COLOMBIA: A walk in the clouds ...

Despite the the imposing presence of such a gorgeous landscape as the one I always knew my country has the priviledge to have, for me is pretty hard to associate my country Colombia with 'mountains'. Reason is simple, I was born and raised in the costal city of Barranquilla, liying pretty close to beach and sun and almost at sea level... warm, humid, caribbean ...

I arrived on 18th of April to Bogota, capital of Colombia from Rotterdam, my current work location together with my team mate and president of AIESEC International, Brodie. We traveled to my country to facilitate the 2006 Latin American regional AIESEC congress (better known as AXLDS 2006, more news about how it went soon) starting on the 24th of April. As part of the pre-conference days, I had the great chance (as if I would be a foreigner more) to visit the old city of Bogota, and the town of Guatavita, 2,5 hours way from this same city.

The girl from Barranquilla simply had to give up that Colombia's heart belongs to the mountains and not just to the sea. I had been in the past in cities as Manizales, Armenia where also mountains show you all their magnitude, but that times they were there just there asking for attention and respect. This time, in Guatavita it was somehow the first time that I was so close and inbetween, that the feeling was just too special. I must admit that the "capacity to be amazed" (as Javi would call it) from Brodie, observing with such appreciation the colombian landscape was contagious. I lived in Bogota one year in 2002-2003, and I never was even close to see the 'sabana de Bogota' from this perspective. So good that it's never late.

Bogota City Center

Colombian Flag, colonial balcony

The AIESEC group, walking in Bogota

After a awsome day exploring the city center of Bogota, we took one day off to go to Guatavita, scenario of the indigenous legend of EL DORADO ('the gilded man'). We do need to thank Vivi, MCP of AIESEC in Colombia and her boyfriend Gabi for hosting our trip there.

It was fun since the beginning since we traveled by public transport (buseta!), which in Colombia sometimes tends to be a bit crazy.

The public transport that ended up being very practical, leaves you after 2,5 hours pretty close to the main square of Guatavita, the town that hosts the Guatavita Lagoon, that gives the name to the muisca legend. It's a nice town, where all small houses are white with red roofs.

From the town center, you must take another bus for about 30 minutes to make it to the nature park where the Lagoon is. The park that was in the past years heavily damaged by irresponsible turists and their effects (garbage of cooking and campings, taking aways pieces of plants, etc) is administered since some years by the CAR (corporacion autonoma regional de cundinamarca) and they have created a very special visitor experience that consists of a guided walking path between the flora, goin up until you reach the fantastic view of the lagoon. As awsome as the view is the continuous narration while you walk of the whole legend of Guatavita, as well of all particularties of the MUISCA indigenous civilization.

Brodie, Vivi, Gabi, Me, Marcelo, Giovanna, Elias, Gabi and Nadia - a mix of AIESEC members, partners, trainees and Alumni!

The lake appears mystical, mirror-calm, a perfect circle, surrounded by uniform, barren hills. What realy makes the experience unique, is that at the park they regulate very well the max. number of people that can "enter" the park to do the walk. Imaging how nice is to be with no crowd, no noice, just a limited (small) number of people walking around the lake.

This is Colombia ladies and gentlemen. After an encounter with nature and the old indigenous cutures, we came down to Guatavita town, and enjoyed "arepas" and other typical desserts as "Postre de natas" (Elias, do you guys remember the "nata fund"? jejejeje) closing for sure one of the most enjoyable trips I've done in Colombia. Gotta come back. And if you haven't been here, you better put it on your list of sexiest destinites ever. Vive Colombia ...