The view from Alto El Trigo, a hill which sits between Villeta and Guaduas
The province or "department" of Cundinamarca is in the center of Colombia and surrounds the capital city of Bogotá. Its area is about 9,000 square miles, smaller than the state of Maryland, but within that territory exists an astonishing variety of climates and landscapes. For example, Bogotá sits at 8,530 feet (2600 meters) above sea level and has an average temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius), but a town on the Magdalena River, Girardot, is only at 1,070 feet (326 meters) above sea level and has an average temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). Towns with warm climates such as Girardot and Villeta are places that Bogotanos visit to relax on weekends. Leaving Bogotá toward Girardot, the road initially climbs to a higher, even cooler elevation, then drops to a temperate climate in between the extremes of these two cities, and one notices the temperature changing and the types of vegetation appearing more tropical than in Bogotá. Finally the road reveals spectacular mountain scenery, then curves and plunges to an even hotter area, with even more tropical-looking vegetation until finally reaching Girardot and the Magdalena River.
Fruit cart in the plaza at Guaduas
The Embalse de Tominé, an artificial lake near the town of Guatavita
Sausages and corncobs roasting on the grill
House of Policarpa Salavarrieta, one of Colombia's independence heroes
Copyright 2011 by Michael Esposito. All rights reserved. Todos los derechos reservados. E-mail: meesposito@gmail.com This site updated October 9, 2011/Este sitio fue ampliado el 9 de octubre de 2011 Santa Fe Travel: a division of L & M Travel - Michael Esposito: IC Travel Specialist of L & M Travel - CST# 2043262-40 L & M Travel IC Agent
