Colombia, Part 2

On my visit eight years ago, the trip through the mountains would not have been possible. At that time the roads were overrun by FARC and were unsafe to travel for fear of kidnappings. President Uribe has fought hard against FARC and has been very successful, though there is still much work to be done and the country is still very crippled from spending years under their control. In the few weeks that I have been here I have seen the release of one of the thousands of hostages held along with a dissenting member of FARC who is now under government protection. When an event like that happens while you´re in the country it´s happening in, it makes everything very real.

We took a trip to Cartegena the weekend before last. I visited the city last time I was here and have always remembered it´s colonial beauty. Because the roads were so unsafe last time, we took a short flight on a small propeller plane. This time, we woke a 5:30am to take the bus. The trip took about 6 hours and the bus was freezing. Even though Esteban warned me that it would be cold I found that my jeans and sweatshirt was not enough. Next time I will follow the lead of the locals and bring my sleeping bag. In Cartegena we went to a wonderful Cuban bar. A live band was playing salsa viejo, the old traditional salsa songs. It was dark and smoky and hot. The mojitos came out from behind the bar steadily throughout the night while everyone danced the night away. Everyone, of course, except me and Esteban. In the taxi on the way back to the bus station it began downpouring. Before I knew it the streets were completely flooded. There´s no infrastructure here. That means no sewers, than means no drainage. I asked Esteban where the waste goes. Probably the ocean, he said.

I´ve been spending most of my time following Esteban around through his daily tasks at his cattle farm. We wake up and do crunches and hop in a cold shower. Then breakfast is prepared for us. Afterward Esteban usually has to run some errands, sometimes I go with him, other times I read or watch CNN or old episodes of 90210. In the afternoon lunch is waiting for us. We gorge ourselves and then take a nap. Sometimes we go swimming or horseback riding. Later, there might be a cattle auction, then it´s home for some more relaxing, reading, guitar sing alongs, then dinner, then TV, then reading, then sleep.

Esteban has Direct TV at the farm so I have been able to keep up with the world. I watched the Phillies win the World Series, and last night I watched them tally up the votes and announce Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. It´s a strange sensation to be so connected and yet so disconnected at the same time. It´s an exciting time for the United States and the world at large and if he can only accomplish half of what he hopes to accomplish we will still all be better off.

I´ve been trying to connect with people in Ecuador so I can begin the more adventurous portion of the trip. I have had a very gentle re-introduction to South American life. Esteban has guided me lovingly and has planned and arranged everything that has needed to be done so far. I´m trying to remind myself to enjoy this calmand accept his assistance, because soon, I will be out there on my own, without translation, determining which freezing bus to get onto, and finding myself in countries I´ve never set foot in before.