Fruit of the Day - The Granadilla



I have been amazed by the variety of exotic (at least to me) fruit here in Colombia. For Colombians, the apple is almost considered an exotic fruit. It is imported from either Chile or the US, and therefore is expensive. They also make juice from almost every fruit they possibly can. Lunch is usually accompanied by freshly prepared fruit juice. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the more interesting fruits with you.

From what I can tell, the granadilla is a relative of the passion fruit. It has an orange outer shell with light speckles. I say shell, because the outer layer is somewhat brittle, and removing it is almost like removing the shell of a hard boiled egg. Underneath is a soft padding that looks and feels like white bread. You have to tear this padding to get to the edible part of the fruit, which consists of hard seeds in a clear runny, jelly-like substance. You scoop out the crunchy seeds and sweet jelly.

San Agustín, Colombia - Part 2: "Getting (almost) lost in the Colombian Jungle"
(San Agustín Photos)

Our visit to San Agustin was brief. Our young and knowledgeable guide, Uriel, frequently commented that we needed at least a week to properly appreciate the various natural wonders that the area had to offer. After a morning with the statues and a big lunch at "Donde Richard" (a recommended lunch spot). Uriel was keen to at least give me a taste of what was on offer.

The chicken "al rancho" still making its way through my system, Uriel and I set off on an late afternoon hike. We took a road that headed north from town and up into the surrounding hills. Most of the homes we passed will simple, single story dwellings, many with adjoining vegetable patches, gardens rich in color and chickens everywhere. Absent mindedly I left my camera in the hotel room! I have to admit that I was feeling up to a hike, unusual for for me. But, in little time, I was absorbed by what I was seeing.

After walking for about half an hour up and down steep, rocky paths we cam to a an isolated lookout in a canyon above the Rio Magdalena. I was feeling disoriented, not being able to see the town or even being able to figure out which direction it was. By now I was kicking myself for forgetting the camera as the view along the canyon was enchanting, and all the more so with the setting sun. It all felt so remote initially, until I realised that most of the surrounding land was actually farmland. It was not obvious at first because much of the cultivable land is on these steep hillsides. Over hundreds Andean farmers have become highly skilled at using every little parcel of arable soil, no matter where or at what angle it is. I had never seen anything like it.

With the dusk rapidly advancing we headed back. We passed small patches of corn, coffee and sugar cane and plenty plantain tress (a cousin of the banana) with their massive leaves (often used like plates for serving meals) - principal crops of the area. This was first time I had come face to face with a coffee plant (photo below), and it was oddly quite thrilling. Uriel broke off two foot long lengths of "caño" (sugar cane) and explained that if you stripped off the hard outer layer you could chew the softer, fibrous inner part of the cane. Not surprisingly it was very sweet, but it contained much more juice than I imaged - not for diabetics!

The next morning Uriel appeared with horses. I had been up for several hours thanks to the boisterous bird life and rooster chorus, which all began at about 4am. After an unexpectedly cold shower I was ready for a morning ride. We trotted through and up the same road we had taken the afternoon before. People on horse back is a common sight in these rural areas. But, an uncomfortable looking "gringo" in his bright orange anorak and goofy beach hat drew some attention. We were heading for "La Pelota" (literally The Ball), a nearby hill where yet more of the mysterious statues were discovered in the early 1980's.

Despite what you all might think, I am very much a novice rider. However, this was the third "cabalgata" (horse ride) I have taken since July. Each one has been more challenging than the last. We, or more correctly, my horse broke into a gallop an several occasions, taking his lead from Uriel horse. My heart would leap each time, and I would grip the reigns and saddle so firmly that eventually I had a small but painful leather burn on the palm of my left hand. It was clear who was the boss here.

The hilly terrain certainly made for an interesting ride. When we started down the side of a steep, muddy gully (there were several) my heart lodged itself firmly in my throat. My gaze was fixed on Uriel's horse which would would slip a fraction every so often. Those moments, when you feel your horse loose its footing, even for a fraction of a second, are terrifying. But, after this and the spontaneous gallops, the adrenaline had kicked in. And, of course, on reaching the bottom, just as I was about to thank God for getting me through those few precarious minutes, the horse would then want to race up the other side with or without me. Thankfully, with me! My cries of "Tranquilo" had no effect and I think "wooow" must mean something else to Colombian horses.

The path got more wild and the vegetation grew thicker. If there was a path here, I could not make it out. Eventually we came to a point where not even the sharp blade of a machete (which, alarmingly, everyone seems to carry around here, except Uriel) would get us much further.

"I am pretty sure this used to be the path," said Uriel. But, I have not been through here for a while.

"Oh great," I thought. Not exactly what you want to hear. "This is turning into a bit of an adventure!" Then I remembered my gully. We retraced our steps and asked a farmers for directions. It was a small boy who was unloading sugar cane from a burro at a small panela (an unrefined sweetener extracted from the cane) factory who put us back on course. To be fair on Uriel, it was the signage that put us off course.

We eventually reached La Pelota. I just happy to get off the horse and stretch my legs. I don't want you to get the wrong impression, I was enjoying the ride, really. But, my backside was not quite used to extended periods in the saddle (I know 2hrs is nothing). We found the two groupings of statues, each covered by an open sided shelter like we had seen at the park the day before. One of the groups was guarding a burial site, on the side of a hill with a pretty nice view. This grouping is of particular interest because the statues appear as if they had been painted yesterday. It is almost found it hard to believe that these vivid pigments could have been painted on a couple of thousand years ago!

San Agustín, Colombia - Part 1: El Bosque de las Estatuas
(San Agustín Photos)

San Agustín (1700m a.s.l.) is a small town located in the southwest of Colombia, in the Department of Huila, about 400km from Bogotá. The area is home to some of the country's most important and mysterious archaeological sites. It is also written up as a "must see" in my guidebook. And so a trip was planned, tickets brought and arrangements made thanks to some of Ligia's relatives who live in the area. I say 400km, but that is as the crow flies. There are actually 500km of some of the most winding roads I have ever traveled along. And in spite of the alarming velocity which the driver swung our bus around bend after bend, the trip still took 9-10 hours (with the only stop being at Huila's capital, Nieva). It appears that Colombian drivers aspire to follow in Pablo Montoya's footsteps (Colombian F1/NASCAR driver).

I suspect that traveling by bus is much the same no matter which Andean country. Text that reads "Velocidad Maxima 80km/hra" found on the back of most public transport vehicle holds little significance it seems. Our bus had a "real time" speed display at the front of the cabin (relatively common in S. American long distance buses). As the bus approaches 80km/h the display's digits change from green to orange to red, at which point an alarm sounds. This only encourages the driver to continue accelerating. Meanwhile bottles are rolling around in the aisles and objects fall on to sleeping passenger from the rack above. After sounding for a minute or so the display is switched off, only to be switched on again whenever we approached a police check point.

Speaking of check points...there were many, either manned by the highways section of the national police force or the army. After traveling thousands of kilometers through Argentina by bus, I was used to the odd stop and search. However, the Argentinean Gendarmeria did not carry automatic weapons, nor did they ask everyone to get of the bus, split up the men and the women and "pad down" the men. The solder who checked my ID looked hardly 16 years old. The policemen and solders where many and highly visible all the way from Bogotá to San Agustín. As off putting as the stop was, it is certainly of some comfort know they are making their presence felt.

The landscape around San Agustín is lush, mountainous and tropical. It is in this part of Colombia where the great Andean Cordillera, which started all the way down at the southern tip of this continent near Cape Horn, splits into three parallel ranges. The source of Colombia's principal river, the Rio Magdalena is a 3500m high lake not far from town. The Magdalena has cut a deep canyon that runs by San Agustín and adds to the striking beauty of this area. This satellite view shows the terrain fairly clearly.

Colombia is blessed with a number of breathtaking landscapes. It is, however, the hundreds of mysterious stone statues that draw visitors to these parts. The remains of this pre-Columbian society was only first discovered just before Colombia's independence from Spain, in around 1800 (the Spanish Conquistadors made no note of them). The statues, some dating back to 3500BC or earlier, have been found scattered throughout the area - some in dense jungle and others buried under mounds on hillsides. Archaeologists continue to uncover more.

Little if anything is known about the civilisation that sculpted these statues or what eventually became of it. Was it gradually extinguished? Did it migrate? Or were the indigenous tribes encountered in this area by the Conquistadors their descendants? There is still a great deal speculation and everyone seems to have their own version.

The statues themselves take on a variety of forms, whether human, animal or anthropomorphic (a human/animal form). They do give some indication of the complex religious customs and spiritual beliefs of this society. Many statues have been found next to grave sites, as if they were guarding them - not uncommon for ancient burial sites. The eagle and monkey are frequently depicted, as well as human forms playing flutes or holding tools. One statue I came across is of a woman holding a baby in one hand and a club in the other.

There are a number of sites containing statues around San Agustín. However, the main site, just a few kilometers out of town, is made up of a small museum, the Bosque de las Estatuas (forest of statues) and the Parque Arqueologico. The Bosque is a path hacked through dense jungle lined with a selection of 35 statues that have been transplanted from various locations. The jungle flora and fauna is almost more of an attraction than the curiously arranged stones. The Parque covers a much larger area and is very well done with a good stone path that connects a number of unearthed burial sites and numerous statues. The museum, Bosque and Parque can all be visited in half a day.

San Agustín - Part 2: "Getting lost in the jungle" follows soon!

¡Saludos de Colombia! / Greetings from Colombia!



As you have all figured out by now, I am useless at this blogging business. I am not the kind of person who can just type and type, posting entries on a daily business. After following my blog you might find this statement surprising. It actually takes me a long time to write these posts, but they do end up being rather long and, perhaps, verbose. We all have busy lives and often prefer "bite sized" morsels of information these days. Although, not exactly compelling reading, I hope you have enjoyed some of my posts and the photos. I know that I still have half of my time in Patagonia left to chronicle. I´ll try to add these posts in somehow.

But for now, on with Colombia!

Considering its size and wonderful diversity of flora, fauna and landscapes, Colombia is probably one of the least visited countries in South America. However, it has always been on my itinerary. Ligia, who looked after me in New York from when I was a few months old to 13 years (when I moved to the UK) has been living in Bogotá since the late 1990's. She is very much part of the family and has been keen that I visit for some time. So, I have finally made it.

Colombia does get a great deal of bad press. I am sure that the precarious security situation discourages almost all, but the most intrepid of travelers. Unfortunately, when a one thinks of Colombia one usually thinks of rebel guerrilla groups, paramilitary militias, kidnappings and drug trafficking. The large drug cartels that came to prominence in the 1980's, with their ostentatious lifestyles (the Cali Cartels and infamous Pablo Escobar come to mind), are thing of the past. That is not to say that cocaine business has been shut down. This vacuum has been filled by the terrorists groups to fund their campaigns. I hope to discover the beautiful landscapes, rich and diverse cultures and friendly people that I have heard and read about. However, the issue of security is, of course, always near the top of my thoughts.

It is hard to believe that I have been here two weeks, arriving from Buenos Aires on 7 December. I have not had the chance to explore Bogotá as extensively as I would like. Ligia is very cautious and generally does not like me going far unescorted. She lives on the north side of the city, an area which was farm land less than 100 years ago. North Bogotá feels very new, organised and ordered. Many international companies have their headquarters in this part of town. I can see Citibank's building from my window. Most embassies are also located here. The French embassy is less than a 10 minute walk, the British only 15 minutes or so. It is also where the middle and upper class Bogotanos reside.


I had done some reading up on Colombia before arriving, but I did not take not of Bogotá's altitude - about 2600m (over 8500 ft) a.s.l. A mountain range rises steeply to the west, which acts as the western limit of the city. I have never spent more than a few hours at this altitude (near Mendoza and Villarica, Chile). I think I have acclimatized, but it feel some effects of the altitude soon after touching down - mostly exhaustion and lack of energy. Something else that struck me immediately was how green Bogotá is, at least North Bogotá. There are many attractive public spaces, tree lined streets and flowers planted on the medians of the divided avenues.

After doing the little exploring that I could around the neighborhood, I was surprised by the number of people who cycle. I have seen cycle lanes in almost all part of the city and Bogotanos make good use of them. The majority of cyclists actually wear helmets as well! The city closes several of the major avenues on Sundays (8am to 2pm I think) to allow the populous to get out and have a ride. The city closed these same avenues last Thursday evening as a special once a year event. Over 4 million cyclists reportedly took advantage of this.

I have many more observations to add about Bogotá and Colombia, including my quick trip south to San Agustín earlier this weeks to explore its mysterious archaeological treasures. So do check in soon!