The Passadhi Guesthouse is the kind of place you don’t want to leave. So we didn’t.
(View from the property.)
A fellow guest described the atmosphere as “magical” and I have to agree. I’m not sure whether it’s the stunning backdrop, the mountain air, or the warm and peaceful environment created by Edmundo and Gisele but whatever it is, we were powerless in resisting its charms.
After rising early to the sound of the birds chirping (we left Sofia sleeping her teenage sleep in the house), Sean, Oscar and I made our way up to the main house for breakfast. We sat outside overlooking the gardens and mountains while drinking mugs of coffee and hot chocolate.
(Breakfast al fresco.)
We ate eggs from the henhouse, fruit, yogurt, cereal and freshly baked bread with local jam and honey while Edmundo gave us directions for our walk. We brought Sofia a tray of breakfast to the house and while she ate, we set about getting ourselves ready.
(Sleepyhead with her room service, arepas with ghee and local honey.)
While we were getting ready, Stella knocked on our door and asked if we wanted to see the newly installed temple on the hill above our house. The small stone prayer circle is adorned with Indian goddesses (and one God) and she explained the meaning behind each one.
(Temple.)
The talk quickly moved from East to West and we began discussing the traffic going back to Bogota. We were crazy to leave today, we were told. Everyone in Colombia would be on the road after the long weekend driving back to Bogota. For me it was an easy decision: From the minute I had arrived at Passashi. I didn’t want to leave. Sean obviously felt the same way because when I looked at him and said “what do you think?” he immediately sprang into action and thirty minutes later we were booked to stay another night. The kids shouted “yay!” when we told them that we would stay another day. (It certainly helped that the TV in our house had DirectTV with many American channels.) I think after all the traveling we have been doing this summer combined with being in a new, awesome but busy city, we were all in need of a break.
But, before we rested, we went on a hike. We walked about five miles down a country road past pastures and streams toward the mountain.
(Mountain hike. Pay no attention to the man in orange.)
Had Sean and I been alone we probably would have continued walking for many more hours but the kids were getting tired and hungry so we turned back. We arrived just in time for lunch in the garden. All the guests gathered under the big umbrella and we had salad and bread and a delicious eggplant Parmesan and wine. After dessert, the kids went back to the house while Sean and I sat and chatted. And, for the rest of the day we pretty much did…nothing.
(Another view from the property.)
Oscar and I took a walk around the property and said hello to chickens and the fish in the pond. We checked out the huge vegetable garden and did a couple of poses and cartwheels in the yoga room. (I think it’s been about 20 years since I last did a cartwheel. Oscar gave me an Olympic 8 out of 10. I was representing Finland, apparently.) We relaxed some more then went for dinner. (Spinach and chard soup, not a fan favorite but everyone tasted a few bites) it was another early night and we fell asleep listening to the frogs.
We left early the next morning after breakfast and avoided most of the traffic. Sean and Oscar had a hamburger for lunch. (Not a great idea after two days at a vegetarian yoga retreat!)
What To Do Tomorrow... 