Monday, February 8, 2010

Laguna de Guatavita

Back in early January, we decided to hike to Lake Guatavita, a sacred lake for the local Muisca community. We went with another couple and their two boys, who are roughly the same age as Mati and Santi. It was a relatively easy hike, except for the heat; Mateo managed to do it all by himself while Santi loved riding in the backpack.

Here's a bit of background history on Lake Guatavita:
Laguna de Guatavita was reputedly one of the sacred lakes of the Muisca, and a ritual conducted there is widely thought to be the basis for the legend of El Dorado. The legend says the lake is where the Muisca celebrated a ritual in which the Zipa (named "El Dorado" by the Spaniards) was covered in gold dust, then venturing out into the water on a ceremonial raft made of rushes, he dived into the waters washing off the gold. Afterward, trinkets', jewellery and other precious offerings were thrown into the waters by worshipers. A few artifacts of gold and silver found at bottom hold proof to this claim; however, to date, the numerous trips to the bottom of the lake have yielded no more than these.

Mateo and Abel


Lake Guatavita
Two men and their babies
The Pereira-Henrikson Family



The Bossut-Ugartes! :)