Guatapé and the Mysterious Rock: Colombia by Car

Guatapé and the Mysterious Rock: Colombia by Car. A photo report. Sooo much colour and so many photos!

Well, it’s getting embarrassing not to have published anything for so long:)...

And, given Colombia’s charms, even criminal. So here’s a photo report while the crew is busy working hard (all of a sudden) and travelling..

The locals say that when God created Colombia, He bestowed such an unimaginable wealth of natural beauty upon it that He had to balance things out, so as not to provoke the neighbours’ envy. And so God added coca plantations and a couple of thousand bad guys led by little Pasha Escobar:). For balance..

The photos show the department of Antioquia, the very place the great and terrible Pablo Escobar came from. From Medellín, Colombia’s most mafia-ridden city, it is 90 kilometres and a two-hour drive along winding mountain roads to the colourful town of Guatapé. Near Guatapé there is another attraction: El Peñón de Guatapé, a vast rock that appeared among the tousled hills 70 million years ago (though the hills were hardly tousled yet in those prehistoric times).

The Tahamí people worshipped this monolithic, 220-metre rock, calling it mojarrá (stone). And that lightning-bolt zigzag down the middle of the mountain is a massive 700-step concrete-and-brick staircase. We thought the climb would take us about two hours, but no—dear little Lada flew to the top without stopping once, while the other climbers marvelled at how briskly our young sailor was going, even as all the adults, including the men, were out of breath..

In 1954, some enterprising villagers decided to proclaim the rock theirs rather than the neighbouring village’s, and began inscribing the monolith with gigantic Guatapé letters. Their enthusiasm lasted long enough to produce a fifty-metre G and the beginning of a U. Then either the paint ran out, or the ropes gave way, or their wives called the industrial climbers home for dinner.

But this “Vasya was here” inscription never did become the most colossal act of vandalism against the blameless hunk of rock. And the letters GI look like some absurd inventory number in a giant warehouse of antiquities:). From this publicity-shot angle, you can see those very letters. They have been gleaming white for more than 60 years..

As for the town of Guatapé itself, it looks very fairy-tale-like and very Colombian. They say that one day a resident decided to paint the plinth of his house, then another followed suit, and away they went. Before long, the plinths decorated with raised pictures had become the town’s calling card, and tourists invariably stop here on their way to the rock..

The neighbouring town lost out either way—hardly anyone even remembers it, and why would they? They didn’t put their name on the rock or paint their plinths. Lazy people: they still sit there with hardly any tourists, growing maize....\

Photos of Guatapé and its surroundings.

The valley looks a little like a crater left by the impact of the ancient sacred rock..

Later, the present-day locals flooded the valley, creating not only a lake district but also a hydroelectric power station at the dam..

Up on the mountain, it’s romantic; down in the town, it’s bright..

Even on an overcast day, Guatapé acts on your soul and thoughts like fresh orange juice..

The main thing is to step out among the bright houses and drink in the antidepressant of the cheerful streets with eyes wide open..

And back to the valley again....

This lake district is a place for sailing, boating and contemplation..

The very best view, of course, is from lofty El Peñón de Guatapé—from the rock..

On weekdays there are very few cars in town, which fills the heart with love and gratitude for pedestrians 🙂.

The streets are clean: you can sit down or even lie down without dirtying your Sunday best..

And up the mountain again. About 700 steps—and you’re as slim as you were in eighth-grade PE:)..

What is in this photo besides our young sailor on top of the mountain? Look at her hair. A thunderstorm is approaching. It’s like a barometer, only a voltmeter. Her hair is standing on end towards the cloudy sky from the electricity permeating the air. We already saw this during a thunderstorm on our passage from Mexico to Colombia along the edge of Irma. That’s what these parts are like—electric..

And yet the towns sometimes look like Europe, only brighter...

Nastya and I tried to guess who they were—a father and daughter, or a boyfriend and girlfriend?.

We’ll let you in on a secret: Colombia is the first country in our entire circumnavigation where the first mate has wanted to settle down....

To be continued! And it’s going to be something... A staggering number of miles overland, new discoveries and incredible places in three weeks on the roads of Colombia..

Thank God for placing Colombia in such a beautiful spot. And even the bad guys haven’t spoiled it too badly....

Unless, of course, you turn off the main roads into the jungle, where the guerrillas are..

Wishing everyone brightness! Take care of yourselves.