Jess and I had the chance to get out of the city recently and head north for a little over an hour. We arrived in La Cumbre on a Sunday afternoon to retreive the son of our landlord from a birthday party. The town is over the mountains, and it was a twisting, winding ride. Our dog did not appreciate it. He was throwing up and foaming a the mouth. I guess he should have taken his dramamine.
We went to the home where the son should have been, but wasn´t (we found him later). We were quickly surrounded by a group of interested kids. Whether it was Jessica or the puppy that drew them, I couldn´t tell.
The most interesting thing about the trip was our ride on the "bruhita," which is a small car placed on the railroad tracks that is manually operated (by this guy). Luckily for us, we arrived on a Sunday, when trains do not operate on this track. Not sure what they do on the other days...
Here´s a closer look at the vehicle in question. It can build up a head of steam on the downhill portions, but is pushed not unlike a skateboard the rest of the time. It was kind of exhilarating, like being one of the little rascals or something (I mean, come on. Who else has something like this?)
When we stopped, we were at a clearing in the forest, and some entreprenuer had constructed a series of rickety zip lines. For $2 you could zip through the forest canopy. After watching another man of large proportions zoom across the line, only to fall short of the landing zone because of his weight, I declined.
I must also mention that we were with a guy from downstairs that we refer to a "the uncle" because we can´t seem to remember his name. He talks a-mile-a-minute in Spanish and never stops. He is always very animated about his topics. We don´t always understand what he is talking about, but he is good company. He was quite impressed with the zip lines, and the relative value. He mentioned this a number of times.
While there was a little town, this picture gives you a good impression of what you see at La Cumbre. The bruhitas are entertaining, but also quite functional. People live along the railroad line, and it appears to be the main thoroughfare for many people. There is a walking path along the side, but some people prefer to save time and take the bruhita. Just off the main road through town, dense forest began. There were waterfalls and cows, coffee and tea. It was a pleasant outing for us (but not the dog. he had an hour-and-a-half of feeling sick on the way home). Although I wanted to sleep on the way home (as Jess was doing in the back), I was instead forced to try to communicate in Spanish for the duration of the ride, as the uncle´s relentless barrage continued.
