Ciudad Perdida - The Lost City
Trip Start
Feb 07, 2004
1
19
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Trip End
Dec 15, 2005
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Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
Monday, July 12, 2004
We were 'blessed' with the timing of protests from the villagers (against the US spraying poison on their coca leaf crops) along the standard trek to TLC, which meant that we had to take the 'old route' as they were not permitting tourists to pass through. It also meant a longer (6-8 hours walking a day instead of 3-4) and much more difficult trek, but also far more scenic. But it wasn't until after an exciting 4WD ride and 3 hours into our journey that we learn't that our guide of 12 years experience, Wilson, hadn't walked this trek in 8 years! We prayed for his memory. And it wasn't until the last (6th) day that we came to understand that the reason for this route no longer being used was due to guerrilla activity back then (taking food from the group etc).
This region of the Sierra Nevada (highest coastal mountain in the world at 5,775m and 26 miles from the beach) is now controlled by the paramilitary and has been safe with the exception of one kidnapping almost a year ago (more later). However, the trekking itself caused many injuries to all 16 of us backpackers, I being one of the first to take a dive on the steep muddy trek, but fortunately there was a barbed wire fence to break my fall! A sweet 24 yo girl from Hong Kong, Christina, provided most of the entertainment by spending as much time sliding on her ass, falling down the side of the mountain or being swept down river, as she did on her feet! Admittedly I wasn't much help to her on occasions, particularly when I brought down a tree on top of her that I was trying to use as support!
Aside from the weather (we actually didn't have any rain on the last day), condition and gradient of the trek, and the force of the rivers we crossed, our major foe was the mosquitos! Looking at any one of us you would never believe how many layers of various types of repellents we used, as well as mosquito nets at night.
Of course the highlight was actually reaching TLC. We were all pretty sore and a little tired by the third day, the morning of which provided the most difficult section of the trek (when I pulled the tree over on top of Christina trying to stay upright). Following lunch and a swim (always so refreshing!), we crossed the same river 9 times, halfway through the last crossing there was a cry of excitement as the stone steps to TLC came into view!
Apparantly founded somewhere around 1100-1500 AD, we were told TLC was discovered by 2 Brits in 1975 who were wandering around the area looking for more marijuana. Once word got out many of the graves (located beneath the circle of stones) were robbed of the gold and jewels buried with their owner to assist them into the afterlife. Though many graves still remain untouched, in fact, much, if not most, of the city has still not been excavated. It is also rumoured that there are 2 more hidden cities that have not yet been discovered.
We spent 2 nights at TLC, and walking casually around the ruins without a pack was a pleasant change from the previous 3 days trekking. Here we also were told the story(s) of the 2003 kidnapping by Wilson.
LOST CITY KIDNAPPING 9 SEPTEMBER 2003
I have heard many versions of the events of this kidnapping while in Colombia, including the reasons behind it etc, so I was very keen to hear the tale from someone close to the actual event:
Early one morning armed guerrillas tied up the Kogi (indigenous) people living there and rigged a bomb outside their hut telling them it would explode if they went out. They then tied up the guides, Manuel & Edwin, and selected 9 of the backpackers who looked fit and had good foot ware. They then tied the rest up and left.
The guide Edwin was the first to get himself loose, but took off without helping anyone else. When Manuel freed himself he helped untie the others, including the Kogi people - the bomb outside their house was in fact NOT rigged to explode.
Manuel met Wilson (our guide) on his way back to Santa Marta and told him what had happened. As it was Saturday by the time they got back to Santa Marta, there was no one available to begin searching for the kidnappers, and naturally no one was available on a Sunday, nor Monday as it was one of the 20 annual bank holidays...so it was Monday night before the police and military where flown up to TLC.
By this time, an English backpacker from the group who had previously fallen ill and remained behind at a campsite instead of continuing to TLC, heard what had happened and decided to make a story for himself. He wandered through the jungle until he was found by some natives who got him back to Santa Marta, where he said he had been one of those kidnapped but had managed to escape by jumping off a ravine into a river. When his lie was discovered, he apparently had to repay money to the English press who had purchased his story.
The first backpacker to be released was a Spaniard, about a month after the kidnapping and when the negotiations between the guerrillas and the Colombian government seemed to be progressing. Again there is much conjecture as to why he was chosen. One story is that as he spoke the best Spanish, he befriended the guerrillas who let him go as a sign of good faith to the Colombian government. Another story is that he somehow paid them, and yet another angle is that he was actually connected to the Basque Mafia in Spain and when this was discovered they let him go as he was considered one of their own - this version is at least the most interesting.
The remaining backpackers were released around December 2003, after a total of about 3 months, with it being rumoured that they were all well treated, not even losing any weight...
According to Wilson, the reason for the kidnapping was that this particular guerrilla faction (there are many) was not well known, and one of their primary members was being held by the government. Hence they achieved publicity and possibly the freeing of their man. This is contrary to many other reports which say that no release demand of a guerrilla prisoner was made (of course this could easily government propaganda). Another story is that the kidnapping was to bring attention to human rights violations to the indigenous people of the Sierra Nevada, hence the reason why the backpackers were well treated and eventually handed over to a church without ransom demands etc.
So, as close as I have been to the source of this event, I may not be much closer to knowing the whole truth of it.
Related article from SMH
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Being able to return to Santa Marta by the traditional route was a huge relief. The trekking was far easier, and less of it! though a little less interesting. On the morning of the 6th day we were able to take a tour of a cocaine "factory" about 500m from where we slept the previous night. It wasn´t quite as sophisticated (or hygienic) as what you see on TV, but very interesting, especially talking to the dude running the show - though we weren´t given any samples...
A few things I learned: It takes 1000 kg of coca leaf to produce 1kg of base product, gasoline is used to extract the active ingredient from the coca leaf, other substances used include sulfuric acid, bicarbonate soda, chalk and water. It costs about US$1300 to make a kg, and the paramilitary then on sell it at 15 times the price, so while the ´manufacturer´ makes a living, it is they who make a killing....
After 6 days of walking, you can imagine how much I enjoyed my first cold beer once we reached civilization. I had a fantastic time on this trip, and thoroughly recommend taking the time (and energy) to do it. Thank you to all those on the trek who made it such a terrific and memorable event - you're all great and I wish you a fantastic time travelling wherever you go and hope to cross paths somewhere again.
Thank you Ivan, the mad smiling Hungarian, for the pictures I stole from his site
