Man what a heck of a time that was! The summer of 2008 I decided to tour the Pan American Highway and meet up with a dear friend of mine. This was a two month tour that I departed on alone. First stop was Panama. It is beautiful! The first thing the airport security guard, yes the man with the two AK47'S and Fila Brazalero, asked me was, "Do you speak English?" I replied, "Yes.." He then solemnly told me, "Don't"..Oh hell what have I gotten myself into? Next stop, Medellin Colombia to meet up with my great friend. Again, after deplaning and being frisked by the kind men with the guns and dogs, I was once more warned not to speak English or travel alone. Great thing I speak Spanish, which by the way is NOT the same as Colombian. I am alone at the airport waiting for my luggage...three hours later..no luggage, ah, yes, it went to Peru. It will be back next week. Awesome. Then a familiar face from the crowd, my friends have arrived to spirit me away on my journey. Screw the suitcase, let's do this! I can not explain in words alone just how freaking beautiful Colombia is! But on the back of a motorcycle on rural mountain roads, it's downright frightening. There is no CDL requirement and to see those 18 wheelers passing each other on a one lane dirt path mountain road with no guard rail coming right at you indeed requires several beers...at least. Huge white tarp covered fields pique my interest, "What are those?" .."Cocaine fields.." Wow, a different culture indeed. The coffee is amazing and at each town we stop at the food gets wilder and wilder. Boiled pig ear with the hair still attached, yum...The locals flock to see the white person with the blond hair, it was all jokes at first with my amigo charging the locals money to touch my hair. That soon turned to, stay in the car and do not get out! We picked up some more friends and a car and head to Santa Rosa Thermals, a volcanic waterfall that you can swim in. After the thermal waters and the local spirit and mas cerveza, I am sleeping in the backseat on the way to our next destination in nothing but my bikini when the car comes to a screeching halt. I wake to find all my friends outside of the car held at gunpoint by at least a dozen huge heavily armed men. What the F is going on I yell? The guerrilla forces my friend informs me. Ah, should have never spoke English.."Who's the American?" SHIT...I'm toast, good by world, I'm off to be a white slave girl..possibly worse..But after much bargaining and at least 1,200.00 bucks lighter they send us on our merry way. What the? I thought I was with who I was supposed to look out for..I guess the Guerrillas don't care about the Cartel.
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