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Published: March 10th 2010
Ok fine I’ll go to San Cipriano! (- a remote town about 2-3 hours from Cali, close to the Pacific coast and big city of Buenaventura, and known as a popular weekend getaway for its river attractions).
I thought I was going to leave Cali, but here I was being dragged to see this apparently unmissable sight. -But wow, was I ever glad I went!!
Tuche and I hitched a ride with Leo part of the way, and then hopped on a bus off the highway, to the gateway of San Cipriano. You see, the small village was unreachable by road- only train. However, the train had long been closed and so the locals (which were really, really poor) invented a new, highly fun, and faily dangerous system of transport using the railway tracks, which they called “brujitas” (little witches- I have no idea why…).
Anyways, the Burjitas were basically large wooden planks with small metal wheels that fitted on to the train tracks, and were pushed by a motorcycle that was fixed to one side of the wooden plank, and have only it rear wheel touching one of the rails, as to propel the cart
forward. The wooden planks would have lose wooden benches upon which the passengers would sit, and where you think two or three would fit, you would see 6 or 7. Some of the brujitas would even push independent planks of wood (with no motorcycle), that were simple just placed in front on the train tracks, and fascened to the brujita with a rope. These planks would hold as many as 20 people. -and how they would manage velocities of 50 km/hr was beyond me… -also because there was only track, when brujitas encountered each other going in opposite directions, one was forced to dismount, let the other pass, and remount (which we did about 5 times).
Anyways we got to this little village that spelt poverty, and a small kid took us to the brujitas where we negotiated our 4 dollar price for the 40 minute ride. I was happy we were the only two on the brujita, as it was more comfy, and I think this only happened because it was after dark and most of the passengers were already gone. I was a little nervous on the rollercoaster ride as I could feel the danger, but nonetheless
it was quite cool, and I was happy zooming through the thick jungle and past many impoverished houses. There were workers leering at me as we whizzed by, and I certainly wouldn’t have felt too comfortable if the motor broke down anywhere along the way. I was definitely the only tourist, and only white girl anywhere within sight.
We finally reached the tiny village of San Cipriano. It was as basic as basic gets, but full of an evening bustle of life, and I couldn’t help laugh to myself with joy as I heard soulful and electric salsa beats around every corner… Aww…. Sweet Colombia…
We arrived at our “posada”, basic but cleanish- and with bathrooms, and showers (but only cold water of course, and shared). After well needed meal and shower we headed out to explore. We ran into Julie, the fresh cser, and her knew friend, whatever her name was. The four of us ended up splitting a bottle of delicious boroho, and I danced the evening away with Tuche (whose name is also Leo, and I will now call him Leo).
It wasn’t too late, when I suggested we should hit the sack cause
the guide we had hired, Yami, a friend of Leo’s and a very nice kid with cerebral palsy, was coming early in the morning to take us to the waterfall. I didn’t get much sleep as the bed was uncomfy, and the music loud, but my nights of peace and rest were long behind me. I was beginning to except the fact that the serenity I had found earlier in my trip, and especially in the Amazon was behind me now…
After a welcomed breakfast, Yami came by. He was a little difficult to understand because of his speech impediment (and it was in Spanish!) but nonetheless I managed to talk to him a fair bit, and was able to discover he was really a nice guy, and did not appear mentally retarded despite his outward appearance.
Yami took us through the thick jungle, walking along the beautiful river beds. Ahhhh… the smell of the humid jungle was so comforting… I smiled with glee as we arrived at the waterfall. It was big and beautiful, centered in a round green cavern, covered in moss. I swam in the deep cool waters beneath it and its force forced me
underwater. It was really nice.
We stayed put for about 20 minutes, and when other tourists finally arrived it was our sign to go. On the way back it began to rain, first a drizzle than a down poor that didn’t let up. Everything was wet- well I was in my bikini, but my boots were filled with water and my backpack soaked. Oh well... Luckily I did’t mind.
We headed back to the river where we had started the hike, grabbed tubes that we had rented, and walked upriver about an hour. Yes what we were about to do was a little crazy, as it was still raining and the class 2 river had turned into a 3. We got into the river, rushing with gentle rapids and filled with shallow rocks, got into our tubes and off we went with the current!
AHHHHH!! This by far was the craziest thing I had done so far. Ok, it wasn’t too dangerous, there was no treat of death, just high probability of heavy bruising, and mid probability of bone crushing. -but it was fun! I raised my butt as not to smash it on the rocks that
rushed by, and that I occasionally beached myself on, and I have to admit I got a little scared when I was sucked into small whirlpools and thrashed against the rocky, tree covered, river’s edge- but I didn’t fall off! Leo fell off once, but survived with minimal scratches. So we passed the next hour and a half like this, avoiding injury and screaming with glee as the tubes spun their way uncontrollably down the rapids.
It was great fun! Finally we got out of the river and walked towards our posada. It was time to get going. It was still raining, and just as we reached the brujitas it began to POOR!! The “station” was filled with caos as the workers of the village had just finished work and were all clamouring to get a spot. In the mix of heavy rain, screams, and commotion, Yami secured us a tiny spot for our butts on Waco’s brujita. (hahaha, great name).
As we pulled away from the madness we entered another. The cold rain would have froze me to death if I was squished between bodies, straddling the little wooden plank. There were even men hanging off the
side and onto my left shoulder. The women held large tropical leafs to try to keep their heads dry, but it really didn’t do much good. As the motorcycle contraption RACED along, sounding and feeling like a wooden roller coaster about to jump off its tracks, I gazed into the thick jungle zooming by. I looked up at the workers, all of which were black, and speaking a fast crazy Spanish I couldn’t understand, and all around me. I felt the hard rain on my face, and the flavour of this crazy daily life, and I began to laugh out loud.
What’s so funny, asked Leo.
Ha! Wow! Look at where I am! Hahaha! The situation was so unreal, so surreal, and I was loving every moment of it. How incredible it was that little Vivian got here! How did it happen? Hahahaha- its so much fun! I laughed a laugh of joy and of disbelief of how I had ended up in what could seem an impossibly dangerous place to be, but somehow almost safe (well almost- except for the danger of the brujita of course). But it was an amazing experience- the whole journey, and I
hadn’t met anyone who had quite had it- how lucky was I to get myself in these situations, and at minimal risk...
The rest of the journey was not so nice however. We had to wait on the side of the hyway as it poored for a but to come by. Luckily a lady let me change in her house into dry clothes, and I waited under a roof. When the bus eventually came, it was full, as usual so they piled Leo in to stand, and shoved me in the front between the door along with a women and child at my side and two at my back. The 3 hour plus ride was extremely uncomfortable, but there was nothing I could do.
We were suppose to go out when we got back to Leo’s but I hit the sack and called it a night.
What a great experience!! Fantastic trip.
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Andres
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Wandering feet
hahaha most Colombians haven't been to those places where you are!