29/09/2022 Lost City Trek Day 1
What Machu Picchu is to Peru, the Lost City is to Colombia
The Lost City or ‘Ciudad Perdida’, is an ancient city and sacred site of the Tayrona Civilization. It once covered the Caribbean coastal plain of Colombia and extended to the highest coastal mountain range on earth, the Sierra Nevadas of Santa Marta.”
magictourcolombia.com
Let’s do this!
And then our four-day-adventure began. Did we think we would make it? Maybe. Were we ready for this? Definitely not! So much optimism and motivation was coming out of us, it was insane!
Usually people start the Lost City Trek from Santa Marta. But another benefit of the Rio Hostel besides its close location to Tayrona National Park, is its close proximity to the Lost City Trek. This is why we didn’t get picked up at 7 a.m. like the people in Santa Marta, but at 10.30 a.m. instead – which was much needed as we only packed our small day bags in the morning and then left the big backpacks in the storage room of Rio Hostel.
Teachers everywhere
Our group consisted of eight backpackers: two Irish guys, two German guys, one German girl, one Belgium guy and us. We also had a Colombian guide, an English translator (who was also Colombian) and a chef with us, who would be leaving each stop two hours before us to start cooking the next meal at the next place. (Throughout the hike they did not want to hear about the German efficiency from the other Germans who suggested leaving the same cook at the same place without having to move him for each meal.)
Strangely enough, out of us eight (wannabe) hikers, five of us were teachers! This is usually NOT a good sign 😜. Turned out the teacher topics and knowing everything better did not happen though – thank God. 😉
Starting the hike after lunch
After an hour of a very bumpy ride with all of our bags tied up on the roof of the jeep, we had a big tasty lunch (fish/ veggies with rice, beans and plantains). And then it was time to start the hike at 1.26 p.m. (Yes, I am the correct German, already stopping the exact time until the finish line on day one.)
Hiking uphill for a couple of hours already felt quite challenging for me. But the stops, where we got freshly squeezed orange juice, different fruits, coffee or a chocolate-honey-mix while learning more about the history, definitely made up for it. Furthermore, the views on the way were absolutely stunning!
What goes up, must come down!
When I thought hiking uphill was hard, I hadn’t seen the downhill part just yet. By the time we had reached the highest point of the day, it had started raining.
I didn’t mind the rain at all. What I did mind, however, was the muddy ground that had become one big slide-show. We all fell down several times as there was no grip on the ground at all.
It’s funny to look back on the beginning of the hike where I had actually worried about my shoes getting dirty. Only four hours into the hike, my shoes had turned into two big mud clumps.
Jump into the river
Around 5 p.m. we reached our first accommodation of the trip. We all changed into our swim suits and hopped into the ice cold river next to the lodge. Even though it was really cold, it did feel good on my joints, especially since my toes and calves had been cramping on the last bit of the hike.
So much food
After the cold river and the cold shower, we were served dinner (whole fish or veggie option), which was very tasty again. Throughout the entire four days, the food varied a lot and was all very fresh and tasty. However, at times I did feel like a pig that was getting fattened, as we were given so much food! No complaints of course 😉! But I guess when you’re hiking over 30 000 steps each day, you have to get that energy back somehow.
30/09/2022 Lost City Trek Day 2
5 a.m. – time to start the day
We got woken up at 5 a.m., had breakfast at 5.30 a.m. and started hiking at 6 a.m.. Back home I would not even consider getting up at 5 a.m. (except for catching a flight 😉). But since we went to bed aka crawled underneath our separate mosquito nets really early, we actually didn’t feel tired. We did feel VERY sore though – and it was only day 2.
Learning about local tribes
The hike was nicely divided as we had either a fruit stop or a snack stop every 1.5 hours. On the morning hike we also learned more about the Tayrona Indigenous tribe directly from them. They taught and showed us how they make clothes and handbags by grinding a plant down.
Before lunch we cooled off in the river again. Luckily, we could leave some clothes for the last day at the lunch spot, as this would be our accommodation for the last night on the way back from the Lost City. Since Blake and I both overpacked (what a surprise), we gratefully left quite a few items at the lodge.
Not the good kind of “happy hour”
And then came the happy hour! The “happy hour” on this trip meant one hour straight uphill! It was so tough (at least for us two), but eventually we made it. I think the term “happy hour” will never be the same for us again.
Survived day two
At 4 p.m. we arrived at our second accommodation. We all bathed in the ice cold river again, took a shower that was just as cold and relaxed with the others while being fed popcorn and then had dinner all together. After dinner our guides were telling us about the Lost City, that we were going to visit in the next morning.
Quite the celebrity
Our Colombian guide Edwin is actually the son of one of the founders of the Lost City from 1972. Even crazier, Edwin was one of the people that got kidnapped by the Guerillas in 2003 and fled after being captured for one day, while all the other hostages stayed captured for 101 days.
The Guerillas
In the context of the ongoing Colombian conflict, the term ‘guerrilla’ is used to refer to left-wing movements, as opposed to right-wing paramilitaries.”
wikipedia
01/10/2022 Lost City Trek Day 3
1200 steps uphill
5 a.m. start again – not tired, but even more sore than the day before.
After an hour of hiking along the river and taking a steel cabin that was bringing us over the river with the help of a rope, we arrived at the bottom of the steps that would lead us to the Lost City. 1200 steps uphill to be exact. Let’s go! Who said this hike was going to be fun?
At the Lost City at last
The Lost City was so incredible! The Tayrona people had lived here in 620 A.C. and then fled in 1620 when the Spanish came. A lot of the Lost City was still covered by jungle, but the parts that had been cleared out looked very impressive.
We even met the daughter of the shaman, who is on the 50 000 peso bill. It’s fascinating that people still live in the Lost City!
After a snack break, lots of walking around the Lost City and hearing more stories about how the people had lived here back in the days, it was time to walk down the steps again.
Time to head back
The main goal of the hike was over. Now we “only” had to hike it all back again to the starting point. Fun times ahead…
We had lunch where we had also slept the previous night (that’s why we could leave our bags there and only took water and cameras with us up to the Lost City). Once we were leaving this place, it had begun raining quite heavily, which was kind of fitting being in a rain forest.
In so much pain
The way back to our third accommodation (lunch spot from the previous day) was long and painful. By now, our bodies were one big pain. Team Germany was always at the front of our group, making the hike look very easy. Unfortunately, I was not part of team Germany. I was more team “our goal is to just arrive, no matter how long it takes”. And Blake and I felt very comfortable in that team (which only consisted of us two). Being usually very competitive, we both made clear to each other (and probably to ourselves too) how this was NOT a competition. Moreover, we kept telling each other how proud we are of us for doing this massive hike. To myself I kept saying: “Only one more day!”
02/10/2022 Lost City Trek Day 4
The very last day
Today I woke up at 4.45 a.m. – even before we got woken up at 5 a.m.. This is how my inner body clock was already used to the early mornings. Not knowing I could even be more sore than the previous day, I was surprised how much pain my body could be in (especially after the 1200 stairs up and down the last morning). But Blake and I kept pushing our sore bodies, knowing that it would all be over by lunch time (which was still seven hours away).
Doing a good deed
On the way I was could plant an avocado tree. They often do that on the hike to give back to the people and to the nature, which I absolutely love. Furthermore, our Colombian guide Edwin also teaches the local kids about recycling and sustainabilty.
In addition to that, a lot of the money we pay for this trip (350€ each) goes to the local communities and helps them build schools, maintain the trails and accommodation along with giving the Tayrona people money to buy items that nature cannot provide them.
Incredible nature
I do notice how negative I sound, but the hike was indeed really incredible! When we didn’t have to watch our steps in order to not slip or smash our feet against the big rocks on the way, we could really enjoy the breathtaking views of so many shades of green! Apart from passing a local school, some local huts, pigs, cows and mules, there was absolutely no one on this path!
We made it!
At 12.45 p.m. we arrived at the final lunch place, where we had started the hike four days ago. This felt like a lifetime ago!
Now we were sweaty, smelly, sore and covered in mosquito bites! But we were also so happy, satisfied and grateful about everything we saw, did and learnt in these past four days! What an amazing and rewarding experience!
Back at Rio Hostel
We showered, had lunch and then drove back in the jeep over that bumpy road all the way to Rio Hostel. Back at the hostel, we only managed to check in, carry our big backpacks from the luggage storage to our new four-bed-dorm and then collapsed in the hammocks.
Party without us
Unfortunately, there was a massive party with a DJ on at night. But at this point we were beyond caring. We had one drink at the bar, talked to the yoga teacher from before the hike (we didn’t want to be totally anti-social) and then passed out in our beds despite the loud music.
Luckily, we would have a private room in a really nice hotel near the beach in Palomino the following two days.
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