ENGLISH
The other day, I was eager to go to a river. Mérida is a cold state in Venezuela, with mountains and snow-capped peaks, filled with very dense and lush moist forests. The key to this humidity lies in the numerous bodies of water throughout the state, such as rivers, beautiful waterfalls, and lagoons.
Many of these rivers or lagoons, due to the rain and humid climate, are born (or reborn) and grow anew.
Mérida, like the rest of the Andean mountain range, has always been a place full of mysticism: myths and legends come to life before your eyes when you are in those cold and beautiful landscapes.
People say many things about these places: that if you throw stones in the lagoon, a curse will fall upon you, that if you're not careful, the elves (or 'momoyes' as they call them there) will steal your belongings, that if you're careless on the mountain, it will swallow you, and you'll be lost forever... And an endless number of rumors, myths, and legends.
I have been somewhat skeptical about this, however, as they say... "better safe than sorry". In my walks through the mountains and natural places in Mérida, only once did I feel that something was not right and that in some way, the mountain was speaking to me—and telling us we shouldn't be there. I've told this experience before.
All this mysticism is easily palpable in places like the Albarregas River at Santa Rosa.
An interesting fact is that due to the lack of regulations (and order) in Venezuela, you can enter areas like these without any control or regulation, and therefore, without paying anything. At this point, I think this is something necessary to preserve these ecosystems and keep the entry and exit of visitors regulated. Theoretically, that's how it is. However, in practice, this is not entirely true.
The Albarregas River originates in the Albarregas lagoon, up there in the Andean moorland in the Sierra La Culata, and feeds a good part of the city of Mérida, runs under the three main viaducts of the city, and joins the Chama River, which is the most important in the region, much further down.
Well, in a certain part of the course of this river, one day I was bathing in its icy waters and rocks, happy.
I have been going to this place for a while. But recently I went with some friends, and then with my boyfriend.
The particular thing about these last times is that we found some new pools that someone had taken the time to build, gathering stones and logs to accumulate the water that comes down from the river and thus form a beautiful artificial pool.
The experience is a complete marvel; it is definitely one of my happy places.
The water and the roar of the river do not welcome you at all. The water is ice-cold, like from a fridge, and the noise sometimes let you talk. But it's a marvel.
All it takes is a few sandwiches, good company, and the strong will to plunge into those waters that seem to have just melted from the last glacier in Venezuela, to spend a splendid afternoon.
I would like to sound interesting or mysterious and say that this place is my "secret spot" or that this is a "lost river," and under this concept, I took my boyfriend there one Sunday, but upon arrival, I just laughed to see several people around the river. It's not so secret, in fact.
This place is in the surroundings of the famous Santa Rosa dairy farm, a small but spacious green valley, where many cows rest and graze, taken care of by locals.
It is a tourist site by nature, and right next to the dairy farm, there is a beautiful cabin called "Potrero Perdido" which belongs to the Terrefinca inn.
My "secret place" may not be so secret or be a lost river, but it is a place full of mysticism and magic that I will always want to return to, and hopefully, it will always welcome me.
ESPAÑOL
El otro día estaba ansiosa por ir a un río. Mérida es un estado frío de Venezuela, con montañas y picos nevados, lleno de bosques húmedos muy densos y frondosos. La clave de esa humedad está en los numerosos cuerpos de agua que hay por todo el estado, como ríos, cascadas hermosas y lagunas.
Muchos de esos ríos o lagunas, debido a las lluvias y al clima húmedo, nacen (o renacen) y crecen como nuevos.
Mérida, al igual que el resto de la cordillera andina, siempre ha sido un lugar repleto de misticismo: mitos y leyendas cobran vida ante tus ojos cuando estás en esos fríos y hermosos paisajes.
La gente dice muchas cosas sobre estos lugares: que si no lances piedras en la laguna o te caerá una maldición, que si los duendes (o momoyes, como allí les llaman) te roban tus pertenencias si no estás pendiente, que si te descuidas en la montaña, esta te absorbe y te pierdes para siempre... Y un sinfín de rumores, mitos y leyendas más.
Yo particularmente he sido un poco escéptica respecto a esto, sin embargo, como dicen por ahí: de que vuelan, vuelan. En mis paseos por montaña y lugares naturales en Mérida, solo una vez sentí que algo no andaba bien y que de una u otra forma, la montaña me hablaba -y nos decía que no debíamos estar ahí-. Esta experiencia ya la conté anteriormente.
Todo este misticismo es fácilmente palpable en lugares como el río Albarregas a nivel de Santa Rosa.
Un dato curioso es que debido a la falta de regulaciones (y orden) en Venezuela, puedes entrar en zonas como estas sin ningún tipo de control o regulación, y por tanto, sin pagar nada. Para este punto, pienso que esto es algo necesario para preservar estos ecosistemas y mantener regulada la entrada y salida de los visitantes. Teóricamente, así es. Sin embargo, en la práctica, esto no es del todo cierto.
El río Albarregas nace en la laguna Albarregas, por allá en el páramo en la Sierra La Culata, y alimenta buena parte de la ciudad de Mérida, discurre por debajo de los tres viaductos principales de la ciudad, y se une al río Chama, el cual es el más importante de la región, mucho más abajo.
Pues, en cierta parte del recorrido de este río, un día estaba yo bañándome en sus aguas y rocas heladas, feliz.
Tengo tiempo yendo a este sitio. Pero recientemente fui con algunos amigos, y luego con mi novio.
Lo particular de estas últimas veces, es que nos encontramos con algunos pozos nuevos que alguien se dio a la tarea de armar, juntando piedras y troncos para acumular el agua que baja del río y así se forme un precioso pozo artificial.
La experiencia es una completa maravilla, es definitivamente de mis lugares felices.
El agua y el estruendo del río no te da, en absoluto, la bienvenida. El agua es helada, como de nevera, y el ruido a veces te deja hablar. Pero es una maravilla.
Solo bastan unos sanguchitos, buena compañía y la férrea disposición de entrar de golpe en esas aguas que parecen acabadas de derretirse del último glaciar de Venezuela, para pasar una tarde espléndida.
Me gustaría sonar interesante o misteriosa y decir que este sitio es mi "lugar secreto" o que este es un "río perdido, y bajo esta primicia llevé a mi novio un domingo, pero al llegar solo me reí de ver a varias personas a los alrededores del río. No es tan secreto, de hecho.
Este sitio queda en los alrededores de la famosa vaquera de Santa Rosa, un pequeño pero espacioso valle verde, en el que descansan y pastan muchas vacas de las que se encargan lugareños.
Es un sitio turístico por naturaleza, y justo al lado de la vaquera hay una cabaña preciosa que se llama "Potrero Perdido", que pertenece a la posada Terrefinca.
Puede que mi "lugar secreto" no sea tan secreto ni sea un río perdido, pero sí es un lugar lleno de misticismo y magia al que siempre querré volver, y ojalá siempre me reciba.
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oh thanks a lot!❤️
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thank you!
Un río mágico junto a una gata mágica
yes it is and I am thank you