58. A bit of paleontology

Monday, 18 February 2019

Villa de Leyva, Colombia

Boom. Boom. Boom. Goes the music.

At half past one in the sodding morning.

Have to be up in three and a half hours.

It doesn’t stop. It’s coming from outside the hotel.

Get dressed to go down to reception to ask them to get whoever it is to shut the      up.

Grumpy little ogre that I am. Night manager is fast asleep on the lobby sofa with an eye mask.

Wander around the third floor of hotel trying to find the source of music as hotel floors have balconies open to the elements rather than being enclosed.

As I’m stomping about with murderous intent, the music suddenly stops.

Someone clearly got there before me. It was so loud.

Back to bed. But can’t now sleep. Now 0200hrs. Up in three hours.

Still awake at 0300hrs. Up in two hours.

Must have dozed off about three thirty.

Needless to say…I’m knackered when alarm goes off at 0500hrs.

Taxi to the airport, cost of which has been taken care of by airport manager. He’s an absolute star.

Usually anonymise people I meet for the blog but he deserves special recognition.

Richard Cortrino.

If you ever fly into Pitolito airport. He’s the man.

He greets us at airport. We’re one of the first to check in. Elderly English lady also hasn’t slept for the same reason as I but we have a chat whilst waiting for flight. She’s an author, lives in France now and knows Nigel Lawson’s mistress.

Aircraft thankfully lands and we take off 50mins later than planned.

Pleased to actually land in Bogota at last.

3hr drive north to Villa de Leyva. Well worth the wait. This is an upmarket town with pretty cobbled streets and buildings painted in white and green. This is where the rich come to play at weekends from Bogota.

Visit the Dominican Monastery, 20mins out of town, notable for the fossilised remains of a giant boa constrictor in its courtyard and then to see the main event, the fossil museum.

Even though Villa de Leyva is at 7,000ft altitude the whole area was a sea billions of years ago and left the area rich in fossils. Not really had the opportunity to see many big fossils but this place makes up for it. The quality and quantity of fossils on display is staggering. The major one is the kronosaurus, one of two in the world, the other being in Australia. About 14m long, it resembles a large crocodile. Was unearthed by a farmer ploughing his field. The workshop in the museum shows how they separate the fossilised bone from the rock that envelopes it, either by grinding away the rock or by using chemicals. Note to self…research a bit of paleontology when I get home.

Staying at the Hotel Posada de San Antonio (https://www.hotellaposadadesanantonio.com/), a 19^th century inn. It’s a hotchpotch of courtyards and rooms which makes for an interesting and characterful place to stay.