.: XT660.com - The #1 XT660 Resource :. - RTW on my xt660z in lots photos & a few words...

.: XT660.com - The #1 XT660 Resource :. ( https://www.xt660.com/index.php)

- Travel Logs ( https://www.xt660.com/forumdisplay.php?f=217)

- - RTW on my xt660z in lots photos & a few words... ( https://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=18174)

out on the mountain roads heading for Villa De Leyva

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4145-XL.jpg

we rolled thru a little town that we were going to make a turn at to an even smaller town called Gambita but locals told us the road had been washed away! It was horse day in the town for some reason

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4152-XL.jpg

in the middle of nowhere we came across a speed roller blading oval...strange

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4721-XL.jpg

on the road of of the town

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4157-XL.jpg

taking the dirt road to Leyva

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4189-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4194-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4790-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4816-XL.jpg

Villa De Leyva is an old colonial town, a lot of pople come here from Bogata and the prices are high because of this, but as its national holidays the prices were up even more, first two hotels we asked for prices were $300 and $240 a night :eek1:huh

to much for two dirty bikers so we found a campsite in the middle of town for $9

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4206-XL.jpg

walking arond checking out the old town and some of the interesting stores with unique just waiting to go home to Bogata

they say a picture is worth a 1000 words...well here's 29,000 for you

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4207-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4729-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4738-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4739-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4745-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4753-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4774-XL.jpg

the ride to Villa De Leyva

just got an email from Paypal letting me know a few readers/ riders donated to my gas/ beer/ rtw fund

may thanks to the following for there very generous donations

D Grossman -
C Houston -
G Jones -

sometimes its not about the ride, some things are so close by you have to take time out and go see what others are talking about, it was time to play tourist for a day...a short ride out of Villa de Leyva, just over 1 km heading south, look to the right...we looked here as directed

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-WM...WMtNbNz-XL.jpg

we couldn't see it so doubled back and with new 'better' direction found the road, a small dirt road off to the right but the house wasn't visible until a few hundred meters from the turn then there it was

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Jt...JtBqxwL-XL.jpg

the following is how it is described by the owner:

Whoever passes by Terracotta House inevitably attracted and intrigued by the unconventional form, colors and textures, as well as its volume and its built-up areas. With the work front, questions begin to arise in the head: what is this place? What does it do? Who does it belong? How will it feel to be inside or even live there?

Apart from being the world's largest ceramic, Terracotta House is a place located in Villa de Leyva (Boyac�, Colombia) where it combines architecture and design, as well as other arts and crafts, and that since its origin and concept, Colombian architect Octavio Mendoza Morales seeks to promote an alternative lifestyle and harmonious for both the individual and the community, and to the surrounding environment.

the pictures can do the talking on this one as any comments by me will be superfluous

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-QK...QKhQQLh-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wC...wCBHHnh-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-8H...8HjG2BQ-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-MW...MWtM7xG-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-J5...J5bKN9W-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZS...ZSW29dN-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-SV...SVmzQwK-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Z5...Z5KBpJs-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-xz...xzs6VSh-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-SN...SNBmDvc-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wg...wgr2msW-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-HD...HDT3kvG-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-dc...dcWv9px-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-FP...FP5rV6x-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-LQ...LQsGhfF-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-5Q...5QqN5XN-XL.jpg

a short ride to Zipaquira and more tourist time...now its lots of walking around the Salt Cathedral

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-mP...mPpT6w9-XL.jpg

it is difficult to describe the size and scope of this place, all i will say is it a must see if you come to Colombia... so here's what Wiki say about it

The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquir� (Spanish: Catedral de Sal de Zipaquir�) is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 meters underground in a Halite mountain near the town of Zipaquir�, in Cundinamarca, Colombia. It is a very popular tourist destination and place of pilgrimage in the country. The name "Salt Cathedral" is mostly to attract tourists - while a functioning church that receives as many as 3,000 visitors on Sundays, it has no bishop and therefore no official status as a cathedral in Catholicism.
The temple at the bottom has three sections, representing the birth, life, and death of Jesus. The icons, ornaments and architectural details are hand carved in the halite rock. Some marble sculptures are included.
The Salt Cathedral is considered one of the most notable achievements of Colombian architecture. Also it has been denominated as "Jewel of Modern Architecture". The cathedral represents for the Colombian people a valuable cultural, environmental and religious patrimony.

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-5t...5tGZxX7-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-4k...4kQ6m33-XL.jpg

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-B8...B8BWCQj-XL.jpg

we stayed an extra day in Zipaquira, Ryans ankle was still bugging him so just a day to chill out around the main square

right by this cathedral...

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-xZ...xZJ59Q9-XL.jpg

and up close...

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-hS...hS9nDPC-XL.jpg

sitting drinking a beer and a willy's WW2 jeep rolls by :huh

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Ph...PhdvVWJ-XL.jpg

the ride out the following morning was again spectacular, starting to run out of superlatives for this country, everyday seems better than the one before for riding

http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-DL...DL2RpGp-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-b7...b7j7V5Z-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Cs...Csq4kQ9-XL.jpg
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-7X...7X2T3sh-XL.jpg