THE RAMBLIN MAN
On the road I met a Colombian cyclist who called himself Ivan, that is his family name I guess he didn’t like his first name which is Marian. He had started cycling in Costa Rica three months ago where he had spent some time with his Argentine girlfriend.
THE RAMBLING MAN
He plans to cycle down through Brazil. I asked Ivan for some water, he didn’t have any. He cycled along at my pace for about half an hour. On the way he told me he sells jewelery to fund his travels. Ten minutes after he cycled on he returned with a full gallon jug he got filled up in a house. He told me at nightime he usually stops and stays with the army in their roadside camps. I wondered how smart this is, what if the FARC guerrillas were to come in and have a shoot up,there is still some sporadic violence going on, though they are not as effective as they once were.
It may surprise many people but Colombia is a democratic republic, one of the most suscessful democracies in all of Latin America. They are also the 4th largest oil producers here, capping a million barrells a day.
Once again Ivan cycled on. I came upon the house where he got the water. Two women were trying on the bead and cloth name bracelets which take about fifteen minutes for him to craft.
THE WOMEN MAKE THEIR SELECTIONS
This is how I eat he said! Sure enough the women found their names on his display rolls. He had the bracelets pushed onto two bamboo sticks which he carried in his front carrier basket.
Soon we were eating beans and rice with a slice of hotdog meat and a slice of meat washed down with milky coffee.
AND WE EAT.
He shows me his Colombian identity card. Today is his 39th birthday.
We continue on up the road. He goes off into a ramble for about ten minutes talking about his family and his sister who can’t sleep. He is talking so fast I can barely understand what he is saying. He is almost talking to himself.
He asks me am I hungry again, even though it’s only an hour since we ate. He gives me the impression he wants to ‘ go to work again ‘, I get the impression it’s just greed, so I say no.
We get into Mutata and I buy him a birthday beer before we part. He has already given me two addresses of places I can stay, a friend in Santa Fe de Antioquis and a niece in Medellin. As we sit there outside the roadside cafe a small terrier gets hit by a motorbike. The poor thing just falls down in a heap in the middle of the road. Then it gets up and struggles to the hard shoulder before collapsing once again, smart dog I think, it learnt fast. A family rush over and lift it into their house.
This is where my hotel is, I commuted back up the road this morning. I decide to go out and do a bit more after a short rest and checking out.
I hear about a Canadian walker who has walked all the way from Alaska bound for Tierra del Fuego at the tip of this huge continent.
I was told he walks 25km a day pushing a stroller. I might catch up with him with a bit of luck somewhere around the Ecuadoran border as he walked thru 15 days ago.
Just outside of town I once again meet Ivan. He is talking to a man at a house. He catches up with me and I suggest that women are the better customers. He smiles and goes off into another ramble. I am feeling uncomfortable now, especially when he takes out a lump of marijuana. That’s when I put my foot down!
” Sorry I don’t do drugs, so called soft or otherwise especially here in Colombia! “
Later I am thinking about this, and he is staying in the army compounds which are trying to stamp this out of Colombia!
I look around and ask myself a question, a question I have been asking for over a year now…
” What channel are we watching today Tony?
” Is it going to be National Geographic,
The Animal Channel
or even The Travel Channel. “
Yes I got my own personal 360 degree wide screen television and I am as high as a kite living my dream.
HIGH AS A KITE LIVING MY DREAM
January 24th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Fabulous travel writing Tony! Am nearly free again to get back into action again. Talk soon.
January 24th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
God makes them and you meet them on your travels Tony. Channel Colombia is sure showing some interesting coverage