From Africa To Palenque
“The great Palenque … you were lost in the jungle of my country, the nymphs of time came back to show us the purity of your race, you looked at Cartagena like your uncivilized sister.”
From a Palenquero day laborer, I learned the history of this small town, considered the first free town in America. All are descendants of African slaves who fled from Cartagena at the time of the colony in search of their freedom. They isolated themselves, but kept their language intact (mixture of Spanish with African languages), their cultural rites, their food, their dances and above all, the pride of keeping their pure race over the centuries.