It was a typical Andean morning, bright and crisp after the early rains and the promise of heat just beginning. I dropped down the hill on foot, resolving to avoid motor transport for the day. There will be many, many hours of buses in the next few days as I cross from Colombia into Ecuador.
I was heading for the Archeological Park, located three kilometers outside of the town of San Agustin. First there were errands to attend to. I quickly found my favorite green ATM and with funds replenished, I found the bus stop and bus information for the early morning departure tomorrow. Not on the errand list but always appreciated, I found a lovely little cafe that served espresso for Una Mil pesos, or fifty cents.
Hiking out of town and uphill, I stayed to the shady side of the road. Perhaps one kilometer out of town, I stepped into the paved ditch to avoid a bus traveling down the hill. The slope was perfect and the wetness was perfect and my fall was perfect as well as I slid sideways and down, cleverly landing on my shoulder bag which was tucked against my right ribcage. No major damage done, I picked myself up, laughed a bit, and moved on up the hill.
The Parque is the main archelogical site of the many scattered up and down this valley. From the few placards in English, I learned a bit more about the vanished cultures that left stone carvings and tombs here long before the arrival of the Spanish. The Formative period of this culture began somewhere around 1,000 years BCE. A great many of the statutes that have been found date from what is referred to as the Regional Classical Period, which lasted for about 900 years in the Current Era when the culture disappeared. The statues guarded the tombs, amongst other uses, and the tombs were of two basic types. The Mesa tombs, or "Little Tables," were built by digging a deep pit, builiding what looks like a little table out of stone slabs, interring the corpse, and then burying the whole thing. At some point these cultures (for they believe there were two distinct groups) developed what is referred to as a Second Burial Tradition. The fragments of remains from the Litttle Table tombs were gathered up, placed in ceramic urns, and reburied in pit graved lined and topped with stone.
One of the true pleasures of the day were the quiet paths through the Parque that led from site to site.
Carved Guardians of the Dead
My favorite figure of the day, not least of which because it was more or less in situ. Most of the other statues are behind fences and under cover to protect them from deterioration.
This is what remains of a carved water scuplture. Archeologists believe that the water was forced to form a thin sheet over the entire carving. The water flow has been reduced to preserve the carvings.
I walked all of the parque, climbed the hill to the top, skirted around a tour group of older Germans with their giant cameras, and enjoyed myself immensely. I admit to enjoying the walk every bit as much as I enjoyed the sights.
A type of "Christmas Cactus" succulent that I found growing at least ten meters up the tree.
More gloomy tomb guys.
A "Little Table" tomb, recreated. This would have been buried deep in the ground in its original state.
Having all of the culture and all of the sun that I needed, it was time for the hike back to town, which I managed to do on my feet and not my ass. I wanted to have a late lunch at a place that my Caballero guide had recommended. He did not steer me wrong! Andres la Pallina was the real deal Colombian "Plata Del Dia" kind of place. It was only after I had almost finished my meal that I realized it was Thanksgiving Day!! So this became my Thanksgiving Dinner.
For those of you in the Estados Unitos, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. For those of you elsewhere, I send you my fondest good wishes. I admit to having a twinge of missing everyone a bit fiercely today.
Tomorrow will begin my odyssey through some of the serious backroads of Southern Colombia. It is either forge ahead or backtrack six hours to Popayan and then South six hours to Pasto, and I do so hate backtracking. There are either two ways to go from here, both of which lead through a small corner of the Amazon basin and the town of Mocoa. Depending on what I find out about local road conditions and local border crossing and the local security, I will chose one of the two routes.
Meanwhile, if you are reading this in real time, get back to your friends and family and enjoy Thanksgiving.
No comments:
Post a Comment