Heading to Villa de Leyva soon became a 'must do' after being told by everyone in Bogota not to miss this nearby treasure. Indeed it is a beautiful place. Almost all the buildings in the old centre are 400 years old or more and are surrounded by rolling hills. The huge main plaza is difficult to appreciate in photos and is particularly exquisite, in a mysteriously dark way, at night. It defies belief why a village of this size has such a massive central square, easily the same size as its equivalent in Bogota. I guess 500 years ago no one knew that one would become a bustling capital of 10 million people and the other would be frozen in time - to the benefit of the weekenders like me. We also managed to fit in a trip to Raquira, a tiny local artesan and craft centre. Here, perhaps foolishly, I bought a set of traditional dessert bowls, in a classically Colombian yellow. How I will get them home, I do not know.All in all, it is only a shame I did not have longer in this tranquil part Colombia. Promises of a journey time of two hours did not materialise. More like double that, each way, in the end. Will I ever return? Well, who knows.
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