The Unknown Colombia - Tundama Territory

On the road from Barraya to Colombia On the highway to Neiva just outside Aipe The highway from Rivera to Neiva The Magdalena river which is the lifeline of Huila The scenary from Neiva to Barraya, changed to cactus plants after crossing Villavieja The scenic River Ambica just before she joins River Cabrera The road from Barraya towards Colombia 

Me I have been in Colombia since end of 2013 and I have always been fascinated by the country. This country is a backpacker's paradise. Mind you, I am not a back packer. I am not a tourist. I am somewhere in the middle. I am a traveler. Traveler Not Tourist Traveler, not tourist is how I would describe myself. Why though? I am not particularly interested in traveling to the most touristic places however, being a history reader, I am more interested in visiting places that has a historical significance and by that extension cultural importance as well. So while I visit a place that could be touristic, I also visit places based on historical and cultural significance. These are some places that not a lot of people have heard of, and these places do not exist in the tourist maps of the country. For example - I once got lost in a village called Colombia in the department of Huila in central Colombia. This was in 2017 and I challenged myself to repeat the trip in 2019 agai

Why Unknown Colombia When I launched the blog back in 2017, I had the following things in mind: Showcase the less travelled places in Colombia - places that do not exist in tourist maps Travel to every single department and showcase its culture and differences Travel by road wherever possible and document the route  Between balancing a busy work schedule and managing household chores, and travel, I did not do justice to the blog.  My gear or the lack of it What I did not have back then was a proper shooting gear. My phone back then was a Moto Z  and I was ambitious enough to use it as the only equipment. While the device was not bad, it definitely was not the one supporting the blog. Lost in time - Getting lazy Down the line, interests change and I did not open the blog for a long time. Though I invested in a GoPro 7 and a Samsung Galaxy S10+, and I had accumulated tons of photo and video materials, I was waiting for a rainy day to restart and shape up that wanderlust spirit. Fresh vis

If I give the following clues about this place, how many of you would be able to find out what this place is? 1. This town used to be an important trade stop between the indigenous people from the Andes and the llanos (Colombian plains) before the colonial period. Trade used to be on emerald and salt. 2. The Spanish conquered this region from the cacique of Cora looking for esmerladas (emeralds). The cacique of Cora was a subordinate to the Zaque of Hunza. That is Tenza for you. Well, Tenza, Boyacá. How did I find out about Valle de Tenza The way I got to know about tenza is a bit curious. There are lots of yellow buses from Valle de Tenza that go from Bogotá outward seemingly towards this unknown region. When I got to research about this place, there is not a lot of available information online about this region.  The more I learnt about this place, the more interested I was in visiting this region. To me it appears that this region completely disappeared of the tour

The Center and the church The onion farmers monument Typical architecture Center scene Onion farms Lake Tota plays an important role in day to day life Onion farms along the plains surrounded by mountains

Border marker welcoming you to Boyacá The border marker welcoming you to Cundinamarca A poetic landscape in Boyacá Another Boyacá landscape A rural road in Boyacá

Stressful times in Bogota  After spending a certain time in Bogota, I realize that the stressful life can take a toll on me. Though Bogota has all the modern amenities that I can ask for, it can be a bit heavy at times. Car rentals are easy in Bogota, hence a weekend escape travel is not hard. What is hard is to choose the place I want to visit. One such small town is Paipa. Driving straight up here can take up to 4 hours from Portal del Norte depending on the traffic.     Escape Travels I normally plan such trips for 2 days. Driving from Bogota early on saturday morning and returning by sunday night.  There are a lot of good hotels and hostels in Paipa. The times that I have visited here, I have stayed in Paipa and as well as other small towns nearby. That wanderlust in me always wants to visit as many towns as possible on my weekend. I call these trips as escape travels that break the routine once in a while.   Weekend Trips  My recommendation for a weekend travel is a