I expect I will continue thinking about Darien for some time to come and indeed the region shocked me. It is quite easy to understand why a road has not been punched through to Colombia. The harsh jungle does create a rather natural barrier against smuggling in all forms. What I find difficult to understand is what sort of misery one must feel they are living in. It must be … [Read more...]
The Darien Gap – Contraband and Smuggling
It has turned out to be an adventure, but not perhaps the jungle trek or island hopping adventure I had hope for. After exploring the region as best I could, I went early to the peer to take a boat through rough waters around the point of land that separates Colombia from Panama (on the Caribbean side), to the tiny jungle community of Puerto Obaldia. … [Read more...]
Riosucio, Caldas; The Devil, Slavery & Parties
This is a story about how the devil united two communities. I have since looked it up on-line, but would like to recount the story as it was told to me. Setting the stage: The trip from mountainous, beautiful Manizales to Medellin is only 184 kilometres, however the best case scenario by bus takes 4 hours. The scenery is dramatic and in order to visit as much as possible along … [Read more...]
The Ups and Downs of Central Colombia
Today will be another travel day through this amazing country. As a lover of mountains, central Colombia is indeed addictive. In a mater of five days I went from 3200 meters on Monserrate in Bogota, down to 250 meters in Honda, a small but extremely strategic community, straddling the massive Magdalena river. The heat and humidity was stifling, but the community relaxed and … [Read more...]
Reciprocity
This is a bit of a touchy subject. Reciprocity or an eye for an eye as some biblical phrase reads always has its supporters. From the death penalty to boarder fees there is always an underlying populist cry for equality of punishment. During the last number of years, many South American countries have introduced reciprocity fees for visitors from countries that charge a visa … [Read more...]
