Well, it's been a busy month finishing school, traveling through three countries, various wine tours, plenty of football games with a couple of beers, and yes, a lot of walking, but not full on working out..... I was a bit nervous about the four day hike in the Sierra Nevada mountains!
We began with a couple of hours in a 4x4 to get to the jungle. The drive was beautiful. Everything became so mountainous and forested. There were six of us in our group, and such interesting easy going people, I was relieved! Our base camp was showing the Germany game so it was a lovely familiar intro to the hike!
After lunch we began a three hour steep incline. It was so hot! My face became a waterfall! So gross! It was really tough and the humidity coupled with the sun made it such a struggle. I was seriously questioning whether I could do this trip! The sheer joy and relief when we reached our first camp!
Well, what was unbeknown to me at the time (I thought everyone was just super fit and fast!) was that the first camp had electricity (the only one!) and the guides were basically driving us up to watch the Colombian game! How football grips people!
Watching the game whilst all huddled around a small TV and with so many Colombians...loud and passionate! It was a pity they didn't get through, and the mood was pretty deflated afterwards, but we were all so hot and sweaty still (for many, more so after the game!) that a trip to some of the river pools was very welcome!
The second day, though a full day of jungle trekking, was much easier. We left early so didn't have to contend with the intense sun's heat for the first half. The scenery was beautiful. Huge trees, dangling vines, hills and mountains covered in either trees or coca plants. It was refreshing to be away from built up civilisation. There were a couple of downhills to break up the inclines, and we walked through two indigenous villages which were interesting. The second half was tough, tiredness and heat kicked in. It was a long day of trekking and we were so happy to rest at camp.
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| An indigenous village |
In the morning of the third day, after another river crossing (this one was a wade!) and 1200 awkward steps, we reached The Lost City. It was amazing! Firstly, it is massive. It occupies 30 hectares and continues up a hill. It really is a sight to behold. Everywhere you look there are beautiful hills and trees, and then there's each of the sections (the sacrificial areas, the houses) of the ancient civilisation, some under forested canopy, and others very open. It was great to have a few hours to wander around and learn more about it's rich history, from it's beginnings in 500 AD, to its re discovery to non indigenous people in 1972 and the kidnappings a decade ago. One of the guides with us was with that particular group, and was tied up with another guide as they decided on who to take hostage....just the politically important nationalities so all but Germans, Spaniards, Brits and Israelis could go free. He had to escape and flee for survival. It was fascinating hearing his story. He went back to guide just 30 days later!
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| The sacrificial area |
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| Juliet and I |
Returning to camp was difficult. Downhill is so much harder!
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| Ahhhh the steps went on and on.....some big, some small, all slippy! |
On the last day we had an early start. The mornings I found quite pleasant....it was always the second half of the days trekking when we were tired that it became really tough. I treated myself to an energy drink a day as there was always a little shack at the top of the toughest climbs of the day. The thought of it kept me going! Coming down to the start I couldn't believe that I'd managed to climb it on day one! Hot, steep, sandy and long! We were all so shocked at how brutal it was!
The humidity was difficult and challenging throughout the trek. I felt like I was continually dripping. I have never ever sweated so much! Not even in a sauna!
What I found incredible was the quality and quantity of food on the trek. We were so well fed! Mules would often pass us on the paths carrying supplies. Their balance astounded me as sometimes we really were bouldering, or clinging onto rock faces! It was lovely to spend the evenings eating hearty meals by candlelight and getting to know our group better and discussing Colombian history. Each day our guide would magically offer us oranges or watermelon somewhere on our hike after a particularly grueling 45 minutes or so. It was simply wonderful!
The noises of the jungle was another highlight. By day there was so much bird song. At night, the frogs and insects took over. Our camps were always beside the river so we'd fall asleep hearing such incredible nature. The butterflies were so beautiful. One kind was as big as a hand, and such a rich blue colour. It's design meant it could even fly in the rain!
It was hard but rewarding. I'd definitely recommend it though. The walk is beautiful and the Lost City is so interesting. It was a highlight of my time in Colombia.
