Jimmy Buffett in Colombia?!?

I didn't realize before I came that Colombia was on the Caribbean Sea! What a great surprise! (Admittedly, a bit sad that I was surprised) Without even realizing it, I found myself in a Beach Boys or Jimmy Buffett song. . .and still for prices that fit within my traveler budget!

Yes, I’m just posting these pictures because I can. . .gotta love the Caribbean! Thank you, Colombia, for this unexpected treat!

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Wayuu. . .Why Not???

The district at the northern tip of Colombia is called Guajira – it is a peninsula that includes the northernmost point of South America. This area isn’t often traveled by tourists because it isn’t easy to reach and, when you do, there isn’t much available.

That said, getting off the grid can be rewarding. Being somewhere with electricity available only by generator and without internet or phone lines, is both relaxing and liberating. Couple that feeling with ocean, sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, and semi-arid desert as far as you can see, and you’ve got a strangely beautiful part of the world.

The area is populated primarily by the Wayuu. They are a traditional people with a “fierce” reputation who are actually very friendly and welcoming in person, if not a bit unsure of tourists.

Among other things, the Wayuu women are known for their weaving – especially colorful bags that are sold throughout Colombia.

I met a group of adventurous people and we decided to head up to Cabo de la Vela (on the Guijira peninsula) to explore the region. Cabo is primarily a fishing village and, sure enough, we saw signs of fishermen as soon as we arrived.

We found lodging with a Wayuu woman in her guest house right on the beach built in the traditional style -- out of the inner core of the local cactus.

“Lodging” was either a hammock or the local version of a hammock, the chinchorro. We opted for the chinchorro because it has extra cloth hanging down on both sides which you can use to wrap up and stay warm. I felt like a burrito!!

Despite showers that consisted of a small room with a bucket of water, my trip up here was so beautiful, it was worth it! How often do you get to hike through a desert and end up on a private beach on the Caribbean Sea? Why come to the land of the Wayuu? Why not???

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Lost. . .and Found

Until about 500 years ago, the slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains were populated by the Tayrona people. They were an advanced Pre-Colombian population with at least 300 cities in the area (discovered thus far) and a complex social and political organization with advanced engineering.

The capital city housed between 2000 and 4000 people and was spread across a large area on a mountain slope. The city itself was comprised of nearly 200 stone terraces on which straw houses and other structures were built. These terraces were connected by stone-slab paths and stairways. And over 1250 stone steps connected the center of the city with the river far below.

In 1499, the Tayrona culture was the first indigenous culture encountered by the Spanish when they arrived in South America. Sadly, after 75 years of war, the Tayrona culture was decimated. Those remaining opted to abandon their cities and escape up into the mountains to avoid extinction. After their departure, their cities fell into ruin and were buried by the fast-growing jungle foliage.  . .

Then, in the mid 1970’s, a family of grave-robbers happened upon this once grand capital city. News quickly spread of the discovery of an ancient abandoned city and archeologists moved in. Eventually so many people were digging up the ruins that the Colombian army moved in to protect one of the largest pre-Colombian towns ever discovered in the Americas. In 1982, the Ciudad Perdida (“Lost City”) was opened to the public and many of the treasures unearthed by archeologists were put on display at museums throughout Colombia.

Which brings us to 2011. . .seeing the Lost City involves five days of trekking over 25 miles. There’s lots of uphill, lots of bugs, plenty of rain which brings plenty of mud. What could be better? To be fair, there are also rivers and vines, and swimming holes and plenty of stunning scenery! Here are some of the scenes from my trip. . .

Our mountain views on the way to start the trek:

The guides loading up one of the donkeys with food for our journey:

One of our kitchens during the trek:

And one of our "bedrooms." My first time spending an entire night in a hammock. It can be very comfortable although it can also be quite cold. And having mosquito netting laying on your face is a bit disconcerting!

One of the many mud-soaked trails we needed to navigate (and accidentally slide down!):

The riverside snacks we enjoyed each day:

Jungle views, including one of the many swimming holes:

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A Sense of Adventure

Whenever an opportunity arises to do something adventurous and different, I try to take it (although I chickened out on bungee jumping!). Here’s a taste of some of the fun activities I’ve tried here in Colombia.

1.       Horseback riding

Okay, horseback riding isn’t overly adventurous. But, it’s not readily available in Chicago so I’m including it. And I was riding for a few hours through wilderness -- it seemed adventurous!

2.       Caving

I’ve had several opportunities to do some spelunking and explore caves in Colombia. The best part is that we hike for an hour or more to get to a deserted spot (with a local guide, of course) and then just wander in. No sign, no admission fee, no maps, just a hole that we explore. So cool!

3.       Rappelling

Sometimes, that hole is in the earth (and not a mountain side) so you can’t just walk in. So, I tried my hand at rappelling.

I’ve tried rappelling several times before. Always in the past, we hiked up to the top of something and then rappelled back down. This time, it didn’t occur to me in advance how we were going to get back out of the hole. Turns out, they expected us to climb. . .that was a fun, unexpected challenge!

4.       Trekking

One afternoon, a couple of us went on a hike in the middle of nowhere with a local guide. No marked trails, no maps. He told us about a trail along a ridge that was very beautiful. It’s called the Paseo del Angel (Angel’s Stroll). Sounds lovely, right? So, turns out, this ridge is between two canyons: one 150 meters down, the other 160 meters down. And it’s quite narrow. The pictures don’t really show how steep this is!

At one stage, the path narrows to about 18 inches wide. And while I can normally walk across 18 inches without thinking about it, when looking over the edges on both sides, it can play tricks with your mind! Took me about 5 minutes of positive self-talk to walk across that path.

And after I did it, Augusto (our guide) laughed and explained that we weren’t actually going that way and we needed to cross it again to head back! More positive self-talk. . .

5.       Paragliding

I’ve always wanted to paraglide. It just seemed like such a cool, adventurous thing to do. In San Gil, a town in northern Colombia, I had the opportunity. I got strapped into the seat (and attached to a professional) and within 2 minutes, we were airborne. The wind just lifts you off of the hill – so quick and easy. No time to overthink it and get nervous. Once up there, it’s so peaceful and relaxing. And the views are incredible! I would recommend paragliding to anyone – nothing scary about it! 

6.       Bullriding

Given the opportunity to safely ride a bull, what adventure-seeker would turn that down?

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