Rich in paradise

One week long, we lived in Sibaté, at Maria and Markus Ruiz place.
We arrived there thanks to Juan Pablo – remember? The engineer who designed our front racks! Well, Juan Pablo sent us to the one who could create these racks, Mauricio, who lives… in Sibaté (as you already know, since you are a huge fan of our adventures and therefore, you read with assiduity all our posts). Originally, we planned to stay a weekend in Sibaté, but it took a bit more time than expected to create our front racks.

So we had time to visit around...

... enjoy Maria's meals, as well as the pastries and other breads Markus created for his panaderia !!

Bitchy (don't ask or ask Arthur) waiting for us at Mauricio's workshop

Aaaaaand... we almost adopted a street dog! This sweet-sweet-so-sweet old dog followed us everywhere - and we had to trick her to avoid that she would come with us all the way long to Argentina! We in fact thought about it - but more than 30 km for a dog everyday is a killer...

So we left her behind :-( but in good hands with Markus and Maria!

Thursday, when our racks were ready, the family Ruiz suggested us to wait for Saturday to leave for La Mesa, our next step: they wanted to come along! And spend the weekend at a very good friend’s, who lives over there: Aura.

These events extended our stay at the Ruiz family from 2 days… to one week! And boy, we enjoyed it!!

For we learned how to prepare some delicious pastries, which Markus sells in his panaderia…

First, we observed: Markus showed us the different steps to prepare the different breads and pastries; he is not camera shy :-). Then… we came in action!!

Before we left, we bought as much as our cycling bags could hold:

• 40 palitos, simple but really good and very handy, since you can keep them for months
• 1 torte de calabassine, that you can keep about 2 to 4 days – but which didn't survive more than 2 meals
• 12 pan integral, Arthur’s favorite, since it fits so well with his tuna preparation!
• And Markus gave us 2 brioche :-) :-) :-) A blessing for breakfast!!

All settled and prepared for a rainy ride, we left Saturday morning to reach Aura's house, in La Mesa, where we had a great time in the warmth of lower altitude...

... and where we met Guillermo, the guardian of a little paradise...

Yes, today, we take you into paradise! I wouldn't expect it but, well, that's not that complicated in fact to reach paradise! A bit of a walk, right, but really worth it... :-)
So here you go. For your information, paradise is located in Tena, which is in between Bogota and La Mesa. The owner is called Guillermo - a very nice and welcoming guardian :-) Eyes ready? Let's go!

First, you have to dare diving into a narrow path
hidden in the  mountain forest...

You think it's there... nice try! Go on walking :-)

Still not there... but we are getting closer!
Nice view by the way :-)

So you walk, you walk, you walk, slowly going above

the clouds - and you expect Leonardo (ed: Di Caprio) to show up

at any moment, yelling with to the mountains that once

again, he feels like the king of the world!! 

When suddenly...

A yellow wall appears, behind the banana plants and other weird cactus hiding the way...

It's there!

"Bienvenido!!" And Guillermo opens the doors...

A simple, warm and peaceful place,
with many bedrooms for scholar groups
and tourists

Time for us to relax and enjoy the place!!!

Markus and Guillermo singing Colombian songs

Maria serving fried chicken, salted potatoes and arepas, observed by a hungry Arthur. Markus is in the kitchen area.

After the almuerzo (lunch), time for fruits. Well, we didn't bring any with us but why bother? Just above Guillermo's finca (farm), a neighbor lives in the middle of a field full of granadilla...!!!

Orange outside, this fruit looks inside like passion fruit - but all sweet!! And to be honest, the first time you think about tasting it, you have to think twice. Because the jelly kind of brain-snotty texture is at first not very appetizing!!!! But believe us, it's delicious!

One of Guillermo's stone creation - kind of maintained by two happy duntchies

Around the house

Told you light of paradise reach the place :-)

Markus in flower mode

In front of the house

And as the best final ever: THE BEST TOILETS EVER!! To my fellows hikers: doesn't these remind you of a special place in the mountains of Corsica?? :-)

OK, time to get back to earth... We would have loved to stay longer and help Guillermo to work on his project - Guillermo is building more houses to welcome more groups in his finca. So if by any chance you pass by Bogota, don't even hesitate once. Ask us how to contact Guillermo and go for it! You don't have the chance to spend one day in heaven everyday :-)

A LA PROXIMA AMIGOS!!!

A&A