3.0 The locations of Magical Disinformation: Part 3 - Sierra Nevada and La Guajira

In this post we explore the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the remote desert peninsula of La Guajira. I’ve traveled to both areas and they feature in my novel, MAGICAL DISINFORMATION. However, unlike previous posts, this time I’m reluctant to say anything about what occurs in this part of the book. You’ll have to read it and find out!

You can read the first few chapters of MAGICAL DISINFORMATION via the Amazon “Look Inside” function HERE.

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Looming large on the Caribbean coast of Colombia is the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. At its tallest, it reaches 5,700 m (18,700 ft) into the sky—that’s higher than Mt Blanc in Europe—and is a mere 42 kilometres from the coast, making it the tallest coastal mountain range in the tropics. It’s a distinct mountain range from the Andes as it’s not connected to the main range that travels the length of the South American continent. Having travelled through the Sierra, it’s a fascinating place where you can see snow-capped mountains and lakes, raging rivers, thick jungle-like forest and the reminiscence of La Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City), now an archaeological site.   

The map below gives you an idea of where the Sierra sits in Colombia.

 

The hills and mountains of the Sierra Nevada were once home to the Tayrona people whose descendants are now part of the indigenous groups: Arhuaco, Kogi, Kankuamo and Wiwa. Since 1979, when it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site (as a Biosphere), it has been a protected national park. This includes the indigenous communities that live in the Sierra many of who lived in protected communities that require permission to visit. The biggest and most prominent of which is Nabusimake.  

A Kogi village in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Source: Lachlan Page ©

Being a remote, mountainous area has meant that in the past there has been guerrilla and paramilitary activity. Although currently the Colombian Military and Indigenous rangers are in control of the vast majority of the area.  

La Guajira

Now to the northernmost reaches of Colombia, La Guajira peninsula. La Guajira is a far flung desert peninsula sitting at the top of the South American continent, bordering Venezuela. It’s largely home to the indigenous Wayuu people who cross the border freely between the two countries, as to them there never was and still isn’t a border. 

This map shows you where La Guajira sits at the northernmost point of Colombia (and the South American continent).

 

The town of Uribia is where the tarmac runs out and where travelers arrive to then move onto Cabo de la Vela and further to Punta Gallinas. The small fishing village (or more like string of houses) of Cabo de la Vela is a sleepy row of huts, houses and cabañas along a sandy track right on the beach. Accommodation when I was there was very basic, in fact, I went for the cheapest option (around $3 USD per night) which was sleeping in a hammock under a thatched cabana, a couple metres from the ocean.

Main street of Cabo de la Vela. Source: Lachlan Page ©

Much of the surrounding land is desert-like with small shrubs and bushes and the odd salt lake with resident flamingos. It’s a landscape which English and Dutch pirates and the Spanish conquistadors tried to conquer but never quite managed to do so completely. A fact which led a former Governor, Soto de Herrera, to declare in 1718 and the land (and I guess the Wayuu) was: “Sin dios, sin ley y sin rey”. Without god, without law and without king.

For those interested in this region, there’s a fascinating Colombia movie, Birds of Passage, by one of my favourite Directors, Ciro Guerra. It’s filmed mostly in the Wayuu language and I think a good way to get a feel for the area, Wayuu culture and the landscape.

See the trailer for Birds of Passage (2018) below.  

Thanks for reading, the final installment of the scenes of Magical Disinformation will be coming next month. 

If you are interested in reading MAGICAL DISINFORMATION click here to pick up a copy via your preferred bookstore.