hey yáll,
just got back from a 6 day trek through the rain forest. i went on a tour with 20 other people into the thick of the jungle. every day involved rock scrambling, mountain climbing, death defying stunts. i´m happy to make it back in one piece, just a little banged up, itchy, and sick again from drinking some bad mountain water.
the city was abandoned for 500 years before it was discovered in 1975 by a treasure hunter and his two sons. fighting broke out between other hunters and in the midst of it all, the original founder lost one of his sons. eventually the government stepped in to protect the site. it´s estimated that the tayronan indians lived here for 1,500 years back in the day.
the lost city is a magical place. it´s a cross between the jungle in Romancing the Stone, and the elf mountain city in Lord of the Rings. i swear i heard voices in the trees as i walked through. most likely it came from some mountain folk called the Cogi´s. these people live in the forest and the one guy i tried to talk to didn´t like me too much. he glared at me for two hours during dinnertime. turns out he has 3 wives, one 53, another 28, and one 14 years old. he must of been the david bowie of the mountain.
the climb up the mountain was torturous. going uphill for hours with my tripod, camera, sleeping bag, and clothes did not sit well with my body. that´s why i look so pissed in the photo. right before you reach el cuidad perdido, there are over 2,000 slippery stone stairs going straight up the mountain! luckily, me and my buddy gary bought some cocoa leaves off a cogi beforehand. you can chew on these leaves and they serve as a fatigue reducer. gotta love that Cogi magic.
when we finally got up to the city, i slipped away from the group and explored a bit. it´s easy to get lost in the lost city. it´s very large and it seemed to go on and on. the labyrinth of trails were confusing and i started to forget what i was using for my trail markers. when i heard weird Cogi chanting, i decided to head back. on my way, i bumped into some Colombian soldiers that were stationed at the city. they were cool guys and they were amazed at my tripod for some reason. afterwards, they handed me an assault rifle and we took a picture together.
now i´m back in the the coastal town of Santa Marta and i´m already missing the trees. tomorrow i´m headed to Cartegena where i plan to jump into a 50 foot mud volcano!
later,
-p
5 comments:
What a great adventure you're having! I love your wonderful descriptions of the people, animals, places, nature, food and even all the bugs. I'm glad you are doing well and are having a great time experiencing the world.
Thanks for sharing it all with us, including those amazing photos. Keep well and keep posting!
Judy
Pat,
that dude with the 3 wives was jealous cause you look good in your red shorts!
hahaha
Your pictures are wonderful, and the description of your mountain trek reminds me of my costa rica trip. Hiking/backpacking in the jungle is no frikken joke, huh?
come back home safely.
much love,
shauna
Pat,
Your mother must be loving this. Not!!! Dad and I are really loving this. We agree that the man must have been jealous of your red pants. Nice. Sounds like you are having fun though. Wish I could go volcano jumping too. Miss you. Peggy
hi homey,
hey, don't be bringing home any 14 year old bride. besides, i've already picked one out for you!
continue to have wonderful (safe) adventures. miss you alot.
love,
momma
p.s. let someone else jump into that volcano first.
Get close, shoot upwards, try different sides/angles besides the straight on shots.
Take more photos.
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