Reaching the destination

When you go to bed at nine pm getting up in the grey light of pre-dawn is not much of a problem. I slept well, even though this time we didn't find any pillows in our mosquitonet-enclosed bunks. Again the lights came on at five, and the quiet 'Good Morning' was enough to rouse us. Soon everyone was gathered for breakfast, and by six we were ready to go. This time we all left our bigger packs at the camp: we'd pick it up when we would be back for lunch. What would we see between now and then?

From Camp 'Paraíso' – Paradise – it is only one kilometre to the Lost City. We were so close! The camp is at an altitude of 800 m and the morning's starting point for all the different tour companies, the only camp where so many people are gathered at once. Departure is staggered: a new group leaves every fifteen minutes or so to give everyone enough room to manoeuvre the stairs and spread out at the top.

Again, it was a beautiful morning, the sun still hidden behind the high hills, the air fresh and cool. We continued along the river, climbing along the rocky shore until we reached another river crossing point. This one didn't require us to take off our shoes: we could cross using big rocks and planks. For higher water a rope tied to a tree on each side could be used as a hand rail. As soon as we had crossed and entered the forest on the opposite side we found ourselves at the foot of the stone stairs. Twelve hundred steps – that sounds forbidding, especially taking into account that these steps are anything but even. They all have in common that they are short, in most cases not even a foot's length. Back down we'd have to sidestep to be safe.

Up, up we climbed, slowly, the steps sometimes flatter for a little while, then high and tiny when we walked around a bend, almost vertical at times. I didn't even attempt to count to see if it were really exactly 1200 (for a moment, at the beginning, I had been tempted to do this crazy thing); I was just glad to make progress, happy for the few opportunities to step out to the side and catch my breath. The stick, of course, was my faithful companion: on the way up I could lean on it when I stopped, on the way back it would be an absolutely necessary tool to get me down safely.

We were very surprised when, looking up, we could see our companions sitting on a wall – this had been much quicker than expected. I guess vertical stairs are a fast way to gain altitude. Of course, we hadn't mounted more than maybe about two thirds of the total steps; there were more levels to reach in the Ciudad Perdida itself.

Now we had entered this mystical place in the jungle, the place toward which we had been walking for the last two days. I felt thankful and humble, as always when we enter places like this. These stones had been placed here about 1200 years ago, 650 years earlier than Machu Picchu, by a civilization called the Tairona, much less known than the Inca, Maya or Azteks, yet able to build this and live here for fourteen hundred years – until the Spanish came.

Jorge explained that the whole city was about two square kilometres in size. Not all of it has been excavated, and further excavation has ceased upon the request of the indigenous population who consider this a sacred place and didn't want it to be disturbed any more. It is believed that the Ciudad Perdida was the political and manufacturing centre for a series of villages, and that it housed between 2,000 and 8,000 people.

While it is called 'lost', the city had been known to and visited by the local indigenous population long before it was 'discovered' in 1972 by a local fortune hunter and his family. He kept quiet about it, but when he started selling artifacts

and his increasing wealth showed, other people caught on. In 1976 the Colombian Anthropological Institute took over, and further looting was prevented. Gold and pottery finds are on display at the Museo d'Oro (or Tayrona museum) in Santa Marta which we will visit tomorrow to expand on what we learned during the hike. Reconstruction of the site lasted from 1976 to 1988; now, it is merely maintained in its current state, the site no longer disturbed further. Every year the trail to the Lost City, and the city itself, is closed for all of September, the worst of the rainy months. During this time the indigenous people in the area hold celebrations and rituals here, and the trails are protected from the destruction wrought by constant traffic of people and mules. I, myself, can't see the attraction of doing this hike in rainy season, which lasts through October and November. Judging by the state of the trails with even the little bit of rain we experienced they must be very difficult to traverse when there is real rain, not to mention the increased water level of the rivers and the onslaught of biting insects, somewhat of a nuisance even now.

The area where we arrived after climbing the stone stairs was likely part of the living area for the Tayrona here. Many stone circles of maybe four to six metres in diametre indicate the area where families lived in round wooden structures much like the ones used by the indigenous people of Sierra Nevada now. Interestingly, the dead were buried right in the centre of the circles, arranged in the fetal position because the journey they embarked on after their death was considered to be the birth into a new life. All their possessions were buried with them, including gold jewellery: gold represented the sun, one of their main deities. Once a person was buried the site was abandoned until the body had decomposed, then, the bones were dug up and re-buried in an urn elsewhere. The location of this second burial is still not quite clear. New circles were constructed on top of old ones, creating new living space. The Tayrona, just like their descendants who live here now, were semi-nomadic and didn't stay in one place for the whole year, circulating between sites every few months to not exploit one place too much. 

Rocks were used as mortar and pestle to grind grain, most importantly corn, but also leaves and other things used for pigments for colouring the woven baskets and pottery. We saw several of these tools at the site. One can only imagine how long the women would have had to work at their grinding to hollow out the rock like that. 

Here, the purple pigment from leaves is visible in the left mortar stone. We got to crush some leaves between our hands to see the intensity of colour

 The circles at the bottom of the Ciudad Perida are the smallest. Ascending more stairs to the next levels we could see that the circles increased in size, suggesting that the importance of the inhabitants grew the higher in the city they lived. We stopped at a tall, flat rock with lines carved into it, which is believed to be a map of the area, including rivers and trails. 

We were now standing at the foot of a very straight set of stairs with wide steps, the centre of each a bit elevated compared to either side. These stairs led up to yet another level, the one believed to be the one for the highest (spiritual) leaders and important ceremonies. The centre of the stairs supposedly was used by the members of highest standing, the physical elevation suggesting the status. Now, the circles were much larger yet.

 

We had about half an hour to explore on our own, which most of us used to climb up to the highest possible levels with a magnificent view of the whole city. There was ample space to wander, and even though six groups must have been up there at the same time for sure it was not noticeable; the area is that vast.

I sat in the shade on one of the stone circles for a bit and let the view of the mountains and valleys above and below work on me, trying to imagine what it must have been like here when this place was in its prime.   

 

 

When we gathered at the appointed place by the largest circle Jorge and Daniel had prepared a beautifully laid out platter of snacks: our reward for persevering, if we needed one beyond the fact that we were at this amazing place.

We had reached the highest place of the Lost City, and it was time to turn back. We still had a couple of stops ahead in the refines of the city, however. At the first, we got to meet 'Mama Romaldo', the leader of the Kogui who lived in the vicinity. Each group had the chance to ask him a few questions. 

 

We found him near his house, where he lives by himself, as is the custom with the Kogui. Males and females don't share the same living quarters.

The Mama is a small, slight man in his sixties (my guess is later confirmed by Jorge; it is really hard to tell). He has fine features, small, slightly slanted eyes, and the chocolate brown skin is drawn tight over his cheekbones. Like all the Kogui we have seen on the trails he is clad in purely white garments. We can see a loom in his house: he makes all his clothing himself from cotton. On his head he has a hat with a pointed tip, a head covering which is only worn by the Mamas. Mama Romaldo holds a bunch of strings with different coloured beads knotted into them. We are encouraged to come up to him and let him tie one around our wrists. Each colour has spiritual significance.

With the next group waiting behind us already it is time for us to move on. 

While I didn't dare to take a picture of the Mama I did take one of this little girl in front of a neighbouring house

 

There is much information about the Kogui (or Kogi), and of course we got only part of it, plus I'm not sure if I got it all right. Here is a link I found useful and very interesting, if someone wants to find out more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogi_people

On our way to the stone stairs we pass through yet another area of the Lost City, this one believed to be a manufacturing centre for the city because of the items that have been discovered here. At the Tayrona museum we are going to visit tomorrow morning is more information about the Ciudad Perdida, including a model of the whole city. It might have been a good idea to visit before the hike, had we known about it, but I'm hoping we can learn a few things now, too.

It's been a long post already, and Day Three is not yet done, so I will close it up for tonight and simply say

To be continued ...