Último Día en Colombia

"All Aboard!"

30/06

El Tren de la Sabana

This morning we walked to the nearby train station, Usaquen. There we all got our tickets and grouped up. Mrs. Burlison had invited some of her family to go as well, so we were 12 altogether.  

On the train, foods were offered and different musical groups performed in the coaches. One of the bands that played was a typical Colombian band, called Papayera. 

It was nice and added to the enjoyment of the train. It was a scenic ride. The mountains and landscape were nice, but there were also some views not so nice- like seeing the homes of the poor in Colombia. 

The area we passed by reminded me of the Favelas in Brazil. 

When the train reached the last station, Zipaquirá, we disembarked. There, passengers who had bought the ticket previously, like me, could go visit the Salt Mine Cathedral. I boarded a bus with Mrs. B's daughter and two of her nieces, and we set off to the salt mines.

Once there, we only had an hour to explore. Unfortunately we weren't able to see it all because we had to be back at the bus stop by a certain time. Once inside the mine, there were carved out sections with large crosses. 

As we walked along the big underground tunnel, we passed the different sections that each represented a station of the cross. After the last station, the tunnel opened up in to a big room with various levels. There was an even bigger cross against the end wall, and statues of angels. The colored lights added to the beauty of it all.

The Cathedral is known here as the "Primera Maravilla de Colombia."

After making it back to the bus and joining back up with the others, we went to lunch in this restaurant that had live music. The name of the place was "Donde el Pollo Canta," which means "Where the Chicken Sings." In this case, the chicken was a man who sang upstairs, where the tables were situated. 

He sang some classic Colombian tunes, and it was very much like a karaoke. It was a great cultural atmosphere, and the food was really good as well. 

From my time here, I have seen and eaten a lot of avocado. Some pieces were served with the salad at this restaurant. Colombians like their avocados! I do too.

There was more music for the trip back. This time, we heard from a new group. Two guys: one with a drum and the other with a stringed-instrument and pipes. They played some music of the different countries represented by the passengers, Brazil, Mexico, and of course- Colombia.

Before reboarding the train to head back to our original station, I was standing by a statue where a daughter and mom were taking photos. Waiting for my turn, I overheard them speaking and recognized the language as Portuguese! We began conversing (in Portuguese don't you know) and turns out not only are they Brazilian, but they also know the city where I'm living, and the mom is living in Pouso Alegre, a city I myself have visited various times! The daughter also knows about AIESEC and participated in an exchange previously. She now is living and working in Colombia as a Portuguese-Spanish translator. Cool stuff! Man, it's a small world.