Parque Iguaque Photos (10)
San Gil & Barichara Photos (21)
Imposition of rule, disposition of people, extermination if necessary, exploitation a certainty; destruction of culture, indoctrination of beliefs, and eradication of resistance; domination of resources, markets, and territory; abuse, rape, and murder. In a word, colonialism. It did not destroy everything in its path, though it appeared bent on that purpose, but it left nothing unaffected. The scars it left behind are visible still today, and the damage it caused irreparable. New birth and growth emerged out of the ashes, and today one could scarcely deduce the atrocities of the time from the beautiful towns and architecture it left behind. How odd it is to think that such a horrific era could provide such delightful attractions today, though this is not at all uncommon throughout the world.
Villa de Leyva was my first stop out of Bogotá, a preserved colonial town with whitewashed buildings and cobblestone streets. Not a sterilized, museum-like town, and not just a few buildings within a modern, lively neighborhood, Villa de Leyva is a well preserved colonial town with a modern culture residing in it. The result is a beautiful combination of a very real, very authentic Colombian community living in the well preserved architecture and style of the colonial era. An equal appreciation of tradition and heritage without hindrance to the natural evolution of life and culture makes Villa de Leyva a very unique and enjoyable place to visit.
Nearby, and not nearly as enjoyable, was the national park of Iguaque, where long ago the indigenous peoples used to throw gold objects into the lake that they believed gave birth to civilization. It, along with similar traditions elsewhere, gave birth to the legend of El Dorado, the city of gold. Countless conquistadores and explorers lost their lives in their frivolous pursuit of the myth. The lake itself does not live up to such a rich legacy, being rather bleak and unimpressive in its appearance. Just sort of an "ehhh" experience.
I left that pleasan
t little colonial town behind and went to a pleasant little Colombian town called San Gil, an emerging adventure sport and ecologically concious destination. Some places have seasons to visit in, and now is not the time to visit San Gil. The high rainfall turned the class 4+/5 river into class nonexistant, and the high water levels flooded out some good caving adventures. It had a pleasant setting, wonderful market, and nice people, so it was a pleasant enough spot in its own right. A park protects the unique growth seen to the right off of trees, but I forget the name of it. I also ran into Kate and Ryan from Peru and Ecuadorian adventures here in San Gil, quite unexpectdedly. That is becoming a theme. It was good to catch up on some stories and share some beers.Another colonial gem lies nearby and is just as charming if not more so than Villa de Leyva. Barichara's architecture and atmosphere was similar to Villa de Leyva, but different enough to make it worth visiting (you may not see a difference, but then you just get the photos...). I tagged along with and Aussie-turned-Canadian and Canadian couple, Lloyd and Emma. They gave me some epic info on Central America (word of mouth is priceless, guidebooks should be burned), so cheers to them.
San Gil's mountains and more temperate climate would soon be disappearing, with the Carribean coast just a night bus ride away.
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