What does not kill you makes you stronger

San Augustin, world heritage archeological site in the south of Columbia. We were not really sure how to get there and how we would from there go to Ecuador but we were highly motivated to visit it. According to our map, there was sort of a way from Popayan, about 120 Kms long but when we asked people, we were told it would take us about six to seven hours to get there. Also, in the conversations we had, people mentioned two ways to get there, one being quite dangerous. On the map we had, there was definitively not two ways. We will find out soon enough. Gus and us were ready for the adventure, our bikes loaded and ready to go, excited to see this unique place. We had to ask several times what was the right way to get there and finally two motorcycle riders showed us the way as we followed them through town.

Two opposite perspectives of a long journey
Not to kill the suspense of the story but there was indeed two roads to San Augustin. We rode both and they were equally crazy, though through very different topographies. It is hard to tell a single story about how these two days of riding went since we had almost opposite experiences despite doing the exact same rides with the same bike. Gus, our riding companion, was more neutral about the whole thing. Here is how he would have told you the story... then we will tell you a little more about what went through our individuals heads.

Getting to San Augustin was indeed a day ride and getting back from there to the Panamerican highway was another. As we left Popayan, the sun was bright and warm . We were going up into the mountains on a nice asphalt that turned into rock and dust after a few miles. The dirt road was pretty rocky and with lots of ups and downs. We were adjusting our pace as our comfort level was getting up. The road took us through amazing scenery, where no living soul was to be seen, verdant hills with dark green trees, cascades, endless prairies... An hour into the trip, we started to se trucks and other vehicles. Suddenly realizing we were low on gas, we stopped in front of a group of houses and were told the house on the right over there sold gas. Relieved, we each bought a gallon and a short lady came out with a gallon bottle and a funnel to pour it into our gas tank. Saved! In addition, they had a restaurant where we could ordered lunch and buy some water. We were now good to go again. The road became a little more challenging and dusty, taking us through now deep jungle, where only our path was running through. As we walked up on the side of the road, the view took our breath away. Miles and miles of untouched tropical forest, dense and green on the several mountain surrounding us. It reminded us of Alaska, wild and endless, but a tropical version of it. We continued the ride, encountering more trucks, and after almost 5 hours on the dirt road, we hit asphalt again. Victory, we were almost there... very dusty but almost there.

The ride back was taking us south and would be about 170 Kms, with apparently more paved road and less dirt. The first 100 Kms were indeed nice and smooth and then the gravel road. This one was more tricky as it was very steep and with sharper curves. Up and up, technical ride with gravel and rocks, big signs all along the way highlighting all the dangers of this road. And there it was, our first river crossing: a little tricky but after four more, we were well trained. Continuing the climb, we entered thick fog, having reached the cloud line. We could not see much and had to slow down even more, staying as far as we could from the sheer drop off on our right. After a very sharp curve, we reached an army check point. They wondered what we were doing here and asked us for our papers. Then, they wanted to know everything about the bikes and our travels. We continued, more fog, more sharp turns and rocks. Again, we made it to the asphalt, tired by the continuous concentration for more than 6 hours. Relieved as well that the worse was behind us and that we were finally back onto a main road that did not seem as sketchy as the tiny mountain path.

Pretty crazy stuff, we all agreed about that. We had seen parts of Colombia that very few tourists get to see, let alone ride through with a motorcycle. We had definitively pushed the adventure envelope a bit and put a lot of effort to discover these remote areas. Now, the big difference was how we lived this adventure and what was going through our heads. Chad really enjoyed the challenge and while recognizing the difficulty of it, he truly loved it. Sample of what he was thinking: “Awesome, man, these are finally real roads for a real man. I love riding on dirt, avoiding all these rocks, crossing rivers full speed and going up these crazy hills. Fog? Don't really care, let's go through it. Me, dusty after the ride? Only makes me look tougher. And by the way, I am so strong that I can even snap a few pictures of my fellow riders while driving with one hand. Love the adventure, baby!”. For Caroline, it was a complete different story. This was really pushing it for her and the fully loaded bike was just too heavy. She was counting the minutes and could not wait for the riding to be over. Her favorite part: when we stoped or rested. Sample of what she was thinking: “What am I doing here? This is really too hard for me and the bike is way too heavy. Seriously, no girl can do that. I am just going to stop here and not go any further. On top of that, my front tire is almost done and I have no traction. You're kidding me: a river to cross, fog, sharp turns, steep ascents and descents? As if the nasty rocks were not enough to make this a horrible ride. And I can't even look at the nature otherwise I will fall. Is it over yet?”.

Incredible statues from a mysterious civilization

We all survived, this is what really matters and we had an incredible time in San Augustin. After we settled in our cute little hotel, we went to find a guide for our exploration of the archeological sites the next day. After a good night's sleep and a hearty and fresh breakfast at the market, we met with our guide for a horseback ride through the different archeological sites where we would see statues and tombs from the San Augustinian culture. Little was known for sure about it since no form of writing was discover about this culture, allowing no certainty about what their real name was. The most plausible hypothesis about their story is that they came to Columbia 3,000 years ago from Egypt or Asia as a lot of similarities were found with these cultures. We jumped on the horses and the guide gave us a few tips about how to ride properly. We had asked him to bring “high energy” horses as he called them to be able to gallop a little. He delivered exactly what he promised, fast and fun gallops with the horses. It was so nice to have horses that would run, they were fast and had very good endurance. We enjoyed the running so much, our hairs in the wind:)

We visited four different sites with the horses, each having very unique statues excavated from burial sites. Our guide went through an explanation of what the statues represented, highlighting that this were again all assumptions that we would only be able to confirm once we find some written artifact of this culture. We saw detailed and well-preserved statues, some even with the original colors, some conserved in their original location like this woman facing the river on a big rock, who was praying to the Gods of the river. How could such an old culture have so many well-preserved things left from its existence while keeping its mysteries? We loved seing all the work of art, trying to imagine what they really represented.
Between the sites visits, we took a break at a little cafe where they also sold souvenirs. There, we tried a one of a kind drink: Coca leaves tea. Yes, the same plant they use to make cocaine but this was a pretty innocent treat. You take the green leaves form the Coca tree and put them in boiling water for a few minutes. It actually tastes pretty mild, a little bit like a green tea but less bitter, and is supposed to increase your energy level and decreasde your appetite. Nothing a strong coffee would not do! There, based on our birth date, we were also told what our Mayan identity and name was. Quite entertaining: Caroline is now the White Lunar Mirror and Chad the Red Self-Existent Sun. Please call us by our Mayan name the next time you see us and we will tell you more about our identity and personality.

Sad to let the horses go, we sat down for a simple lunch bought at the market made of fresh fruit, homemade cheese and corn galletas. We then started our walk in the Archeological Park of San Angustin that had gathered in a single location multiple artifacts that were found in the area, under burial hills. Thanks to all the things our guide had told us to look for in the morning, we were able to look at the statues and understand some of their features better. The walk was also very nice, taking us through forests, hills and across a river. We were fascinated by this culture and what they had left here. A treasure we did not know that Columbia had.

Our adventure to San Augustin was one to be remembered for quite a while. The amazing things we saw came at a price, one of two long and tiring rides on small and challenging back roads. Each of us had a different take on how hard it was and whether they would do it again or not. We all agreed however that we had an unforgettable time there, seeing unique artifacts of a long gone civilization, coupled with an awesome and thrilling horseback ride. Now that we were back on the main highway, we were about to open a new chapter of our adventure: Ecuador.