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Published: June 16th 2007
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We caught a taxi to the bus station just on the outskirts of Popayan to go to San Agustin. We had no trouble getting a ticket for the 11 am bus. However when the bus arrived, it was full and with no language we did not know what was going on. I asked the conductor twice and there was alot of hand waving a words and still we did not know what was going on. Lots of other people were trying to get on as well. Eventually another bus came along and promptly filled that up. The bus trip was 120 km to San Agustin and the bus averaged 20 km/hour and took over 6 hours. It was a very rough road and went though beautiful alpine rain forest.
We passed alot of cyclists. I said to Paul, what if they are all going to San Agustin? We started to get anxious, because we had not booked a room and we thought we maybe spending the night under a bridge. The bus had a stop and a cyclist said there were 200 with supporters going to San Agustin for their yearly get together. We got even more anxious, because it
was raining and cold.
The bus eventually arrived at an intersection and we were told to get off, in the middle of nowhere. The bus driver pointed to a utility and on we hopped. It was full and Paul had to stand on the tail gate with 2 other men, holding onto the back of the truck. The driver drove just like the bus driver, fast. The men on the back were swaying into the corners and Paul said he was freaked out, because if he fell off he was history. We found a room to stay in the first place we got to. We organised a tour for the next day.
San Agustin town is a really nice town with horses everywhere, people riding them up and down the street with chaps on and beautiful white shirts. It was party time, 3 weeks of preparation for the big night at the end of the month. Everyone gets drunk and rides their horses up and down the street. We were told that the mayor hangs ceramic pots in places about the town and men on horseback bang them with a stick until they break and it is all
exciting with children hanging around. The pots could have sweets, or ink or ash or birds in them. The children are hoping for a lolly scramble, if there are birds in the pot the riders have to get off their horses and try to catch them, if it is ink or dust, they get dirty. The get very drunk on aquacallante ( sort of fire water).
The horses were pacing their strange trot where they have 3 feet on the ground at a time and the rider does not bounce at all, and amongst this strange sight, the army did a run through the town in the opposite direction to everything else, carrying a stretcher with a dummy on top yelling orders to each other. People everywhere, quite a sight.
Sunday morning we went for a jeep ride with 6 other passengers around the area. The tour lasted all day. Had lunch at San Juan - fish Paul had meat stew with rice, potatoe and maize cake. This was fathers day and everyone was out celebrating. People were allover the streets, hundreds of them. We went to the Magdallena River, this goes right through Columbia and goes out
in the Carribean sea. We visited Alto de los idolos, many stone statues from ancient times, 30 BC. Back home late and exhausted. Went for a short walk around town and found the market.
Monday we got up early to go to the market for breakfast, horse and carts parked outside. We had Tamales for breakfast, steamed food inside a banana leaf - similar to a hangi. Bought some fruit.
We went on a tour with Marino to Parque Arguelogico de San Agustin. Saw lots of graves and stone statues from 30 BC. We ate a large bean off a tree - you only eat the pith which is very sweet, like a watermelon. That afternoon Paul and I went on a horse ride tour to some more ancient statues. Josie trotted for 4 hours and Paul laughed for most of the time. I had the guide behind me tickling the horse with a rope to keep in going and I spent most of the time trying to slow it down. This is the first time I have been on a horse for 40 years and it even cantered.
Today we again met Patty (first met in Pasto)
and we decided to travel together for a bit.
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Nicky
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Tickled my fancy!!
Loved this update, I can well imagine - this really made me smile good on you back riding a??? Its not just the four hours riding but I imagine the probably 24hours recovery!!! You go girl!!