Tamesis

On February 19, we took a two-hour drive to Tamesis, where Frank rented another unique and secluded finca. The thing about this trip was, we hardly planned a thing, beyond reading a couple of lists online and noting a handful of sights and attractions. We figured that over a month, we’d have plenty of time to hit up the major landmarks, and it would suit us just fine spending plenty of time wandering slowly and taking it easy.

But Frank made plans, and the thing about someone else making the plans is, everything is a surprise. After cruising on some immaculate freeways which were clean not only of pollution, but human existence, as we seemed to be the only car for miles and miles, Frank’s 4-wheel drive came in handy on an extremely bumpy and rocky path up to a finca called Il Cielo, which was a small piece of heaven.

The last 10 minutes of the ride were so bumpy I wondered how any normal sedan could ever make the drive without bottoming out or getting a flat tire. This place was very much a hidden gem. The property consisted of a few structures, scattered among palm trees and stone pathways, including the main house; a game room with a pool table, ping pong table, and darts; a covered hot tub, and a covered area and outdoor kitchen by the pool.

The private chef for the grounds, Jimena, greeted us with Margaritas. The Margaritas were red, probably made from mora juice, and it was the best Margarita I’ve ever had (sorry, Mexico). It was tart, light, refreshing, and easy on the sugar.

The sun was something fierce, but the pool temperature was perfect. The girls made immediate use of the fun pool toys Uncle Frank bought them in Guatape (from a vendor next door to the awful beer). Geckos or lizards were frequent visitors, and I let one hang out on my arm for a bit when we were in the pool. I tried to shake it off a couple of times, but it seemed to enjoy hanging out with me. Cows, chickens, and occasionally horses wandered the property. One cow in particular was always out and about, and eyeing us with curiosity.

The common areas of the house were open-air, with a roof and low fence, but essentially no walls. Cicadas chanted up a storm all day, and at night, the frogs and toads joined the symphony. In the evening, little frogs swam furtively in the pool, hopped into the house, made themselves home on top of the TV or on a beer can, and glared at us suspiciously.

This was charming, until bedtime, when we realized the open-air concept had its downsides, in that one night there was a gecko hanging out in our bed. We had to chase it around to get it out, and chopped off a piece of its tail by accident. We also had to shoo out a noisy beetle and a large moth. We half-expected toads to jump on our faces in our sleep, but there were no creepy or gross animals involved in the sleeping arrangements (the millipedes stayed outside).

Jimena prepared three meals a day. We enjoyed chicken tikka masala, shakshuka, yucca waffles, squash soup, an interesting chorizo and squash casserole baked inside the squash, among other fun dishes. Particularly notable was a lunch of steaks, which we cooked on individual plates made of volcanic rock.

Jimena frequently delivered snacks in the form of cheese plates or fruit out to the pool in the middle of the day. Everest was in heaven, chomping down on a seemingly endless supply of sandia. One time, Jimena came to the pool with a gorgeous shot of tequila served in a whole lime, topped with edible purple flowers.

One lazy day in Tamesis, we took a short drive to La Fonda Oculta, a bar Frank had previously patronized during a horseback ride. When we arrived, we were the only people there. The kids played with the bar owner’s dog, and he put up a saucer swing for them, which was very nice. By this time we shouldn’t have been surprised, but this little bar with a gorgeous view set us back only about $30 for 5 drinks, a bag of bread, a handful of candy for the kids, and some other snacks. The girls had so much fun Vale asked the very next day if we could “go back to the bar again.”

Each day was like a dream, but after a few days, we had to say goodbye to the jungle wildlife and return home (to Frank’s house).