In late October I suddenly received an email from the agency enquiring if I was still interested in making a trip to the Kogui.
Indeed, there was a possibility that a trip would take place that was entirely unique as the Arhuaco (also known as the Ika) who live on the south side of Sierra Nevada, a coastal mountain range in northern Colombia, and their neighbours, the Arsarios (also called the Malayo or Wiwa) who live on the eastern side, closed their access to the Sierra Nevada.
Only a third tribe the Kogui had not closed the access on the north side of the mountain.
The Tribes in the Sierra Nevada called themselves the Earthkeepers of Mother Earth and the Sierra Nevada is the heart of Mother Earth.
Whether the journey would continue depended on four other people. Via a contact of the Kogui I heard that the journey was going ahead and that I could book my ticket. I had sweaty hands because I knew still so little about this trip; but I felt that my soul jumped with joy. When I said yes to this trip, things moved rapidly.
Before I went to Columbia I met Judith Moore, an American oracle who was staying with my upstairs neighbour. We went out for a coffee and she was quite moved to see me again.
When I told her that I would go to the Kogui she saw The Grandmother of The Kogui standing behind me with a message for me.
It became clear to me that she called me to do this trip, because I was one of them from the first cycle of life.
I would be the first spiritual white woman to go to the highest lakes which are 5000 meters above sea level and she would help me to prepare my journey.
I had to drink pure water from the Earth every night before I went to bed and every morning when I woke up. I had to write down my dreams and first thoughts.
This way it was easier for her to reach me in my sleep and bring me to places I had to visit before I could enter the High Lakes.
If somebody from my world would go to these powerful places just like that they would not survive, she told me. My Chinese acupuncture hadn’t been for nothing. I was already working hard to create red blood cells. Also my Pieterpath adventures have been a light training. I had some condition to make this trip. And even the day before departure I had my consultation with Martijn van Staveren that I had booked nine months ago.
Martijn could help me with disconnecting the last tentacles of the 'Cosmic Intelligence’.
I was energetically ready. I would walk from ± 40 degrees to - 7 degrees.
The four people turned out to be a Scottish couple, a English woman and a Norwegian man.
A Dutchman who lives near Bogota (capital of Colombia) and who cooperating with the agency in the Netherlands would also go. He could help me with the translation of the ceremonies.
They were all experienced mountaineers in particular the four I mentioned already.
They all climbed the peaks of the world except those in the Sierra Nevada.
Arriving in Santa Marta, we were introduced to each other. A colder welcome I could not imagine.
When the climbers realised that I just came for the Kogui Indians and The Mamos (the priests and leaders of the Kogui) and that I was not an experienced mountaineer they wanted to persuade me not to go up with them, but to stay in Mamarongo, the village of Kogui. I could fall on the way, I could develop altitude sickness. I was a huge risk to the mountaineers. They now had the opportunity to climb to the top of the Sierra. I told them my mission and how I would stick to it.
On our way to the top there were three camps where we could spend the night.
Seven donkeys carried our tents and luggage and walked their own path and we would only see them at the end of the day.
If something were to happen there would be no help because we wouldn’t have mobile phone connection and there would be no landing space for helicopters anyway.
I heard all this and did not respond.
We went from Santa Marte (with too small a jeep) to the only coffee village in the Sierra, Palmor, to stay overnight. The next day we went up with another jeep for another hour until we could no longer continue. At that point our climb began. After six hours of walking we arrived at the village of Kogui. We would spend two nights in a communal Kogui accommodation. There I had my first cry.
I was tired from walking and emotionally exhausted from being so ignored.
The next morning I had an outburst. And from that moment something changed in their attitude, but I still was a very high risk and the climbers were simply completely focused on the peak that they want to climb. They also wasted not an ounce of energy unnecessarily.
_w850_h700_1.jpg)
We would stay that day in the village of Kogui and this was my chance to meet the Mamos.
The Mamos seem to live very spread out and you never know when they will together down in the village. That day they were all there.
I went along with Andreas (2nd man from the village of Kogui) and the Dutchman towards the Mamos.
I had my water of the North Sea, Whales and Dolphins codes, ashes of the ceremonies of the Indigenous Grandmothers and eleven moon stones with me.
Mamos do not talk to women, but to me they made an exception.
I told them how I was called by my Grandmother of the Kogui to make this trip. Because I have a Grandmother's heart and I remember where we come from. My memory is important to activate the collective consciousness.
I have lived with 'The Elders' and know how to speak to the plants, rocks, animals, in short, with everything that lives.
I talked about the balance between the feminine and the masculine and that was the reason why I brought eleven moon stones in the hope that there would be female Mamos in the future. We must work together.
Not only the head Mamo Mojo listened attentively but also all the other Mamos came closer. Mamo Mojo finally spoke and said he knew our group and he knew what was happening.
He gave me permission to go to the highest lakes to give me strength to accomplish my journey and I should bring back the power of the lakes in return.
At the highest lake Andreas will, on behalf of the Mamos perform the ceremony with me.
In the afternoon I had to come back with the group because the children would do a ceremony of singing and dancing in a form of meditation.
Also, we had to bring an note of 15,000 pesos around our heads in a left turn and give it to the head of the Mamos. (I felt that I had doubts about this money ceremony).
The group was blessed and we would return healthy and safe.
So this is how we went the next day on our trail. What a difficult journey it would be.
We walked up and down, from river to waterfall, always ending a little higher. We walked through the jungle and were harassed by hornets. The heat was sometimes unbearable.
But what beauty was revealed. All those plants, trees and birds. Occasionally I had to stop to look around me.
The Mountaineers had only one goal: as quickly as possible to the top and as quickly as possible going back down.
So I started one hour earlier and arrived with on average two hours later at the camp than they did. Dead tired of course. At 17:30 it already got dark. During the climb I started to eat less.
What mountaineers eat to get enough energy is terrible. Sugars in all forms and fatty sausages.
After four days of walking we arrived at the highest camp and the highest lakes.
At the height of 5000 meters there was a special silence and beautiful lakes and peaks covered with snow showed themselves: Pico Simond 5597m, behind Pico Colon 5661M (highest in Colombia) and Pico Bolivar 5649m. For the rest just bare rocks. It took my breath away it was so beautiful. Andreas and I immediately did our ceremony at one of the secret stones.
I saw my Grandmother in the clouds and in the rocks. She was suddenly everywhere. And I remembered what she told me: ‘Grandaughter be that drop of rain that falls from a cloud and gives life to the Earth, just be that drop of rain.’
I played on my flute and hoped that not only did I cooperate with the Sirians; but also with the Actuarians.
The mountaineers were getting ready to leave for the base camp and left me with two Kogui children and my Dutch support. The next day the children hit the path like mountain goats.
Erik and I went to the glaciers. However, on the second and the third day I felt too weak to climb and was left alone at the lakes. Just as I uploaded my iPhone with my powerbank I uploaded myself with the sun. Luckily the weather was still great.
The last day the mules came back and the climbers returned. Only two had reached the summit.
It was discovered that their camp was on the territory of their Indian neighbours, and the Indians did not gave permission to climb the summit from their territory.
Everyone had to go except the Scot and the Norwegian guy were allowed climb to the top.
They made it which was a great result.
_w568_h1084_1.jpg)
The next day we began our journey back. We would skip two camps. The first day we would lower 1000 meters. My body felt much better because I was already pretty weakened by the last two days of hardly eating. The second day we would lower 2000 meters. Thanks to my Dutch friend, I accomplished the journey without falling. We walked that day for 12 hours and arrived two hours after dark in the village of Kogui. There was no food for us and we had to beg the cook to make us some food, such as pasta with tomato sauce. The Mamos were not there.
I had to connect cosmically and gave my power of the lakes to the Mamos in a cosmic way.
No problem I only would have liked to have seen them one more time.
The next day, the last day of this exhausting journey, I had my final tears. This was about the organisation which was useless from day one. Thanks to my Dutch friend, I made it. I've accomplished something without falling ill.
Even the Norwegian man managed show appreciation after I did my last steps by saying: 'Well done'. The day after I felt that this trip had changed me. Now after two weeks I can see that I was preveliged to do this journey. I’ve never been so far out of my comfort zone: physically, mentally and energetically.
I feel that I have walked the entire Sierra Nevada.
I know I have accomplished my mission. It was much bigger than who I am. My field was connected to a much greater field. Of this I never had doubts, because the universe wanted me to do this journey. It's good that I did not know how difficult it would be.
Later on it will reveal itself. One thing I know for sure the power I have is much bigger than I think. I only have to believe in it.
