Travelling from the sunny, sweltering desert, we got out of the last bus/ large car into rain and a cooler climate once again. Fortunately the rain soon stopped and the sun came out for our afternoon jaunt.

From the town we got a taxi (actually the same vehicle that had taken us the last 40km or so) up to the place we wanted to stay. We'd taken a gamble by not booking as the place was out of town and up a steep hill but luckily they had rooms available. All the rooms available in fact as there was no-one else there for our first night! We were given a choice between the two cheapest private rooms and went for a small chalet which was lovely. (All the rooms are in individual buildings in the gardens.) It was nice to have a comfy bed and pillows after the last place and be cosy with a duvet in the chilly night.

We had arrived in San Agustín early afternoon so went for a quick lunch then walked up the hill out of town to the Archeological Park to see the statues that the region is famous for. We had a lovely walk round in the afternoon sun to the different sites that have been uncovered. We saw lots of different statues that had been uncovered in the early 20th century that used to be above ground where they were placed above burial sites many hundreds of years ago. All sorts of different figures had been carved into the large slabs of stone, some quite comical looking, but interpretations of the meanings behind the figures are varied and inconclusive. We were guided round between the sites by a small dog who came with us the whole way from the entrance and seemed exhausted when we returned!

We spent our evening in the hostel where the restaurant served us delicious vegetable currys. Oh how we love good vegetables when we find them! In the morning we also had an excellent large breakfast to set us up for our morning of horse riding.

Once we'd finished breakfast, we met Pacho our guide (he even has his name mentioned in the Lonely Planet) who'd brought the horses to the hostel: El Dorado for Simon and Domino for me. We set off and I soon discovered that Domino loves to be at the front and run. We spent a large amount of the ride cantering as she was raring to go the whole time. She was a really nice horse to ride and really comfy. Simon did his first ever canter and really enjoyed it although had a few more problems with the "intermediate speed", as he called it. Not long into the ride we had to stop at the house of a family member of Pacho (I think sister, Simon thinks mum) for El Dorado to have two new shoes fitted. While we waited the sister/mum brought us some coffee, home-grown in the garden.

We were out for about three and a half hours where we went through beautiful countryside and also stopped to walk twice to see some other statues that had been found in the area. At one site they were coloured and Pacho showed us some nearby trees that, if cut, produced a bright yellow substance and a reddy- orange substance. It's thought that this is how the statues were painted. Pacho explained lots of things to us in slow, clear Spanish which was great as I could understand most things he said. The second place we stopped had stunning views across the valley and we were again the only people there. "Muy tranquilo" as they like to say here a lot.

I absolutely loved the ride, and Simon did too although we were both very hot and tired when we returned. After a short rest we managed to drag ourselves into town where we found the best "menu del dia" we've come across so far. It was a vegetarian one where we also got soup, dessert and a juice. For under £4 for the two of us, it was an absolute bargain given how tasty and non-fried it was compared to the norm here.

Due to being tired from the ride, the walk to and from the town and the beauty of the surroundings at the hostel, we spent the afternoon enjoying some hammock time. I also got myself covered in black hairs from the cuddling the hostel dogs that Simon told me I shouldn't mention in this blog as my mentioning of dogs is becoming repetitive. We enjoyed another tasty meal and chatted to two Aussie guys who'd arrived at the hostel.

Not too many backpackers make it to San Agustín as it's not really on the way to anywhere but we're really glad we made the effort as we had a great time. But we must move on ready for our Saturday date with some San Blas friends and the must-see market in Otavalo in Ecuador. But first, one last night in Colombia. I will miss it.

Katy