We traveled from Medellin to Zaragosa to ride the brujitas, unique contraptions involving a motorcycle and a wooden platform riding on abandoned railroad tracks in the jungle.
That's Karen straddling the bench next to where the driver will be. Nothing to hang onto.
Karen on a brujita at the station in Zaragosa. We're heading to San Cipriano, a town along the river in the jungle with no roads to it.
We're heading into a tunnel in the jungle.
Selfie off the back of the brujita.
Going over a bridge by the river.
Our brujita broke down the way and we had to get off and the driver had to move the machine off the tracks to repair it.
He hammered the wheel back together and put new pin in it.
Here comes another brujita loaded with tourists. We had to move the machine off the tracks so they could pass.
Our arrival in San Cipriano. Painted tires are the welcome sign. We met Ronaldo, who owns the green house as we offloaded.
Karen and Jason pose as drivers on a brujita in San Cipriano.
A map of the town and river. Most tourists come to float down the river in inner tubes.
Ronaldo helps Jason buy tickets from San Cipriano to Cordoba, the next town down the road and the other brujita station.
The lady in red is peeling sugar cane and selling the pieces as snacks. Ronaldo got her to give us some for a free taste.
The main path into the town of San Cipriano.
We had to wait for all the brujitas from Cordoba to arrive before we could go to Cordoba. The men in the green vests work together in a cooperative to help make the operation smoother. They keep in touch with the stations and know when the last brujita should arrive. Zaragosa is on one side of San Cipriano, with Cordoba at the other end. Brujitas come and go from both towns into San Cipriano and back.
The last one arrives full of tourists from Cordoba. Now we can go.
Heading over an old railroad bridge on the way to Cordoba.
Crossing the river. The water here is exported to towns in the region. That crusty pipe in the picture carries the water to other towns.
A settlement along the tracks.
The locals on each side of San Cipriano are responsible for maintaining the tracks now that the railroad and government have abandoned them.
The switch man in Cordoba.
Many more tourists, shops and brujitas are at the Cordoba end, versus the Zaragosa end where we started. Beyond Cordoba is Buenaventura, and important port city on the coast.
This area has a huge Afro-Caribbean population, hence so many blacks. Jason is asking his kid about how to use this stick to move the platform.
Ronaldo shows Jason the proper way to propel the platform with the wooden pole. The position of the stick and man was seen to look like that of a witch on a broomstick. That is how the name brujitas, meaning 'little witches' came about.
A fruit stand along the tracks.
Crossing the river again on the way back.
We stopped at a house to pick up a woman. Brujitas aren't just for tourists.
Another old railroad bridge along the route. It's about 25-30 minutes each way.
Another look at the water pipes and tracks.
We blasted along at a pretty good clip through the jungle, as evidenced by Jason's windblown hair. He didn't want his hat to blow off, so he put it in the backpack.
Ronaldo and Jason walk along the tracks back to Ronaldo's house.
Chatting with Ronaldo on his front porch.
Jason had a front row seat on the way back from San Cipriano. Note there are no handles to hang onto on these contraptions.
A big stand of bamboo along the tracks. The jungle scenery along the ride was wonderful.
We had to stop and the driver had to manhandle the brujita off the track as there was another one coming from the opposite direction and it was determined it would have the right of way as it had more tourists on it.
The machines have to clear the track for oncoming traffic. Muscle power is the only thing used. And to think they used to pole these platforms along before they had motorcycles! Strong men.
As long as we were sidelined, the driver took the opportunity to squirt some oil from a plastic Coke bottle into the bearings of the wheels. Now we know what old used oil can be used for.
Moving the brujitas back onto the track. The wheels of the motorcycle ride one rail and the platform wheels ride the rails as well.
Jason enjoying the jungle views on the ride back. Folks used to come here for birding, especially toucans, but most of them have been scared away to further recesses in the jungle.
Coming out of a tunnel.
Back at the station in Zaragosa. Not the metropolis of Cordoba.
We had to go down the steps, across the bridge and up to the top of the ridge opposite to get back to YOLO.
A swimming pool along the river. Not a very enticing color.
They used to claim this river had the cleanest/clearest water around. That's why it is exported to the surrounding cities and towns. But we don't think the claim is still valid. The main channel of the river may be clearer, but we didn't want to drink it.
This suspension bridge across the water to our parking spot had many loose boards and it was a very wobbly crossing.
We saw this huge cow along the road at a milk products store.
I'll bet the ice cream here was tasty, but we didn't stop.
The scenery began to change as we headed towards Ecuador.
Colorful pinks and oranges began to appear in the rocks and soils.
You can see loose rocks and ash/dirt/sand that forms the land here. Lots of rocks in the soil for farmers to till around.
