph7]

Fantastic shots, I lived in Bogota when I was 2-6 years old back in the 1960's !