{"id":9277,"date":"2013-07-23T12:04:11","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T17:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?p=9277"},"modified":"2016-05-04T16:50:26","modified_gmt":"2016-05-04T21:50:26","slug":"villa-de-leyva-and-its-neighbours-things-to-see-around-villa-de-leyva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2013\/07\/villa-de-leyva-and-its-neighbours-things-to-see-around-villa-de-leyva\/","title":{"rendered":"Villa de Leyva and its Neighbours: Things to See Around Villa de Leyva"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guess who\u00b4s back? Back again. Gilesy\u00b4s back. Aha-hem.<\/p>\n

I bet you didn\u00b4t even realise I was gone, you Gentle but also Heartless Reader!<\/p>\n

Well, I was, even if you don\u00b4t care. I\u00b4d jumped out of the Bog, headed down the highway (on the way eating the best Boyacense arepa – two different types of cheese – that I\u00b4ve ever had, but that\u00b4s a story for another day, Maize fans) and made it to the whitewash-walled, cobblestone-roaded picture-perfected colonial retreat, Villa de Leyva. And you guys didn\u00b4t even miss me.<\/p>\n

Well, fine!! I was having too good a time to notice, anyway! I could bore you with all the details of what I did in this beautiful town itself, but, seeing we\u00b4ve already got a couple <\/a>of guides to Villa de Leyva<\/a>, I thought I would instead talk a bit more about what you can find by hiring a tour or a taxi to head\u00a0outside\u00a0<\/em>the town…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Clay House.<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"So,<\/a>
So, they were like, why don\u00b4t we just go eat some hay, make a house out of clay, and then lay by the bay…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u00b4s completely made out of clay!!! The logistics of firing the stuff alone are mind-boggling. How the hell did they even do it? People were giving me all kinds of explanations, but I\u00b4m going to say that it was MAGIC that did it. The idea was, apparently, to just build a house and live in it, but these days, the indigenous owners have turned it into one of the coolest museums going around. There\u00b4s MAGIC in that there house, I tells ya…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pozos Azules.<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"One<\/a>
One of the five pozos azules (blue pools), which can be enjoyed as part of a short circular walk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a8Pozos Azules,\u00a8I have it on good authority, is German for \u00a8Super Mario Brothers.\u00a8 Although this is interesting, it doesn\u00b4t really explain why these pools are such a striking shade of aquamarine, or why everybody else told me I was wrong, and that it was actually Spanish for \u00a8Blue Wells\u00a8 or something. Whatever, guys. What I do know is that these pools are beautifully limpid and I was sad that I hadn\u00b4t brought my bikini so I could have a dip in them, as the Lady Guardian of the Super Mario Brothers Pools told me I could. Next time, Pozos, next time…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Raquira.<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"They<\/a>
They do whatever Spider Piggy Banks do.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Neighbouring Raquira, named after the less famous sister of Spanish\/Argentinian\/Colombian superstar, Shaquira, is a Pottery Paradise. Of course, Shaquira\u00b4s sister\u00b4s name, Raquira, is derived from the Chibcha word meaning \u00a8City of Pots.\u00a8 This is a bizarre twist of fate, as Raquira has been, from time immemorial, the home of the best – and cheapest – traditionally-made pottery in Colombia. It is said that the MAGIC used to make the House of Clay (above) originated in this town. To tell you the truth, not being that much of a shopper, I was bored almost to tears by this place. However, my keen shopper companions went completely ape on the main street with its myriad of shops devoted to all kinds of pottery, great and small, all at the most ridiculously low prices you\u00b4re ever likely to see. Mugs featuring every name under the sun, pots, trinkets, and, of course, the Pizza Of Resistance, the traditional Spider Piggy Bank. There are also other traditional goods on sale, and, what\u00b4s more, an awesome little Hammock District.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And…plenty more!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If you get a tour from town, or organise a pick-up from the bus terminal, there are plenty of other cool spots around Villa de Leyva to explore. Another favourite of mine is the Convent of Ecce Homo, a sanctuary devoted to silence. Head into its church, and find the drawing of Jesus by the Confessional. If Jesus\u00b4 eyes are open when you look, you are clean. Closed eyes, however, signify the opposite. No prizes for guessing what happened when I looked. There are also plenty of fossils around the area – check out the huge marine dinosaur at the Fossil Museum. And then there\u00b4s the beautiful old town itself, lost in time and just waiting for you to visit, and… and….<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And of course, if you’re looking for a Villa de Leyva tour<\/a>, don’t be afraid to get in touch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guess who\u00b4s back? Back again. Gilesy\u00b4s back. Aha-hem. I bet you didn\u00b4t even realise I was gone, you Gentle but also Heartless Reader! Well, I was, even if you don\u00b4t care. I\u00b4d jumped out of the Bog, headed down the highway (on the way eating the best Boyacense arepa – two different types of cheese […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88889,"featured_media":1656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[1422,3,115,626,4,66,51],"tags":[224,223,2102,2977],"yoast_head":"\nVilla de Leyva and its Neighbours: Things to See Around Villa de Leyva - Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2013\/07\/villa-de-leyva-and-its-neighbours-things-to-see-around-villa-de-leyva\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Villa de Leyva and its Neighbours: Things to See Around Villa de Leyva\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Guess who\u00b4s back? Back again. Gilesy\u00b4s back. Aha-hem. I bet you didn\u00b4t even realise I was gone, you Gentle but also Heartless Reader! Well, I was, even if you don\u00b4t care. 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