Popayan, day four part two Coconuco

At this point in my trip I was settled, relaxed, and ready for more.  Having first experienced hot springs in Mexico last December, I was eager to try them in Colombia.  Jose and Elsa had mentioned this as a possibility before so we decided to take the trip from Silvia back through Popayan to Coconuco.  There are two types of hot springs locations there, one is Aguas Herviendo which is 'boiling water' and the other is Agua Tibia, where we decided to go.  Jose and I enjoyed the two springs there.  One was about 5.5 deep and lukewarm.  It was transparent so that you could go underwater, see across to the other end, and not feel salt or chlorine.  The other spring was a brownish tinged water, warmer and shallower.  Both were enjoyable in their own way.

Coconuco is 2850 meters above sea level and near Purace National park.  Located in the central Andean range, it's a small town the relies heavily on the tourism to the two hot springs.  The views from the springs are as nice as the water.

I find with hot springs that the benefits are temporary.  It feels so relaxing to be in this special water but I've found that the buzz wears off within hours.  Nevertheless any day that I could be relaxing in a hot spring would be better than most.  I highly recommend Aguatibia and will definitely go back if I ever return.

Popayan, day two

Monday was the day that setup the rest of the trip.  Often a traveler arrives to their destination tired, does a quick whirlwind tour, sleeps soundly for 10 to 12 hours, and quickly becomes restless.  I fought the inclination to be restless and take things as they came.  I was awakened at 7am by the telephone.  It was my hostess Elsa setting up a time to pick me up and start showing me around. 

We saw the town between some errands she had to run.  We took in the center of town again, and moved on to the Hotel Dann Monasterio (see below) and the Law School.  Popayan experienced a strong earthquake in 1983 and you can still see some of its effects.  There is a cracked wall or window here or there, or more likely yet another parking area.  Many of the beautiful homes were not rebuilt and became parking lots. 

After a delicious lunch we went to walk around a modern mall whose land was until recently owned by the Catholic Church.  Elsa made a couple of references during the day of how the Catholic Church holds much money, land, and power in Popayan.  Finally we stopped by their house on the tony north side to visit with Jose again and see some unimproved land he bought in the area.

Most importantly in the morning after much effort on Elsa's part we connected with a tour guide who would be able to take me on a climb of Volcan (Volcano) Purace or a trip through the Purace National Park with various sights and experiences.  Thankfully I opted for the latter.  Cristian, my indigenous guide, would be picking me up at the Hotel La Plazuela at 7am the next morning.

Popayan, day one, part one

  I arrived to Popayan in the early afternoon on July 15.  On the descent I didn't see anything impressive.  The pilot parked the plane and we walked from the landing area to a small baggage claim area.  I had hosts whom I'll call Jose and Elsa that I hadn't emailed with in days.  I didn't know if they'd be there but I kept telling myself not to worry, fighting the uptight American impulse to have every detail in place.

After I gathered my suitcases and exited I saw Jose waiting there for me.  Of course he was there!  He drove me to the hotel and waited while I checked in, showed me some points of interest downtown, a museum, brought me to lunch, and then showed me more after lunch.  A person he had met once in a business setting in Bogota nearly two years before had just arrived to his hometown and he spent the whole afternoon with him.  That's hospitality.

In the next post I'll describe some of the places I saw on this first day:  downtown streets, Museo Guillermo Leon, Morro del Tulcan, and the Pueblito Payanesa.