Going up north

After two and a half beautiful weeks in Bogota I made my way up north to Tunja, where I spend three days. I stayed at a couchsurfing host and her hospitability was amazing. I arrived in the evening and together with the host I visited the historic center after dark. Since I was accustomed to the packed streets of Bogota the calmness of Tunja was a pleasant change. Tunja holds many universities and is therefore home to lots of students which coin the atmosphere of the city.

Main plaza of Tunja

View of Tunja from my host's terrace

The next day I visited Tunja in daylight and as well went with my host to Paipa, a small town about 30 Kms outside of Tunja. Paipa is a very nice and quiet place which sees a lot of Colombian tourists during the weekend due to its beautiful lake. We went for a walk along the lake and enjoyed its peaceful atmosphere.

Lake Sochagota de Tunja

View of Paipa

Horse / Kart Racing T

I also visited the colonial town of Villa de Leyva which is a 40 minute busdrive away from Tunja. Villa de Leyva is a really beautiful city with cobbled streets and old white-painted house. Close to Villa de Leyva is a nice little national park which has a great walking route with an awesome observation point at the end of the walk.

Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva

View of Villa de Leyva from a National Park

In the evening of my third day in Tunja I caught the bus to San Gil, a small town in the department of Santander which is famous for its extreme sports. I stayed there for five nights and did mountain biking, rafting and paragliding. I really enjoyed my time there and I will upload some more pictures in my next entry.

Surroundig of San Gil

View of San Gil

Backcountry near Barichara

Backcountry near Barichara