el flaco says on May 14, 2008, 01:16:
This is an old trip report of mine:
Trip report for the Lost City
Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City) is located near Santa Marta in the Colombian mountains, the Sierra Nevada. It was built over a period of about five hundred years before the Spaniards turned up, after that it was abandoned and lost to the jungle. It was rediscovered in the 1970’s, it has been excavated and restored by the Colombian government. It consists of uncut stone work and is a vast site of stairs and round platforms where the wooden huts and “temples� were. In the 1990’s there were organised trips to the Ciudad Perdida on foot, in 2003 a group of tourists were captured by guerrillas and held for three months. None were harmed or ransomed, it was all a publicity stunt. At that time the area was taken over by coca planters and “policed� by para-militaries, private armies funded by the drug barons. After that the area was cleared by the Colombian army and coca production has ended, the area is guarded by the Colombian army at present. The Ciudad Perdida is pristine when you get there, no kiosks, no souvenir sellers not even any guards, you really feel like Indiana Jones discovering it for the first time.
To get there you either go by helicopter or you walk there. This is my trip report about the walk that took place during the first week of November 2006.
First I must say that my trip was one of the most incredible things I have ever done and I strongly recommend it to you all. Both the walk and the Lost City were superb. Secondly I must say that it is incredibly dangerous, the walk is rough and you risk breaking a leg every day and there are stretches where if you fall you will do yourself serious harm – it is very slippery. The trip is also specifically mentioned by the Foreign Office (UK Government) as not safe, no reasons are given but I assume that this is because of the possibility of kidnap by the guerrillas.
Risk assessment: I consider that the risk of kidnap is minimal, I would be happier with para-militaries than the boy soldiers of the Colombian army. Physically you should be in good shape with good footwear, if you are scared of heights don’t go. I am but was able to overcome my fear – but I was frightened. Because the area is not approved by my government any insurance is invalid so if you break a leg or worse you’re on your own. There is yellow fever and malaria which can be prevented and dengue which can’t. There weren’t many mosquitoes about ten around me day and night, they didn’t bother me. Good mosquito nets are provided.
The trip is for six days and five nights, fully inclusive and costs 440,000 pesos. I booked at the Hospederia Casa Familiar, Calle 10c No 2-14 www.hospederiacasafamiliar.freeservers.com where a single room costs 14,000 pesos I recommend the hotel as a basic clean family run hotel, it is opposite the infamous Miramar backpackers hostel located in the heart of the red light district but close to the beach. I felt very safe in that area, children play in the street at night. Or you can book at the tourist office near the main square. On the trek I was given the option of paying another 100,000 pesos for another day and night with a different route back, instead of retracing my steps. This is very worthwhile but is even tougher than the main trip but still do-able. They supply porters who do the cooking and setting up of the camp and mules (mulas) that carry the gear. So you only have to carry your own personal belongings and water. The campsites are basic but have proper flush toilets, showers and a roof over everything. You sleep in hammocks, everyone sleeps well after a day’s walking. The food is wonderful and lots of it. The water is untreated taken from streams and rivers, I was shocked at this but I suffered no illness, it means you don’t have to carry much water during the day. The pace is set by the group, you only walk for half of the day so I never felt rushed.
When to go: even if it is dry in Santa Marta it rains up in the mountains so any month is fine. For my trip Santa Marta was dry and sunny and out of season so cheap, on the trek it rained in the afternoon but was dry during the morning when we were out walking. Also the next week was the Miss Colombia election in nearby Cartagena.
What to take: you are provided with a list of things to take which isn’t that accurate, you don’t need a sleeping bag as blankets are provided although a sheet sleeping bag would be useful, I don’t know how often anything is washed. A one litre water bottle, a 1.5 litre PET bottle is just as good and lighter. Toilet paper is provided at the site, on the trail I preferred to use water. I took a wide necked 0.75 litre water bottle to pee into during the night (well I am fifty five years old) this meant I didn’t have to leave the safety of my mosquito net. I took a small bottle of talcum powder to put on my feet and did not regret doing so.
During the day your clothes will get soaked by your sweat or by the rain. Any wet clothes will never dry out in the humidity although there is plenty of space to hang out your clothes at the camp site. So at camp you change into your dry clothes, make sure that these never get wet by carrying them in two plastic bags – there is a real risk of dropping your pack in a river, plus the rain.
The trek consists of crossing ridges so you are either going up or down steep slopes, the path is muddy and slippery with lots of rocks. It is very important to have footwear that you can trust to give a good grip and give a comfortable walk. There are lots of rivers to ford so have some waterproof sandals to change into, the rivers are deep and fast flowing so there is a danger of getting swept away but no danger of drowning. You walk for about six hours a day. There are mosquitoes about day and night so I wore long sleeved shirts and long quick drying trousers. It is hot so thin stuff. Others wore shorts, tee shirts and flip flops for the trek so these are only recommendations, you know best. Carrying a heavy pack is a bore so cut right back on stuff, a little hotel bar of soap is plenty there seemed to be soap available most nights. A good torch is essential but take a lightweight LED one.
I would recommend that you try out all your kit in the Parque Tayrona by visiting the Pueblocito in the park a few days before the trip, it will also get you fit. You will need to take two litres of water and food.
But above all, do the trip to the lost city.
Forgot about the jeep bit. The start of the trek is where the road ends. You get to this by "jeep" this is a four wheel drive toyota (?) converted into a chiva. The chiva trip is heavy going and you may feel sick. At certain points we had to get out and walk. Sitting in the enclosed cab is much more comfortable, first come first served. The trip starts outside the Hospederia Casa Familiar in Santa Marta.
Extra bit:
Description of the Lost City:
All travellers agree that the highlight of the trip is the trek and not the site itself, although I would not dismiss the site which is impressive and interesting. However… the fact is nothing is known about the purpose of the site, it hasn’t been used for over a thousand years, and all the wooden structures have gone leaving only circular platforms about ten metres across with often impressive stairs leading to them. The amount of work involved is incredible and done with care, however the stones aren’t cut in any way so it is like the dry stone work you can see in Ireland, just rocks piled up. It is a very extensive site with a lot still waiting to be cleared of the jungle.
The original indians still live in the area in circular huts so they were able to help the archaeologists identify the purpose of objects found. The supposition is that families would congregate there and live there for short periods for …? There are graves that are for important people only that are assumed to be priests and not leaders.
Photos don’t do justice to the place. There is a good museum at the main square in Santa Marta (free!) with models explaining it all.
But really it is trekking through the Colombian jungle with porters and pack horses (well mules) not forgetting the guide with his machete and the small group. There’s a little Indiana Jones in all of us. The path is challenging but within everyone’s capabilities. Obviously the fauna and flora are impressive.
http://bubbler.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/the-trek-to-the-los-city/
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