Day 19 Palomino - On the way to Ciudad Peridad

This morning we walked to the bus with a detour, a bad suggestion from me to take this route. Nevertheless, we were on time at the agreed point where our tour was supposed to start. There were jeeps and buses, but nobody noticed us. Eventually, we took the initiative and there we were, in the right place. With several other tourists from all over the world, we drove for about 1 hour to El Mamey, the starting point of our tour. I thought of Burki, you would have enjoyed driving here. Before the start, we had lunch. Typical Colombia, no chance of starving. Then there was a welcome and a short statement for the day. It was only 7.5 km and a few meters of altitude. The paths were wide enough for donkeys and mopeds to pass. Around 16:00, we arrived at the first overnight stop. This tour is led by 2-3 indigenous people and a translator. In the Sierra Nevada region, there are 4 indigenous tribes. 2 guides are Wiwa and one is Kogi. We will visit the Wiwa village tomorrow. First, we hung our wet clothes on the stretched clotheslines. Then we chose beds and took showers. Everything is very basic, but okay. Afterwards, we had dinner and listened to a story about the beliefs of indigenous communities or the creation of the earth. Then our main guide sang a song for us. We also received information for tomorrow. Wake up at 4:40, have breakfast, and start at 5:40. Wow, I thought to myself. Tomorrow it will be 19 km and some altitude. In any case, it is a very exciting story. It is only 19:00 now and everyone is already in their bunks.

What does Ciudad Peridad mean?

Translated, it means lost or abandoned city. It was the tribe of the Tayronas who lived here. It was rediscovered by grave robbers and gold-hungry bandits. The city disappeared around the time of the Spanish conquest and was only rediscovered in the 1970s. The ruins of the city are located deep in the mountains on terraces (over 200) that are laid out in a circular pattern, and only the foundations of the houses that were once there are visible. They are connected by stone stairs, which are still well preserved. It is only accessible on foot. The path there is just as fascinating as the site itself. For the indigenous tribes, it is a special place. Ceremonies and rituals take place here. Only highly spiritual indigenous people are allowed to live here. In the month of September, there is no tourism allowed here for one week. This time is reserved for certain indigenous people. Not everyone is allowed to participate in the ceremonies.