Palenque - Africa hidden in Colombia

For us this holiday has been about learning about the people, culture, food, and history. There are plenty of touristy things to do in Cartagena, like jump in a mud volcano for example.

But one of the activities we found was run by a operator called Black Legacy. In this tour they bring you to a town called Palenque to learn about the people in this area and their freedom from slavery. This was the first free village in the Americas, declared by the king of Spain. It is now UNESCO recognised for its cultural significance.

This community started when the ladies would disguise maps and hide things like seeds and essentials in their weaves. Maps that would direct the others how to navigate their way out and set up the settlement here in the valley a while away from their captive slave lives of Cartagena.

The statue of the man is Domingo Bioho, the leader of ten slaves who escaped slavery and established Palenque. He was later executed by the governor of Cartagena by hanging and quartering him, which is why his statue is powerfully in half too.

We went inside a traditional mud house that was donated as a museum to see the way people lived, made food, and supported their family.

We were treated to a cultural dance, traditional to this area. So much energy given just how insanely hot it is here. It was really impressive. Ofcourse they would not let us just watch and enjoy, no, they grabbed each of our hands and pulled us up to join in at the end.Read more