Transition underscores a changed Colombia
Brendan Hanrahan has met some Colombian river guides who have beaten their swords into rafting oars.
Hanrahan is with Bogota-based tour company Awake Travel, which among other things can send people on rafting trips on interior Colombia’s Güejar River Canyon, with the expeditions led by one-time guerillas who fought in Colombia’s long-running civil war.
The conflict officially ended in 2017, with the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signing an agreement that brought an end to one of South America’s longest-running armed conflicts.
And, says transplanted Irishman Hanrahan, some of those insurgents are now leading tourists on rafting excursions through a particularly pristine part of Colombia that they were based in during the fighting.
“They are the experts on the river,” he says of guides who during the fighting lived in the wilderness surrounding the waterway. “They’ll know about every plant and tree. They know the forest. That was their home.
“You can’t get better guides,” adds Hanrahan, who has rafted with them.
Colombia’s government has worked to integrate former guerillas into mainstream Colombian society. As well, ProColombia, Colombia’s tourism board, is also increasingly promoting ecotourism in a country it labels the most biodiverse in the world.
“Tourism is the best thing that ever happened to this region,” Hanrahan says of the Mesetas area, with former combatants now earning a livelihood without having to take up arms.
Among area guides is Frellin Alberto Norena, born into what he labels a “humble” farming family, eventually joining FARC and then ending up being imprisoned.
“The community has received this project very well because it’s something that they haven’t seen before – a sport that is not football,” he says of rafting. “Our children are starting to be brought up with love for a sport that embraces adventure, nature, taking care of our river and protecting our resources.
“Tourism has made a difference in the community because as a farmer it is hard to believe that someone will want to come to look at a monkey or a rushing river. Who would want to come and see our trees? But it happens that in other places these same trees do not exist and neither does our culture. Our region, one of the main areas where the conflict was born, is represented in songs, poems, writings. They are engraved in the historic memories of this village. So all of this becomes a part of tourism.
“During the conflict, us soldiers took care of the jungle and the rivers. Now as a community, we continue to take care of it. This concept was always adopted by the farmers but now we are the ones that make the rules and work hand in hand to protect it.”
Hanrahan says the fighting meant that there was little human activity or settlement in the area, resulting in little development. There is one town where “you can hang.”
The rafting trip Hanrahan went on was about three hours but rafters usually opt for a three-day experience involving more rafting and also hiking “amazing trails.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life. I remember feeling that my life is so secondary in comparison to what I was surrounded by. I felt very small and surrounded by untouched nature that existed for millions of years and will exist long after we leave. You can hear so many animals around you and you still need to navigate the water.
“A massive spider fell on my leg and all the ladies were screaming. I was in shock and froze. The guide laughed, picked it up gently and threw it back into the river. He said big spiders are always safe. ”
Rafts used can hold six to eight people, with Hanrahan stating that the trained guides are “absolutely professional.
“All the guys on the river and guides bringing us through the forests are former guerrillas and lovely, kind people,” he continues. “We all grow up in different circumstances. I am an Irishman that was lucky enough to grow up in a republic. These guys grew up with zero assistance from the government and big promises from the FARC that if they joined them, the future would be bright for them and their family.
“They’re some of the nicest people you’d ever meet. They just have this crazy history.”
“They were very professional and handled the waters perfectly,” Hanrahan continues of the guides. He adds that the trip features hiking and jumping into natural plunge pools.
“We went underneath waterfalls and swam a lot,” he adds. “It was so amazing. We went through trails that were exactly the paths the FARC members made over the years. We saw all types of insects and flora. The ex-FARC guides would explain everything about what we saw. We also would receive local foods like cheese wrapped in leaves as a snack. Again – amazing.”
Participants will discover what Hanrahan labels “a wealth of natural beauty, including stunning waterfalls, natural pools, and thrilling adventure activities. You will have the chance to go rafting in the Güejar River Canyon and visit one of its most iconic landmarks, ‘The Titanic, an impressive rock formation within the canyon. Additionally, you can explore a waterfall circuit and enjoy other incredible activities along the way.”
Hanrahan became smitten with Colombia 11 years ago, recalling how he and a friend were backpacking through South America and visited Bogota, where friendly locals in a bar they visited bought him and his companion drinks upon learning that they were Irish. He relocated to Bogota seven years ago.
Hanrahan acknowledges Colombia has had a turbulent history but says he’s never had trouble there and doesn’t feel any more nervous in Bogota than he does when he returns to Dublin. He’s never had clients robbed in Colombia.
Meanwhile, Hanrahan says the newly minted river guides have no shortage of admirable qualities.
“These are people that were born pretty poor but in a sort of paradise,” he adds. “They love their country and felt betrayed by a corrupt government. They felt like what they were doing was the only way to defend their honor and their families. FARC would meet them as kids when they left school and promise them a better future for their families if they joined. They are good people with a complicated story.
“Also, they are the best guides possible for this region as they lived in these forests and rivers for years. They know about every plant and animal. They know every trail. They are super proud of this piece of heaven and they are delighted to now be making a living without guns.”
