we pound salt

of course- not really- what we do is get talked into making arepas as we leave Bogota for the salt mine cathedral.  Our trip out of town takes us up through lovely - really lovely neighborhoods and green space. Jairo has told us we will make a technical stop along the way to the salt mine cathedral. 

when we do stop it isn't just for a toilet stop but for a place to enjoy a morning "snack" of cheese filled arepas (kind of a stuffed corn cake) and some local hot chocolate.  somehow I again get roped into filling the Jennifer Bater role and am soon in the arepa kitchen area making my cornmeal bowl and filling it with cheese- then pat pat pat pat into a fat pancake and on to the grill for "browning" then it gets moved to the area of the fire for finish baking - then served....

so check it out- four of us (I think Nancy and Marcia went to the first kitchen area and Bob and I went to the second)

my actual arepa on the griddle and then at the fire and then on a napkin- it was a decent effort- LOL - better than my obleas- LOL

then we stopped at a small town along the way where there was a small church a lovely square and some handicrafts in a tiny market:

then finally we make it to the salt mine cathedral where Jairo works the magic door and we walk directly in past the lines of non Jairo people who wait at the entrance...

 

our lunch in nearby restaurant - a hearty one pot meal - chicken/corn soup...Ajiaco!

so tomorrow we are off to the coast and Santa Marta...