The Lost City (Sierra Nevada, Colombia)

Hidden deep in the jungle of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains in Colombia, is the remains of a city built by the Tairona indigenous people called Ciudad Perdida, "the Lost City." The Tairona built the city around 800 AD, 650 years before Peru's famous Machu Picchu. Inhabited by an estimated up to 8000 people, the city served as the political center for the Tairona and was an important trade and manufacturing location. The city was abandoned sometime between 1580 and 1650 during the Spanish conquest and was re-discovered by treasure hunters in the 1970s. In March 2020, I visited the Lost City.

I trekked for three days through the jungle and up mountains to reach the Lost City while sharing narrow paths with the area's transport mules and inhabitants.

It was one of the most enlightening, physically challenging, gratifying, and inspiring experiences that I have had in my life thus far.

What I remember clearly is not how challenging the trek was but how much I got to learn about the Tairona civilization and the Wiwa people, descendants of the Tairona, currently inhabiting the area.

My trek was with Wiwa Tour, the only company hiring indigenous people as tour guides. José, the trek guide, consistently offered information on the history and culture of the Tairona and Wiwa. The highlight was the end of the day when he would build a small fire and tell Wiwa stories.

José also showed us how Wiwa women extract fiber from palm leaves to create the cross-body satchel called Machillas worn by all Wiwa men when not asleep. The bags hold coca leaves. The leaves are a sacred plant for the Wiwa, and Wiwa men chew the leaves throughout the day. Coca leaves' cultivation and selling are not legal in Colombia; the plant is a crucial ingredient in the production of cocaine. That said, the natural leaves only become a mild stimulant, never to the level of cocaine, when chewed with the powdered lime from seashells held in a gourd carried by all Wiwa men called a Poporo.

While my group did not interact much directly with the different indigenous communities, I met some indigenous kids and witnessed their creativity in playing. Click on the video to check it out!

My group was a small group consisting of three Canadians, a tour guide, a translator, and me. I met everyone on the first day of the tour at the company's main office in the city of Santa Marta – the trek started in Mamey, a town located a two-hour bumpy jeep ride away. Meet one of the Canadians who had a very memorable intense conversation with a frustrated parrot. Yes, a parrot! Click on the video below to hear the conversation.

On the third day of the trek, my group reached the Lost City after climbing approximately 1,200 steps. Before entering the city, the group performed an Indigenous ritual traditionally done before entering the sacred grounds. The ruins were well worth the days of hiking!

Choosing Wiwa Tours was a fantastic decision because the experience was centered around learning about and engaging in some of the rituals of the Wiwa indigenous people. The other tours did not offer such an immersive experience.

#Colombia

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