Paipa Take Two

The Marine Ball was over Veterans' Day weekend, just like last year.  Jeff always picks our activities for that weekend, and he didn't want to go to the Marine Ball.  He wanted to go out of town, but since most of our friends were going to the Ball, I couldn't find anyone to split a finca with.  We had really enjoyed the Hotel Estelar in Paipa the past November, so I thought, why not do it again.

The drive went smoothly, and we got there around lunchtime.  Our room wasn't ready, so we had lunch.  One of the girls' favorite things about the hotel was that they have a candy stand in the lobby.  Their reward for eating a good lunch was a trip to the candy stand.

Then we had to take them to the playground to run off some of the sugar.

There were a couple hotel dogs who came to play with us too.  Elena was beyond thrilled.

After a while we figured our room must be ready, so we took the long way around back to the lobby to visit with the cows.

Our room was ready, and it was an even better setup than the last time we went.  We had a great view from our bedroom, and the living room area was big enough to fit two twin beds for the girls, so they weren't fighting over bed space.

There was also a tub big enough for two adults, which the kids had a great time swimming around in.

We discovered there was no extra charge for room service, so we gave the girls a bath, put them in their PJs with a movie, and got them some pasta.

Jeff and I had a little table with two armchairs in front of the window, so we had a nice romantic dinner there.  Of course, when we commented on how lovely it was, we immediately acquired company.

They were tired from the drive and playing outside though, so it was an early night.  The next morning we woke up to some fog.

But by the time we were done enjoying the yummy buffet breakfast, the fog had cleared.

The girls had to get in their giant chess match.

Then, Jeff took the girls for a swim.

One of the older ladies in the pool complimented him on how lovely and polite his daughters were.  This was after they had both had conversations with her in Spanish.  Needless to say, we were quite proud.  

We had ordered them fruit smoothies, so they got out of the pool.  It took quite a while for the drinks to arrive, so the girls got silly, as they do.

They got chilly before the drinks came though, so we headed back to the room and put them in the enormous tub.  The waiter kindly brought the drinks to our room when they were ready.  Jeff and I sat at our table with a view and kept an ear on the girls in the tub.

We were planning more outdoor adventures after lunch, but it started raining with a vengeance.  One of the great things about the hotel though, is that our room had a fire place, and they send someone in to light it for you, so we said yes, please!

It was warm and cozy, and a really nice way to spend the afternoon.  We decided to just do room service again for dinner and enjoy our rainy view.

The next morning we had another good breakfast, and then got on the road early to avoid traffic and have time at home to get ready for the week.  Overall, it was a relaxing family weekend away from the city, which was exactly what we needed.