The first day I arrived in Colombia I was so lucky to have met some beautiful people from the Kogi community. an indigenous tribe who live in the jungle of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
The Kogi’s are a tribe who have successfully lived in Northern Colombia for thousands of years, resisting Spanish conquest and maintaining their native culture.
Whilst in some indigenous tribes in Colombia women are in charge or have some input, this is not the case for Kogi women.
Girls are married at the age puberty, between 10 and 14 years old, and are kept as a wife whilst they are able to bare children. When a woman can no longer give birth, the man gets himself a new wife and the woman is then demoted to ‘grandmother status’ where she does the household chores and looks after the children.
Women lead very separate lives to the men. Men are the soul decision makers of the community. Women stay at home weaving beautiful bags, making jewellery, cooking, tending to the children, washing and cleaning.
It’s shocking to find that the average lifespan for a male Kogi is around 80 years old, but a Kogi woman’s is around 40, half the life expectancy.
Why? The women are prone to lung infection from the smoke used for cooking, heating and to keep the mosquitoes away. They live in circular huts made of stone, mud and thatched with palm leaves and there is no ventilation for the smoke to escape.
Would you like to know more about indigenous communities? You can meet women from the Kogi and Wayuu communities on our up-coming trip to Colombia in August. Head to the link in the bio to learn some more…..
#colombia #kogi #santamarta #indigenouswomen #indigenousculture
Don’t you love those unplanned moments that leave you with lasting memories?
This is exactly what happened when I first went to Colombia last year!
On my first day some women from the Kogi community happened to be in Tayronaka, a place I was researching for our August trip. After speaking to some of these beautiful spiritual women, they said they would love to show us the art of making their signature bracelets and how to weave their style of mochilas.
On my second day, instead of having a coffee and chat with Isabella, our bird and plant medicine guide, she instead took me on a walk to learn about the different plants and their healing properties, the colourful exotic birds and she told me ancient heritage stories that were so fascinating. I even saw flamboyance (a community of flamingoes!) which was so special, I felt like a child at Christmas!
On my third day I was invited to stay at a ranchera with the Wayuu community, definitely a once in a life time experience for me. I ate the delicious food, tried crocheting a mochila (it was so hard!), danced the yonna, and slept underneath the stars in a hammock. Such a magical experience.
All of these experiences are part of our August trip.
Would you like to know more? Sign up to the waitlist - link in bio….
#colombia #indigenouswisdom #indigenouswomen #weaving #culture
Sometimes you just need to treat yourself! 👜
Everything is handmade in #Colombia
#indigenouswomen #handmade #weaving #ecofashion
National Geographic said; If earth’s biodiversity were a country, it could be called Colombia!
I fell in love with Colombia when I went there last April. It’s warm, generous and friendly people, the many indigenous cultures who bring a wealth of handmade crafts, the breathtaking diverse landscapes, incredible biodiversity, delicious coffee, music, dancing and it’s delicious exotic fruits 🥭🍍🍑
Here are 5 fruits you should definitely try…
Guanabana which is also known as soursop, and is can be found as a juice. It’s so delicious and was the juice I had minutes after I landed. It kind of tastes of apples and strawberries. It’s a large green oval-shape fruit covered in lots of little spikes. The inside is soft and white with a milky texture.
Borojo is a fruit that only grows in the Choco regions of Colombia (and also in Ecuador). Its name comes from two indigenous words:’boro’ which means head, and ‘jo’ which means fruit. It’s very healthy with high levels of protein, calcium, and iron.
Feijoa is well known as one of the most delicious fruits in all of Colombia. It has a sweet flavour similar to guava, strawberry and pineapple, and although its not an attractive fruit, once you peel away its green outer skin lies a truly unique sensation for the tastebuds. It really is so delicious.
Zapote is found all over Colombia and is extremely healthy with high levels of tannins, antioxidants, fibre, and essential minerals, what’s not to love! The flesh is soft and very juicy with a distinct nutty, creamy flavour.
Lulo, (also found in Panama and Ecuador) can be found as a juice with added sugar (be mindful as sugar is added to everything in Colombia) because it has a combination of a sweet and sour taste that maybe too sour for some! It has an orange skin which contains 4 segments inside to eat or juice.
Of course on our trip to Colombia we will be sampling many fruits and juices, head to the link in the bio to learn some more.
#colo
am a huge supporter of buying from local artisans
Below are some of the communities in Colombia, who I was lucky enough to meet last year, who produce products made hand with so much love…
→The Wayuu indigenous community are the largest in Colombia and live in the north of Colombia. They are known for their brightly coloured mochilas which are each handmade takinh 2- - 30 days to complete. As with all indigenous cultures, they use techniques passed down from generation to generation keeping the traditional Wayuu art and weaving traditions alive.
→The Arhuaco indigenous community occupy the Sierra. The craft of wool-weaving, especially weaving bags, is an ancestral trade of the women. Made from 100% sheep wool, the mochilas are coloured in earth tones with beiges, black, browns, or grey. They hand down the wisdom from mother to child who are taught at around age 8 to acquire the necessary expertise and knowledge to preserve their cultural tradition.
→The hats called Sombrero Vueltiao are made by the Zunú tribe are known as Colombia’s national symbol. Using traditional colours, designs and weaving techniques that date back more than 300 years. The Zenú use black and white fibres from caña flecha palm tree which they weave into patterns representing the totemic elements of the Zenú culture.
It’s so fascinating to watch these women working and have incorporated 2 different weaving workshops on our trip in August so you can experience the different techniques used. Link to our website in the bio to find out more…
#Colombia #weaving #artisans #
#indigenouswomen #weavingworkshop #womenartisans #womentravel #culturetrip #womenwhoexplore #travelstories #womentravelers #womentravellers #traveltheworld #discovercolombia
Is Colombia on your list for 2023?
HOW WEAVING TECHNIQUES DIFFER IN COLOMBIA
From the brightly coloured Mochilas to the black and white sombrero vueltiao - here are some of the different styles…
→The Wayuu indigenous community are the largest in Colombia and live in the north of Colombia.
They use techniques passed down from generation to generation, with each mochila (bag) having its own unique design signifying the weaver's individual characteristic. The Wayuus are known for their brightly coloured mochilas and buying these hand made designs (which take 20 - 30 days to complete), keeps the traditional Wayuu art and weaving traditions alive.
→The Arhuaco indigenous community occupy the Sierra. The craft of wool-weaving, especially weaving bags, is an ancestral trade of the women. Made from 100% sheep wool, the mochilas are usually coloured in earth tones with black, brown or grey. They hand down the wisdom behind the technique from generation to generation, and the children are taught at a very early age to acquire the necessary expertise and knowledge of their cultural traditions and to preserve them.
→The Wounaan, an indigenous tribe from the banks of the San Juan River, where women play the most important role in the culture as they are in charge of preserving their traditions. They are known for their beautifully woven baskets, trays and accessories made from werregue palm, a technique was born in the middle of the Colombian Pacific jungle.
→The hats called Sombrero Vueltiao are made by the Zunú tribe are known as Colombia’s national symbol. Using traditional colours, designs and weaving techniques that date back more than 300 years. The Zenú use black and white fibres from caña flecha palm tree which they weave into patterns representing the totemic elements of the Zenú culture.
We are huge supporters of buying from local artisans rather than the mass produced tourist products made in factories.
In our shop our jewellery is handmade by women in Wounaan community and
HOW WEAVING TECHNIQUES DIFFER IN COLOMBIA -
From the brightly coloured Mochilas to the black and white sombrero vueltiao - here are some of the different styles…
→The Wayuu indigenous community are the largest in Colombia and live in the north of Colombia.
They use techniques passed down from generation to generation, with each mochila (bag) having its own unique design signifying the weaver's individual characteristic. The Wayuus are known for their brightly coloured mochilas and buying these hand made designs (which take 20 - 30 days to complete), keeps the traditional Wayuu art and weaving traditions alive.
→The Arhuaco indigenous community occupy the Sierra. The craft of wool-weaving, especially weaving bags, is an ancestral trade of the women. Made from 100% sheep wool, the mochilas are usually coloured in earth tones with black, brown or grey. They hand down the wisdom behind the technique from generation to generation, and the children are taught at a very early age to acquire the necessary expertise and knowledge of their cultural traditions and to preserve them.
→The Wounaan, an indigenous tribe from the banks of the San Juan River, where women play the most important role in the culture as they are in charge of preserving their traditions. They are known for their beautifully woven baskets, trays and accessories made from werregue palm, a technique was born in the middle of the Colombian Pacific jungle.
→The hats called Sombrero Vueltiao are made by the Zunú tribe are known as Colombia’s national symbol. Using traditional colours, designs and weaving techniques that date back more than 300 years. The Zenú use black and white fibres from caña flecha palm tree which they weave into patterns representing the totemic elements of the Zenú culture.
We are huge supporters of buying from local artisans rather than the mass produced tourist products made in factories.
@siamondocollection our bags are woven by women in the Arthuaco
Birthday Diva 💖✨
#birthdaygirl #travelbuddy #birthday #geminiseason
I don’t mind waking up to this beautiful view in the Douro region 🍇 #wineregion #beautifulview #portugaltravel #citybreak #cityescape
Happy World Environment Day 🌿
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What a beautiful and mesmerising view of Victoria Falls 💚
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#mytravels #nature #worldenvironmentday #waterfall #victoriafalls #zimbabwe #skyline #travel #wanderlust #wellbeing #ellevoyagelife
