It is also considered to be similar to the fictional town in One Hundred Years of Solitude by Garcia Marquez, one of Colombia's most famous authors, who won a Nobel prize for the book. Coleen and I are reading it together as a school project, so having a visit seemed fitting.
We chose to stay at a small, family run hostel because it was super cheap, $20 including breakfast, and so we could see how people live. It was not a fancy place, but it was clean, colorful and the family was very friendly. We sat at their dining table for a breakfast of perfectly ripe papaya, eggs scrambled with tomatoes and onions, toast and a large pitcher of fresh orange juice. A hearty start to the day for sure, and while eating we got to see the señora of the house prepare banana leaves for tamales. We met the children, who knew a little english.
After breakfast we took a stroll along the river side park, explored the historical sights, museums, churches and shops. We had a lovely time, but by 11:30 the heat was almost unbearable, so we opted for a siesta in our room. We left for our river tour (see previous post) at 3 which is quite possibly one of the coolest things I've ever done.
We had dinner in one of the many plazas, under the lights of an ancient church... a fantastic pizza, with two beers and a fresh limeade for $8 and then stopped for ice cream $1. It had been quite a day and we were ready to turn in by 10 pm. All in all one of the best days ever and a grand start for our adventure.