Today we loaded up into the van wth our favorite ladies Gloria and Anna Maria…and we had surprise guests..Alba Lucia from Casa De Maria and her daughter Mariana. The kids were hesitant at first….but then very glad to see her. I was VERY excited to see Albanano. We had so many questions. We were able to ask her all about their daily habits, likes and dislikes, discipline and on and on. During the trip, we found out out little Diego gets very ~very car sick. He threw up several times….poor little guys. We stopped for medicine for him…but it didn’t help much. Once we stopped he was ok.
We drove up into the mountains through many little cities, stopping at a market along the way. Our destination today was El Penol in Guatape, about 85 Km from Medellin..or an hour and a half drive. It is a natural rock formation that is a now national monument . It is in a beautiful lake community that reminded us much of lake of the Ozarks…but without the commercialism. The rock has 644 stairs to climb to the top for an absolutely UNSAFE…but breathtaking view. 
On the way to Penol…our “tour guides” had a blast trying to speak to us in english…but the driver kept saying…Look…very beautiful. After about the 25th time…we all realized she kept saying the same thing….and we laughed so hard!! Those ladies were an absolute riot. Before going to the Penol, we ate in the little city of Guatape. It is a main avenue of restaurants across the street from the market on the lake. We went to a restaurant that open rotisseries chicken in a huge vat. We ordered a few chickens, some french fries, grilled baby potatoes and fresh arepas…mini corn cakes with limonadas to drink. They served the chicken family style complete with plastic gloves. There were not utensils. Everyone in the outdoor restaurant wore plastic gloves…..hm?! So we joined in the fun and ate with our gloves. Some very different…not wrong…just different customs here. The hotel restaurant serves a cook your own platter…hot stone with meat. BUT if you order this you must wear a paper bag over your shoulders….it is not an acutal bag…but is made out of a paper bag and it is a bib that goes over your front and back….another HM?!
Back to Penol….after we ate, we walked the market and found some great Colombian finds. Olivia, Gretta, Ella and Yerly found Colombian purses. Diego and Dayne opted for squirt guns. The older girls decided to be alittle adventurous. Olivia, Gretta and Mariana rode a zip line along the shore, over the water and up a hill about 1/2 mile long. They all rode up the hill together..3 zip chairs together.. On the way back down, they ask how fast you want to go…then they run and push you one at a time down the zip line. When you reach the end…depending upon how fast you go…you are thwarted into a huge blue pad,which is suppose to be fun. The girls actually loved it!
After the mini adventure, we drove to El Penol….we climbed very stair to the very top….whew! And then every stair back down again…some stairs are inside the rock, others alongside. It was worth the trek. The view was spectacular.
After El Penol, we made our way back to Medellin. Along the way we stopped at a family Arepa stand. They made us fresh arepas.
After our little Arepa stop. We made our way back to Medellin for at dusk. It was a great trip and made us very thankful that we brought the whole family. It has been a great experience to have together!!!!
Diego and Yerly asked to go into the shower with the squirt guns and swimsuits. It was one of the funniest yet. They stood in the shower singing and dancing in spanish and squirting each other ..laughing and laughing. (and also trying to squirt us through the door) Everything is a competition for them…so this was hilarious. It was great to watch them just try to figure out how to load the water. For over a half hour they would see who could fill their “pistols” fastest. Who could reach higher to get the water faster, who could assemble the gun faster, who could squirt the fastest and they would shout each time…I win…in spanish and dance away. Totally priceless! I think they are going to bring a lot of Joy into our house!
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