Ready.. .Aim. . .Fire!

Nothing says “bar game” like throwing metal at gunpowder, right? 

Colombians are a breed of their own! Most countries try to keep gunpowder and alcohol far apart if not an illegal combination. But here in Colombia, it’s the national game, tejo!

Tejo is played mostly in rural parts of Colombia although tejo bars can be found in Bogota and other big cities. The “sport” originated with the Chibcha people in western Colombia. It is a modern version of a game that is over 500 years old called Turmeque which was played by several indigenous groups in Colombia.

A tejo field consists of two angled pits filled with hard clay.

These are placed about 100 ft apart (for locals) or 50 ft apart (for tourists).

In the center of the pits, wax paper triangles filled with gunpowder (“mechas”)  are placed.

Each player (there are two teams) has a 2kg weight to throw at the clay pit. 

Points are awarded for making your “tejo” (weight) stick and more points are given for hitting a mecha and causing an explosion!

The game is so popular and prevalent in bars that in June 2000, it was declared the national sport of Colombia by the Congress of the Republic!

The best part of the game? Playing is free as long as the team is buying beer! I’m not much of a beer girl, but they have a “beer” called Redd’s which tastes like a combination of beer and Sprite. So, I ordered a few of those and joined in the fun!

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From There to Here, and Here to There. . .Funny Things are Everywhere!

Located in the lower reaches of the Los Nevados National Park in the Andes of central Colombia, is a very unique and beautiful spot – the Valle de Cocora. In this valley, and, apparently, only in this valley, nestled among the misty green hills, lives the tallest species of palm tree in the world, the Palma de Cera (wax palm).

These trees live up to a hundred years and usually grow over 160 feet tall and sometimes nearly 200 feet tall!

This palm species is unique, not only because of its height, but also because it has adapted to high altitudes – these palms live between 8200 feet and 9200 feet unlike most other palms that live at or near sea-level.

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Three Little Pigs

Some volcanoes are beautiful and scary. . .

Others are a bit less attractive, but much more fun!

Colombia is home to several “mud volcanoes.” 

In warm areas with low levels of water, a pool of bubbling mud forms when the little available water rises to the surface near volcanic ash and clay. The warm mud can build up and bubble over forming a volcano-esque eruption of mud.

These mud pools are believed to have healing properties so several of them have become tourist attractions – like the Volcan el Tesoro outside of Tolu, Colombia.

I went with friends, and we were lucky enough to be the only people there for a few hours. After paying our $2 to get in, we put on our bathing suits, and jumped into the pool of mud.

Here’s a before-and-after photo shoot you’re not likely to see in a woman’s magazine:

It’s a strange feeling, the mud is so thick that you are almost suspended – like being set in Jello®.  I’ve never felt anything like it! And it’s not easy to move around so there are ropes tied throughout the pool so you can pull yourself out of the mud. The mud is so thick you can even stand on the rope without falling over:

I also found that the mud is perfect for camouflage – a la Schwarzenegger in Predator:

After getting thoroughly covered in mud and having a blast doing it (for nearly two hours), we headed to the outdoor showers where several young girls helped to wash us off. (Admittedly, a strange part of the experience – likely better if I were a guy?)

But, before getting clean, we stopped to pose with one of our kin. . .funny how he was the cleanest one!

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Down on the Bayou

From Cartagena, I went inland to the small town of Santa Cruz de Mompos. Mompos is located on an island in the middle of the Rio Magdelena – the largest river in Colombia. This river runs over 950 miles through most of the western half of the country.

The histories of Mompos and Cartagena have long been intertwined. They were founded just 7 years apart by two Spanish brothers. Both grew into important port towns, one, within Colombia, the other between Colombia and Europe. When Cartagena was frequently under siege from pirates, the families of those defending the town would flee to Mompos for safety until the town was secure.  Mompos was also the first city in Colombia to declare independence from Spain – followed less than a year later by Cartagena.

I think the sibling rivalry between the two cities continues today – when I asked in Cartagena for assistance in getting to Mompos I was told that it wasn’t possible to get there at this time and I should stay in Cartagena. So much for brotherly love!

Fortunately, it was possible to get there, although not altogether easy to do. My trip involved two buses, a boat, and a taxi. By far, my favorite part was the boat – a water taxi. Just hop into the next taxi crossing the river, give them $3, they’ll throw your bag on top, and off you go.

While technically, the Rio Magdalena is not a “bayou,” Mompos has the comfortable, relaxed feel of a sleepy town on a quiet, slow-moving river. Not quite as glamorous as his older brother, Cartagena, Mompos remains a beautiful , if not a little run down, city. 

In fact, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Colombia’s most famous author and Nobel Prize for Literature winner, based many of his books on Mompos, including “One Hundred Years of Solitude.”

One afternoon I took a boat trip down the river a bit. Just 5 minutes from town we were surrounded by muddy river and thick vegetation. The grand homes with Spanish tiled roofs gave way to the thatched roof huts and dugout canoes of the local farmers and fishermen.

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