The Long Walk Through Manizales

The Lonely Planet guide mentions that a traveler heading for the Zona Rosa, or University District, would be better served taking a taxi from the bus terminal as opposed to riding the cable car.  I chose to disregard that information as who could resist riding into a new town on a cable car with a view.  Besides, taxis are my least favorite form of transport.  

The cable car was great, set up exactly like the Metro Cable in Medellin, and worth the price of 75 cents.  I arrived on the ridgetop upon which Manzinales sits, perched at 7200 feet above sea level.  Clouds wafted around the ridge, giving everything a shifting quality.  It was rush hour so the place was buslting.  I asked a gent for direction to the Zona Rosa and was told "Directo" straight ahead on the busy Carrerra I was on.  

So, off I went, walking.  And walking some more.  The street corners were clearly marked with Carrera and Calle numbers.  I was at Calle 30-ish and I needed to be at Calle 66.  Hmmmmm, 36 blocks.  It was a good long walk with the backpack, and a bit of frustration at the end as one hostel was full, another was being completely renovated and one eluded finding altogether.  I finally found a hostal on my own, and am staying at the home of Patricia, my Grande Dame Colombian host.  That's Pah-TREE-SEE-ah, in case you are wondering.

In walking the main avenue from end to end, I got a good feel for the town.  Manizales is a busy university town.  The Zona Rosa is the student district, full of lots of bars and cafes and the things students like.  Good coffee is definitely not going to be a problem here.  It is also cool here.  Beds come equipped with blankets and they are needed during the cool nights.  

And now, if the youg folks will ever get out of the bathroom, I am going to go exporing some of the parques outside of town.  There are several biodiversity parks scattered about the area, as well as volcanic mountains and national parks.  But first, coffee and a shower.  But  no coffee until the bathroom opens up.  What are those girls doing in there.....