~ Visit to the Finca

This weekend some of us on the primary staff were invited to the finca of our principal's good friend. Loosely translated, a finca is a farm; however to call this estate a 'farm' is a gross understatement!!

First we drove for about an hour and just when we thought we had gone too far.....



.... we drove through the gates of Garza Blanca and were welcomed into the gorgeous hacienda.



The property has been in the family for over a hundred years.

The gardens were beautiful


And we enjoyed our picnic in the sun



Vanessa and I soaked up the sunshine!


The hacienda is still furnished with gorgeous items brought from France:




After lunch, we took a tour of the estate, which now houses both a dairy farm and 'beef' operation.

This is a modern milking station ~ complete with reading material for the cows!!



The countryside was so beautiful on this sunny afternoon, and the cows grazing made quite the picturesque scene:





Being out on a farm brought back memories for Debbie!!



As we came around to the part of the estate where the beef operation was housed, we found that the owner does not only appreciate cows, but modern art as well:



Here is the corral where the 'beef' cattle are weighed.


And how do these Angus gain weight (and develop a tasty flavor?)
Well, they eat cake!!



Sweet!!!




As we drove up the mountains, we caught a glimpse not only of the hacienda,


but of Bogota as well:


This is the rock garden at the back of the house, created by blasting the mountain away from the house!

La Hacienda de Margarita

There is nothing quite like dining with livestock. Well, okay, not livestock per se, but with lots of horses!

Beth, Jennifer, a visiting professor, and I took a drive (thank you, Beth) almost out to Chia to an interesting hacienda where you can dine and enjoy a show at the same time.

The horses are magnificent and graceful, as they work their teeny prancing steps.




But there were more than just horses at the restaurant. Here is an adorable baby llama:



And the cutest little baby goats:


And this 3-day old colt!!!!



But we sure couldn't miss this mother........... sheep!



We didn't only have the company of animals on this bright and beautiful day. We also enjoyed some amazing dancers. First they did their version of the American cowboy:



Then, dressed in typical Cartagena costume, they swirled and spun:


But probably the favorite (especially among the male guests) was the Brazilian number:






Yeah.

The afternoon was so hot, we even had a cameo by Michael Jackson!

(Not so much our favorite number.... Michael, you are missed!)

The favorite entertainer of the day, however, was this 'hottie' Mariachi singer (sorry, Beth!!):


We even had our faces painted!






What, you might be wondering, does one order in such a restaurant?


Beef, of course! (Notice there are no pics of moo-moos......!)


There are hazards to dining in a restaurant where animals are walking around:


Which is why these are always the right choice!