New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Trip ON Magdalena
Shows Colombia To
Be Real Wonderland
Fourteen-Day Voyage on
River Teens With Sights
: of Jungle Beauty, Mines
and Primitive Villages
Ne.o York Tribune
Foreign Press Bureau

Colombia, IS ono OF the most interest,"
ing the traveller can find, says "The
London Times" The time Of the voy-
age varies from nine to fourteen days,
according to whether it Is made in the
wet or dry season.
During the trip one ascends from sea
level to 5000 feet above it; there are
three separate train, and two steamer,
journeys; the scenery varies from
sweltering forest to wide, airy pastures,
wheatfelds and ragged blue mountain
peaks; the dwellings of the people
change from insouciant, palm-thatched
huts to the imposing Spanish style,
stone mansions of the ancient city of
Bogota.
Puerto Colombia, with the turquoise
Caribbean washing its feet, is port
the convenience Of Barranquilla
Widespread, sunny, flower bedecked
Barranquilla sits upon the bank of
the Magdalena, and continually and
passionately discusses the question of
water transport, for it can have no
QlIeCL dCCcSS W Tie Sct& QiIiA lhC uAo8-
.daleua bar is conquered.
= Use Old Style Boats
From Barranquilla one takes river
steamer to La Dorado. On the fiat
bottomed river boat, drawing only a
foot or two of water, travellers must
provide themselves with bedding; the
steamship company lends canvas cot,
but nothing else, and the Barranquilla
hotels specialize in providing the WIS.,
itor for Bogota with the outft-a pill
low of tree-cotton, a couple Of tiny
sheets, a mosquito netting "bar,"
couple of little towels. No other bed
ding is needed, for the heat is sitting;
but the judicious also take table deli
cacies and everything needed in the
way of beverages, with the exception
of coffee, of which here is q constant
and most excellent flow.
Soon the forest closes down to the
edge of the water, as unconquered, as
dominant, as in Quesada's day, 400
years ago. Quesada took two years to
ascend the river to Bogota, the sur
vivors of his party arriving ragged and
starving; the marvel is that a single
one of those adventurers reached the
plains.
Scene of Great Beauty
The jade of banana leaves, whipped
into rags by the wind, the glaucous
green Of lilies, the emerald Of the
palms, the jasper Of tho great forest
giants, is only broken here and there
by trail of Towering vine or the rare
sight of high-perched mauve or gold
orchid; where open spaces occur there
are low growing bushes covered with
= flowers, and one sees a host Of butter
flies and birds, but usually there is
nothing but the river and the green
wall of forest. When rain falls in a
straight sheet even the forest is blotted
out and the alligators and turtles of
the margins are invisible until the sun
reappears.
- - Like arrival of the 5:15
When a stop is made for wood or to
. deliver merchandise to some little trad
ing" point the outlet for some rich
region producing sugar, hides, coffee or
tobacco, all the village comes to the
little wharf, guns are fired and the
church bell is rung in the steamers
honor; there are a number Of such
places below Puerto Berrio. Puerto
Berrio is important as the starting
point for the wonderful Cauca Valley,
worth some trouble to reach and pos
= sessng a perpetual June climate, q
:. wealth of fruit and flowers, fertile
soil and mountains sown with precious
minerals.
At La Dorada, where the blue noun
tains have suddenly come nearer and
turn green and purple, there is little
railway sheds; but here Is thA train
for Beltran, the line leaving the river
and .traversing q wonderful country Of
bright green pastures with sturdy
herds grazing, fine lusty trees and hills
a that rise grote squely, topped with fan
tastic rocks like battlemented castles
Of the Middle Ages All this region Is
famous for its tobacco, and has ex,
=. ported 1t to Europe for over hundred
years. The train stops at Honda, where
one looks far down at the rapids; the
town is bright and pretty, the centre
= of gold mining industry, and here
by the way, ono buys four cigars o.
excellent tobacco for tho equivalent o1
2Md.
There Is another halt at Mariuuit
who're Quesada died, and where to-da,
= an English company has established
T one Of the terminals Of an aerial tram
way across the broken country, forest,
and mountains into the Cauca valley
~. The tall standards march along into til,
distance alrnostly directly west; be-
liege that the enterprise has been, a,
1t deserves, very successful-I hear,
or grand plano having been carrie<
Z trsumphantly by this air line.
Trains Go Slowly
About five hours is occupied by th,
train journey and then Beltran i
a. reached with It's waiting steamer fc
the RIO arriba. The steamers for th
. upper river are small, the dining table
:. set out on the open main deck in picn;
. Style: There are only six cabina q,
tn!s little boat, and most of the gcor
OF passengers sleep outside under
sapphire velvet sky set with millio
diamonds. This sky seems very clos
above; the air Is soft, full Of wood
land scents; all night one hcara th
song Of the river, only overcome whe
j.. at first fush Of dawn hundreds OF rims
: ,nz bird voices begin to call from tn
y bushes. @-'
With full daylight comes realization
of the beauty Of the rio arriba. Her
:. tha steep, folded mountain spurs stan
. down to tho waters edge, little whit
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