An advice my Latino friends gave me was to take it easy when we get to Colombia. With the high altitude we’re not used to, one can become quite fatigued easily. Not heeding their advice, mainly because our itinerary was already planned, we were off to elevations of 3400 metres less than two days after we arrived.
In the eastern mountain ranges of the Andes, an hour and a half from Bogotá, lies the national park of Chingaza. Chingaza contributes 80% of high quality drinking water to Bogota and is home to many flora and fauna, some of which can only be found there. Upon entering the park, one can admire the wilderness of mountains, lakes and waterfalls on the side of the road. We were told that the water from the falls is from the clouds, gathered and filtered by the plants, and released.
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| waterfalls by the road |
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| we ended our hike at the stream |
After our picnic lunch of tortillas (or wraps), we headed off for a hike to explore the reserve. In the páramo (moor), one can find beautiful and interesting wildlife. We saw the frailejones (a perennial shrub, some varieties of which are unique to the park) and swamp mosses that absorb up to forty times their weight in water. We saw thousand year old trees and plenty of deer.
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| One of the many deer we saw |
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| Frailejones |
The hike contributed to a hefty laundry bill at the apartment and a significant amount of time washing off shoes due to the muddy trails. Nevertheless, the amazing scenery was a treat!
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