*Did you just get goosebumps? Because I did!*
So my mother would
like to clarify for the "blog-record" that she is NOT "fine" (as I had
previously assumed and posted) with my going to Colombia, but, in her
own words...
"Colombia does give me pause. I just am not
shocked that you’re going. No, I do NOT want you to go there. I want
you to come home and do good stuff around here. "Have fun" is short
for, "we know you’re going to go where you’re gong to go regardless of
what we say, so you might as well have a good time; Bring home some
good stories and stay healthy and alive. We love you and we’re living
vicariously through you. And don’t let anyone think you're worth
kidnapping for any money."
I’m a nightmare of an offspring.
And in the unlikely case that I actually live long/full enough, my
parents will take great joy in the curse that will in turn be passed
down to those that spring off me; For the one advise I will never be
able to dish or defend is, "don’t do anything I wouldn’t do."
So yes! To Colombia, for an undefined and frosted slice of delicious time!
And
deserving credit for the documentation of this upcoming adventure in
“Locoland” goes to two very important supporters of this site.
First,
as you can see by the new link (coming) on the right side of this page,
solbeam.com has reached across both continents and cyberland to eagerly
and appreciatively shake the hand of Australian based, WorldNomads.com.
WorldNomads
has so graciously offered to indefinitely sponsor my spiritually-fueled
and passionate pursuit of truth and inspiration in this world as it
takes me physically around the globe.
And seeing as I have
unlimited funds of passion, but a severely dwindling cash account, I,
with joy, accept this partnership. AND they have even extended an offer
to insure my laptop (the most prized and valuable material possession
I’ve ever invested in) and digital camera. In consideration of the
theft risk that IS present in Colombia, I had previously planned on
leaving both in a safe in Quito. But thanks to the extended hand of WorldNomads, the live visual and verbal documentation of my adventures in Colombia will proceed!
(And
if you are planning a trip, I can also, with perfect integrity, send
you there with my personal recommendation. Their travel insurance rates
are slashed to half of those that I’ve paid for in the past and their
services, as well, are adapted, not to the touring retiree, but to the
web savvy and long-term backpacker.)
And an additional heartfelt thanks goes to this girl...
Who,
upon the sad and sudden death of mine, sacrificed and sent to me her
own personal digital camera in order to help this penniless pilgrim
continue to visually document the pursuit of her path.
The entire Colombia Photo Album will be in due and direct thanks to this wonderful woman.
Thank you Shal.
So
I’ve got a few bus rides to catch (and hopefully less stops to sleep
through). And if you care to read along with me, my backpack book of
choice is the following:
(About the Book:
"Behind
the media's focus on Colombia's drug war is an unmentioned horror
story: the Dirty War that has given Colombia the worst human rights
record in the hemisphere. With icy precision and passionate prose,
Father Giraldo and Noam Chomsky reveal the deadly landscape of what
Eduardo Galeano termed the "Democratatorship": how the United States
helped Colombia carry out unrelenting human rights travesties; how the
paramilitary system functions to shield the military from connection to
death squad activities; and what Americans can do to change a situation
funded with our tax dollars.")
The book is actually still in
transit from the States to Colombia via a very good friend of mine
who’ll be meeting me in Cartagena in a few weeks. When I asked him to
bring the book for me his response was...
"Are you trying to
get me arrested? I can just see the immigration officials finding that
beauty of a book title in my bag. Any other requests? "Idiot's Guide to
Overthrowing South American Governments?" Maybe I'll put a Snoopy book
cover on it or something..."*Are you laughing? Because I am.*
