Much Has Changed in Barichara

The road to Barichara from San Jose Altos is awash
after the rainstorm the night before.

The first thing I noticed is that there has been, and continues to be, plenty of rain. This has created a lush, vibrant landscape and the pinched look in the faces of the Colombians has disappeared. The once dusty roads are now impassable at times because of the ravines created by rushing torrents. But the birds are joyous.

A kind of canary native to this part of Colombia

I have not been able to capture with the camera a beautiful, azure-colored mini parrot, but the canaria shown here is about the same size. The garden at Corasoma is growing all sorts of edible delights, and even some tobacco has bloomed and produced the leaves for smoking. Smoking pure tobacco is a very different experience than that which is commercially produced and with the upcoming full moon, I hope to join the local circle to thank the gods for the rain and the crops.

With this new year apparently the manager(s) and politicos for Barichara have realized the importance of not going through another drought like last year. Many of the streets are currently torn up with the installation of drainage pipes and a new water treatment plant is under construction below the village (pueblo). Another hotel is under construction, so that makes two in close proximity to each other.

But there is also other construction which signifies the discovery of Barichara and people from all over the world are coming here to ‘retire.’ A new development is under way nearby Corasoma and also close to the small stream near the pueblo itself. I hope this intense interest will not change the area, but inevitably those people who come here for what they love will destroy what they initially found entrancing to make it more livable for their way of life. It is the way of all things.

Now after a week in Colombia, I am finally in the right time zone for my sleeping success and my language skills improve daily. All of the Corasoma residents went to a fiesta on Saturday to raise money for the young lady who will represent this vededa (area) in the annual larger fiesta in October in Barichara. We watched the locals play a game with a ball and three large posts, but the rules for success were not entirely clear. What was clear was that the winner would get a goat as a prize for the most points. No one from the Corasoma group felt qualified to even enter the fray.

While much has changed regionally, the sun still sets at 6 p.m. and rises at 6 a.m. as we are only about 400 miles north of the equator. There have been other changes, such as my plans, but they are not firmed up yet and will have to wait for another blog.