You know how the people in charge tell us cheese and fish don’t go together? I guess the message hasn’t reached Lake Tota in Colombia. My trout was covered in melted cheese and mushrooms! Never had that before. Layne’s trout was swimming in cheese and crisp sweet shrimp:
Our landlord, the redoubtable Hildebrando had mentioned he had work to do on the shores of Colombia’s largest lake, building more rental cabins in his growing empire of rental units which will eventually fund his retirement. His goal is to spend half the year with his Colombian wife in Quebec where his adult children live and then spend winters down here. A good plan.
Hildebrando ordered his trout grilled with garlic do this is what the actual fish looks like:
We arranged to meet at his friend’s restaurant overlooking the lake called Arca De Noah ( no translation needed I hope!) and it looked crowded as you would expect on Maunday Thursday. But there was an opening in the restaurant parking lot tiny as it is and GANNET2 fit perfectly.
As usual it seems all destinations around here require mountain climbs in our Promaster van even though we start out from 8600 feet at our rental apartment. Lake Tota required one such climb to altitude!
If you have been following us across Colombia I hope it’s clear by now that backroads require caution and slow driving in a heavy van.
Slides and potholes are not repaired and are not expected to be made while. Hildebrando the consulate politician told us it is ecological to have busted roads. Even if they bust your car.
Layne and I jumped on that quote and now when we see a section of pummeled dirt ahead we gleefully shout “ecological road ahead!” to each other. Personally I prefer these sections and I think GANNET2 does too:
Naturally if you are Colombian and you are riding a motorcycle and you see a friend you want to chat with you stop. In a curve on a hill and ignore the side road where you could pull over safely. I had my gringo moment and gave them a big thumbs up as I took the corner far too wide to avoid killing the imbecile. It happens that what we think of as extremely foolish they shrug at so it’s better to get used to such behavior and I do try to shrug it off.
And then minor irritations fade away as you round the corner and come across the largest lake in the country at ten thousand feet.
Then the irritations come back…why can’t they build a proper scenic vista point? Why is there no real public access to the lake? Could they build a rest area or a public park? The gringo attitude springs forth.
But seriously, can you imagine coming across this in the US or Canada and not seeing a dozen places to pull over with picnic tables, pit toilets, launch ramps (because we are wealthy and have boats, I know) and minimal access to the water for us mere car drivers? What about a trail or bike path? Around here it’s all private farmland and a road with no pull outs.
They grow onions up here and someone is making good money off this rich farmland. The locals look poor as church mice so I’m thinking this is an area that might be ready for tourist exploitation like so much of under valued Colombia. In the meantime I’ll take it as I find it and be grateful I’m here to see it at all. But I do miss the public lands and parks and facilities at home.
Lake Tota was a center of astronomical observation by the pre Colombian residents called Muisca and they call this place the “fields of the river” or Tota. The lake is 8 miles long and four wide and 200 feet deep. It has five islands and the water temperature of 57 degrees is apparently perfect for raising trout. So there you have it in statistics. Onion fields forever.
The biggest town near the lake (not on the lake of course so there is no waterfront to stroll) is Aquitania founded in 1777 even though conquistadors strolled through the original Muisca settlement here in 1540. We walked the main plaza and saw the monument to onion growers though unexpected pay raise would do them more honor. This is not a wealthy area of Colombia.
We parked as usual on a side street carefully avoiding blocking gates or driveways. I know the van seems huge but I find it easy enough to maneuver in these small towns though lots of overlanders gear and avoid towns and cities. For us these are the places where local culture and life happen.
Sort of local anyway! “The best American recipe” and yes I know calling citizens of the US “American” is appropriating a whole culture but it’s what Colombians call people from the US so take it up with them.
I saw tons of these cargo tricycles in Mexico but this is the first in Colombia and it looks quite well built, better than the weedy orange colored tricycles in Mexico.
Rusty navigating crowded sidewalks, his latest skill learned in his travels.
Aquitania’s church is notable for a large statue of Christ calming the waters of the Sea of Galilee in a storm.
Meanwhile I needed a bottle of shaving foam as I have just finished my last tube of Trader Joe’s shaving cream. It turns out the drugstore is quite the center of local gossip.
All good things to come to him who waits but Rusty had found his spot. Naturally when he saw me trying to photograph him he got wearily to his feet. No peace for the wicked! Especially when they hate being photographed.
I had to explain the parable behind the statue to Layne who was wondering why he looked as if he was about to take a header off the church. I suppose Aquitania feels an affinity with the distant lake but it’s an odd symbol to be hovering over the onion growers of the region.
Indeed aside from the magnificent statue you would have no idea there was Colombia’s largest lake within onion tossing distance of the town.
Friends of ours in a Jeep with a roof tent spent the night in this town square a few months ago and this is one of the prime overnight stops listed on iOverlander around Lake Tota.
There are some camping places listed also but they are directed at the few weekend tent campers visiting from the big cities. Camping in Colombia isn’t as big as this in Panama or Costa Rica so “campgrounds” tend to be fields or parking lots next to hotels, at least around this lake.
If it were a weekday outside Holy Week I would imagine this town would be quite sleepy.
Mind you two couples visiting from Bogotá stopped by as we were getting ready to leave and Layne found herself giving the usual nickel tour. Colombian middle classes are fascinated by the dream of taking off and abandoning responsibility. I think the poorer locals who see is living in our car think we rich Americans must be mad, but cultural incomprehension works both ways as we have seen!
In Colombia they call Mexican style “topes” “muertos” or dead men and though most are well marked and they are far fewer in number than in Mexico they continue to be an aggravation on the road. You have to come almost to a halt in a heavy van or you risk spilling everything inside while prematurely wearing out your suspension. You can see by lots of topes and steel knobs in the road leaving Aquitania. No surprise our average speed is around 20 mph.
The lake shore is not even vaguely reminiscent of open space or public land at home and it’s just a fact of life you have to get used to.
I was glad we made a day trip of it with no plans to sleep over on the lake shore.
It’s basically farmland.
And it is a famous tourist attraction in Colombia.
Hildebrando wants to see Colombia develop its tourist potential and he’s seen how Canada manages to do that. He has a Mercedes Sprinter RV in Quebec City and he knows what’s needed in a campground. He has plans and I’ll be interested to see what happens.
Gentrification occurring before our very eyes! With all the good and bad that brings…
