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To finish our mad treks of South America, we decided to take a 6 day trip into the Colombian jungle to visit the "Ciudad Perdida" (Lost City). Whilst it was not quite Indiana Jones, it was still pretty exciting, with us hiking through the rainforest, struggling across a raging river on multiple occasions, visiting a 'cocaine factory' and finally arriving at the Ciudad Perdida having avoided being kidnapped by FARC...
Day 1 We were picked up early from our hotel in Taganga and taken by minibus and then jeep to the village of El Mamey. We took it easy there for a while and chatted to the other people in our group. We had booked the trek through Magic Tours which seems to put together relatively small groups, so we just had three more trekkers to get to know: the friendly Norwegians Nina, Peter and Ola. We also met our guide Juan Carlos. He was not the most talkative guide we have ever had, but he was very trustworthy and we came to understand that when he told us to do something we should do it!
After a tasty sandwich lunch in the village we set off hiking.
The first day consisted of only a few hours of hiking. This was made a bit tougher though by more than half of the hike being uphill and the temperature being well over 30 degrees celsius. We were all soon sweating and looking forward to a break! We walked quite a lot of the trail with a group from another agency called Sierra Tours and it was nice to chat to everyone and share the struggle.
At the top of the hill, we came across a Colombian army checkpoint, where our names were checked off against a list. I must admit that initially I was a little wary when I saw the camouflage outfits and machine guns. But quickly I realised it was nothing to be worried about, especially when I saw that one of the soldiers had handed his gun over to a fellow hiker and they were taking silly photos! The soldiers we encountered over the next few days were generally friendly and simply seemed bored more than anything. They spend a few months up in the jungle at a time and I can imagine that would be a pretty tough lifestyle, so the influx of daily
tourists seems welcome.
An hour or so later we reached a small settlement where the other groups were setting up camp. We had a chance to go swimming in the river which was much appreciated. To get into the water we had to jump from a rock 3 metres above the water. I must admit it took me some time to build up the courage to jump in, but eventually I did and was greeted with wonderful cool water and lovely views of the surrounding jungle and the waterfall feeding our pool.
A further 15 minute hike and we had reached Campamento 1. This was run by a friendly family who live in the inside of the complex and hang hammocks up for the passing hikers. They also allow the guides to use their kitchen and so that evening we were served a huge feast of chicken, rice, beans, fried bananas and salad. Clearly we were being spoilt! Whilst I did not sleep perfectly, I must admit that my first night of sleeping in a hammock wasn't too bad at all - although it did take a while to get comfortable.
Day 2 This started in
a very relaxed fashion, with showers and a leisurely breakfast before our 'optional' excursion. For a small price, we were taken deeper into the jungle, partly up a small river bed to reach a 'cocaine factory'. It was a small clearing with a black plastic covering inside which were some benches surrounding various ingredients for manufacturing cocaine. Our factory 'guide' said that the local military do not know that the factory exists, but I find that pretty hard to believe. However, he did say that even if the military did show up, he would be able to deal with the issue: "they are corrupt, they will take money and go away".
Whilst I cannot remember the exact method he showed us, I do remember that producing cocaine is much more complicated than I had anticipated! From the simple coca leaves which we are used to seeing in the Andes, it takes a lot of effort and investment to produce the cocaine that makes Colombia so infamous. Ingredients used include sulphuric acid, bicarbonate of soda, petrol, potassium permanganate, and quite a few more. Over the course of an hour our guide made a small sample of cocaine paste and explained
that in this form it could be smoked, but would need further processing at a different factory to produce the final powder. He offered us a sample of the paste to smoke but nobody took him up on his offer. To be honest I think we all felt hazy enough with all of the petrol fumes we had been inhaling!
Back to the campamento where we packed up our stuff and set off on the next stage of the hike. This was a fast-paced three hour walk, once again going uphill for the first half and downhill or along the flat for the rest. We stopped at a river for a much needed pineapple break and after crossing on some stepping stones, kept going. The final section took us through a village of the indigenous Kogi people. It felt rather strange to be there as we were mostly stared at and I do not think our presence was wholly appreciated. However, our guide Juan Carlos gave some cigarettes out to the 'elders' of the village and we went on our way. Part of the money we paid for the tour goes to the kogi people, and it seemed a
shame that there could not be more cultural exchange (or even just chatting!) between us.
And so we arrived at Campamento 2. We were given a late lunch of tasty soup and left to relax for the afternoon. A big rain storm came along which meant that we were unable to go swimming but instead we enjoyed relaxing in the hammocks, reading and playing cards with fellow trekkers. The evening was spent in much the same fashion. More food and more cards!
Day 3 This turned out to be a fun, but wet, day. Leaving the camp, we walked alongside the river for 20 minutes, clambering over rocks and along steep slopes. We then took off our boots and waded across the river: the water was thigh-deep but not flowing too quickly. From there we had a long tough uphill hike. Within minutes we were all sweating profusely - this is certainly a good way to see what people really look lke without the make-up and help of modern-day mirrors and such things!
We finally sat down for a much-needed long break at the top of the hill. This was at a large open, flat area
and our guide got a local kogi girl to get him some fresh pineapples which he proceeded to prepare for us. I was not even a fan of pineapples at the start of this trip, but am now a complete convert.
We continued downhill and eventually reached the river again. From here we had to do 8 more river crossings. These were mostly knee deep and not too difficult. In fact it was nice to feel the cold water against otherwise overheating feet and legs! After the eighth crossing, we arrived at the bottom of a staircase which stretched up into the jungle. These are the famous 1,800+ steps leading to the Ciudad Perdida. We set off on the climb, knowing that thighs would be in pain by the top. Just to add to the fun, it came to rain when we were maybe half way up, although this probably helped to spur us onwards.
And so we arrived at Campamento 3, situated inside the Ciudad Perdida. We once again took it easy for the afternoon, showering and enjoying a late lunch. We watched the afternoon rain setting in, with its accompanying thunder and lightning. The rest of
the day was spent chatting, playing more cards and eating more food (again!).
Day 4 After another good breakfast (empanadas), we were given a tour of the Ciudad Perdida site. Whilst it is nowhere near as spectacular as Machu Picchu, it is still a very interesting place, and its situation in the Colombian jungle adds to its beauty. The city was home to the Tayrona people, predecessors to the kogis. They seem to have functioned as an advanced society, with significant agriculture but no domesticated animals. The city is a series of numerous stone platforms, connected by stone stairs and walkways. Huts were built on each stone platform, apart from the central platforms which served ceremonial purposes. It is thought that the city was abandoned when the Spanish landed on the Colombian coast, and it was only "re-discovered" by grave robbers in the 1970s. At the end of the tour we went down to the river, where some Colombian soldiers were having a swim. As the first photo of this blog shows, these guys are very relaxed about leaving their stuff (including guns) lying around. Clearly they think that tourists are to be trusted!
We then headed
back to our lodging for the afternoon. Lunch was followed by another free afternoon, more chatting, cards, eating, etc. Do you see a pattern emerging?! That night we slept on mattresses and not in hammocks. It was definitely nice to be able to stretch out fully and not worry about falling over the side!
Day 5 This was a long and tough day, basically retracing our steps of both Day 3 and Day 2. There had been a very heavy storm overnight, which meant that the river we were to cross 9 times was high and flowing fast. We descended the numerous steps from the Ciudad Perdida down to the river and could see it was going to be more difficult than it had been on the way there. The first 8 crossings were hard going, with water up to our waists, but we all managed well. For this part of the day, we joined up with another group doing the same route (from the Turcol company) as the guides figured there was safety in numbers. At one point, we could not do the expected crossing as the rain had caused a landslide over the path. Instead, we
had to head further up into the jungle and follow a thin trail - the guide even got out his machete!
Finally those river crossings were over and we set off on a long uphill, followed by a long downhill again. Once again the temperatures were high. We came down to the river for the final crossing and it was
very high. A rope had been rigged across the river and we basically had to "swim" across, one person at a time, holding onto the rope and pulling ourselves across. It was amazing to feel the force of the river but also great fun! Luckily the guides (especially our amazing Juan Carlos) were better adapted to the water than us and they were somehow able to wade across with the water coming up to their chests and our rucksacks held above their heads! They crossed the river a few times in this fashion and must have been exhausted by the end.
The final section of the morning took us alongside the river, which was a bit awkward with the high water and wet rocks, etc. We arrived at Campamento 2, where we ate a hearty soup lunch and
took some time to prepare for the afternoon. Just before we set off hiking again Juan Carlos told us that it
would rain and so we should try to rainproof our bags, etc. We duly did as we were told but I don't think that any of us were prepared for just how wet we were going to get.
As we left the campamento, there was a huge clap of thunder and it started to rain. The heavens had opened and didn't stop for the next three hours whilst we were walking. But this was not an ordinary rain shower, this was a tropical rain shower - I have never seen so much water falling from the sky before! Within a minute we were soaked through and the paths were flooding. A few minutes into the walk Juan Carlos told us that we had to speed up because otherwise the river we had to cross over would be too high. And so - much to our amusement - we started jogging. And the rain kept coming! We made it to the river we had previously crossed on stepping stones and were greeted by a torrent, with no sign of
the stepping stones. And so we waded through helped by Juan Carlos, who then told us that we needed to keep going quickly because there was another river to cross and we needed to get there asap. Luckily we reached it a few minutes later and went to cross. As I was nearing the far side I managed to lose my balance and fell. Trust me to manage all of the rivers and then fall at the last one! For a few seconds I was stuck and unable to stand up as the current was so strong. Eventually I got up and made it to the other side, trying not to think about how wet my rucksack had become.
After that we were told that we could slow down a bit as there were no more rivers to cross. However, with the rain pouring down we didn't really feel like strolling, and so tried to keep up the speed as much as possible. By this point the path was no longer visible as it had turned into a mini-river. The water was clearly taking the path of least resistance. This meant that we were stepping blindly into muddy water,
which was sometimes reaching as high as my calves, hoping that there were no big rocks underfoot to upset my balance. From the comfort of an internet cafe it is hard to recall quite how ridiculous the situation was, but I do remember just really wanting to get to our destination..!
And so we finally reached Campamento 1. We were all completely soaking and I had to borrow a pair of shorts from one of the men running the campamento along with a t-shirt from Barry as my clothes were beyond wearing. We were all so glad to have made it and able to take it easy before dinner and an early night.
We later found out that we had been much luckier than other groups. The group we had been crossing the river with that morning had taken their time a bit more in the afternoon. They were able to cross the first river (that we had been running for), but the second river was too rapid and they had to turn back. Unfortunately though they got to the river they had crossed a few minutes before and it was no longer possible to cross! They therefore
had to spend a few hours waiting for the rain to calm down and the river to become crossable. In the meantime they all crowded into a local kogi house, where a family were trying to deal with their one-day old baby. Ouch!
We also heard that the two girls we had met from Sierra Tours had also faced problems. Their inexperienced guide could not get them across one of the larger river crossings and for a while they thought they were going to have to spend the night outdoors. Eventually he was able to get them into a hut shared with kogi people who did not take too kindly to the intrusion into their already crowded home. The lesson learnt? Go with Juan Carlos from Magic Tours - he was the only guide who actually got his group to the right places at the right time!
Day 6 The final day proved to be fairly relaxed. Barry was feeling a bit ill and so we took the pace slowly, giving me a chance to enjoy the bright morning sunshine and gorgeous views along the way. A steep uphill was followed by mostly flat or downhill walks.
Juan Carlos told us we could go as slow as we wanted, so we did! The previous heavy rains had managed to cause some havoc along the way including knocking down a tree, but there were no real mad moments such as we had experienced yesterday.
We arrived back at the village of El Mamey in the early afternoon and took a well-earned break there. After a tasty lunch of fish we jumped in a jeep followed by a bus to take us back to Taganga. We arrived late afternoon to be received at the Magic Tours office with a free t-shirt each, very exciting! We made it back to our hotel (the excellent Casa Felipe) and checked in with utter relief that we had successfully made it back. A shower, some good food and a beer later and we were once again feeling like our usual selves. We took a few days after the trek to just chill in Taganga, partly to let Barry's stomach recover but also because we found it impossible to tear ourselves away from the hammocks and hotel!
Whilst the Ciudad Perdida trek was tough in places, it was definitely one of the
easier treks we have done in South America in terms of distance and time spent walking. Anyone of reasonable fitness should be able to complete the trek, but the toll taken on the body from the crazy weather and relatively high chance of getting ill (it seemed that in every group we met at least one person had become sick with a stomach bug!) should not be underestimated. Be sensible and you should have a great time, with plenty of stories to tell afterwards...
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anonymous
non-member comment
I am not keen on treking, but I almost think it would be worth it to see some of the things you saw in the Jungle. :)