Circles and Stairs

Indigenous architects have a flair for the dramatic. Like the Incas and the Mayans, the Tayrona civilization built their capital city in stunning harmony with the natural landscape. Before the Spanish invaded in the 16th century, the "lost city" was a bustling metropolis of over a thousand residents. Spanning over 32 acres, these skilled gold workers and stone masons lived in small huts on a series of circular plazas terraced into the lush Sierra Nevada mountains.

The modern descendants of these people are the Kogui, and we crossed through several of their villages during the trek. They all have shiny, thick black hair and dress in white tunics and cropped pants. The only modern addition to their wardrobe seems to be tall rubber boots, which are handy for river crossings. The Koguis live in small wooden huts, identical the the historical replicas on display at the ruins. Our guide, a farmer and indigenous rights advocate, says that the Kogui men and women always live in separate huts and the chores are strictly divided by gender.

Man or woman, all of the inhabitants of this valley have no problems staying fit. The entrance to the lost city can only be accessed by climbing over a thousand mossy stone steps and all 180 terraces are connected by winding, beautiful stairwells. I spent an entire day exploring the city, looking at ancient maps carved into stones and sliding down waterfalls into crystal clear lagoons.

If exploring lost ruins wasn't enough - thousands of mosquitoes, a few huge spiders and hundreds of gun-toting military men added to the excitement of the journey. After 8 foreigners were kidnapped here in 2003, there has been an increase in military security at the site. A sweet, shy 26-yr-old officer with braces took a liking to me and passed me a little note as I left the ruins. He drew a cartoon picture of a cow (or maybe it is a cat?) with a flower in its mouth and he must of spent hours cutting little triangles out of the border of the paper. The note simply said that he couldn't find the words to explain how beautiful I was but he would like it very much if I would call him in two weeks when he gets off duty. Even with bloody toes, a mosquito bite on my butt cheek and a searing case of diarrhea, that little love letter managed to put a smile on my face for hours.