Through trees we see flashes of a lake. A sacred lagoon speaking to the imagination of an ancient tribe, European conquistadors and modern-day tourists. Guatavita and her legend: El Dorado. Many have searched for El Dorado. The legend promises gold and has delivered some. But we do not know what El Dorado is. Is it a man? A city? A kingdom? An empire? Is it hope or something spiritual? What I do know, and many with me, is that Guatavita and her white town in the mountains is a perfect getaway from the big city of Bogotá.
The Villaveces family want to show me their favourite place in the surroundings of Bogotá: Guatavita. After my two days in the city of Bogotá itself we decide to have a little escape into the lush surroundings of the capital of Colombia. We discover the town of Zipaquirá in the morning and follow the road into the mountains in the afternoon. It’s raining and already getting darker when we arrive in the white town in the mountains, situated near the famous Lake of Guatavita. But despite the weather, Guatavita instantly brings you into a holiday mood.
The white town of Guatavita
We drive into the town and park our car outside of the centre. Everywhere I look I see only white, low buildings comfortably snuggled up onto the hilly area. Through a portal in the white city wall I enter Guatavita. It is not the holiday season so it is desolated here, but it is clean and so calm here that I understand why the Villaveces family, and perhaps city people in general, adore this little town.
Finally, I get to try some authentic Colombian food. In a completely empty restaurant we discover a nice patio and decide to enjoy a lunch there. Because I am a vegetarian, this means rice, eggs, plantains (a type of banana), avocado and hot aqua panela (sugar cane juice) with a chunk of white and firm cheese. It’s all they could offer me at that time, but it’s a good meal and I especially loved the drink because it’s really a new experience for me.
Remembering history
We experience a short black out and realise it is already completely dark when we leave the restaurant onto the patio, where a statue is being lit by golden lights. I remember being a ‘fan’ of ancient (American) civilizations when I was young, resulting in piles of books about their cultures and of course the inevitable school presentation on the Mayas, Incas and Aztecs. Now I’m standing eye to eye with one of those civilization’s cultural heritage in the famous El Dorado.
On our way back to the city, we stop the car to have a beautiful view over the city by night. This place and the atmosphere makes me think of Indonesia a bit, as we also have a spot in Yogyakarta where the youth meets to watch over the city and her lights, as if looking at a sky filled with stars. We see a thunderstorm in the distance and it’s getting colder now. But luckily, we are warmed up by hot aqua panela with aguardiente (alcohol).
