Guatavita and El Dorado

The trip that I had been most excited for since I got our plane tickets was this one. It is the origin of the myth that almost everyone is familiar with, El Dorado. El Dorado, or the Golden One, was the idea that brought Spanish conquistadors to the Americas. It drove them violently mad and fueled their cross continent treks to find the sacred site and claim it for the Spanish crown. As one would expect, the myth was more a creation of Spaniards than it was of the natives. The tiny grain of truth in the myth was massively embellished and misconstrued by greedy Europeans looking for what they believed to be rightfully theirs.

This lake is so far up in the mountains the climate is
actually different than the base. 

About an hours drive from Bogota and through a badly maintained dirt road you will reach the Guatavita Park. The drive and early morning start is worth the trip. Entry to the park includes a guided tour to the top of the lake which lasts about an hour and a half. On the way to the top you will learn about the culture of the Muisca including their agriculture, their religious practices, their political structure and other interesting aspects about this not so well known culture. It is important to note here the importance of gold to the Muisca, which is why I recommend visiting the Gold Museum prior to visiting Guatavita. Although the tour includes a visit to a reconstructed ceremonial house with photos of typical gold offerings, it is much better to see them in person at the museum to better understand the quantity and beauty of these offerings.

The connection between "El Dorado" and Guatavita goes back to the earliest days of Spanish conquest and exploration of the Americas. Nobody is sure where the original reference can be found but rumors of a bath of gold began to circulate among the Spanish. Stories of a place so innundated with gold that the locals were bathing in the precious metal caught the imagination of Spaniards looking to enrich themselves and their nation. The stories grew and turned into a tale of a city of gold, where the inhabitants wore, bathed in, ate out of, and used for every other purpose the fantastic amount of gold available in the Americas. The truth of "El Dorado" is found somewhere within these rumors.

As we begun to ascend the mountain, our tour guide stopped to explain a rather deep pass in the mountain called "El Dolor de los Muisca" or the Pain of the Muisca. Committed by Spanish conquistadors looking for gold, it is evidence of just how deep they were in gold mania. When the Spanish arrived to what is now Colombia, they were always looking for the alleged city of "El Dorado." Following rumors and information obtain from the indigienous populations, the Spaniards found their way to Guatavita. The reality of this "city of gold" was different than the gold platted metropolis they had imagined. Guatavita was a lake, high up in the mountains, that held ceremonial and religious importance. It was here were new village leaders would be trained and prepared to lead ceremonies in which the leader would be dressed in gold and descend into the lake water where he would initiate the gold offerings to the gods. This "bathing" of gold may have been what sparked the rumors of gold baths by the Spanish. After the "cacique" or leader, finished offering his gold adornments to the gods, the rest of the village would begin throwing their offerings over their shoulders into the lake.

The current day pueblo of Guatavita that is definitely worth
visiting once you make it back down the mountain.

The Spanish were insistent in their efforts to "reclaim" the gold in the lake and began a process of draining the lake with buckets. After three months of labor and little results, the Spanish gave up on this manner of claiming the gold. Their next idea would give the ravine its name. Using enslaved natives, the Spanish began a project of breaking part of the mountain to drain the lake. The Muisca people were forced to demolish and desecrate their honored lake and pathway to their gods. Draining the lake resulted in thousands of pounds of precious gold and emeralds being removed from the lake. Despite finding thousands of pounds, the Spanish wanted more. The construction of the ravine continued for decades.

Moving forward to the nineteenth and twentieth century, the lake was once again the subject of foriegn attempts to remove its riches. German and English mining companies offered to help Colombia excavate the lake for archaeological and hydrological purposes. This time using underground tunnels to find objects closer to the center of the lake, German and English explorers found even more gold and rare emeralds (Colombian emeralds are considered some of the finest in the world). Still using the cleared land area that the Spanish had created hundreds of years before, the mining expeditions would come to a sudden end. As our tour guide liked to remind us, the earth remembers and recovers. That ravine, once a sign of pain and exploitation, would become the site of a major rock slide.

It was an amazing experience to see where the gold that Colombia is famous for came from and the heartbreaking history of its exploitation during the Conquest. If you can survive the drive and the hike, I highly recommend it. It gives you a totally new appreciation for the Muisca way of life and the meaning of gold in Colombian history.

Salto de Tequendama

Beautiful and abandoned, the Hotel de Tequendama has been
 the source of urban legends and reported hauntings for years. 

After the exhausting trip to Boyaca, we decided to sleep in the next day and plan for a less demanding adventure. One location that I had been thinking about for months but had never really considered visiting was the allegedly haunted Salto de Tequendama. Located an hour south of Bogota, the abandoned hotel and its neighboring waterfall sit alone high in the mountains. The hotel, which began its life as a mansion for the wealthy visitors disembarking from the train that would run right past the building, now sits in ruin with the majority of the building off limits for safety reasons. However, the hotel is now getting new life thrown into its halls. With interest from ecological groups, its locating next to the Rio de Bogota is perfect for the hotel's new life as a research center. 

The waterfalls of Tequendama have a history that originates with the native population of the area, the Muisca. Their legends says that the waterfall was created by Muisca hero Bochica when he responded to the cries on the inhabitants of the savanna of Bogota who were suffering from an extreme flood. Bochica came to the savanna, and with his staff broke a piece of the mountain allowed the flood waters to drain away and created the waterfall.

1895: Bogotanos enjoying Tequendama in a family outing.

In more recent history, the waterfalls and the surrounding area became a popular tourist destination for the natural beauty and the natural resources found in the mountains. In 1923, construction began on what was then called the Mansion of Tequendama. Designed by architect Carlos Arturo Tapias, it was meant to welcome wealthy guests traveling by train to Bogota. By the 1950's the mansion was converted into a hotel. However, contamination in the river created an unpleasant and fowl odor. In addition to the abandonment of the train through to Bogota, these factors resulted in the hotel's abandonment in the 1990's. 

However, the hotel would not easily be forgotten. Its beauty and location would be seen by motorists traveling on the highway that passes along side the hotel. The hotel also gained a different reputation from its early glitzy and glamorous heyday. The beautiful waterfall that guests used to admire became the location of a number of suicides. An abandoned hotel and multiple suicides gave the area a reputation for being haunted and sightings of ghosts became common. 

Even without the ghosts, the hotel and the water falls have
an ethereal and timeless feel about them. 

Ironically, the very odor and contamination that drove visitors out of Tequendama is now drawing new attention to the area. Researchers from both Colombian and French organizations purchased the building and are repairing it to serve as a research headquarters. Concern for contamination has reached a critical level because of the ways it is affected fishing and water sources for the rest of Colombia. Today, the group is saving the hotel and providing tours of the third floor of the hotel (the only safe level for the public) that explains the history of the building and the mission of the ecological researchers. Your ticket fee goes towards continuing the buildings restoration and allows you the best view from inside the house. I highly recommend paying the 4 thousand pesos for this unique opportunity to step inside this magnificent house. Be forewarned, the group is aware of the area's haunted reputation and does not allow photos while inside the hotel. They are committed to re branding the hotel. 

An unexpected adventure during our trip, I genuinely enjoyed this low key opportunity to see the Salto de Tequendama. Although this might not be your first stop when visiting Bogota, I recommend taking the relatively short drive to see it if you find yourself with a spare day with nothing to do. Its a great escape from the city and is something completely different from the small pueblos that litter the area outside Bogota. Something different and unexpected, its one of the many hidden historical gems Colombia has to offer to those willing to look. 

Road Trip Through Boyaca

Colombia is a country of wide variety and to best understand that you must travel to different departments (similar to the states in the U.S) within the country. Bogota, where most of our travels have been so far, is located in the central Andean department of Cuindinamarca. Next door to the north lies the occasionally overlooked by foreigners department of Boyaca.

Our day trip began by leaving Bogota in the early morning to avoid the inconvenient "pico y placa", a system where drivers are alternatively prohibited from driving during certain times on odd or even numbered days depending on the last number of the license plate. It is an effort to decrease traffic which I have never seen work successfully in 23 years. Once out of the city, we were in the beautiful mountainous countryside. Passing through the small towns of Chia, Cajica, and others is a treat as you encounter idyllic farms, colonial haciendas, and historic houses.

The sixteenth century painting of La Virgen de Chiquinquira.

Our first stop was the small town of Chiquinquira, located in the south border region of Boyca. Considered the religious capitol of Colombia, the main attraction in this otherwise sleepy town in the basilica in the heart of town. The Basilica of Chiquinquira draws Colombians from around the country because it is the location of the 1586 apparition of La Virgen de Chiquinquira, now considered the patron saint of the nation. Within the basilica is sixteenth century painting representing the patron saint that is considered a holy relic. Interestingly, this painting was created using native spun cloth and located sources paints, giving the painting a connection to the local people of Colombia. Today, pilgrims come to the basilica asking the relic for favors and in return offer prayers and devotion.

The current basilica was build in the 1920's after the Virgen de Chiquinquira, and her painting, were officially ordained as the patron saint of Colombia in 1919. The basilica, built a couple miles away from the original apparition site, was constructed with the intent and purpose of housing the sacred painting. Next to the basilica is the University of Saint Thomas that houses a large collection of religious artifacts from Chinquiquira in their museum. Well worth the 2 thousand peso entry fee (roughly 75 cents in USD), the museum explains the history of the church and the apparition as well as allowing you to view the room in which Pope John Paul II stayed during his visit to the small town.

Raquira is a town of colors and creativity.

After lunch and pictures in the plaza, we were off to our main destination, Raquira. A little village famous for its artisans and crafts, yet the town is easy to miss. The artisan and commercial district is no more than three blocks including the main plaza. Despite its size, we were mesmerized by the variety of crafts that are so typical of Colombia and this region. The hardest decision was deciding what to buy and which store to buy it from. Remembering our luggage weight limit, I decided to stick with simple and small. However, the most curious thing about this town and the thing that still remains a mystery to me and my family is the amount of naked and phallic statues around town. They were everywhere and no one could answer me why. A cousin of mine, who visit the town at least once a year, attributed it to a fertile environment.

My favorite stop from the entire trip. A town that is so well preserved that it deceives visitors and keeps history alive.

After shopping and miraculously fitting everything we bought in the car, we took off to our final destination, Villa de Leyva. If you've never been to Cartagena, then at least come here. When you think of a romantic historical colonial town, this is what you imagine. A town in which all houses (all built before the 1700's) are painting white with colorful trims, where colorful flowers grow and hang off the walls and roofs, and where even the flowers are famous for emitting a "romantic" smell called "la noche del caballero." Park where you can and then get lost in the town. We began in the famous plaza, which by the time we got there at night, was lit up and coming to life with music, street performers, and horse drawn carriages. This colonial town was founded in 1572 and with the way the buildings and original streets are preserved it is easy to forget what time period you are really in. There is a reason this city is now popular with engaged and honeymooning couples. Our time there was too brief. We had planned to get back to Bogota by 10pm but we found ourselves wandering the streets, talking about the history of different buildings, and enjoying the sights that were all new to me late into the night. We would arrive in Bogota closer to midnight. In the future, Villa de Leyva will have to be revisited and the stay will be much longer than several hours.

A Day in Zipaquira

The entrance to the park with the salt deposit mountain behind. 

Our second stop was an hour north of Bogota day trip to the national wonder Zipaquira. The small town, that has grown exponentially in the past 10 years, is similar in style to many small colonial town that make up the countryside. However, the reason national and international tourists flock to this site is to visit the magnificent salt mines, the second largest salt deposit of the country. This mine is unique. Inside its depths lies a hand carved cathedral.

The cathedral of Zipaquira began originally as a way for Colombian mine workers to attend weekly mass without leaving the mines. The patron saint of the mines, La Virgen de Guasca, is named after the indigenous word for tunnel or mind. This mine was in operation long before the conquistadors reached South America. In fact, the first group to take advantage of the large salt deposit was the Muisca. Using clay pots, they collected water from the mountain, then heated them to evaporate the water which would leave the remaining salt in a dry block at the bottom of the pot. Salt, valued higher than gold, was used as currency by the Muisca and other tribes.

The Miner's chapel before the grand salt cathedral. 

When the Spanish arrived in the New World, they soon discovered the treasure of Zipaquira. They also wanted the valuable resource the mine provided but would extract it in far more violent way. Indigenous populations were enslaved and forced to mine the mountain for the Spanish crown. As history progressed, mining of the mountain continued but was done by voluntary and fairly employed workers rather than slaves. In the twentieth century, mining became technologically driven and utilized dynamite and then hydraulic methods.

The mine's church had humble beginnings. Originally, a way for devout Catholic miners to attend mass while working underground in order to ask for protection, the mine grew into an elaborate tribute to the Catholic faith. The original salt cathedral was opened to the public in 1954. It consisted of three naves and a cross, all mined out of salt. Due to structural concerns, this mine was closed to the public in 1990. However, construction on another salt cathedral would soon begin. In 1995, the new cathedral opened which is the one standing today.

On the path of the Stations of the Cross that
intersects with the active mine.

When you enter the mine you begin your decent by walking down the stations of the cross. A vital aspect of the Catholic religion, each station consists of a symbolic representation of the event described by each station. They invite visitors to meditate on the stations and understand how, for miners going to work, these stations provide comfort and hope that no danger will come to them underground. After you make your way through the stations, past the basilica inspired dome and through the choir pews, you will find your self in the miner's chapel. A modest chapel designed by the miners themselves, it is decorated with images of their patron virgin, Guasca. Her hands and face are covered in soot as a reminder of who she is there to protect. Finally, you enter the heart of the salt mine, the cathedral. The 16 meter tall cross is carved into the salt making it the tallest cross underground in the world. At this point, visitors will find themselves 180 meters underground.

The history of this mine reflects the history of the country. Despite the horrific actions taken by some trying to take advantage of what the mine had to offer, the mine now provides the country with a valuable resource financially but also a source of religious inspiration. Today tourists from around the world and the country flock to see the first wonder of Colombia. I cannot recommend visiting Zipaquira enough. Despite having visited it almost every trip I've taken to Colombia since I was a child, it still stuns me in its beauty and grandeur. Make the trip, you won't regret it!