Exploring AMAZING Guatape, COLOMBIA! (MUST VISIT!)
Cafe [Music] buenos dias good morning country collectors if you tuned in last week you joined us in the Metropolis of Medellin Colombia well this week we have headed a bit east to the vibrant relaxing town of guatape as you can see it is full of color art and stunning Landscapes and we can't wait to share it all with you but before we get started make sure to hit that subscribe button and ring the bell so you don't miss out on any of our future Adventures alright let's do this to get here from Medellin we made our way to the North Terminal there we purchase our tickets at window 14 to guatape for 19 000 cop each the journey took us outside of the city and through lush green rolling Farmland we even got a glimpse of el Pena guatape which we will be climbing in this video two hours after leaving Medellin we arrived here where we loaded in a tuk-tuk and we're brought to our accommodations at Casa pastora this place has been great it's in a quiet part of town with so many colorful homes around we have a small but cozy room that also has a private the bathroom there's lots of shared spaces as well that we've been enjoying and every morning she serves up a scrumptious breakfast and you really can't ask for more we definitely recommend this place well enough of enough of logistics it is time to have some fun we're gonna make our way back to the town later to explore its colorful streets but first thing on the list today is going over to El penande guatape it's one of the main reasons people come to visit this town this giant rock formation is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of Columbia it's about five kilometers from the town and the most popular and fun way to get there is in a colorful tuk-tuk so why don't we go find one hop in and get this day started and as we're walking down to get a tuk-tuk we saw people doing tai chi in the park there's some horses grazing having some breakfast it's so beautiful and peaceful here and check it out on the way into town we walked by the colorful guatape letters which you know is a great place to snap a photo we'll be coming back here later this is down on the malecon so we can explore a little bit more and you know I can't start my day off without some fuel as you're walking around town you're going to see so many bakeries and more importantly you are going to smell them because they are everywhere we just stopped by rickessas de la Mita and I picked up a hamoni queso little uh pastelito here I believe is what he said let's jump into this and see how it is just came out of the oven it is so nice gooey inside hot ham I'm digging it and I needed to take a second to stop and tell you this is the best hamon ikeso breakfast treat I have ever had ever in the world definitely stop by and say hi to the owner and grab one of these he's a real sweetheart all right this guy just pulled up he's got a really nice colorful tuk-tuk we're like this is the one he said it's gonna be 15 000 cop he's just filling up with gas and then we're gonna go come along you wanna see it off we go [Music] [Music] there he is as you can see we have made it and the view from here is spectacular but the ride in it took about 10 minutes and we passed the reservoir there were a lot of farms and I'm so glad we took that Tick Tock because when you get dropped off by the road like when we took the bus into town they actually dropped people off there you have to walk up a pretty serious rough incline to get up to where we are right now but there were two tooks at the bottom there so I believe they can take you up here if you don't want to walk so yeah just keep that in mind but behind us here is El penon de guatape or the rock of guatape it's so beautiful it's so huge look at that blue sky behind it I know you can see it but can you smell it like can you smell what The Rock is cooking [Laughter] Dwayne Johnson a Central America and South America Latin America's are like The Rock The Rock I'm like seeing or Vin Diesel or Vin Diesel Vin Diesel all right well let's get going you can see the steps we're gonna have to climb whoa no one said anything about steps are you ready I guess and I'll be honest we haven't even made it to the entrance just walking uphill and up these stairs over here and I'm already tired for a couple of reasons one I am not in the best of shape but this rock sits at 6 000 feet of elevation so you are pretty high so you're gonna get quite winded so I just want to say take your time you know plan out a whole afternoon or morning for this and just enjoy it as much as you can remember it's not a race as you can see we are standing in front of the entrance here we just purchased our tickets for 20 000 pesos each they only take cash so make sure that you bring some along with you this rock above me here stands 200 meters tall and has 708 steps no one told me there were going to be that many steps which means it's 1416 steps round trip so I hope you brought some comfortable shoes are you ready for this yes no well we're doing it Anyway come along 50 down 658 to go we got this foreign [Music] we're at about step 150 and look at this view already I can only imagine what it's going to be like when we get up higher you can see this parking lot behind me here that just has a few cars in it and a couple of buses imagine this in a couple hours this is going to be packed you might be behind people trying to get up to the top all the way so get here before nine if you can it's going to give you a lot more time to really take it all in and enjoy it without the crowds yes and while I was doing my research I read that geologists estimate this rock to be over 65 million years old it used to be worshiped by the local indigenous and it was declared a national monument in the 40s and just behind me here about halfway up it looks like there's a little Shrine to the Virgin Mary so it's a nice place to get a break and just check out the view some more how do you asked me to tell you how I'm feeling and to be honest I am winded I know I'm not in the best of shape but these are a lot of steps we are past halfway though I can't wait to get up there and check out this view just hit 475 onto 500. and I think we got so lucky with the weather today in this blue sky and you're probably wondering about this water and what looked like Islands down there will tell you about those when we get to the top less than 100 to go 650. it's got me feeling it looks like we have made it up to like the first platform here 659 steps the birds are actually right in line with us now so incredible there's a little cafe over here some tables with umbrellas so you can sit down and get a drink or a little snack but over here is the tower the last the final little push to get to the highest and best view the little mirror door so why don't we head up we are almost there and it's so much cooler inside this little rock structure right here like 15 degrees easily I can definitely make it to the end now [Music] we have made it 708 steps completed and the view from up here I can already see it let's check it out together wow this is incredible The View I don't even know what to say this green just kind of goes on forever there's Farms down there all the little houses the sky is so blue and you see all this water down here it has not been here for that long about 50 years ago this all changed like Adam said 50 years ago this was all Farmland there was no water here and that's because back in the 70s the government wanted to build a hydroelectric Dam so they had to flood this area and build a reservoir for that and it ended up guatape and El penuel actually lost a lot of land during that process but it did create this stunning View and now the hydroelectric Dam provides over 33 of all of Colombia's electricity and I don't know what's up with all these swarming bugs up here but get out of here I know they're everywhere like these little flies look at them so just be prepared shoe fly don't bother me and of course you have to exit through the gift shop yeah isn't that a movie I think so and as you're heading down there's all these people just enjoying these well-deserved drinks after climbing all those steps I know and the Sun keeps coming the first thing I'm eating today unfortunately I can't have gluten so everything Adam has in the morning those fun little pastries I'm kind of out of that it's okay but I got we've been seeing this flavor all over it's called meat mango biche I believe and it's Green Mango so it's going to be a lot less sweet than the yellow mango a little bitter and I was trying to like get the spoon out I'm like it won't come out and the guy was like flip it and then you just eat it like this oh that's good that's different but delicious it's a little more bitter than the yellow mango I like it gotta eat it quick because it's gonna melt and while we're appreciating this dramatic landscape we would love to appreciate our newest patrons Haley and Corinne thank you so so much for joining our patreon community we love having you along on these adventures and today we are dedicating this incredible View and all of those steps to you we did those for you that's right so thanks again and if you would like to join our community we'll put a link in the description below but we got about 659 steps down so we'll see you at the bottom hey hey welcome back and as you can see we have made it down and it was a lot easier it really was and it was shaded on the way down because the down steps are on the inside of the crack that we climbed up on before and you're going to notice there are way more people coming up than when we came because it's getting later and it's just like the tour buses are here and all the tourists are coming in so come early and behind us here this is Luis Lopez is there's a little plaque here and it says that he was the first man to climb this monolith we also heard that he ended up buying it from a farmer and converting it into this sort of tourist attraction he has passed on but his sons are carrying on the tradition there's four of them and they actually own all the restaurants and things down here as well so they're doing pretty well imagine wow what a fun activity you get some exercise and the best view in town when you come down you can buy a souvenir get something to eat before you head back to town which is what we're gonna do right now come along welcome back to town on the way here we asked our cab driver what is your favorite restaurant he said miradora Del Lago the view of the lake and let me tell you this place delivers they have five floors all with amazing views looking out there's boats just cruising by the people are on the melacon the clouds are just kind of floating in that blue sky it's absolutely beautiful and they're playing some very traditional and fun music we just ordered up some delicious treats so we'll see when they get here are you serenading that place oh I am I got the pendeja Paisa conchucha this is the national dish of Columbia but instead of having four or five different kinds of meat on it it came with this entire piece of fried trout there's some beans rice eggs arepa a plantain and salad it is like the kitchen sink of meals and I am so excited to jump into it and I know earlier we said this place was very relaxing and tranquil but as you can hear it's quite noisy we're on the main road throughout the day a lot of Tours come through here there's trucks passing through but after four that seems to be when everyone leaves and it really calms down so I guess you just gotta wait it out a little bit but as you can see I got these sancocho con pollo I got this when we were in Panama and I absolutely loved it it's a nice chicken stew it has some corn potatoes and carrots with a nice clear broth and on the side it came with rice and a Rapa and a salad so why don't we jump in as you're walking around you're going to notice that trucha or trout is on a lot of the menus at the restaurants here so I figured I have to try it they have a picture on the wall over here they said the specialty of the house is actually trout with cheese and shrimp on top I've never heard of such a thing but we're gonna have to try that in our next video I'm gonna stick with my fried trout right now though it looks delicious let's taste it out it's crispy nice and warm the fish is super moist and there are no bones in there there you go and my little soup here is absolutely delicious so we're just gonna take our time enjoy this enjoy the views and then we will see you down in the Central Plaza we have found ourselves here in the Central Park in town the plaza principal it's a great place to come down and relax enjoy the nature look at the statues just sit in the shade it's surrounded by bars and restaurants and behind me here is the parokya Nuestra Senora Del Carmen this striking church was built in 1856 and as you can see it's just so beautiful that white really stands out with the red make sure to take a step in and appreciate its beauty inside as well but I think my favorite things are these wooden crosses on top and we learned that they weren't added that long ago they're so cute a lot of the information that we are going to be sharing with you today we actually learned on a tour we took yesterday with guatape free walking tours they actually leave right over here in front of the church Monday through Saturday at 2 and 4 P.M our lovely guide Beatrice took us throughout the town explaining its history pertaining to the building of the dam as well as these are the most distinctive feature of the town that we're gonna get more into and you can see one right here on the church and we absolutely recommend taking this tour because they show you so many things that you would miss on your own and that history really enriches the whole experience that you get when you're here earlier we showed you the view from La Piedra absolutely gorgeous but what we didn't talk about was how it affected the people here as you can imagine under the water was Farmland people's homes and urban areas El fenol actually lost their urban areas but kept their Farmland so that's why as you're driving through you'll still see a bunch of green Rolling Hills and agriculture growing here in guatape they lost the Farmland but kept the urban center as you can imagine the loss of their land created some incredible hardships to the people and many moved away While others chose to move here to the town but that didn't solve the problem of how they were going to make money where was the economy going to come from so they came up with this very good idea to bring tours them here and right here behind me these okalos we're the key to that and I know for us when we first heard the term Zocalo our minds immediately went to Mexico and their Central plazas but here zocalo's referred to these raised designs located on the baseboards of the buildings and as you can see they are everywhere [Laughter] behind me here is the home where the first Zocalo was ever created by Jose Maria para Jimenez and he actually made it inside you can actually see it right inside the door here it's a lamb it's a very simple design but it served a very special purpose and that purpose was for protection day these homes were built out of adobe or adobe those mud bricks that were very susceptible to humidity so they would deteriorate quite easily so we came up with this idea to build the Zocalo which was made out of cement to protect the building from the elements and the animals at first even though it was a smart idea it wasn't widely accepted until the church 90 years ago decided that it was okay to make zocalos and it started to spread throughout the town but they really took off back in the 80s after the dam when they decided they had to find a new way to bring people here to create an economy through tourism and that's when these really took off and you started to find them all over the city it's called the zocalization project and it's on almost every home here just check this out look how visually stunning this places this town has to be the most colorful one in Colombia and while you're walking around you're gonna notice some are very simple designs whilst others are more complex this one behind me as you can see is very simple it's made from a silicone mold and provided by the municipality whereas this one here is far more intricate and was paid for privately by the owner who brought in an artist to create this for them to their specific standards but our favorite ones are the ones that highlight the businesses and tell a story this little cutie behind me here can you guess what this business is if you guessed a bakery you are correct or this one right here it shows the people when they had to be relocated after they flooded the region to make the dam you can see they have all of their possessions with them they're bringing their livestock the children they got the kitchen sink everything and they're making their way up to the town here where you can see the church from the plaza principal and any guesses what this one is for right here if you said a Billiards Hall you are correct and there are some that are a bit more traditional whilst others are more modern we have found ourselves here on Calle Del recuerdo AKA memory street it's the most iconic Street in town and an architectural Heritage I read that it is a replica of a street that was flooded during the building of the reservoir as you make your way down the road you are going to see so much color and wonderful zocalos there's some shops where you can buy some souvenirs as well as a very beautiful fountain down at the bottom and a Historic Museum right here where you can go in and learn a little bit about the history of the region as well as the building of the dam that made the reservoir here but my favorite thing in the museum is there's actually a Soca of Jose Jimenez creating the first one and just across the street is another beautiful Plaza so let's head over and as we make our way down to plazoleta De zocalos this is the most impressive Zocalo that we have seen so far and the largest the details in this are just incredible even just the Border up here it's birds and flowers with so much detail the horses that the men are riding on you can actually see the muscles in their legs he's created this perspective that just makes you feel like they're jumping out at you even the city down below the buildings are layered with the mountains in the background at different heights that just really blows your mind and make sure to keep those peepers peeping for stuff like this right here they've actually created this perspective where it looks like you're going out a window and they have the umbrella Street behind it you can go inside and take a photo speaking of umbrella streets we're going to be heading down to a super colorful one right now the same one right here it is the same one but bigger yeah sorry let's head down as you can see we have made it here to plazoleta Del Zocalo behind me here are these colorful stairs that are covered with the designs we've been seeing throughout the town it's a wonderful place to come and just sit in the Square do some people watching they have restaurants and cafes surrounding it and then in front of me here is that umbrella street so as you can see it is very touristy everyone's down here taking those perfect Instagram photos but I will say the town has done a great job like it doesn't feel too touristy some people might feel that but I certainly don't and if you want to get a little bit away from that you can just go back on the streets and feel more of the magic and just up behind where those colorful Zocalo steps are and that big silver carp is a cafe that we want to check out it's called kapha Cafe it since we're in Colombia you know we have to get as much coffee in as possible because it's so good from here let's go in and check it out but you don't mean we no I just mean me Heidi Heidi and caffeine they don't go together we're like oil and vinegar that's true man that hit the spot especially since heated up quite a little bit today we went in and got a nice little seat but the music was playing and we couldn't really film while we were in there but I got a Novato it is a delicious chocolate milkshake with coffee in it oh my gosh it was incredible I had a couple of sips and then I had more than a couple of sips and all my whipped cream I had the airbo Buena con Pina it was like a slushie so so good but right next door they have something that I wonder if they're working together you know you have something really sweet and then you got to get your teeth fixed they have a dentist and the Zocalo out front is hilarious and so accurate I just loved it well I think it's time for another little snack we have frequented this spot we've probably been there what three times by now and it would be quite a crime to not take you there so let's head over we have arrived at Cafe Bar in La esquina which means on the corner because this place is literally on the corner of the plaza principal I walked in the lady was like oh it's you again at least that's what I think she said in Spanish but she makes the best arepas that you will ever have we've had them all over Latin America and I feel like this is just number one by far it's nothing but Maize and mozzarella on the inside he throws a little mantakia butter on there and then she puts some condensed milk on top if you want I go condensed milk Thai tea goes traditional so we get a little bit of everything they're hot aren't they they are hot and they look delicious I can't wait to jump into these why don't we head down to the malecon and enjoy these together as you can see we've made it down to the Waterfront here but before we get into these boats in this beautiful for water with the blue sky we gotta get into this arapa right here it looks so good and as you can see I'm the one with the condensed milk on mine I'm a bit more Savory how gooey that is you love the sweets wow it's hot it's creamy it's cheesy and it's sweet all at the same time I am loving this and those were so delicious that I even kissed the cook down here on the melacon you will notice that there are a ton of little boat rentals jet ski rentals there's gonna be guys saying Lunch alancha launcher or jet skis asking you if you want to go out on them Adam actually is just talking to a guy and he went with him down here to check the prices just figure out what kind of Tours that they provide so hopefully we can do that they walked me through the pricing and showed me a little flip book of the things we'd be seeing to 35 to 45 minute tour they said it'd be 150 000 for the boat itself and 30 000 for an English-speaking guide which is an addition to the normal pricing because they don't have that many English-speaking guides but it sounds pretty good to me on a day like this it's so beautiful we have to take advantage of it so let's head down to the dock and go out and have some fun on the water check it out we are on the boat we're just waiting for our English guide to come down here so we can really get that history while we're out there I'm so excited and we hope you are too and the company we are going with is called merak m-e-r-a-k guatape and it looks like they are untying us and we're off yeah baby look at us we're on a boat I'm on a boat yeah [Music] thank you all right we are back let's get on the dry land and talk to you about our tour and I'm not sure why we thought we would be able to film on the boat obviously it's a bit loud with the wind it really was but it was so beautiful out there the clouds are absolutely massive right now just kind of surrounding the entire Reservoir you can see the mountains in the distance there's trees on all the banks it was so nice yeah and along the way we went to a couple of spots I think we stopped at five or six places we saw Fantasy Island which is a place you can go out and stay there rent a house bring eight of your friends and she said it's quite inexpensive like 200 000 for a night which is not bad at all that was eight of you no and then we also went to Pablo Escobar's lovers we got to see her house as well as where his security was and then we also got up close and personal sort of with La Piedra I mean we got to see the other side with the big gi painted on it we didn't mention that before but someone tried I had to claim it we said it's between the two towns they tried to write guatape on the side but they only got the G and part of the U before El Pena the other Town came by and obviously they were angry and they're like stop yeah so that's the story behind that and then we went and stopped at another hotel along the way and saw some Mansions yeah some guy was doing the little jet boarding where he's shooting up in the air from the water very cool but I I mean it's obvious that a lot of people who have money here this is like where they come to escape on the weekends this is like their vacation home so we got to see a lot of those big homes which apparently Shakira has a house here too don't tell anybody but yeah it's just another wonderful activity to do while you're here well that sun is going down and it is time to say goodbye it's the toughest time of the day for us because we love spending time with you I know thank you so much for joining us we hope you enjoyed it this colorful place it was so beautiful I really enjoyed all that art in that history and even climbing the rock 1400 steps later and I'm still smiling so it's definitely worth it yeah and you know if you can come for an errone is great as well but as you can see right now it's a lot more calm everyone on the day trips have gone home so this is a great time to just enjoy it you know the Tranquility of this town if you would like to take a day trip that we can recommend some of our friends have done it it's another get your guide tour it has great reviews we will put the link to that in the description below but seriously thank you so much for coming along with us today because it would have been nowhere near as much fun if you hadn't been here to share it with but yes thank you so much if you enjoyed this video please give us a big thumbs up comment subscribe and don't forget to Bell we'll see you next time [Music] thank you
2023-06-28 17:03
