San Luis de Gaceno: Going its own way

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

As has been well documented on this blog, I've visited several rather similar Colombian towns — pueblos — over the last few years. 

Now, some cynical types might say that all Colombian towns are pretty much the same, in a mediocre sense, apart from a small number of exceptional ones. I, of course, wouldn't go along with that.

Gorgeous Gaceno: There are worse places one could be!

Putting God in His place

Nonetheless, having been to so many, particularly in the Andean region, that I don't always remember one over the other or that I forget specific attractions is surely understandable and forgivable, isn't it?

This doesn't mean I didn't/don't like them. One could say it's akin to mixing up lookalike siblings. They have unique traits that set them apart but on first appearance or recalling the individuals from memory it can be hard to tell the difference. This is usually "corrected" through further engagement or by delving deeper into the memory bank.

Some places, though, just like people, stand out more so than others. They are, for good or for bad, more easily remembered.

San Luis de Gaceno, in the hot, low-lying lands in the south of the Boyacá department, is in that category. Its setting alone, which you can get an idea of via this YouTube Shorts video, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v_NToHlkGcQ, should ensure that.

Yet, Colombia has many quaint towns surrounded by stunning landscapes. Indeed, while the natural beauty around San Luis de Gaceno competes with the best of them, architecturally speaking, it's in the lower leagues.

That building blandness aside, it is often the quirkier aspects of a person or a place that linger. With San Luis de Gaceno, for me anyway, two such quirks have stuck in the mind.

'This parish peculiarity could be a sign that Sanluiseños like to, um, think outside the main square.'

The first, more obvious one, conspicuous by its absence, is the fact that the town's main square is devoid of a landmark Catholic church, nay any religious building. This goes against not just the Colombian but also the Latin American standard.

A church-free main square. 

It does have a Catholic church — and, lest one be accused of bias, places of worship for some other denominations — but it's simply the case that it's not located on the main square.

I heard it said that the locals loved their faith so much that they wanted the church to have a standalone spot, which it does. It's on a knoll just off the main road.

Whatever the reason, this parish peculiarity could be a sign that Sanluiseños, the demonym for the locals, like to, um, think outside the main square, so to put it.

'Only their chickens and rivers run free'

The other "major" anomaly that I observed — or didn't observe, as it was — is that the town has no fried/roast chicken restaurant, asadero de pollo as they're called in these parts. Or if there is one, it's well hidden, which would be a feat in itself. These are the eateries, after all, with lines of chickens slowly spit-roasting away for all to see. They're ubiquitous in Colombia. Well, I had thought they were.

It's not, it must be noted, that I needed one during my stay — in heat in excess of 30 degrees Celsius I tend not to have cravings for roasted or fried chicken. It's just that in many Colombian towns there's nearly no other option when it comes to eating out. So the lack of one was a mild surprise.

One thing I do like to have, regardless of the weather, is a cup of quality, unsweetened coffee.

As I've detailed before, it can be next to impossible to find such a "treat" in small-town Colombia. Yet, once again, San Luis de Gaceno bucks the trend.

An oasis of calm: A serene spot where one can unwind. 

In the couple of panaderías I frequented, the coffee served up merited more than a pass mark. And I am a fairly tough grader when it comes to my brew.

Throw in the town's closeness to fluvial freshness — with some serene spots along the river great for cooling off — and a comfortable en suite hotel room for 20,000 pesos per night and it's easy to see why San Luis de Gaceno, as a place to unwind if nothing else, has much going for it.

This is not to mention the quite spectacular scenery en route from Bogotá. It makes the five-hour journey that little bit less taxing. (This is, by the way, on the same road, just a little further south, as Santa María, which I visited and wrote about previously.)

Indeed, if the work and visa gods permit me to stay in Colombia beyond November, I may go back to San Luis de Gaceno to enjoy a longer stint than the rather rushed two nights I had there.

That would be a rarity for me — a return to a town I've already visited. It's as good as an endorsement that Wrong Way can give.
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A balmier (and wetter) side to Boyacá

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

When one thinks of Colombia's Boyacá department, if one thinks of it at all, it tends to conjure up images of the awe-inspiring Andes, clean, cool country air and the odd superstar cyclist.

It's generally not thought of as a tropical paradise. That's because, for the most part, it's not one.

First impressions: Santa María on a sunny day.

Right as rain

Yet, Boyacá does have its lower-lying areas and, as Colombia is in the tropics, with that comes hotter weather, day and night (the sun can and does show its force during the day in the loftier parts, as I discovered in Tibaná recently).

One of those balmier Boyacá places is the small town of Santa María in the department's southern Neira Province. Warm it may be (at an altitude of 850 metres, the average low is 23 degrees Celsius), its tropical monsoon climate means it gets plenty of rain. I just so happened to plan my brief visit at the start of its wet season. Oh well.

Santa María gets its fair share of rain, especially between April and November.

Thus, the idea of a sun-kissed trip to Santa María, bronzing oneself up, didn't really materialise. It was far from cold, though, of course. And the sun did peep through on occasions. In further mitigation, the heaviest, most intense rain seemed to fall at night. Indeed, that helped to make things more relaxing in a way, listening to the rain hammer down on tin roofs whilst cosily tucked up in bed.

Alongside that, for some relative peace and quiet compared to the Bogotá bustle, it certainly comes good.

Now some of you may be aware that I do like to get it in some hillwalking where possible and on that front Santa María has various options.

'Perhaps the townsfolk figured it would simply be a waste of time and money building a big church, competing in vain with the beauty that nature has to offer all around.'

La Cristalina is an "official" — i.e. signposted, for the most part, anyway — roughly four-kilometre (one-way, from the town centre) trek through rolling forested hills, incorporating a nice view of the town from the south and leading to a small waterfall.

From calm waters to ...

Close to the beginning and at the end of this walk, the largely fast-flowing river does provide some refreshing bathing spots. These are well-received when the sun is out.

... the river wild.

A dam good place

Immediately to the north of the town there is an alluring peak that I had to try to master. Alas, with just vague instructions on how to arrive at the summit, I only managed to get about three-quarters of the way, wading through some thick grassland en route, before encountering some rather dense forest. I figured it was best to make a safe retreat at that stage. At least I made it far enough so as to get a good view of Santa María well below.

I subsequently discovered some other walks along quiet country lanes, passing through both farmland and forests. (A special mention to 76-year-old and father of a five-year-old daughter, Gonzalo, who generously fed and watered me with guarapo [a sometimes fermented sugarcane juice, in case you're wondering] and arepas after I stumbled upon his secluded homestead on one of the various hills I wandered up. The refreshments were well received following about six hours of ascending and descending.)

A view of that alluring peak to the north of Santa María.

Santa María itself, unlike most towns in these parts, is devoid of an impressive Catholic church on its main plaza. For sure, it has a church, it's just not that aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps the townsfolk figured it would simply be a waste of time and money trying to compete with the beauty that nature has to offer all around. If that is the case, I'm in agreement.

Top man: Gonzalo came good with copious amounts of guarapo and a couple of arepas.

As for a place to lay one's head, for a small settlement, it has, somewhat surprisingly, at least five accommodation options. I was told this is a legacy of the construction of the nearby and visually stunning La Esmeralda Dam, built in the 1970s for hydroelectric power (see video below).

I opted for Hotel La Posada, with rooms from a very reasonable 25,000 COP per night. Going by outward appearances, the other hotels may be a little fancier but, I must confess, I didn't check them out. This was for the simple reason that Don Jaime and his wife Margarita, La Posada's owners, are a delightful elderly couple so I was content to stay put.

Spying Santa María from the hills to the north.

In fact, Don Jaime insists I should return, preferably in the dry season (I don't mind the rain, Jaime!), as he wants to bring me to his farm on the outskirts of the town, where he herds about 80 cattle.

For the old farmhand that I am, it's a very tempting invitation. As the saying goes, you can take the man out of the farm but you can't take the farm out of the man.

I guess it's why I have a liking for these rural retreats.

*There are almost hourly buses to Santa María from Bogotá's northern bus terminal (Calle 193) with Flota La Macarena and Flota Valle de Tenza the main operators. A one-way ticket costs 35,000 COP during normal times (expect to pay more during holiday and festival periods). The journey time is about 3.5 hours.

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Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".