Popayan

Oh hi! Continuing our route down through Columbia we decided to stop at Popayan for a few days, so that we could go to the market at Silvia and to enjoy what is reputed to be one of columbia's most beautiful old towns.

We arrived on a Sunday, and checked into the Casa Familiar. We were greeted by our very chatty host Sebastian, who was Columbian, but spoke English with a German accent. He talked an awful lot too! At one point he informed us that he felt another guest was a bit 'simple'. It was hard to keep a straight face, and we promptly ran away when we could. But before we could leave the hotel, Wiji has to learn how to open the front door. From our room I could hear how immensely complicated this was, and god, I was glad I wasn't having to undergo the lesson! I didn't get away scot-free, I constantly saw Sebastian in his boxer shorts...not ideal!

Here is our room, this window opens out onto the communal conservatory. Is this bed really a double? Is it really?!


It was late afternoon when we started to explore an almost deserted town. I didn't have to worry about getting people and cars out of the photographs, because there were hardly any! It really felt like an old Sunday, rainy with everything closed...but hey, its warmer than Britain! It was a blow to find out that the next day was a bank holiday...oh dear.

Thunderous skies were the perfect backdrop to Popayan's white-washed old town.


The city was founded in 1537 and is still a key stopover for Quito. Several imposing monasteries and churches were built in the 17th and 18th centuries when the town was flourishing. Its now well known for its many beautiful churches and is descended upon at Easter for the religious holiday. Ironically it was on Maundy Thursday in 1983 that an earthquake struck the town, just before the religious procession was about to depart. A message from God, maybe..? What was he saying exactly? Never mind. Much restoration work has taken place in the following years to retain Popayan's colonial architectural heritage.

Inglesia de San Francisco is the city's largest colonial church. It has an amazing interior with and statues and carvings and was packed each time we went to look inside.


It was hilarious to watch the young police lads loitering about in doorways out of the rain, one was twirling his nightstick like a majorette's batton, while the other stood in front of him and watched.



Its quite easy to get lost here, everywhere looks the same.


Parque Caldas and to the left the neoclassical Cathedral. It's the youngest church in the square and was built between 1859 and 1906, but was almost completely destroyed by the 1983 earthquake and was rebuilt from the ground up.


Finally some interesting textures and, for Fenner a homage to Rauchenburg R.I.P.


This town could really do with a visit from Banksy.

Too many churches too little time.


The next day it was sunny! Yay, so we did some exploring and walked up the hill to get some panoramic views of Popayan, old and new. The more commercial and industrial aspects of the city have been kept to the outskirts, to good effect.




It was possible to see for miles and miles. Wiji managed to find an ice pole to purchase at the top of the hill. He even has a favorite brand 'Bon ice'. Quality.


The next three cloud scapes are for Fenner. In Guatemala the clouds were so large it felt like the sky was falling down...chicken-licken stylee.






All the way from Mexico I have marvelled at these yellow flowers on bare branches. This tree really stood out all over the landscape, in every country that we have visited. It was only here that I actually got a close up look at it.


It looks brilliant against the sky, laden with air plants.


We visited the Museo de Historia Natural, this was not quite what we had expected...yes lots of stuffed animals, birds and insects, but oh god! They were all painted with arcylic paint, and hideously! This was quite fascinating in itself...we found ourselves wondering how the hell you could do something so consistently badly?! We didn't have too much time to dwell on this because we had to get out due to early bank holl closing, we did see a beautiful Harlequin beetle though!

Continuing our love of Columbian sweets we found some super fresh glace figs and enjoyed these looking for a place to use the internet.



The town was much more lively by Tuesday when everything was back to normal. The streets were rammed and had a young policeman on every cross roads directing the traffic with a whistle. This seemed entirely necessary! Popayan is certainly a working city and not just a tourist attraction.

Here's Parque Caldas full of giant palm tree, pine trees and small manicured bamboo hedges.