What goes up, now must come down

Pollo and I conquered Monserrate today. Monserrate is one of the taller mountains surrounding Bogota, and on top of it is a church that was built in 1657. People have been making pilgrimages up the mountain to the church for over 300 years, plus the views of the city are stupendous from up there.

I had made the bold statement that we were going yesterday to the other members of the guesthouse...before I really knew what all was involved. It just sounded cool and I wanted to take some good pictures of Bogota, what could be wrong with that. I then realized as I was looking at the website last night, that it was a really tall mountain. Apparently, the only way up is either a funny little train or a cable car. Did I mention that this Chicken has real issues with heights? Like serious issues with heights. Here is hoping that funny little train was running, because I don't do cable cars - seriously, who does?

Jouney starts at the base of the mountain with our friend the Llama

This is the concerned smile before the hysteria set in

Smile returns immediately upon entering the Funicular (the train up the mountain)
Mommy is also smiling broadly - cable car averted!

View from the Funicular down to the station

Snack at the top before we climb

Now we aren't even taking pictures of the views, we are just being silly!

And then we were hungry, or rather Mommy was, since Pollo had the whole packet of crackers

Yes, that is a whole chicken she is cutting up - lunch for the couple sitting behind us

You are looking at fried whole potatoes (sick good!! will be recreated at home) eaten with a toothpick, a dry arepa, and the best corn on the cob ever (which will be sacriledge to my husband who was born on a corn farm - my sincerest apologies to my dear in-laws) but imagine a cross between corn on the cob and popcorn, dripping with butter and salt.

And now we are tired, and it is almost 1:30 and it is time to go back to the guesthouse. Pollo doesn't not ever want to walk, he wants to be pushed in red stroller, or carried, and the majority of the few fits he has thrown at me revolve around this issue of walking. I have carried him up part of the mountain, but now we walk back down the mountain to the train station and he does fine (it is so steep, he is practically rolling). We reach the doors of the station - securely locked and gated doors. Yes, my funny little train only runs in the morning.
Only other options down: walk down the 10,000 foot mountain path....or take the cable car. Little red stroller is at home, and Pollo is standing at my feet, saying "up pease!" So I carry him back up the mountain, part way, put him down, wait for the fit to subside, and then continue on to the cable car, all the while reminding myself of what AMP always says, "They (the children) can smell fear." Here is a picture of the cable car:

AMP actually had the audacity to ask where the pictures where that I took from the car itself? Is he insane? I was frantically clutching Pollo in one arm, the pole in the other hand, and desperately making conversation with a tourist from San Francisco to distract myself. So we conquered the mountain, and I conquered the cable car. I think we will stick with the boring old art museum tomorrow.