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The sacred lands of the ancient Muisca

El Paso - The great passage

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In the previous chapter, we kicked off our journey by diving into the vast, beautiful eastern plains of Colombia known as los llanos . For easier representation, I will be using the term llanos in the blog. It refers to the plains. This region is mostly lush, wet grassland, and because of that, cattle ranching has become a huge part of the local culture, woven into everything they do. Comida Llanera You can see this influence everywhere—in their music, their dances, and especially in the food. It is ironic, though, the comida llanera (food of the plains) is all about meat, even with so many fantastic vegetables and grains around! Honestly, finding great vegetarian food has always been my biggest challenge and complaint while exploring the plains. Typical food from the plains  Restrepo, Meta Anyway, back to Restrepo! This town is our starting point for all the adventures we will have here. Sticking to the local custom, signified in the song Ay, sí, sí , ‘y a las seis de la mañana...
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The Eastern Plains - The beginning

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Happy new year and this is the time to start a new chapter in Unknown Colombia. Thank you for sticking around.  Orinoquía region, also known as the eastern plains, is one of the most fascinating natural regions of Colombia, yet is often overlooked by travellers here due to the vastness and remoteness of this region, starting with the complicated trunk road RN 40 from Bogotá to Villavicencio. Sunrise over the plains is a sight to experience Geographical Extent The Eastern Plains covers the departments of Meta, Casanare, Vichada, Guaviare, parts of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. Although there are some cities in this region such as Villavicencio, the capital of Meta department, which is the 11th largest in Colombia and Yopal, the capital of Casanare department, this region is rural, remote, fertile and full of culture, gastronomy, music and dance. Villavicencio is affectionately referred to as Villao (Vee jaa oo) and is considered as ‘Puerto Del Llano’ or ‘Gateway to the plains’. The gover...
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Location: Meta, Colombia
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Guayatá - The town of the curd arepa

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In the previous post, we saw how the community radio from Sutatenza helped eradicate illiteracy amongst the peasant community. While we still have to explore Sutatenza and beyond, let us move a bit on the other side of the valley to a largely unknown town that rose to fame when it won the Guinness award for the world's largest flower petal carpet in 2014. The Guinness Plaque of Guayatá   Welcome to Guayatá - The town of the curd arepa. View of Guayatá from Guateque   Guayatá lies about 45 minutes away from Guateque and the road is mostly paved unlike the road to Tenza. The first time I heard about Guayatá was while having coffee in Guateque when I saw that the coffee they sold was cultivated in Guyatá.  Súnuba river marks the official boundary between Guateque and Guayatá   Guayatá means the domain of a lady cacique in the Chibcha language. It most likely derived from Súnuba, the lady Cacica.  As we walk through the main plaza, we come across monuments celebrati...
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Location: Guayatá, Boyaca, Colombia
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Sutatenza - The home town of the community radio

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  The entrance to Machetá   Snapshot • Guateque is a significant town due to its location at the junction of highways connecting to the Colombian plains. • In the 1940s and 1950s, a priest named Monsignor José Joaquín Salcedo Guarín established a rudimentary radio station in Sutatenza, which evolved into the Escuelas Radiofónicas, a highly successful radio education program that combated illiteracy and improved the lives of peasants in various aspects. • The program's success led to its replication in 24 countries across four continents. • Today, Sutatenza is known for the community radio innovation and its street art dedicated to ACPO and Monsignor Salcedo Guarín, commemorating the town's role in this remarkable educational initiative. A map of Tenza valley showing its location and the principal municipalities. Follow the route from Machetá on the left Sutatenza - The home town of the community radio The road from Sisga to Machetá further towards Guateque is narrow and has a ...
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