Lachlan Page's Blog, page 2

A colonial time-warp from the pages of a García Marquez novel

‘So the Dominicans used to fight with the Jesuits who would clash with the Augustinians?’ asks my wife

‘No, not the clergy,’ replies our guide, Gonzalo, in Spanish, ‘but rather their supporters would fight amongst themselves.’

‘Like football hooligans nowadays’, I chime in.

‘Exacto!’ beams Gonzalo, ‘I’ll use that analogy next time.’

We exit the dusty Santo Domingo church, mount our bikes and push on as the equatorial sun blazes down. Heat radiates up from the road like standing over a hot stove.  

Gonzalo, leisurely pedalling along, yells over his shoulder with a cheeky grin, ‘And now, to the cemetery which hosts some of the town’s most valuable real estate!’

We dismount at the cemetery entrance near a group of elderly men, as Gonzalo begins his next story. ‘During Semana Santa, the town residents dress up and gather in this cemetery to light candles in honour of their deceased loved ones,’ the group of men nod, confirming, as Gonzalo continues. ‘The cemetery is so popular that some Momposinos can’t wait to die—just to be buried here!’

The men cackle with laughter like husky-voiced geese and chime in with agreement. 

‘¿Si o no, caballeros?’ Gonzalo confirms with them. ‘Am I right, gentlemen?’

They all nod, still chuckling as one replies: ‘Así es.’ 

 

Mompox Cemetery. Lachlan Page ©

 

We are on a historic bike tour in Santa Cruz de Mompox (sometimes written as Mompos), a UNESCO World Heritage listed town on an island amidst Colombia’s Magdalena river founded in 1537. The once thriving trading post connected the coast with the Andes and was also used as a safe haven if Cartagena were to fall to the British or be ransacked by pirates.

It’s this strategic location that brought merchants, metalwork artisans, the odd botanist—Alexander von Humboldt passed through here—and the Dominican, Jesuit, Augustinian and Franciscan orders who established the town’s churches. This wealth and isolation led Mompox to play an important part in the liberation of the northern part of South America and self-declaring independence from the Spanish on August 6, 1811.    

To explore this history further, Gonzalo takes us to La Piedra de Bolívar, a stone which shows the arrivals and departures of Simon Bolívar—El Libertador—who liberated much of northern South America. The stone shows Bolíar passed through here eight times during his independence campaign. On one occasion taking 400 able-bodied Momposino men to liberate his native Caracas, now immortalised in Mompox’s Plaza de la Libertad where Bolivar’s famous quote adorns a statue at its centre. “If to Caracas I owe my life, then to Mompox I owe my glory”. Those with an acute historical eye will also notice the ‘Aqui habito Bolivar varias veces’ signs (Bolivar stayed here various times) around town. 

Simon Bolīvar in Casa de la Cultura in Mompox. Lachlan Page ©

Mompox’s Plaza de la Libertad. Lachlan Page ©

After our independence interlude we visit the San Agustin church which holds a decadent, gold leafed religious float, made in France and financed by wealthy local families. Hooded nazarenos carry the float taking two steps forward and one step back following in the footsteps of Christ en route to the church of San Francisco during Semana Santa — Holy Week or Easter. The solemn processions here are some of the most famous in Colombia and are accompanied by candle-holding worshippers and brass music similar to the traditional Easter processions of Seville.  

 

The altar in San Agustin church, Mompox. Lachlan Page ©

 

Our tour continues on our pious equivalent of a pub crawl as we visit the churches San Francisco, Conception, and finally, Santa Barbara. It’s here, we climb the famous bell tower for a view over the Andalusian-style terracotta roofs and church cupolas where you get a sense that not much has changed since Mompox’s heyday as the once prosperous trading town.  

 

View from the bell tower in Santa Barbara church. Lachlan Page ©

 

However, while Mompox hasn’t changed, the rest of Colombia has. In the 19th century, a buildup of sediment at a bend in the river nearby made it less desirable and a new port at Magangue was established. Gone are the larger barges and paddle steamers which brought people and prosperity, although it is still possible to arrive via ferry from the port of Magangue. Nevertheless, Mompox remains relatively undiscovered, even for many Colombians. 

After our bike tour, we stroll along the Albacarrada (the main promenade along the river) past whitewashed colonial mansions, now housing cafes, restaurants and boutique hotels. We stop to drink icy pineapple juice and watch dugout canoes—similar to the indigenous champanes which feature on the towns coat of arms—ferry school children across the river and fisherman ply their trade on this fast flowing river outlet of the Magdalena.

Refreshed from the arctic jugo de piña, we head away from the river to Calle Real del Medio (Royal Middle Street) — the old part of Mompox consists of three streets parallel to the river: La Albarrada, Calle Real del Medio and Calle de Atrás — to the restored colonial casa which houses Café Ambrosia. We sit down to lunch of fried boca chico river fish, squashed plantain known as patacon, coconut rice and cold local corozo juice.   

To beat the afternoon heat, we return to our hotel, La Casa Amarilla, for a much needed siesta. Lying in hammocks around a leafy courtyard, a slight breeze breaks up the dense, humid afternoon air. Rested, we head out at sunset to wander the streets as ornate street lanterns begin to cast a soft glow on the white-washed stucco walls and the crackling hum of cicadas fills the night air. Locals drag their rocking chairs to the street to catch the evening breeze and chit-chat with passing friends. We continue along the Albarrada until we reach El Fuerte, a wood-oven pizzeria housed in the former San Anselmo Fort where the artistic furniture adds to the atmosphere and is, surprisingly, for sale.

During the several days we spend in Mompox, we also take a boat trip to the Pijino wetlands which team with great blue herons and kingfishers while howler monkeys rumble through the treetops lining the river. Back in town, we visit a filigree metal workshop, an ancient, intricate trade weaving together fine strands of gold and silver to create unique jewellery famous throughout Colombia. A technique that remains from its days as a trading port in which gold, silver and emeralds passed through between the Andes and the Caribbean.    

Filigree metalwork in Mompox. Lachlan Page ©

Mompox from the river. Lachlan Page ©

However, the real appeal of Mompox is the sleepy, laid back town feel oozing faded colonial beauty and an alluring, lost-in-time charm. You can’t help but think you’re stuck in a time warp wandering the streets past palatial riverside mansions while iguanas scurry along the river bank as the Magdalena slowly drifts past. A far cry from its larger colonial sister, Cartagena, which receives floating cities full of bumbag-wearing tourists daily.

 

Santa Barbara church. Lachlan Page ©

 

Colombian Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez mentions this magical, isolated charm in his book, The General in his Labyrinth, when General Bolívar comments to José Palacios, his aide-de-camp: "Mompox does not exist. Sometimes we dream about it, but it does not exist." 

With a bridge constructed and tourism rising in Colombia, it won’t be long before more people will realise that Mompox really does it exist. Then, those that make the journey and visit her churches can reply as José Palacios did to General Bolívar when told that Mompox does not exist: “at least I can testify to the existence of the Santa Barbara Tower".

How to get there

Mompox can be reached via Valledupar or Sincelejo — hotels can arrange transfers from these locations.

Places to stay

La Casa Amarilla (Carrera 1 # 13-59) Expat run hotel with leafy interior courtyard near Santa Barbara church. 

Hotel San Rafael (Albarrada de, Cra. 1 #14 - 57) A 17th Century renovated colonial house offering spacious rooms and a swimming pool, right on the Albarrada. 

Hostal Dona Manuela (Calle Real del Medio #17-41) Heritage listed colonial hotel built around an enormous tree with a swimming pool.

Eating

Ambrosía (Calle 19 #1a - 59 | Parque de la libertad) Chic restaurant housed in colonial casa on Parque de la Libertad.

Comedor Costeño (Calle de la Albarrada #18-45) Rustic riverside cafe with cheap local fare (try the Mojarra Frita) and ice cold cerveza.

El Fuerte (Calle de la Albarrada #163 — cerca a la Iglesia Santa Barbara) Austrian-Colombian run wood-oven pizza and pasta restaurant on the edge of town with wooden artwork furniture.

‘The General of Caracas’ is published and on tour!

My second novel, THE GENERAL OF CARACAS, was published on November 1, 2022. It’s available to order online here or simply google it or ask to order it in at your favourite book shop.

To promote the book, we’re going on an online book blog tour! That means from November 14 to December 1, 2022 the book will be in the hands of book reviewers, book influencers, and others in the book world who will reviewing and/or posting about it on social media during this period. So keep your eyes peeled or check out @LOVEBOOKSTOURS on social media to see their posts. More details on the tour below.

Additionally, there are some early reviews in on GoodReads (See here for the book page — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62331679-the-general-of-caracas). If you don’t have a GoodReads account you can sign up here and if you happen to read any of my books, it would be great if you could leave an honest review. GoodReads is also a great spot to see other reviews and connect with books in the genre that you enjoy.

Also, below are some early blurbs from other authors, reviewers, and podcasts.

‘My Latin Life’ podcast interview - Lachlan Page

I was recently on the ‘My Latin Life’ podcast, a platform that “since 2014, My Latin Life has been your trusted guide to traveling and living in Latin America.” It has some great guides to living in Latin America and interviews with a range of interesting people.

You can check out the website here — https://mylatinlife.com/

For my interview on My Latin Life’s website, see here — https://mylatinlife.com/2022/11/05/lachlan-page-my-latin-life-podcast/

Or see below to go direct to your preferred podcast platform.

YouTube — https://youtu.be/pv-2z7UDWzI

Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/episode/2LtD3a1W39IOAMERaNSWSB?si=df830e8bc9b54ec0

Apple Podcast — https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/my-latin-life-podcast/id1610934181?i=1000585192579

Why I wrote the book ‘The General of Caracas’

The germ of an idea for The General Of Caracas occurred to me back in 2011 while crossing the border from Colombia into Venezuela. I wasn’t going far into the country, just to the nearest town (San Antonio de Táchira) to have my Colombian work visa approved at the Colombian consulate. In San Antonio, I chatted with locals while munching on empanadas and sipping icy cold Polar-brand beer in the town square.  Many told stories of family members that had already left the country due to hard economic times and worrying signs that Venezuela was becoming more autocratic.  

It was a story I’d heard before. While living in Bogotá at the time, I knew many Venezuelans who had fled for brighter opportunities abroad. Some were my students at the university where I taught. Later, as the situation in the country worsened, millions more would flee, turning it into the largest recorded refugee crisis in the Americas. Then, in 2017, large protests erupted onto the streets of Caracas as a constitutional crisis engulfed the country (See here for more details). Key members of the government, the military, the police, and other prominent state institutions began to voice their concern about the current regime in power, leading to a further crackdown on dissent, forcing many to flee abroad, often secretly. It was at this moment that I thought back to that border region as I read stories of dissidents crossing the border by foot at night or bouncing across the seas in speedboats to Aruba or Trinidad. Stories that, while covered in some news outlets, were largely unknown to the wider population. Or at least not given the priority of other humanitarian events elsewhere. At present (as of 2022), it’s thought that almost 7 million have left Venezuela (according to the UNHCR) and some news outlets have reported more. For a country of 28 million, that’s around a third of the population. When I returned to Colombia in 2018, it was common to hear Venezuelan accents in the street, from behind the bar in a tienda, or serving you at your table in a restaurant.   

The opening scene of The General of Caracas is based on an event which happened around this time (in 2017 to be more precise). I’ll let you read the book to find out what happened but let’s just say it involves a helicopter flying over Caracas, firing shots, and dropping flash grenades. Although what follows in the story is pure fiction, I’ve peppered it with real events which have been fictionalised and woven into the story. To give you an idea of the gist of the novel, The General of Caracas focuses on a Venezuelan ex-general who flees the country and enlists the help of an ex-MI6 analyst to escort him to Lisbon to catch a flight to speak at the UN in New York. However, shadowy forces emanating from Caracas follow their every move and pursue them through Spain and Portugal. I know it sounds very thriller-y and action-y and James Bond-y but I hope it also has some substance to paint an accurate, if somewhat satirical, glimpse of the current regime in power in Venezuela.    

And although my book doesn’t really cover the wider migration problem or the lives of everyday Venezuelans, I’ve provided some links below which will fill you in on the current situation. And while I don’t really have any skin in the game, so to speak, I hope that in some small way, this story might draw attention to what has happened in Venezuela since the early 2000s. 

The General of Caracas will be out on 1 November 2022.

Click here to order it online through your preferred book shop .

P.S. See below for some news and non-fiction book recommendations.

Below is a list of news sources and articles showing the situation in Venezuela. Further down you’ll find a list of non-fiction books I found useful in researching more about Venezuela. 

News Sources

A recommended list of news sources and specific articles regarding the situation in Venezuela. 

Caracas Chronicles — Caracas Chronicles 

UNHCR — UNHCR - Venezuela situation 

BBC Article on recent migration — Venezuela crisis: 7.1m leave country since 2015 - BBC News 

Muros Invisibles - https://www.murosinvisibles.com/ 

Non-fiction Books on Venezuela

For a deeper insight into recent Venezuelan history and politics, I’d recommend the following books. 

Crude Nation — Raul Gallegos 

Dragon in the Tropics: Venezuela and the legacy of Hugo Chavez —Javier Corrales and Michael Penfold (both Venezuelan academics who give a more scholarly approach) 

Comandante: Hugo Chávez's Venezuela — Rory Carroll

Blogging the Revolution: Caracas Chronicles and the Hugo Chávez Era — Francisco Toro & Juan Cristobal Nagel (A compilation of some of the best articles/blogs from the news website Caracas Chronicles)

The Magical State: Nature, Money, and Modernity in Venezuela —Fernando Coronil (again a more academic book)

My author interview on the ‘Books and Travel Podcast’

I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Joanna Penn, a fellow travel addict and host of the ‘Books & Travel Podcast’. Her podcast is a deep dive into a range of interesting authors from around the world who are passionate about travel and have written about it.

But that’s just her side gig… Because Joanna is “an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with over 30 books, selling over 600,000 copies in 162 countries and 5 languages.” Her fiction books range from thrillers to dark fantasy to crime (link here - https://jfpenn.com/ ), while her non-fiction focuses on writing and book marketing (see here - https://www.thecreativepenn.com/books/)

As well as an accomplished writer, she’s also a “podcaster, international speaker, and award-winning creative entrepreneur.”

In fact, her popular podcast The Creative Penn is one of the most popular Podcasts on writing, the publishing industry, book marketing, and making a living from writing, in the world. She’s very well-known (with a huge following) and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in a variety of areas, and so it was a pleasure and honour to speak with her about Colombia, language, cross-cultural marriage, and our love of travel.

Click here to listen (or read the transcript) to my interview on Colombia — The Nuances of Colombia with Lachlan Page - Books & Travel Podcast.

‘Our Man in Havana’ and the inspiration for ‘Magical Disinformation’

Recently while trawling through some second-hand book shops I came across a nice selection of first edition hardback spy novels at very low prices (think the price of a cup of coffee). 

 

Spoils from a second-hand bookshop. Source: Lachlan Page ©

 

It got me thinking and then searching for a first edition of a book that I had always kept an eye out for, but had never been able to find. I already had a paperback version of this novel, but it was the first edition hardback that I really wanted. Which was tricky, as this book was first published in 1958 in the UK, and copies online (if you can find them) can be expensive. However, after searching high and low, I found a seller in Australia and at a good price (think same price as a hardback book in a bookshop). And so I snapped it up! A week later I was in possession of a first edition hardback of OUR MAN IN HAVANA by Graham Greene.

(I’m working on a blog post solely dedicated to this novel—coming soon! Check back later for details.)

 

First edition hardback of ‘Our Man in Havana’ by Graham Greene. Source: Lachlan Page ©

 

It might seem strange looking for a particular edition or copy of a book (just book geeks like me), especially one that I already have a copy of but it’s because, apart from it being my favourite novel, it is also the inspiration for my book, MAGICAL DISINFORMATION.

When coming up with the initial hook for MAGICAL DISINFORMATION, my thought process was something like: Graham Greene wrote OUR MAN IN HAVANA about an English vacuum cleaner salesman recruited as an agent (spy) that makes up false intelligence in Cuba. Then John le Carré—in homage to Graham Greene—wrote THE TAILOR OF PANAMA where an English tailor is recruited as an agent and invents false intelligence for money in Panama. My logical conclusion was that I should continue the trend (not that I’m comparing myself to those two giants of the literary world!), pay homage to those two greats, and then write a novel where a spy (well, an intelligence analyst, actually) fabricates and falsifies intelligence reports in Colombia. 

But that was just the beginning. I had to think of a motive. Money had already been done before (by both Greene and le Carré) and so I came up with the idea about a spy lying and concocting false intelligence reports to remain with his love interest. It, in some ways, mirrored what I’d experienced living in Colombia, where international couples were stuck deciding whether to be based in Colombia or their partner’s home country. Bogotá or Brisbane? Medellin or Manchester? Cali or Cali(fornia)? It often meant some expats would stay in Colombia and take on odd jobs in English teaching, online businesses, setting up backpacker hostels or bars and restaurants, tourism businesses, or whatever they could do to earn and remain in the country.  

From that initial idea, and with the basis of the story swirling in my mind, it was only then through actually writing it, that I was finally able to throw the story together, incorporating a range of strange, unbelievable, and often tragic Colombian news stories that occurred while I lived there. One such case I mention in the novel is that of former US President Barack Obama’s Secret Service agents being caught up in a prositution scandal before the big man was due at the Summit of the Americas in 2012. Or the sad and tragic case of a bombing at an Iranian restaurant in Bogotá in 2017. A restaurant I had eaten at several times, chatting with the friendly owner on various occasions. Then there were the cases of the head of an elite Anti-Kidnapping Unit being kidnapped himself, a Corruption Commissioner arrested on corruption charges, and an employee of the Truth Commission being investigated for lying about his qualifications. All of which made for prime pickings in telling a satirical spy tale set in Colombia.   

As I wrote I was also wary to stay away from tales of Narcos and Pablo Escobar, stereotypes and tropes that have been done to death. I really wanted to give an authentic feel to what Colombia is really like, dripping in cultural notes, idiosyncrasies, and the political situation in the country. The real Colombia, as much as I could see it, anyway.

There’s a lot more I could reveal and there are other tidbits of information that the keen Colombian observers, or Colombians themselves, will notice if they look deep enough between the pages. But I’m afraid to give too much away so I’ll leave it at that. You’ll just have to read the book and find out! ;)   

Since MAGICAL DISINFORMATION has been published I’ve been overwhelmed with the messages, emails, and comments from people around the world. Including former and current ambassadors that have lived or are living in Latin America, journalists and other writers interested in or living in the country, professors, US military personnel, other authors, old friends and travel buddies, and of course random readers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zeland, Korea, China, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, and of course, Colombia.  

In fact, if you have read MAGICAL DISINFORMATION, I’d love it if you could leave an honest rating or review on Amazon, GoodReads, or wherever you leave book reviews. These reviews really help to get an author’s work out there.

So there we have it, that’s a little aboout how Graham Greene’s satricial spy novel, OUR MAN IN HAVANA, inspired my book, MAGICAL DISINFORMATION.

Like I mentioned earlier, I’ll have a post about OUR MAN IN HAVANA in more depth soon. Stay tuned! 

P.S. If this has piqued your interest, you can watch the book trailer for MAGICAL DISINFORAMATION — HERE

The Best Spy Books set in Latin America

I was recently asked by Shepherd.com to compile a list of my favourite spy books set in Latin America for their website. Shepherd is an up-and-coming book recomendation website that (according to them), “…is like wandering around your favorite bookstore but reimagined for the online world... along with little notes from authors pointing out their favorite books.”

My list on the “Best Spy Books set in Latin America” can be found at - https://shepherd.com/best-books/spy-books-set-in-latin-america

Happy reading!

4.0 The locations of Magical Disinformation: Part 4 - Cartagena

In this post we explore Cartagena. As with the last post, I won’t say a word about what occurs in this part of the book as I don’t want to give anything away… So 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 .

Cartagena, officially Cartagena de Indias, is a colonial gem on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its maze of alleyways, balconies dripping in bougainvillea, impressive churches and leafy plazas make it one of the most popular tourism destinations in the country. And that’s not to mention world class restaurants, hotels, bars, white sand beaches (only a short boat ride away), a mud volcano, a skyline reminiscent of South Beach in Miami, and historical sites brimming with history and colonial charm.  

Cartagena Source: Lachlan Page ©

The city itself was founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredia, quickly blossoming into the major entry and exit port in the Spanish colony of New Granada. Because of this, its storage facilities amassed large quantities of gold and emeralds which—like much of the Americas—was pillaged from the local population. As the goods waited for Spanish galleons to be whisked back to Europe, Cartagena became a beacon for pirates, suffering sieges from Sir Francis Drake and other buccaneers. Eventually leading to the city being fortified behind a thick stone wall with small watchtower-y turrets. Later the city played an important part in Colombian history being one of the first towns in Nueva Granada to proclaim independence from Spain, doing so in 1810, setting off a chain reaction of other proclamations throughout the colony. Even today you’ll still see La Cuadrilonga—a red and yellow bordered flag with a green square showcasing a white star in the centre— flag flying in the city. A sign of the flag adopted as a patriotic symbol of independence and argued by some as Colombia’s first national flag.    

In the literature world, Cartagena is the setting for Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s Love in a Time of Cholera. Garcia Márquez worked as a journalist in Cartagena and lived here for a time and it is where his ashes were laid to rest when he passed away in 2014. His former residence can be seen in the old town. In fact, a prominent scene in MAGICAL DISINFORMATION takes place near here in the steamy streets of the historic walled city.

Cartagena Source: Lachlan Page ©

From my various visits to Cartagena over the years, I’ve alway enjoyed strolling the streets, exploring the beaches, scuba diving nearby reefs and seeking out the latest bar or restaurant to try. However, being popular with foreign and Colombian tourists alike it is generally more expensive than elsewhere in Colombia. Also, in the walled city it can sometimes feel like you’re being offered a hat, cigar, or boat ride on every corner which can get old very quickly. Nonetheless, it’s a great destination and iconic Colombian city and well worth the visit. As a quick tip, no visit to Cartagena is complete without a drink at Cafe del Mar, a popular bar on the fortified walls overlooking the sea. Expensive? Yes. Touristy? Yes. But most definitely worth at least one drink as the sun goes down.    

Café del Mar, Cartagena Source: Lachlan Page ©

Misinformation about Cartagena (Colombia) #3

The popular 1980s movie Romancing the Stone mentions the city but pronounces it CartageÑa (the ñ is pronounced as an ‘nye’ sound — think how the ‘ñ’ sounds in ‘piñata’). This has led to generations of people pronouncing the city’s name incorrectly.

The Truth

The correct pronunciation is much simpler without the ñ sound and just a regular ‘n’ sound. Something like /karta-hena/.

The view from Castillo San Felipe — Cartagena Source: Lachlan Page ©

That wraps up all the destinations of my spy novel, MAGICAL DISINFORMATION. From Bogotá to the Caribbean coast and everywhere in between. 

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

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.  

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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.

Book Review: Magical Disinformation

Magical Disinformation was recently reviewed on Jeff Popple’s thriller and crime fiction book review website, Murder, Mayhem and Long Dogs.

Jeff has had a lifelong interest in all in crime and thriller fiction and was the Canberra Times crime book reviewer from 1982 to 2015 and now writes a weekly book column in the Canberra Weekly. He has previously been on the Selection Committee for the Ned Kelly Awards (“Australia’s oldest and most prestigious recognition honouring published crime fiction and true crime writing.” for those not familiar with them) and the Barry Awards. He has also contributed to range of crime fiction related magazines such as George Easter’s Deadly Pleasures magazine, Mean Streets and Crime Factory.

Thanks to Jeff for his review and please visit his website to keep up-to-date on new reads in the world of thrillers and crime fiction.

Read the review here - https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/september-suspense-books-by-margaret-hickey-jack-grimwood-and-lachlan-page/