Colombia: The Lost City Teyuan

CAMPAIGN TO BALANCE THE ANCIENT CIVILIZATION Columbia Degreyzer Dominique, a journalist, a photographer in the recreation area of ??one South American cozy hotel group travelers drank beer while relaxing to the rhythm of bossa nova. We shared with fellow traditional stories of those who came from far and intends to send. After we exchanged memories, one Australian, suddenly uttered the fateful words: La Ciudad Perdida - Lost City »(La Ciudad Perdida). Do I hear them? Maybe this is one of my favorite movies "The Goonies"? ("The Goonies" - a film about how a group of teenagers went in search of Lost Treasures.) Worth considering. The entrance to the Lost City Teyuan in the mountains of Colombia, La Ciudad Perdida - a civilization that existed before the Incas, lost in the spurs of the mountain range of Sierra Nevada in Santa Maria, northern Colombia. Founded by people Taurona around 800 BC, the city was "discovered" in the early seventies of last century marauders are actively hunted in the area. The verb "discovered" in quotation marks because the local descendants of the people Taurona (natives Arhuaco, Kogi, and a penny) already knew about this city. During the trip, not once had to overcome the holes filled with mud must admit that I was more concerned how you can reach the lost city than the old history of the area. This hike, apparently, should require two days longer than the hike to the "Camino Inca Trail." In addition, local authorities do not allow the trail more than one group at a time. For comparison, on the trail to Machu Picchu (translated from the Quechua language - "old peak"), such a restriction is absent, and many times at the same time there were five groups of tourists. The village, which we passed on the second day of the journey I have made an explicit decision to go, but suddenly I heard someone's worried voice: "In 2003, a group of eight people had been kidnapped by a Colombian rebel army that controls this area." When you travel a lot, produces a certain view of things. An inner voice told me: "I'm here to see and learn as much new and interesting. I backpackers (ie do not carry a lot of money or valuables). I speak the local language and understand the culture. I'll be all right. " Of course, the fascination with travel was stronger than reason. And a month later I was on a bus heading to the city on the Caribbean coast - Santa Marta - and then, on a pirate ship ... or the one-eyed Billy La Ciudad Perdida. (One-Eyed Billy was a pirate in the movie "Goonies.") Not a single car stopped at a hotel in Santa Marta, I learned that the way to the ridge will take three days and then three days back. We will accompany the guide and cook. Apart from them in the group includes seven travelers. The route did not seem too long to go hiking, and the thought of a chef who will go with us, very inspired me. But, looking ahead, ask all readers firmly must realize: if you do not like to set up tents on the hard stone, to be dirty and wet, And cast not yourselves to such a hideous journey. In this round, there is nothing inspiring, except for beer, drunk in a hotel after returning. Well-organized team working with the ropes in an attempt to cross the river the next morning you went out of Santa Marta in an open jeep. Very soon, we were able to watch spectacular scenery of flowering mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Very soon we realized that the road we will not be easy. We have repeatedly emerged from a jeep to push it out once a dirty pit, which here was enough. On the road, there was no hint of a hard surface. Several times, after five minutes of pushing our vehicle in an unequal fight with the pit, I thought I would have to drop everything and go back to civilization. But finally, to everyone's relief, we reached the village. It was a small village in which both ended with this, I may say so, dear. Accordingly, now you can forget about our jeep and begin hike. View of the mountain range and lush hillsides, but we did not feel the fear of further uncharted road. Our international team was composed of ambitious, curious and bold adventurers who are ready to overcome any lift, which will be on our way - or, at least, almost any. We now had to hard test in which we just had to show their best side. And, of course, in the next 144 hours of our journey, we can fully rely on the help of our guide Edwin Ray - tacit and self-confident person, which one of its kind gives us hope for the success of the campaign. It is time for adventures in the first hour we had to cross two rivers. Our shoes and socks were in the mud, which dries quickly, forming as it were, hard case on our feet. This solid crust periodically appeared and disappeared throughout our campaign, because we constantly had to cross many rivers and deep muddy puddle. Each of us felt like a real Indiana Jones, paving the way, swimming across, jumping and climbing through fences. I. Of course, the weather here has been far from a resort, often for us to hit by torrential rains. Day Three: Edwin, the conductor of the group, decided to rest a bit soon trail completely ceased to exist as a notion. My right shoe decided not to accompany me after I entered into another pit, filled to the brim with mud. I use the brightest literary revolutions not because of neglect or irritation, but rather because of the pride and warmth that fills my heart when I recall the generosity of the earth, allowing its inhabitants happy to know not only the well-groomed resorts, but also his stern disposition. Flowering green mountain jungle lavishly decorate our transition to a bright green, yellow and red paint. The crystal clear waters of rivers flowing inexorably in its quest towards the distant ocean. Freshness wilderness finally fascinated us and just made him enjoy it. Stairs that leads to the Lost City When the trail finally led us to an open place, we just opened a stunning landscape. Trees and plants are no longer limited to our field of vision. We stood for a long time without words, and looked around at the guard bluish haze of the valley and snowy peaks. It felt as if we were at one point moved to the virgin fairy hill country. Type one of the ledges of the Lost Our Way also ran through several small villages. In small huts lived the descendants of the people tatsrona - natives of Kogi and farthings that were able to preserve their culture virtually unchanged. After a day's walk we will gladly stopped for the night in this, in general, far from the comfort setting. But there was running water, kitchen benches and a table. We were sleeping in hammocks protected from insects that are bound to the specially installed poles. Cook regularly prepared tapas. Dinner, we devoured with unprecedented speed in civilization. We could eat anything, after each day burned for five million calories. Although the nights were a constant noise of unseen insects, deep sleep is not forced to wait long, and immediately enveloped exhausted travelers after a hard day and hearty dinner. Check in after three days' journey, we actually become one with the natural environment. Sounds pretty loud, I know, but we really were all thickly covered with mud, and all substances, kotoryebyli on our way. Then came the magic moment: the realization that we have finally reached La Ciudad Perdida. We stood in front of moss-covered stone steps, which can barely be seen against the backdrop of palm trees and ferns. We are so glad that they started screaming and jumping for joy. Cabin in the Lost City, where tourists can relax Having ascended to the top of the stairs, we sat down on the central benches to hear the story of Edwin's history and culture of the ancient people. Almost as Machu Picchu, the people of La Ciudad Perdida, or of its history little known facts. Most information is based on guesswork, so almost all the proposals Edwin began with the words: "It is believed ...." Emotions just overwhelmed me. My head spun all the time: "total isolation", "I'm so far away from modern civilization." Had the strong feeling that my unity with the surrounding reality has reached hitherto unprecedented degree. What we have in the dry residue still on the second day of the trip, we learned that Edwin was the conductor of the very group that kidnapped Colombian rebel army in 2003. It was very scary, even a virtual approach to the events of that nightmarish night, which he told us. But, surprisingly, we have experienced clearly a sense of security, when we talked about this man who instilled confidence in us, and, more importantly, this man, despite the fear and terrible memories, again and again returned to the area. In the end, I realized that my intuition was right, when before the hike I was thinking about the upcoming high-risk "outing". The greater the risk, the greater the results, nothing ventured, he does not drink expensive drinks! Investigation of residues of a lost civilization of La Ciudad Perdida not disappoint us, but rather, has brought a lot of impressions and memories. And yet we were able to check their own determination and perseverance in overcoming difficulties. The world's best tour guide - Edwin And way back. In Santa Marta, the hotel, I am happy ... No! With the blissful cosmic proportions took a hot shower and put on clean socks, dropped into a chair and began to remember the trip. I am firmly aware that the past week has been something so that I can never forget. If you crave adventure spectacular, you want to test their ability to overcome difficulties, if you will be richly rewarded for the passed test, whereas La Ciudad Perdida is waiting for you. And do not forget to convey my greetings to Edwin! See also: Roraima, a lost world of mysterious Inca city