Adana is distinctive for its river which runs through it and along the old town. The number one pastime for Adanalis (people from Adana) is to “grill” or picnic. They will set up wherever they think will be nice. Many spots along the river and lake have setups for grilling. I have been trying to “breakfast my way around the lake” because the views are so aquamarine. I love it.
The Seyhan Lake is an artificial lake that was created by the dam (and hydroelectric station) which opened in 1956 to protect old Adana, 15 kilometers to the south.
The lake is a popular place for restaurants, fishing, kayaking, and much more. Many nightclubs and shisha bars line the lake. One can drive around the lake (and on this site, one can learn more about the lake and the activities available.)
The Seyhan river flows through Adana and after it was dammed, a lake was created. Now, that lake is surrounded by residences, restaurants, and boating clubs. One of these is the kayak club of Adana.
We went for a sunset kayak. The place is a bit hard to find but once you know, it’s easy. The outing cost 300 Lira per person. This included the instructions, rental, lifejacket loan, and shepherding by the staff. It was late by the time we all got there, so our time was cut short. I recommend going earlier. There were changing rooms, bathrooms, and water available (for purchase).
That said, it was pleasant to see the sun set and listen to the music thumping across the water from the restaurants.
The club house.
In the middle of the lake is a small island called Love Island. I don’t know why and we were told not to go ashore.
The two young men who helped us spoke no English but we communicated via Google translate, sort of. They helped us get in the kayaks of which there were a few singles, a few doubles, and a few old school slim ones — or as they said, “you will fall” ones… our most experienced kayakers took those. They did not tip over.
Getting into the kayaks was interesting as they two young men (one was 16 and the other 18) helped people get in by stepping in sideways from the dock… then sitting down into the wet bottomed boat… I guess that the bank of the shore was too sludgy to get in from there.
In the district of Flores is an island called Isla de Flores and it is a picturesque place to visit. It is not just a stop on the way to Tikal.
A side street on Isla de Flores.
Before I went to Guatemala, friends who had lived there told me to spend the night in Flores because it’s quite a party town… well, let me sign myself for that! We went on a Saturday night and I can attest that the nightlife was booming (through the hot sticky tropical night) all the way to my air conditioned room.
In a traffic circle near the airport.
We were in Isla de Flores because we flew from Guatemala City to Isla de Flores airport, or Mundo Maya International Airport. I was surprised that the Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City had signed in Spanish, English, and Korean. But, we did see lots of Koreans even on our domestic flight (the Koreans are in Guatemala due to the textile industry).
Domestic terminal in Guatemala City.
I was entertained on the plane with the amount of advertising (see photo).
The plane to Flores is not so small.
I had arranged for us to be picked up from the airport to the hotel. It was overpriced at $20 but on the way back, we took a mototaxi for 15 Quetzal ($2). Isla de Flores even has an electric bus which is like a large blue and yellow golf cart.
The first day that we were in Isla de Flores, we were caught in a sudden rain storm. We hailed a mototaxi to go back to the hotel. When I got in and tried to shut the half door, it came off in my hand. So I held it against the side of the mototaxi while we whizzed around the island on an unintentional “windshield tour” as the rain splashed around us and on my arm, holding the door… I wish I had video of it, but it didn’t occur to me to film it until afterwards.
The mototaxis have signs listing the price glued to the side of the vehicle.
The town of Isla de Flores is on a small island and it’s possible to walk around it several times in an hour or so. The buildings are painted in many colors and there are many hotels, hostels, restaurants, cafes, and tourist shops. Clearly this place hosts many tourists during prime season.
Walking around the island was fun. I am curious about the PITZ sports bar (see photo) that has been around since 1400 BC.
Another thing we discovered in Isla de Flores was how good the food is in Guatemala. We had food from Mangos/Achiote and it was excellent. Delicious fried chicken tenders (Pollo Campero is from Guatemala).
Tourist stuff. A street going up.
We were there during low season so had a relatively quiet walk around the town. It was fun to see that there are boats and barges that ferry motorcycles and trucks back and forth to the “rich” shore of the lake (which incidentally is the second largest lake in Guatemala).
A local walking by.More locals walking.
I find the people watching the most interesting, although I do love small windy streets and alleys.
Imagine that is an inky morning, just before dawn, six hundred years ago. A warming amber light spreads first on the crest of the crater, and then rays of light rush, like happy children, down the banks of the emerald green slope, to skim like eagles across the opal water. Your eyes are fixed on the center of the lagoon. On a youth covered in gold dust. From the shore, he is small, like a pebble. As dawn breaks, he appears, his body, nude but for gold dust, shimmering like flecks of sunrise on a lake. When his raft reaches the center of the sacred lagoon, the youth offers gold artifacts into the water. He then performs ablutions in the lake, the gold dust disseminating like a million stars on the milky way. Once again, he, the golden seed, has impregnated the female lagoon. The cycle of life ensured once again.
One of those boxes of mangoes cost 12,000 pesos ($5).
That is the tale you will hear, sort of, from the guide as he tells you about the Muisca people who lived in the area outside Bogota before it became Bogota.The guide will tell you about the local people and the pitiful grams of gold that the Spaniards and others dredged out of Gautavita Lagoon, centuries ago, and then again, a century ago. Until, finally the Colombian government put a stop to it. It took longer for the government to make this area a protected area, but it is now. About a decade ago, the organization that runs the tours, was set up and now, it runs like Disney for adults.
The steps up.
The Details: I recommend making a day of it via the town of Guatavita and the reservoir, not to be confused with the lagoon. Try to go in an SUV as the last stretch of road is a dirt road pitted with potholes (perhaps also take motion sickness pills if you don’t take well to being jerked about in a car. Or swaying and sashaying up the “dangerous curves” of lovely Colombia). From Bogota, set out to the east along the toll road (it costs around 3,000 pesos or $2). It’s a pleasant drive that starts with a good view of the mega-city. Then it goes through some industrial looking towns before a turn off at a mango stand. Once you get to the town of Guatavita, stop at a bakery and pick up some guava bread or some other snack.
The plant from which Scopolamine, the date rape drug, is made.
Along the way, one of the towns is Guasca (like the herb they put in ajiaco), also known as the town of the Muisca people. It is a village and has a pleasant feel to it. I enjoy seeing all the old men in hats and ponchos.
The el dorado raft in the gold museum.
Then head off to the sacred lagoon. The last seven kilometers (about 5 miles) is dirt road. There are many great photo opportunities along the way like picturesque fincas (country houses), cows being milked by hand, and great swathes of countryside that looks like New Zealand.
Ajiaco, with guasca leaves, from my lunch in Guatavita.
Once you get to the entrance of Guatavita Lagoon, take a tour to the actual lagoon (you may not walk their by yourself). The tours start every half hour and are guided. The cost is around 17,000 pesos ($7), but I can’t remember the exact amount. There are gift shops and bathrooms. The tour actually takes about two and half hours and is one way, up a lot of muddy steps. The end of the tour is at a local corn and drinks stand. To return to your car, there is a bus service that costs 1,500 pesos ($.75), or you can have your driver bring the car to the end point.
A display of el dorado himself at the Guatavita museum.
I won’t spoil the tour for you by explaining it. That said, without the legend, it does just look like a small pond (hence why most Bogotanos seem more into visiting the “lago” which is really the reservoir). It’s basically a 45 minute walk interspersed with 90 minutes of educational talk (about the planet, about nature, and preserving the native plants, oh, and about the legend), and about 40 minutes of selfie-stick photo ops. The nice part is that once you get to the top, the guide leaves you to take lots of photos and walk downhill by yourself. In terms of difficulty, I’d guess that this is about 900 steps at 9,000 feet elevation. But, mostly, the steps are done in small segments. Just enough to make you regret the guava bread or empanada that you ate for breakfast.
I would have liked a laser and smoke show with an ethereal gilded (hence “el dorado”) youth appearing out of the water. Apparently, there is one somewhere nearby.
After a refreshing three hour walk, it’s nice to settle in back at Guatavita town and enjoy a lunch. Guatavita town was re-located 40 years ago when the Bogota reservoir (“reprisa” in Spanish) flooded the old town. The town has a museum, tourist shops, lots of bathrooms, and restaurants. It is also possible to rent a horse to ride down to the reservoir. Or you can walk, drive down, or take the mini-train. At the reservoir’s edge, people like to picnic and enjoy the view. Up until two years ago, it was possible to rent a launch and visit some of the islands and ruins. I noticed lots of yachts and yacht clubs but for the common folk, well, I don’t know if they are allowed out on the water anymore. The reservoir is very large (the hydroelectric dam provides the power for 8.5 million Bogotanos) and beautiful.
A chat in Guasca.
But, it’s not a sacred lagoon (or maybe it is since it creates the power which fuels Bogota) where legends start and greedy conquistadors project their dreams of wealth. Gold was the oil of their time. Perhaps the guide was right that conserving the planet is the new quest. Perhaps, the quest for potable water is the new el dorado.
