Day 25: The Other Side of the Mountains

There are few things I love more here than the beautiful scenery and the delicious food...Day 25 of our stay offered both.

As a family, given a choice, we would go to the beach over Six Flags...rent a house boat rather than stay in a five star resort...head for the mountains long before trekking to Disney World, so the chance to spend time in a small native Colombian mountain village with our facilitator's family made this a day filled with love and laughter.

We were welcomed with open arms and a cup of coffee...deliciously brewed Colombian coffee, of course.

The home was small and quaint and inviting.  Dogs roamed the property.  There were chickens in the backyard coop.  A stealthy cat, or two, darted in and out from time to time.  A fat white goose kept his distance and two little birds, Sun and Moon, chirped in a cage attached to the side of the house.

  This was the home of our facilitator's grandma.  It is a place with a rich and vibrant history...a history of family and good times spent together.  The home has a legacy that my children and I are now a part of.

Thunder and Lightning swam in the icy cold mountain stream that courses through the front yard.

They fed the chickens.

They picked fruit.

They admired the rich vegetation and took a lazy rest in the old hammock.

We ate at a local family owned eatery...we were the only patrons.  Before anyone took a bite, Thunder asked everyone to bow their heads because "Mama always prays before we eat"!  The first course was a plate of fried plantain chips and salsa, followed by soup, then a dinner plate with chicken, rice, green beans, plantain, salad, and french fries all served along with a pitcher of fresh lulo juice.  Delicious.  Rice pudding was our dessert.

(For the record, six meals cost $20 US dollars)

The place was tranquil, a welcome break from the constant hustle and bustle of the big city in the valley.  It was good to see the boys explore and run around the yard.  It was good to be outside.  It was good to have green grass between my toes.  It was good to be among "family" and watch other people delight in my boys.

Day 25 was a good day on the other side of the mountain.

 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."
Psalm 91:1