Checking out Pre-Colombian Colombia in San Agustín

To complete my cultural immersion in Colombia, I think I left the blog to the wayside! Here's trying to recap my journey:

Well, backtracking to early May...After soaking in life in Colombia´s sprawling capital for a couple of weeks with my lovely host family, I set off on a night bus to San Agustin. The main draw of this sleepy little city, nestled in the Andes, is a wealth of pre-Colombian statues, unearthed by archaeologists from around the world just a century ago. Little is known about the people that created the sculptures, which naturally lends to their mysterious appeal and my curiosity to visit!

The bus ride was surprisingly comfy, they even served snacks, drinks and provided a blanket to fend off the nip of over-exaggerated air conditioning! 9 hours later we were making our ascent up windy, cliffside roads to San Agustin. The scenery of the area is simply beautiful. Fed by frequent, tropical showers and plenty of warm sunlight, everywhere you look is bright green, accented by flowers of pink, orange, and yellow and earth of rich reddish brown.

Waking myself up with some locally harvested coffee at the hostel, I made my way to town to check out their Monday market. Countless stands dripping with a rainbow variety of fruit and veggies greet the eye while the smell of homemade stews and soups waft over from ´bars´ where you can have your fill of home cooking for a couple bucks. After breakfast I took a stroll through the meat area, stalls of white marble stained red with chunks of fresh cuts exposed to the open air. (I decided to cook vegetarian for the duration of my stay!)

Making delicious cane sugar juice.

After boosting my energy with a local specialty, freshly squeezed cane sugar juice (guarapo), I started walking to the archeological park that keeps the majority of sculptures that have been discovered. I had the afternoon to wander among the sites, imagining what the cultures that created these fantastical figures were like. Unfortunately, very little information was offered, so much was left up to personal interpretation. Basically, the statues were discovered by unearthing artificial mounds. Deep in the earth lay tombs, protected by a sort of gate of statues. The statues are made from volcanic stone and have been amazingly preserved underground, some for 5000 years!

The use of animal representations native to the Amazon region indicates that there was contact between the Andean region of San Agustin and the tribes down in the Amazon basin.

Almost all were warrior-like with characteristic feline fangs. What amazed me the most was the uniqueness of each statue despite some shared motifs. I think that's why I have 300 pictures of statues on my phone...

The following day I joined in on a Jeep tour with a group of Belgians to see various in situ statues. This time we hired a guide at one of the sites, who was able to make some sense of what we were seeing.  

On the way to another site, we stopped by a panela factory. Panela is a product of sugar cane used to make drinks. Agua de panela tastes like very sweet iced tea, at least to me! We were able to wander around and observe the process…and sample the panela at its various stages. (in other words, peel chunks of caramel-consistency off the table!)

Trapiche to extract the sugar cane juice.

Boiling down the juice.

Finished product-Panela!

My last day in San Agustin I joined up with a Colombian family staying at the hostel and we braved the rain, through it´s varying intensities, to check out some more archaeological sites. I enjoyed chatting with the daughter, an anthropology student. She had spent the last 3 months shadowing the lives of ´campesina´ women (rural farmers) in the area.  She also explained to me some of the tensions and land disputes that exist between those rural Colombians and indigenous groups. She was of the mind that although the government has taken various measures to protect the rights of the indigenous groups, that their cultures are slowly disappearing.

Coffee bushes are planted on nearly-vertical mountainsides. Our guide demonstrating how they manage not to fall of the edge!

By the time we reached the final point of our hike, the rains became torrential. After taking refuge and sipping a beer in hopes of waiting in out (beer always seems to be available when you need it in Colombia), we were forced to trudge through muddy trails for over an hour back to the hostel. It was all worth the trouble, but I was definitely happy to be heading Colombia’s only desert the next day! Next stop: Desierto de la Tatacoa.

Beach-hopping in Tayrona National Park

Before I set out on the Lost City trek, I took a few days to explore the beaches of Tayrona National Park. Quite possibly the most beautiful beaches I've seen! First I took a boat to Playa Cristal and later I entered the park again by land to hike from beach to beach.

Playa Cristal. The only way to reach is by boat: 40 minutes in a fast glorified dingy, hopping the rough caribbean seas.  I know from the picture it´s hard to imagine, but the waves were huge, we definitely caught some air. The first time it happened all the girls in the boat screamed to the delight of the first mate. He stood at the 'helm`and held a couple of ropes like he was riding a horse. I think he served as navigator.

This is what happens when you order a piña colada.

Tools of the trade.

Back where we started in the town of Taganga.

First viewpoint after entering the park via land and about a half an hour of jungle hiking. I planned on staying just 1 night but extended it to 3 (which still wasn't enough)

Mule is the mode of transport for all goods entering the park.

Lifeguard with a sand crab. They bite.

Sundown is magical in Tayrona. The perfect temperature, sounds of birds and frogs and other critters. Far away from the sounds and stresses of civilization (:

Behind the scenes of a beach hut juice bar.

Restaurant and bakery

La Piscinita, One of two beaches where swimming is permitted. There are very strong rip tides in the park and every year tourists drown despite many posted warnings.

Ceviche, Orange juice, and Jesus

My bed for the duration of the trip. I slept like a baby.

Trek to Colombia´s Lost City

After 3 days of intense hiking through the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta we came upon a 1,200 stone staircase laid over 1,000 years before by the hands of the Tayrona people, the original inhabitants of this magestic, selvatic land. At the top of the ancient walkway awaited Teyuna, the remains of the most important city of the Tayrona. Teyuna was the political and religious center for the Tayrona and probably was home to 2,000 inhabitants. However, during the Spanish conquest, the city was abandoned and forgotten for hundreds of years. It wasn't until 1972 when local guaqueros (treasure hunters) stumbled upon Teyuna's gold chaches, that Lost City was rediscovered. For a time, the sacred site was extremely dangerous, with guaqueros fighting to the death over the loot and later guerrilla occupation. Fortunately, it's now well-protected by the military and open to visitors! It can only be reached on foot with a guide from a licensed agency.

Typical water break for Aymerick who
smoked and drank his way up the mountain!

I had set out from the city of Santa Marta, a bit anxious about my preparedness for the trek and who I would be spending every minute of the week with. On the bumpy jeep ride from Santa Marta to the trailhead my fears were assuaged! Enter Susana, German with a Colombian heart and attitude, with enough spunk to break the ice in the best of ways. The others were: Beya, the sole Colombian hiker on the entire trail and with a heart of gold; Jean-Pierre: French gent who travels 10 months out of the year in his retirement! And finally Aymerick: Endearing, chain-smoking Frenchman who despite knowing VERY little Spanish, made himself understood and provided most of the laughs (probably for just that reason!) The five of us meshed easily, and we had a week full of laughter and stories from everyone's worldwide ventures. The guides enjoyed our group dynamic and the fact that Spanish was the preferred mode of communication.

The first 3 days of the trek were tough climbs on dusty narrow roads carved into the mountainside. At times it seemed that the trail builders got lazy and went with the idea that the shortest distance between two points is a straght line...up the mountain. Despite my complaints, it felt incredible to be out in beautiful nature, sweating more than I have in my entire life. 

Clay/manure stoves.

Coffee delivery at 5am. Chivalry in the jungle!

The accomodations were actually quite comfortable: campamentos with hammocks or bunks beds under an open air structure. The guides also served as cooks and we were served heaping portions which earned my appetite a reputation. And with coffee brought to our hammocks every morning, it was the most luxurious camping i've done.

One of the most interesting privileges we were given on the trek was a chance to meet a leader of one of the indigenous tribes. The guides arranged for Fermin, a member of the Kogui tribe to share with us about his culture and world-view. Fermin spoke a clear, slow Spanish with a flat affect, as if to put some distance between us. He spoke of how his culture is very nature-centered and spiritual. Their religion is based on honoring Mother Earth. Before using land to cultivate crops or build a house, they consult their local shaman who spends days in prayer to determine whether Mother Earth will allow for its use.

It struck me how much of a contrast there is between the simple, respectful culture of the natives and the aggresive, often careless nature of the society that basically invaded the land they´ve called home for thousands of years. When sharing about their relationship, Fermin referred to the Spanish and modern inhabitants of the region as ¨hermanos menores¨ or younger brothers. Considering the sad history, I thought this was pretty noble of him.

Fermin is holding his poporo, a gourd given to all male Koguis at coming of age. It contains a poweder consisting of lyme and ground snail shells. They take some of the powder out with the stick and mix it with the clump of coca leaves that they continually chew on. After taking the stick out of their mouth, they wipe it on the gourd, causing the yellow portion to build up. Fermin's gourd is about 2 years old. When it's time to replace the gourd (after 3 to 5 years) the shaman interprets it.

Kogui constuctions. The two peaks represent the two tallest peaks in the Sierra Nevada.

Metate, used to grind corn to make flour.

Thought to be an ancient map of Tayona lands, including rivers , trails and settlements.

Pictures can´t capture the majesty of this place. An unforgettable, magical experience!

In the clouds.

Unlike Macchu Picchu, Teyuna is undiscovered by large-scale tourism.
We only saw one other group the whole day.

Foundation for a house.

The trek was an incredible experience and better than I could have ever imagined! Definitely the highlight of mmy trip thus far. Thanks to all the new friends who made it so!