Sometimes dreams do come true. Ever since we moved out of the US for the first time, Aaron has been dreaming about this being. Her white, slender body and dainty accessories. Her ability to climb mountains with his strong assistance. Her capacity to carry his children all over the world.
No, I'm not talking about this Vanna:
I'm talking about this one. Vanna Blanca "Super Carry" Hefstad:
It's about as simple as a car gets: no automatic shifting, no power steering, no air conditioning, and no power locks. It even has a choke to start the engine which fits snugly under the driver's seat. However, when Aaron's life-long friend Tim came to visit, they made it their mission to add some bling. They went to the depths of Cali's automotive district, bought LED lights and a new stereo, and installed them to make Vanna a road tripping dream.
Our first official road trip was to Popayan about 2 hours from Cali. The drive from Cali weaves through some brilliantly beautiful mountain landscapes with volcano Purace in the background. We stayed in Hostel Caracol, a quiet, clean hostel in the middle of the city center. Popayan is known for its white city center. The white, 2 story building blend to make a maze that is easy to get lost in. I wouldn't recommend going on a Sunday or Festivo as it is pretty dead. Many of the restaurants and coffee shops were closed to our dismay, but we decided to look for entertainment outside of the city center. We had signed up for a tour with Popayan Tours to climb the volcano Purace. Unfortunately, the guide called and said the wind and visibility has been horrible lately and it wouldn't be worth the climb. Apparently the best time to climb the volcano is January and February. So, instead we decided to do their Biking/Hot Springs tour. We were picked up at our hostel at 10:00am and driven to the hot springs about an hour outside of town. The springs were in a beautiful setting, but because it was a festivo, were packed! They definitely had nothing on the Santa Rosa thermal springs in the coffee region, but were great for a dip and some sauna time. Then, we biked 30km back to town. It was a pretty relaxed bike ride with a few uphills. The views of the mountains were unbeatable! Along the way, at kilometer 3 or 4, we stopped at a little restaurant for juice and tamales--the best tamales I've had in Colombia! It was the perfect way to end the ride.
On our way back to Cali, we checked out the town of Silvia. The drive itself is worth it as we couldn't help but stop and take in the views. Also, every Tuesday they have a market where the indigenous people sell produce. We munched on empanaditas and pandebono as we strolled through the aisles "oohhhing" and "ahhiing" at the abundance of potatoes, tomatoes and grains.
Tim captured this road trip and the rest of his time here with his GoPro. Take a look:
Aaron's ultimate dream is to drive Vanna back to the U.S. when we leave Colombia. In the meantime, we're looking forward to taking the Runestad parents on their own Colombian road trip very soon.
No, I'm not talking about this Vanna:
I'm talking about this one. Vanna Blanca "Super Carry" Hefstad:
It's about as simple as a car gets: no automatic shifting, no power steering, no air conditioning, and no power locks. It even has a choke to start the engine which fits snugly under the driver's seat. However, when Aaron's life-long friend Tim came to visit, they made it their mission to add some bling. They went to the depths of Cali's automotive district, bought LED lights and a new stereo, and installed them to make Vanna a road tripping dream.
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| Aaron and Tim using their soldering skills. |
Our first official road trip was to Popayan about 2 hours from Cali. The drive from Cali weaves through some brilliantly beautiful mountain landscapes with volcano Purace in the background. We stayed in Hostel Caracol, a quiet, clean hostel in the middle of the city center. Popayan is known for its white city center. The white, 2 story building blend to make a maze that is easy to get lost in. I wouldn't recommend going on a Sunday or Festivo as it is pretty dead. Many of the restaurants and coffee shops were closed to our dismay, but we decided to look for entertainment outside of the city center. We had signed up for a tour with Popayan Tours to climb the volcano Purace. Unfortunately, the guide called and said the wind and visibility has been horrible lately and it wouldn't be worth the climb. Apparently the best time to climb the volcano is January and February. So, instead we decided to do their Biking/Hot Springs tour. We were picked up at our hostel at 10:00am and driven to the hot springs about an hour outside of town. The springs were in a beautiful setting, but because it was a festivo, were packed! They definitely had nothing on the Santa Rosa thermal springs in the coffee region, but were great for a dip and some sauna time. Then, we biked 30km back to town. It was a pretty relaxed bike ride with a few uphills. The views of the mountains were unbeatable! Along the way, at kilometer 3 or 4, we stopped at a little restaurant for juice and tamales--the best tamales I've had in Colombia! It was the perfect way to end the ride.
On our way back to Cali, we checked out the town of Silvia. The drive itself is worth it as we couldn't help but stop and take in the views. Also, every Tuesday they have a market where the indigenous people sell produce. We munched on empanaditas and pandebono as we strolled through the aisles "oohhhing" and "ahhiing" at the abundance of potatoes, tomatoes and grains.
Tim captured this road trip and the rest of his time here with his GoPro. Take a look:
Aaron's ultimate dream is to drive Vanna back to the U.S. when we leave Colombia. In the meantime, we're looking forward to taking the Runestad parents on their own Colombian road trip very soon.
