Montañas Mágicas

So far we have taken two long bus rides: 11 hours from Bogota to Cali, and 9 hours from Cali to Medellin. Traveling by bus is one of my favorite ways to travel. Along with being more of a cultural immersion experience, it allows you to see so much of the country. I have been absolutely awed by the mountains in Colombia. We have driven for quite a few hours, as you can see, and the beauty of these mountains just keeps going and going. While I had certainly been enjoying getting to know pieces of Colombia from the beginning of our trip, it was really during the second bus ride that I was truly captivated. I have already fallen in love with this land, and will try to describe bits of it to you.

Los colores son increibles! Everything is green. I have never seen a country so green as Colombia. The year-round temperate climate makes it the perfect environment for more kinds of plants than I could identify and describe, including some of the tallest I have seen. I felt as though I was inside a fantasy book. Sorry, Mom, but J.R.R. Tolkein's got nothing on this place. :)

One tree caught my eye because of its peculiarity. I do not know for sure if this is correct, but I believe that people cut off the branches of this tree (I think to use for fire or houses). The interesting part is that then smaller branches grow out from the surface where the branches had been cut! Try to picture this in your head. And then imagine trees where this process of cutting and regrowth occurred multiple times on one tree! I saw many of these trees during our bus ride to Medellin. A beautiful symbol of rejuvenation and regrowth, no?

Along with this special tree, there were many different kinds of trees. All kinds of sizes and shapes. Palm trees and many fruit trees including banana and papaya.

One of the most beautiful times of the day was at dusk. The trees and closer mountains maintained their green color, but were set against the soft blue of the more distant mountains behind them. Somehow the evening sky painted these distant mountains in its own likeness. Then add to this wide rivers dotted with large stones. The combinations of blues and greens, mountains and sky, earth and water were all breathtaking.

Okay, time to stop trying to describe the indescribable. I'll simply say that if you ever find yourself in Colombia, you simply must take a bus.

Ciao,
Krista