The Resilient Farmers from Sierra Nevada.

If I have to choose a single word to portrait the spirit of the farmers from the breathtaking lands of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, that word would be Resilience, furthermore, this expression perfectly describe the spirit of Colombian people.

From left to right: Jorge Lara, Pedro and Jhon Jairo de la Hoz, my guides.

Last week, I planned to visit and meet again my friends from work to support them on a working day, cleaning the trail used for those whom visit the Tayrona archeological site known as Ciudad Perdida; I took my camera as I always do. Unexpectedly, I was invited to participate in a tree days expedition to explore and photograph new pathways and landscaping, (at least for me) for a project, however, it was an area only crossed by locals.

I had no idea where I was going to, or the places where we were going to spend the night, I didn't even know what to expect or find along the way, it is rainning season, they didn't give me too many details and I only had a pair of jeans, one change of clothes and my pijamas... I said yes, of course.

'El Abanico' waterfall. 'María, we should be there by tomorrow afternoon, said Jorge.

To be completely honest, I was craving for intense physical activity and urgently seeking for connecting with the healing power of the nature, which I know very well after almost tree years of working in the rainforest. I am very aware of this mysterious intelligence that sets in motion and keep all the circles of the nature, is the same one that keeps our hearts beating and the galaxies spinning, I needed to heal my heavy heart after months of isolation, fear, lost and grieve and went there feeling powerless and hopeless as I never felt before in my life.

Alfredo's Camp

My farmer friends lives in this lovely, one street farmer's village called Machete Pelao, we departed from there and this time, our destination wasn't the popular Ciudad Perdida so everything was very new to me, I had no idea where I was and I was pure adrenalyne and excitement.

The expedition itself gave me way much more than what I was seeking for, the most stunnishing views, wild river crossings by foot with water chest deep, cable car river crossings, long climbings, a couple hours hiking down the pouring rain (I was wearing jeans), we walked through the huge, highest grass... I was bursting with adrenalyne and corn fields and I never felt tempted to use my earphones because my guides where telling me this unvelieveble stories from the tragic times when guerrillas and paramilitars where fighting each other over the territores.

'El Abanico' waterfall.

I lost the count of the many times I heard my friends telling the visitors about the times of Coca plantations, illegal armed groups, war and displacement that they suffered for several years and how their lifes shifted from that to get a career, a job, and the opportunity of doing what they love the most and be paid for it: receiving visitors from all over the world with arms wide open, and share the hidden treasures and magnificent wonders of their beautiful lands, ¡nothing makes more happy to the country people from Sierra Nevada than that!

Buritaca river crossing. The longest cable car I ever saw

It is a beautiful thing to see how people thrive when given with a second chance in life, we are capable of overcoming the most unthinkable circumstances and start over from zero; I like to imagine the ancient times when the Tayronas arrived to this blessed lands where the mountains and the sea embraces each other on a endessly dance, I guess it was the same for them; maybe Sierra Nevada is a place where people comes over to see and experience that, a new beginning.

I want to show everybody not just the beauty of nature but to demonstrate that, it is not a metaphore when natives and shamans from here says that, our home planet Earth is a woman brimming with life, a sentient being, a loving mother with conciousness and we are all connected to her. It is our common mother and my friends, the resilient farmers from Sierra Nevada, are helping me with that, and I will try to give them something in return by sharing everybody their story and country land. Colombia is one of the most beautifull countries I had ever visited.

Thank you, Jorge, Jhon and Pedro! See you soon for a next adventure!

El Abanico waterfall. A must!