The Tatacoa Desert

More Tierradentro

The garden of the house that we stayed in was excellent for bird watching.








We were told that there was a pyramid in the area, and that it was possible to either walk there or take a collectivo (shared jeep-taxi-bus). We waited around for the collectivo, but nothing arrived, so we started walking and figured we'd flag it down when it went by. It never did.

When we started on our walk a couple of dogs started following us, which wasn't too strange as the day before some others had walked with us to the first archeological site, then turned back when they got bored. These dogs, however, just kept walking...they did not know what they were getting themselves into. We ended up walking the entire way to the pyramid, about 15km, then walked all the way back as well because none of the passing trucks would agree to take the dogs too, and we couldn't leave them so far from home.

Here is Josh with our enthusiastic friends. Paco and Rex*: they were a bit of an odd couple, but were the best of friends. On the left, Paco, a happy-go-lucky chaser of chickens, or any other small animals he happened to see. On the right, Rex, a bit more laid-back, but did capture a goose by the neck at one point during our walk.

*We did not actually know their names until after our walk when some kids in the village told us.



The view from the pyramid

The inside of the "pyramid" (really tunnels carved into a mountain)

The little boys who were showing us around captured this poor bat.




The dogs did not want to go home after our long walk, so we found out where they lived and walked them back to their house. Rex ran thankfully inside, but Paco kept following us. He then slept on the doorstep of the house we were staying in all night, and was ready and eager for another walk when we left at 5am to catch our jeep. One day Laura will go back there and steal Paco to take to Canada.

Our early morning jeep broke down a couple of hours into the journey...

Tierradentro

After leaving San Agustin we spent two long days travelling to the sleepy mountain village of San Andres, transfering collectivos and rancheros 5 times. Once we arrived we were happy to hang out for 4 days and wander around the tombs of Tierradentro. With the exception of one other traveller who stopped by for a day, we were the only estranjeros in town. While Tierradentro's archaeological remains are arguably not as impressive as San Agustin's, we thoroughly enjoyed them and their beautiful setting.

San Andres's thatched roofed church



View from El Aguacate

Josh investigates a tomb at El Aguacate





El Tablón:


The tombs of Tierradentro are thought to be contemporaneous with those of San Agustin. The sculptures at the two sites share similar characteristics, but the two cultures are thought to be distinct. However, trade networks and shared belief systems are almost certain. Like San Agustin, very little is known about this culture.

Segovia: