I had heard mention of Guatape, a town just two hours outside of Medellin, in reference to a giant rock that you could climb for a stunning view of the countryside and a smattering of man-made lakes below. Sounded cool enough for a little day trip and I had been assured that getting to Guatape was a piece of cake. I like cake — so I was in.
Now, I tend to have this silly anxiety with buses in foreign countries. I’m just sure I’ll end up taking the wrong one and after a brief bus nap, I’ll wake up in the middle of the Amazon jungle, or a coca field, or Panama — who knows. My Spanish is terrible and I usually resort to the desperate eyes and pitiful hand gestures aimed at those who look like they know something, hoping they’ll pity me and make sure I board the right one.
“Guatape? Guatape? Guatape?” I asked down the row of 30 something booths, all in charge of different bus lines going to different places.
Finally, a portly man, standing tall at about my chin leve lsaid, “Aye, you need GuataPE! No, GUAtape!” with a boisterous laugh at my expense to follow. Apparently I had been emphasizing the wrong syllable… which APPARENTLY makes it impossible to understand me. (I should have learned after that “BoGOta episode when I first arrived. Its BogoTA. Duh.)
So the portly man gestured for me to follow him and brought me right up to the booth for GuataPE.
“Uno a Guatape, por favor,” I asked, quietly — afraid to further humiliate myself. It was too early to be laughed at, especially without coffee.
At least my seat in the middle back gave me an uninterrupted view of the vendors they allow on Colombian buses — this guy was selling cook books!
I boarded the bus and braced myself in the very back seat as we bopped and bounded over 2 hours of narrow, bumpy roads. At about an hour and a half in, that nagging feeling that I’d screw this up returned.
A last minute peak at my Lonely Planet informed me that if you want to see,”La Piedra” (the rock) you must get off before the town of Guatape.
But how would I know where that was? I had assumed it would be the last and only option. Surely, I was going to miss it!
I started asking those around me with all of the vocab I could come up with. “La Piedra? La Piedra? Donde es La Piedra?”
Just before driving them all crazy enough to kick me off on the side of the road, the bus driver announced, “La Piedra!”
Of course he announced the stop. It was the biggest tourist attraction in town. Laughing at myself and thanking my bus mates profusely, I stepped off the bus to a commanding view of what was indeed a giant rock.
The bus ride — definitely a piece of cake. The climb to the top? A tiny bit more exhausting…
740 steps in all their glory.
Is Mary rolling her eyes at me?? I guess I wouldn’t blame her…
Takin’ a breather at step 150.
Don’t get too excited when you reach “the top”. You still have to climb that tower for the highest point!
And at last… the VIEW! From the very top of “La Piedra”.
Don’t look DOOoooowwwwnnnn!
The view was absolutely spectacular. And the very best part? After climbing all those steps, you can indulge yourself in Colombia snack time without any guilt at all!
Breakfast of champions: empanada flavored chips and beer.
Don’t fill up on chips though… and DON’T skip making your way to the town of Guatape, just ten minutes down the road. There you’ll find an adorably colorful village and some amazing local food options. At the base of La Piedra, you’ll find plenty of taxis and tuk-tuks willing to bring you over. More on the town of Guatape, coming soon!
Oh man, those acentos killed me in high school Spanish. I have the same pronunciation problems in Korea all the time. I can ask where the rice is in the grocery store (the Korean word for rice is “bab”…one syllable) and they look at me as if I have lobsters crawling out of my ears or something. Great pictures!
Charlie recently posted..Nice Buns! Korean winter street food favorites
Ha yeah I definitely don’t have the accent down yet. I ordered a mango smoothie today (mango en leche) … really didn’t think I could possibly screw that up but she had no idea what I was saying! oh well… we’ll get it eventually!
Britany Robinson recently posted..1 Bus Ride and 740 Steps to the Top of “La Piedra”
We had the same problem with “fondue” in Switzerland….. That I couldn’t figure since they were speaking English but just not My English! Looks beautiful especially since it is sleeting here right now and getting colder brrrrr.
ewww I don’t miss sleet! Come visit, its nice and warm here:)
Britany Robinson recently posted..26 Backpacks for Sandy Hook Elementary School
Oh my god that picture is amazing. I HAVE to go. And mad props to you for climbing all those stairs, yikes.
Kristine recently posted..That time we almost died at the foam party in Ibiza
It was a very cool trip. You should definitely check it out!
Looks amazing, Britany! Love that Mary photo!
thanks, Mia!