Salsa Groovin New Years Ancient Graves

- January 15, 2018

Post-Christmas we made our way to Cali, a city pulsing with vitality. It didn't offer too too much for the daytime (on the whole the city felt a little on the grungy side) but at night the city really came to life. Cali is known as the Salsa (dance) capital of the world, and the people here can really move! We timed our visit for the Feria, or Salsa Fair which happens every year at this time. During one of our walkabouts during the day we happened upon two pairs of dancers who were showing their stuff in front of a TV reporter up on a lookout beside Inglesia San Antonio, with frilly red pants a-flying. We enjoyed the many cat statues in Parque del Gato, and later on some chocolo (corn on the cob, but not sweet like Ontario!) from ladies fanning their little grills on the sidewalk.

When the sun went down was really the time to go see the sights, and on our last night we shuffled through the bustling park Paseo Bolivar along the river, where Christmas lights were still in full force, and at least 4 Colombian Santas were out ready for photo-ops. There was plenty of food to be had for all the carnivores out there- with salchipapas (pieces of hot-dog served on fries), kabobs, sausages, and other things we couldn't quite identify. Thank goodness for arepas.

From there we headed out to the Encuentro de Melomanos for a free concert. The scene was lively, with one part sectioned off for standing there were people grooving to the music everywhere you turned. Colombians do not simply stand with their feet rooted to the ground and shimmy like we do at concerts back home. Here, they really dance, and do they ever put us to shame! I tried my hand at an impromptu lesson at a side stage, which entitled us to a photo print out with the dancers, all dressed in neon green.

I (we!) have much to learn!

Dancing with the pros

Happy New Year from Popayan! 3 hours south of Cali we had a lovely place to hang up our dancing shoes and find ourselves some hot-springs. It rained quite a bit here, but that didn't interfere with our afternoon at Coco Nuco, a 45 min drive into the mountainside at a naturally-fed hot-spring. You could smell the place before you got right up to it, the sulfur was stronggg. Although you get used to it at the time, we are still smelling it on our clothes.

We had some nice nights in, cooking at the hostel/cafe Morobik, and celebrated New Years at the square downtown, again, all lit up with amazing Christmas lights- this time music themed. Tradition has it here that families make a dummy, painted and clothed to represent the Old Year, which they take outside and burn at midnight. This explained the bizarre mini-parade we saw at the village in Coco Nuco, where people were driving their dummies in cars and on motorbikes down the street mid-afternoon. As much as we wanted to see all the fires and fun, we were advised against it by our hostel owners and the police in the square, that the neighbourhoods outside the historic centre weren't the best places to be at midnight.... sooo it was a low-key countdown for us and the maybe 15 other people downtown, with the sound of fireworks exploding in every direction. Sparklers away!

Feliz ano nuevo everyone!

We were keen to head our next destination the next day, but we found out the hard way that there were no buses to San Agustin, some 5 hours away. So back to the hostel we went, for a rainy-day indoors.

San Agustin lit up our map as an archaeological destination that we just couldn't miss. The buses were packed after having a day of no service, and we were lucky we had a place at all, although it was a squishy ride at the very back of a mini bus. Lucky we were at the station at 5am! We made it by noon to the quiet mountain town, and found yet another Bambu hostel, with a headcase of a black and white cat that who the owner said came with the place. We very much appreciated the art there, with a bizarre quasi-likeness of ourselves right above our beds in the dorm.

The highlight in this place was the archaeological park, which was scattered with megalithic carvings of anthropomorphic figures (some up to 4m tall!) that were made between 2000-3000 years ago, to guard the tombs of the dead. Although many had been robbed over the years, there were others excavated properly in the 19^th century, and many more that remain unexcavated, but protected under UNESCO recognition. It was worthwhile having a guide here, and learned much more about the history, what the sculptures represented, and the ancient Andean culture who carved them- although much remains a mystery.

Protectors of the burial tomb

Isnos site, with tombs and statues behind

Our guide was very much in touch with spirituality and tradition, and led us through a meditation session at the highest point at the site, playing his bamboo flute while we let our minds drift in the sun. He pointed out the ayahuasca plant, and told us of his journey under the guidance of a shaman, and even things about past lives. This was a sacred land, a place of pilgrimage and ancestor worship.

Our second day we went on a jeep tour to check out some other sites outside of town, and were able to visit Rio Magdalena, tombs in Obando, and even more spectacular carvings in Isnos. There was definitely a special feel about this place!

Just a few more stops to make in Colombia- over the mountains and south to Pasto.