Beyond Bogotá’s skyline, nestled among the eastern mountains, nature becomes memory. This story is part of a series inspired by landscapes that carry our steps and emotions. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to walk into the roots of memory and land, this is your moment. The La Chorrera Colombia tour isn’t just a hike it’s a ritual of connection.

I couldn’t tell if it was the color or Lorenzo’s words, our guide, that overwhelmed me when I saw them… those flowers, fused in the air with the yellow glow of the sun, seemed to whisper from another time. 

In the era of the wise —the guide told us— the knowledgeable used the alkaloid properties of the borrachero, also called floripondio or tijiki (the name given by the Muisca culture) to relieve pain. Even today, it is used in the treatment of the symptoms of the terrible Parkinson’s disease. 

The Chibcha natives always used it with respect and balance. However, it is also known for its use in the production of burundanga or scopolamine: that substance capable of nullifying the will and serving as a tool for evil. 

That is why, my dear walkers, every time I walk through the eastern hills or breathe the wild air in the mountains that watch over the Lady Capital, Bogotá, I stop to look. The plants observe us: the borrachero that vibrates with secrets, the campanita that embraces hearts, the nettle that burns to deflate, the calendula that caresses the skin, the valerian that invites peaceful sleep… all of them are testimony to a nature that is neither good nor bad, as those who ignore its beauty say; it is ancient, wise, neutral. 

It is we, humans, who choose what to do with their gifts. That decision… is also part of the ritual. 

By: Fredy Calderón 

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