Laguna de La Cocha

The other day the hotel owner Patrice told us about a friend of his that runs a tourist business here who could take us on a day trip over the mountain to a small village on a large lake. We said we'd be interested and Patrice set it up for us to go Sunday morning at 9:30 am. Patrice's friend Herman showed up in a taxi driven by David , who apparently drives Herman to the lake often. The drive took about 45 minutes because a few miles outside Pasto the mountian roads are unpaved and incredibly winding. We went up and around the mountain for about half an hour and then down the other side for about 15 minutes. The drives are incredibly scenic if a bit harrowing, but fun for the unique experince none the less. On the way Herman told us about all kinds of local legend and history as well as asking us a lot about ourselves. He is a native of Colombia but looks European in comparison to most Colombians. He spent 16 years in America, mostly in Manhattan, driving tour busses for Colombian and Mexican tourists. When he asked where we were from in America we said "Wisconsin, near Green Bay." He said "Oh Wisconsin is that near Nevada?" I said "No it's up near Canada, North of Chicago." Anywhere I've traveled foreign or domestic, people always know Chicago so its an easy reference point. Then he asked what was a big city in Wisconsin and we said Milwaukee. For the third time since we've been here, from the the third different person, from three different countries, he lit up and said "Oh like the TV show what is it called!" I answered out of habit "Happy Days." "Yes yes!" he answered "And the other one?" "Laverne and Shirley" I said. He laughed "I know Milwaukee!" So a hearty thanks to Ritchie, Fonzie, Potsie and Ralph Malph for putting my home state into perspective for the rest of the world. I also told him we were known for our dairy production and beer (he asked what beer and I said Miller which he recognized) and for Harley Davidson motorcycles. He was surprised and impressed by that.
When we got to the village on the lake he led us around on a small tour and it was beautiful. As opposed to Pasto, a big city made all of brick and stone, this villiage (El Puerto) was entirely constructed of wood. The houses were generally two story bungalow types and painted all different colors. They had porches on the ground floor and balconies on the second. I felt like I could have moved in and been happy. There is such a beauty to the simplicity of life in these mountain towns that is so appealing. But also it's like being on vacation anywhere and I'm sure if I did live there for a week I'd be crying for a delivery pizza and a store that sold bass strings. Nontheless it was a sight to see on this fantastic lake with a canal surrounding the edge of town. The design of the buildings and the dirt/mud road was like an old west town in a cowboy movie.

After a brief tour of town Herman took us over to a man that owned a long boat who could take us out to the island on the lake. The island is considered sacred to the local tribe of the area and is a wildlife preserve. The boat we were on was about 30 feet long and maybe 6 feet wide with an outboard motor that the owner operated manually. The top of the boat only sat about 6 inches off the water. It had a little tin and wood canopy on the front that came in handy on the way back as it then rained pretty heavily. The boat ride out to the island was lots of fun , and Sofia seemed to enjoy it as well. Once we got to the island (Isla La Corota) the first thing we saw off the dock was a beautiful church. The doors were opened and an eerie blue glow was visibile in the back behind the altar. The church was called La Virgin de Lourdes and the inside was all wood and stunning to see. Once we got inside I saw that the blue glow was from two vertical neon blue tube lights on either side of a statue of the Virgin Mary. This looked a good deal out of place in such a beautiful little church on such a beautiful little island. The "Neon Madonna" notwithstanding Erin said a prayer and I made 3 wishes , which according to Colombian custom you are allowed to ask whenever you enter a church for the first time. Then we proceeded up a path to the park rangers office. The park ranger gave a nice speech , which Herman translated for us , about the park and the plants and animals within. When he finished his speech he said (as translated to us) "Welcome to Isla La Corota." Herman said "Gracias Senior" Erin said "Muchos Gracias" and I in typical fashion blurted out "Buenos Dias!" (good morning). He gave me an odd look that I am all too accustomed to and off we went into the jungle.

There was a path through the jungle about 5 feet wide with wood branch railings on either side and inlaid with timbers, much like railroad ties to walk on. A few yards into the path was a sign in Spanish that Herman translated to us that said "The forest has it's own music, the silence here is like a million sounds." It's hard to describe the feeling I got on this walk. Being in the mountians , when there are no mountains in Wisconsin is one thing , but being in this jungle when there is nothing comparable in the United States is another. Sadly there are fewer and fewer places on Earth like this any more. It felt like being in church, as opposed to the church on the island, which felt more like being in a disco club. It's hard to see nature in such a raw and pristine state without feeling like such a small and insignificant part of something so much more grand. Below are some video clips of the boat ride to the island and part of our walk.

About halfway into the 30 minute walk across the the island we came to a tree that Herman had told us about. It is very sacred to the local tribe (the Quillasingas) and supposedly if you hug the tree for a minute or two you get great energy. The tribe Shaman goes to the tree often to get power to pass on to his people. I certainly don't want sound dismissive of anyone elses beleifs , especially after just being in a Catholic church that was lit up like a 70's bar, but I hugged the tree and only came away with a lot of wet moss on my sweatshirt. Maybe , like a lot of things, you just have to believe.

When we reached the other side of the island there was a round deck about 30 feet off the lake with an amazing view. We rested there and then turned around and walked the same path back to the docks where our boat was waiting.

On the way back to the mainland our boat driver took us around the island but it was raining pretty hard so we didn't see much. But once back on land Herman took us to a resaurant for lunch. This was one of our only real tastes of local cuisine, as breakfast at the hotel is eggs and fruit, lunch is take-out chicken or pizza , and dinner at the hotel is French style food. All of which has been delicious but lunch today was a real treat. It was grilled trout from the lake, and I'm not usually a fan of seafood but it was fantastic. The fish was so fresh and so perfectly seasoned and came with some french fries, rice, a grilled Plantain, salad, fresh fruit juice and a desert of local fruit and cheese. We ate on the second story of the restaurant ,the front of which was open overlooking the canal and you would be hard searched to find a better, more exotic locale or meal anywhere.

After lunch we had about 20 mnutes before the taxi came back for us and Herman led us to a small shop to buy some local hand crafted gifts to bring home. When the taxi came we all loaded in and began the trip home. From the lake we went up the mountain for about 15 minutes and then down the other side. Going down was where the roads got pretty bad. As soon as we got around the mountain and started to head down, I saw our taxi driver look up and make the sign of the cross. For me this is pretty high on the list of things I don't want to see my driver do. And while I'm all for faith, I would have thought he might have wanted to stack the odds in his favor by wearing his seat-belt. Then again maybe he didn't wear it as a show of solidarity to Erin, Sofia and Me because the seat-belts in the back of the taxi had previously been torn out. Either way we made it back safe and sound and both agreed it was about the coolest thing we've done here yet. Herman is an amzing person which is no surprise considering that he is friends with Patrice.
It sounds like we are getting close to coming home and while we all look forward to it I will definitely miss Pasto. After 3 weeks here, and being with Sofia for the first time, it feels like home in its own way. I can't believe the progress the three of us are making together, especially Erin with Sofia, it's mostly a lot of fun and an adventure also. But we really miss our freinds and family and our dog Sam. I'm sure her and Sofia will be quick friends, and being back in our own home and not all in one small room will be a relief for all of us.

Paul

P.S. Tomorrow or the next day I am going to try a local delicasy for lunch, guinnea pig. I'll take lots of pictures .