Unlike Sydney, where people escape to the mountains to cool down for a long weekend, in Bogota the populace seek to drop a few thousand feet to warm up. So off to Villavicencio for the long weekend I went with my pals; a short bus trip of two hours (though getting back took more like six). Classic bank-holiday activities were undertook and much enjoyed: a trip to the outdoor pool with water slides, dancing the night away in cheesy discoteques, strolls around the park, watching the footie in a bar (Colombia 2, Chile 4) and, erm, riding a mechanical bull.
More unorthodox and the highlight of the trip was a visit to the local cowboy fair: 'El Coleo'. The centrepiece of this gathering is a bizarre spectator sport certainly not for animal lovers and definitely not for cow lovers. First, a non-suspecting white bull with a long tail is sent running down a 300m long sand pit, to the cheers from thousands watching from the grandstands either side. Then two horse-mounted cowboys chase the poor thing, with the aim of grabbing it by the tail and flipping it on its back. Points are awarded for how quickly you down the beast and the style in which you do so. Very, very odd. Needless to say, beer, music, bbq'd meat, dancing and promo girls (woah) were in plentiful supply and the whole event was hilarious.
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