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March 7, 2005
Colombian rum and bomb-sniffing dogs
I went to the home of Don Camilo Sunday, a borderline anarchist who works for a human rights NGO in Bogota. Marta Ruiz, a Colombian journalist who is the best tour guide anyone could ask for, brought me along for a long lunch of frijoles rojos con cedro y arepas, a local specialty. Don Camilo´s apartment is in downtown Bogota, two blocks from the flea market where one can buy an Easy Rider-style leather jacket for less than three bucks. Marta, Don Camilo and I killed a bottle of Ron Viejo de Caldas, a local rum. Drinking rum is a Colombian after-meal tradition - just as sitting on the front seat of a buseta, or mini bus, is a requirement to avoid getting mugged.
Forgive me for the weak segue, but I´d like to talk about another interesting security-related tidbit: In Bogota, there are private guards and bomb-sniffing dogs at the entrance to every public parking lot, governmental building and shopping mall. The guards sweep the bottom of cars with mirrors that check for hidden bombs; the dogs sniff trunks and engines. Everyone waits patiently. It seems like security checks are part of every-day life in this city.
I watched a line of cars waiting to get sweeped Sunday night outside the TGI Friday´s parking lot and wondered, how dare I complain about security checks at American airports? Here, it´s like TSA workers are everywhere.
I´m off to the Metropolitan Police and will catch a bus on my own for the first time. I´ll let you know how that goes in my next posting. Meantime, keep on sending me your comments. I loved to read the ones I´ve received so far.
Un beso grande desde Dr. Web, el cafe Internet de donde escribo, en la Carrera Novena con la Calle 76 en El Nogal.
Posted by Fernanda Santos at March 7, 2005 10:57 AM
Comments
Hi Fernanda,
You are the lucky recipient of my very first email. Beth has been giving me a lesson the computer, and we thought we would check in to see how you are doing. Hope things are going well, and you are staying safe. We have been busy shopping for Beth and Mike's new townhouse, which they should be in at the end of March. Everyone has been getting along just fine, including the three cats, and one dog.
Hope to here from you soon!
Stay Safe!!!
Barbara and Beth
Posted by: Aunt Barbara and Cousin Beth at March 7, 2005 5:29 PM
Fernanda --
It sounds like you are already having a wonderful time -- despite the horny kids on the flight to Miami.
Keep us all posted with everything you're doing --it all sounds so wonderful!
Jon & Eve
Posted by: eve at March 8, 2005 11:24 AM
I find that remark about busetas highly innacurate... I spent a year in bogota in 93-94 @ the heigth of the massive manhunt for pablo escobar and rode public buses quite frequently @ times on my own and never felt it was a necesity to sit in the front seat.. That was @ a time when colombia was considered the most dangerous country in the world by many accounts.... From what I understand the larger cities are much safer now then when I was there over a decade ago. So if your trying to play into the generalities that its a frightening dangerous country where you have to be afraid even riding a public bus in the capital city your wrong.. Anyone who has spent extensive time there would more than likely find your comments "suspect" to say the least.
Posted by: Christopher at January 27, 2006 2:41 PM