Statues, statues & more statues

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Where I stayed

Finca el Maco

(San Agustin hotels)

Flag of Colombia San Augustín, Huila, Colombia
Monday, March 14, 2011

After 5 consecutive days of bus rides, we were rather glad to have arrived here. We were greeted by beautiful steep rolling verdant mountains and gorges, the back drop to tombs and statues dating back several thousand years, one of Colombia's top archealogical sites. We found a great place to stay just outside of town where we had our own little thatched cabana with a hammock to swing in on the balcony with a beer in hand of course.
Chris´s new found enthusiasm for horse riding led us to mount up again for a morning's canter to kick off the statue fest. Up and down tracks amidst the stunning scenery, and statues of course, and stopping occassionally for a well deserved fresh juice in someone's house (think simple here!). The juicies here are fantastic they have an amazing array of fruits, your usuals orange, mango, pineapple, but some new ones to try out too, Lulo, Guava. Very yummy!
Our guide Paxo gave us the guided tour and although in Spanish, we actually understood most of what he said too

Dusk in San Augustin hills

. Perfecto. Just before our bums got too sore, we finshed the ride and then spent the afternoon sauntering amongst tombs and more statues in the designated Archealogical Park. It's amazing how much time we can take trying to take that perfect photo! Not sure we totally acheived it but it's amazing how long you can spend trying. Photography buffs you will know what we mean!
To finish off we took an organised jeep trip the next day. Perhaps one too many statues had been seen by the time we finished but the unexpected visit to a sugar cane farm proved to be the highlight. They squeeze the sugar juice from the canes, it is boiled to reduce & concentrate the sugar then it is poured & cooled into blocks, called panelas, that are then sold in markets etc as sugar/sweetener fro desserts. They also make a drink from it. It is 100% organic, although the added unavoidable flies & wasps add an interesting twist!
Afer a few beers chatting to the local european ex-pats, German & Swiss, sadly it was time to leave. We were a little statue'd out but could understand why they had arrived here 10, 20 years ago and ended up staying. It was a charming place and worth the 5 hour bone-shaking bus ride where you regularly leave your seat not of your own volition!
We added an extra day to wander around Popayan, a key stop off point for the colonials on the way to Quito. Really lovely town with old, whitewashed buildings. We had stayed over on the way through to San Augustin but it was a Sunday and unlike at home, nothing is open on a Sunday. Well worth a visit.

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