EXPLORING COLOMBIA'S COWBOY COUNTRY

The vast plains of Colombia’s Llanos Orientales are rich in wildlife and a timeless culture – and is now opening up to visitors too

- SHAFIK MEGHJI

As we galloped towards a lake in the heart of Reserva Natural El Encanto de Guanapalo, Seco Gualteros brought us to a sharp halt, turned his face to the herd of humpbacked cattle we had rounded up, and started to sing. A loud, clear, surprisingly melodious voice drifted across the pancake-flat tropical grasslands that cover Colombia’s Llanos Orientales (Eastern Plains). Moments later, the cowboys flanking the herd began to howl and wave their hands in the air. The cows appeared indifferent to the cacophony, but I was thoroughly bewildered.

Barefoot, deeply tanned and wearing a denim shirt open to the chest, Seco built to a crescendo. Blinking from the intense midday sun and feeling slightly self-conscious, I belatedly added my voice to the chorus. Above us, a pair of vultures glided languidly in the cloudless blue sky, ready to take advantage of any misfortune. With a final yell, Seco urged us forward and we drove the herd into the murky, coffee-coloured water.

A frontier region

East of the Andes and north of the Amazon, the Llanos Orientales cover roughly a quarter of Colombia, as well as a great swath of Venezuela. Also known as Orinoquía, this seasonallyflooded, remarkably biodiverse region is comparable to the Brazilian Pantanal, and is home to jaguars, giant anteaters, anacondas and around 700 bird species. It is sprinkled with hatos (cattle ranches) patrolled by llaneros, cowboys with a distinct culture, particularly evident in their evocative fandango-esque folk music, joropo. Vast oil and agricultural production mean the Llanos are of huge economic importance, yet they remain on the fringes of Colombian life and attracts few visitors.