My brothers adventures in Colombia

[llego]

Just got this email from my little brother. He's 22. How I wish I was there with him!!

 

We took a bus (tobias, a dutch student Im working with) to Pasto, leaving Cali at about 9:30 AM yesterday. We made it past Santander de Quilichao and were starting to climb the mountains when we reached Mondomo. >That name will always remain in my memory. <The surrealist of places. 10:30, and we3 had hit traffic. A stop in the road. Not unheard of in Latin America. People were calm, sat outside, watched the sun pass. Vendors came and sold cold water and soda, homemade ice cream. I read, helped Tobias prepare for the meeting the following day. The hours passed, we had lunch. We heard that the block was part of a coffee worker{s strike. Still, everyone remained calm.

 

Night came, I started to think we wouldn{t make it to the meeting at all. Our bus was parked double parked in a long line of others, for kilometers. Across from our bus was a little bakery-- they might as well have organized the strike they were raking in dough. As night settled in and dusk left, people flocked to the flourescent light and warm smell fresh bread. Tobias bought some beers. A few other foreigners were in a group. Everyone was amiable, no one was hopeful, but no one seemed to preoccupied. A group of musicians from the carribbean coast pulled out a guitar and a cajon and bongos and started playing there, in the middle of restaurant to a growing crowd. A big group of peruvians were stranded with us, all coming from an HERBALIFE conference in Bogota, all trying to convince us we needed nutrient suppliments to be healthy.

 

When the musicians wrapped up, someone pointed to me and my ukulele, demanding the next perfomance. I mustered up my nerve and began to play Volver Volver-- and a great big voice started belting along with me. We went through all the rancheras I could remember, some I hadn{t ever played before on uke. People sang along, the peruvians clapped to everything, and a nice afro-colombian lady announced that this was Colombia damnit and even a general strike was a party. So enjoy!

 

Then we sat and chatted over some beers. There was a brazilian mine worker, a german couple, an australian, and three nice pastusos (ppl from pasto). It got later, people got ready for a night on their buses. Suddenly figures carrying heavy sticks, with covered faces came. One bought a cigarette from the bakery. Then they began letting air out of the bus tires. I climbed into the bus to pull my baggage out. One came on the bus and explained calmly that everyone had to get off because they were going to burn the bus. Fear was on everyone{s face. The bus driver calmly started letting air out of the tires, keeping up a pleasant conversation with the masked men. The figures darted from bus to bus letting out air. Then just as everyone had gotten off the bus, as per their orders, they were gone. Short attention spans.

 

We sat and played some music, and drank some aguardiente caucano off on a side road, trying to keep quite and not attract any attention. The moon came out. Finally after trying to write a song commemorating the nuttiness of the evening, I pulled out my sleeping bag and curled up to sleep on the sidewalk, preferring that to the cramped bus.

 

Morning came, motorcycle exhaust blew into my face. All night there had been motorcycles running back and forth, weaving between the trucks that the protestors had parked blocking the road. People were calm. School children stared as they walked their usual routes, now weaving through buses and more people then they had probably ever seen at once. Now and then groups of stocky indians carrying heavy sticks or machetes passed by.

 

We decided we would head back to Cali, walking past the road blocks and then getting a lift wherever the road was free again. There were 8 of us, a very international team, loaded up with bags and suitcases. Just as we started off, a man squeezed through two 18 wheelers parked across the road, shouting that riot police were coming. Tear gas, violence, chaos. Then came a stream of people, running, shouting, screaming. We turned and ran, up towards the health post. We heard ka-thump, bang. Tear gas canisters being shot off. Women with young children, running.chaos.

 

We made it inside the health center, watched as machete wielding men ran past. A strange sweet smell filled the air, my eyes itched a little.

 

We waited 10 minutes, then ventured outside. The road was being cleared, broken glass littered the streets. Burnt tires left wiry frames in black charred piles of rubber. Our group was shaken. They wanted to wait things out in the health center. Others said that everyone had left already since the police had cleared things. Everyone we asked had a different report. A bus had been burnt. The rioters were using molotov cocktails. There were many more blockades. Further down the road it was still violent. A group of riot police was hanging out in the shade of a truck with punctured tires. I asked them if we could pass. Finally, we were given a yes. We gathered all our people and walked past the police all in black protective gear. Some smiled and said welcome to colombia. We passed three more groups of riot police. On a hill a large group of farmers were waiting in the shade of a tree. We passed a few more 18 wheelers, with men busily replacing tires. Finally a bus came hurtling down the road, honking. 7 mil pesos to Cali ($3.50). We were out of a bizarre scene, and back into reality.

[Anubis]

Is your brother Bill Bryson?

[Carvalho Diablo]

Sounds like the Ikea sale.

[Unrighteous]

I was expecting photos of fit birds or some sexual escapades... but a good riot/drinking night will suffice.

[scruffy]

South of Cali isn't the best of ideas....if your brothers in that area, tell him to be very very careful...

 

The rest of Colombia is pretty safe, people are friendly enough and stressfree...just everyone knows that once you start travelling down south, not to be surprised if there's trouble...it's FARC country there....

[llego]

South of Cali isn't the best of ideas....if your brothers in that area' date=' tell him to be very very careful...

 

The rest of Colombia is pretty safe, people are friendly enough and stressfree...just everyone knows that once you start travelling down south, not to be surprised if there's trouble...it's FARC country there....[/quote']

 

Yeah my parents are freaking out of course. Its strange because i get the sense that there are so many westerners going everywhere... hard to tell wheres actually too dangerous.

 

I cant wait to visit him in the summer!

[Carvalho Diablo]

Gonna go out and fuck some beeches ?

[Hooch]

Great story bro'

[Guest ShoePiss]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to 'backpack' around East LA? I know, not as cool but equally dangerous.

[llego]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to 'backpack' around East LA? I know' date=' not as cool but equally dangerous.[/quote']

 

No sign of la buena vida in LA Im afraid...

[bri]

where's the coke, birds, guns, druglords and booze element in this story

[scruffy]

Yeah my parents are freaking out of course. Its strange because i get the sense that there are so many westerners going everywhere... hard to tell wheres actually too dangerous.

 

I cant wait to visit him in the summer!

 

Yeah, don't get me wrong...Colombia is fecking great, lots of lovely looking women, good nightlife and pretty safe in most places...

 

The problems do lie in the SW of the country though....that's where the FARC are, and where we hear all the problems from...

 

Pasto would probably be quite safe as a city, it's just the getting there, flying in would be the best option...

 

I mentioned your post to a couple of students I have, and they just laughed and said, yeah, that's the red zone of Colombia...

 

So, tell him to keep his wits about him if he's travelling by road to Pasto, it's best to fly there....but have a ball with the rest of the country....oh, if you have blue eyes and can dance a bit of latin style, you will be king.....;)

[Lee909]

The lack of pics of Colombian women is disturbing.

 

[usernameunknown]

Badly want to visit Colombia and other South American countries, hopefully I'm there by the start of 2014.

[llego]

 

Yeah' date=' don't get me wrong...Colombia is fecking great, lots of lovely looking women, good nightlife and pretty safe in most places...

 

The problems do lie in the SW of the country though....that's where the FARC are, and where we hear all the problems from...

 

Pasto would probably be quite safe as a city, it's just the getting there, flying in would be the best option...

 

I mentioned your post to a couple of students I have, and they just laughed and said, yeah, that's the red zone of Colombia...

 

So, tell him to keep his wits about him if he's travelling by road to Pasto, it's best to fly there....but have a ball with the rest of the country....oh, if you have blue eyes and can dance a bit of latin style, you will be king.....;)[/quote']

 

Cheers man, he does dance some salsa but we are both brown eyed mongrels.

[Captain Turdseye]

Cheers man, he does dance some salsa but we are both brown eyed mongrels.

 

That wank alongside each other.

[llego]

Dont have any brothers, do you Turdseye..

[Captain Turdseye]

I don't, no. I've got two little sisters, which isn't really fair. I'm always the first one to finish.