Colombia's South: San Agustin and Popayan..... And au revoir, Colombia

Onward and southward!  The worst night bus to date, to San Agustin, a little town known for its archeological sites.  I won't go on about the bus journey, suffice to say it was the coldest yet and the driver insisted on putting the lights on and off all night and playing the worst kind of Colombian pop music... Loudly.   We finally arrived at 6am in San Agustin.  For about the last hour an a half of the journey we passed children in uniform walking to school in the misty half-light, so early.  Woozy and disorientated due to lack of sleep (and hypothermia!) we took a taxi to Casa Nelly, outside town, in beautiful surroundings.  We were well prepared to snooze on a bench outside until a decent hour, but the very cheery taxi driver marched up to the hostel's door and rang the bell.... 'No!  Vamos esperar' (We'll wait), but too late.  A disgruntled, somnambulant man in a multicoloured hoody appeared and barked at us: 'Dime' (Literally 'tell me').  Oops.  However, realising that we were very sorry to wake him so early he showed us to our little bamboo cabin.  

  

Lovely house in the grounds of Casa Nelly, San Agustin

Within half an hour of arriving, two of the five cats had staked their claim on my lap

Fascinating fungus in Casa Nelly's garden

                               

...and a fragrant orchid which only flowers twice a year

     

Creature comforts

Most tourists visit San Agustin for its renowned archeological sites.  The town itself is very ordinary and we only nipped in once or twice to do some food shopping.  

   

The town of San Agustin

We always try to book accommodation with a kitchen and, of course, in budget accommodation, it's usually shared.  Cooking with other guests is a great way to start a conversation.  Cooking for ourselves also means that we know it's vegetarian, we have more chance of a balanced diet (which is sometimes difficult to maintain when travelling),  plus it's usually more economical.  

So, after resting and reading in the comfy hammock beds in the garden on the first day, recovering from the diabolical night bus, we spent the next two days hiking in the lush countryside and exploring the sites.  

     

La Tiendita (little shop) near the hostel (the word for shop is 'tienda')

We love the way that Central and South American people add '-ita' or '-ito' to words, as a diminutive.  For example, we are often offered 'quesito' (literally 'little cheese') or 'huevitos' ('little eggs') for breakfast, accompanied by a 'cafecito' (little coffee) and vendors call out to me 'Amigita' ('little friend'). Believe me, it makes whatever's being offered sound so appealing and hard to resist when an '-ito' (for masculine words) or '-ita' (feminine) is added!

      

Very small and cute foalito on the road to the archeological park

San Agustin is believed by many archeologists to be one of the most significant ancient places in Latin America.  The ceremonial and burial sites are scattered over an area of 250 square miles. Little is known about the purpose of the expertly carved stone figures, nor of the people who lived there and where they came from.  

    

Map of the sites

At the entrance to the park we purchased our 'passports', which are stamped on entry to every site visited. 

Passport to the National Archeological Park 

We started with the enchanting Bosque de Estatuas (Statue Forest).

    

                                    

                                    

                                    

Some of the many statues set in an atmospheric woodland environment 

                                

Then continued to the other sites in the vicinity.....

                                       

Snake-eating bird

   

                                       

Some of the statues are huge

                                   

This one has fangs

     

So does ancient SpongeBob

  

The setting: the statues are under shelters for protection 

  

Embiggen the photo to see who's on the bridge (clue: it's not Beyoncé)

  

Carvings among the rocks in the river

                                    

       

Bug porn

       

Little bee lingering on Anna's finger

Casa Nelly's was cosy and homely, lots of sitting areas, inside and out, and a log fire for the chilly evenings.  Dinner was served, family style, at 7.30pm and was tasty, cooked by chef, Gustavo, who was also a mean salsa dancer!  

Next day, the manager, Harry (he of the rude awakening when we arrived) drew us a fine map and we set off for another day of archeological artistry.  

      

... All set, map, complete with phone number in case we get lost

                                     

Low key museum and shop at El Tablon

   

Colombia's landscape continues to amaze and delight.....

                                 

Steps down to statues in the rocks at Chiquira                                

       

Here they are - spot the little guy on the left

       

This turned out to be a verrrrrrry long hike, through stunning countryside: pasture, flower meadows, lulo farms (lulo is a delicious, unique tasting fruit [though Alan thinks it tastes like Bostik], which makes a great juice), dairy farms, riverside, hillside, hilltops with panoramic views etc etc.  

                  

Lovely lulo as far as the eye can see

                                    

                                    

The only statues with colour remaining 

We were so relieved, when, on the final 6km walk back to San Agustin, an SUV drew up alongside us as we staggered along the road, containing a German couple who have lived in Quito for 30 years, and were also staying at Casa Nelly, Yes, please!  We would LOVE a lift.  

        

 In Casa Nelly's garden on our return from the hike - living lawnmower for hire 

Tragic 7.8 earthquake in Ecuador

That evening, after my shower, and while Alan was having his, I noticed the lampshade swaying.  The bed on which I was sitting shook and the whole cabin seemed to be moving, for about 30 seconds or so.  Alan felt nothing downstairs in the shower, nor did anyone we asked at dinner, who enquired if I'd had one too many Club Colombias.  It wasn't until the next morning that we heard about the horrific 7.8 earthquake which had hit the coast of Ecuador at exactly the time I felt it - around 7pm on 16th April.  It was a while before it was realised just how many had lost their lives and their homes.  

Several travellers we talked to changed their plans immediately to avoid Ecuador.  We decided to continue, figuring that the country could do with the tourist dollar more than ever.  Plus, we can see if there is any way of helping out.  

Last stop in Colombia - Popayan

      

Cactus fields on the way to Popayan   

Popayan, in the southwest of Colombia and the capital of the Cauca region, is a 'white town'.  

     

'Eeny meeny miny mo ..... Which delicacy should I choose today?'

Array of culinary delights at Popayan bus station - the one on the right is the delightful  'Pignick', which featured a roasted pig's head in the glass display at the front.... Mmm-mmm.

 

View of Popayan from a hilltop monument 

Popayan is not a particularly arresting town, though we passed a pleasant enough few days there and it grew on us.  For us, it just didn't seem to hang together and, outside the historic centre, was a motley collection of utilitarian buildings and hundreds of tiny businesses.  How they all make a living we can't imagine. The highlight of our stay was a trip to nearby town, Silvia, for the Tuesday market.  An hour away by bus, the little town was filled with locals there for the market, including many indigenous Guambiano people from the surrounding hill villages.  

   

Silvia's church

       

Panela (cane sugar) stall in Silvia market 

   

Traditional and herbal remedies stall

   

The market is immense and divided into areas according to produce type (we avoided the meat bit)

       

Crowd entranced by a vendor of herbal medicine

       

Guambiano men shooting the breeze

      

Bus loaded with villagers and their wares 

                            

Women boarding the bus home

   

Mural in the town square: 'You and I sowing equality in our hearts for a better future'

   

Seed believed to have healing properties 

We saw a crowd gathering in the square while a man shook a tree with all his might.  People collected the seeds which fell onto the grass below.  Asking what people did with the seeds, we were told that bracelets are made from them for those with poor eyesight, or even blind people.  Babies are given seed bracelets to protect and improve eyesight.  The local man who explained this to us said that he had been almost blind as a child and he now sees perfectly as a result of wearing the seeds.  No wonder there was only one left on the ground!

   

 Pan dulce - delicious, but watch your fillings (and your waistline)

We'd seen these dangling from vendors' carts and on stalls in many places around Popayan and other parts of Colombia and decided to give them a try.  They are a sticky, chewy mix of peanuts, milk, panela and vanilla wrapped in a dried leaf and they are yummy.  

    

The sticky, chewy inside of the popular pan dulce

Colombians love sugar.  It's so difficult to find bread without sugar; even brown bread contains sugar.  Yogurt, even natural yogurt is sweetened, as are tins of tomatoes and beans (labelled 'sal alto, azucar alto' - high salt, high sugar).  

Back in Popayan

     

Smiling at the traffic lights - we saw this horse and cart about a lot - love the dog, too

   

Gruesome exhibit at the archeological museum

We debated whether to say that we actually witnessed this grily scene, like those often seen on the Internet or on YouTube, but... We're owning up, it was an exhibit in a rather fusty museum.  Our days in Popayan were spent walking around the town, visiting the museums and eating and drinking.  Not a particularly spectacular way to end our time in Colombia, but maybe it will make it easier to leave? 

  

Rare bit of excitement in Popayan - student demonstration one evening outside a church

      

And sensual Argentian tango in the streets 

As we didn't have a kitchen in our hostel, we ate out more than we usually do.  Surprisingly for a small, not very touristy town, we found a few little vegetarian restaurants with a decent and cheap menu del dia, and this cafe selling a range of teas and homemade cakes and biscuits.  What a treat.

      

Delicious tea and brownies served here, nice ambience, too

      

Now this is one film we'd like to see - poster in a coffee shop with a cinema theme 

  

Big birds (?vultures) drying their wings after an afternoon downpour 

Alas, that's it for our travels in Colombia.....this time.  We knew we'd like it here, but were completely unprepared for just how much we'd like it.  It has everything: powdery white sand Caribbean beaches, jungle, lost cities, mountains, beautiful rivers, stunning waterfalls, coffee plantations, adventure sport, colonial architecture, beautiful countryside, indigenous culture, great museums and art galleries, desert, friendly, welcoming people, you name it, Colombia has it all (including, as we've said, social, economic and humanitarian problems).   Now that it is safer to visit, we're sure that Colombia will become a major travel destination and we're so thankful we saw it before it explodes into the touristic stratosphere.  

So, hasta luego, fantastic Colombia, and gracias for your warm welcome and hospitality.

Next post:  Ecuador, the middle of the world