Taatoos Of The Malegentales

British

British Aaah! The Medellin cartel drug traffickers and the FARC, its bomb, bomb Shakira, Bogota, Cartagena, coffee ... quite a rich folklore for travel brochures!

I'll give you my personal vision. Since it takes to start somewhere, talking about my "entry" in Colombia. The last city on my way to Ecuador, was San Lorenzo (photo above. We must enlarge by clicking). Descending from the bus, I speak with an Ecuadorian, who said: "You go to the end of this street, there is a pontoon, and lanchas (boats) leaving for Colombia. "

Ok, it seems simple ... Three minutes later, I paid my ticket and I'm at the end of the pontoon with Colombia and Ecuador.

For me, una lancha is a relatively large boat, so I'm surprised a kind of large boat dock that comes ... I cast an eye on luggage, the number of passengers ... and I say it's a bit of adventure compared to the size of the boat!

While loading the bags on board, an obese black clear his displeasure! She finds, too, that the lancha is too small. This proves one hand, I had judged correctly, and secondly it is fully aware of its body volume ...

The "pilot" told me that the crossing takes about 50 minutes, but the big said that normally, the boats are bigger and faster! By dint of living with Latinos, I learned not to ask questions that require accurate answers too ...

It is so loaded that the first acceleration, the passengers in the first half of the boat are copiously watered ! The pilot we spend a huge black tarpaulin, which ultimately serve to everyone, because of the sun.

I'm sitting next to Marta (obese) and his son. She is super nice and explains how to do a little at the finish. Good thing it's not very clear to me ... It is accompanied by two cousins, so that this "small" family alone accounts for almost half of the boat. We sail in the middle of the mangroves under a blazing sun. The banks are very wild, very handsome, but splashing me from doing more pictures.

L’arrivée en Colombie est assez originale. On s’amarre à un ponton perdu en pleine forêt, où une dizaines de jeunes se chamaillent pour porter nos bagages. A quelques mètres de toute cette agitation, des gosses nagent tout nus dans une eau trouble.

Le ponton donne sur un escalier en bois, qui monte à pic sur une vingtaine de mètres, et se termine sur un chemin de terre. Marta me fait signe to follow. The fact that there have no checkpoint does not escape me. She said there was a "further" ...

is loaded an old 4x4 NissanPatrol, and we all piled up, I wedged between the driver and Marta (argh!). To save space inside, all bags were installed on the gallery, and my camera in one of my bags ... So no picture of this part. We are moving in a shining sun, which runs a red dirt road, surrounded by vegetation with a very light green. The beautiful light and color contrasts, give the impression of editing in Photoshop!

20 minutes later, still on the same track, a group of soldiers we signaled us to stop. I expect an identity check, but none of this is the drug of interest! Each bag is down, and meticulously researched. But not us! not infallible, their system ...

Colombia, Peru and Bolivia are the main suppliers of cocaine the globe. Drug traffickers install laboratories farms clueless, and organize convoys by all means: air, river, sea, earthy, and all sorts of "carriers" of the poor who serve as "mules" (they ingested capsules of cocaine and emerge in a natural way ...), large quantities hidden in legal transportation, or simply by travelers. So, the military could not care less that I'm French or Nepal, if I have a passport, or that I'm wanted by Interpol! Only the contents of luggage interest.

is finally back on the road, which 5 minutes later ends before another river arm. It should come down the luggage, take a boat to cross a few minutes down the whole and take a van. All in total precipitation, with carriers who jump on luggage in the hope of a for-drink.

I installed back in the open air, with two cousins. We pass through a village with wooden houses, places much bewildered and poor. Then we take the first paved road, direction: Tumaco!

I think back just supervise met since leaving Ecuador, and I think their real borders are sieves! If I had drugs on me, they would never have seen ...






I look at the time. I boarded in San Lorenzo (Ecuador) to 14.30, and it enters Tumaco to 18h. Many of transport, the scent of adventure, but still no passport validated! And then we is not in the European Community, it does not pass the borders lightly. And as far as I know, no authority knows that I'm British ... I found a hotel, put my things and drove to the police station to explain my situation. The cop told me that I must go to the DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad). But it is too late, it will be for the next day.

Tumaco is a small tropical city, quiet, the black population to 97%. It's like réellemen T in Black Africa! People are radically different stature of Peruvian small: they are all tall and muscular, and girls especially beautiful. The night has fallen. I eat in a neighborhood, when suddenly "cut! "Blackout! The whole city in darkness. It is in these moments that is truly aware of how cities use too much energy. No, no joke, it does very well like this! Well, the climate is to many, but I have great memories of the atmosphere that night, or all public places to work the candle, creating atmospheres sieved.

I arrive at my hotel, the receptionist gave me a candle and a lighter. In cross-storey passenger, happy smile that illuminated by orange light. To complete this picture, a tropical rain fell on the town!

The region is known to be one of the wettest in the world. It rains all night and when I get up at 7am, it's still raining ...





for reasons quite mysterious, the country is full of old Renault, lost among the modern Japanese and American brands ...

The unusual story of the morning is marked by the following fact: I have to change my last dollar Colombian pesos. Like the day I could not find a casa de cambio (because of the darkness), I asked the receptionist where I can find. He calls me and the porter told me that he will accompany me ! Eh, why it's dangerous? "No, no! "He hastened to answer me! So tell me where the casa! Nothing doing, the guy takes a big umbrella and go up a big shopping street.

The power outage has not yet been fixed and each store operates with a generator, which produces background music throughout the city unbearable. It was the most romantic day! Reached the height of a pharmacy, my "guide" between demand and the dollar to an old white coat. What, the pharmacist is currency exchange?! The rate is correct, I give my dollars to the white coat, which Trampe his fingers into a jar containing a white liquid, and quickly rub the tickets to verify its authenticity. I'd really seen it all ...

Above: In a park, several people have their noses up to the highest branches. Small iguanas roam and eat vegetation.

All this est bien beau, mais je suis toujours un voyageur clandestin en Colombie ! Je prends un taxi et fonce au DAS sous une pluie battante. Quand j’explique ma situation au seul agent présent, celui-ci me dit que le problème, est qu’ils n’ont pas d’électricité (oui j'suis au courant...). De plus, il faut attendre le chef qui est partis prendre un petit déjeuner... Okay ! le moindre magasin de chaussures du centre à un groupe électrogène, mais pas le service des douanes qui préfère se tourner les pouces en regardant la pluie tomber...

L’agent feuillète mon passeport et me fait remarquer qu’il no exit stamp from Ecuador. Say that I liked, must still cross the border! "Wait for the boss! "I repeat there. That is the phrase of the morning ...

Waiting on a large terrace, watching the rain that did not finish. Behind me, a dimly lit room (and for good reason) with 3 offices and computers off ... Not take much to cripple the country!

Twenty minutes Later, the Chief finally arrived! It is a great white without uniform, under a little jaded. I feel it's gonna be tough with him. My smuggling in Colombia do not pose a problem to him, since I came to my case report. But the fact that I got out of Ecuador without validation, is problematic. "You can hear a very high fine! "He said. Slight feeling of déjà vu ...

Moreover, they, as the authority customs, can not bring someone which is not officially released in another country. Yet I am here! In fact, if British stamps my passport and I returned to Ecuador, he sees that I have no "exit" and that the British did not consider. So I risk a fine, but the SAR will be slapped on the wrist!

He asks me questions open, and said that ideally, I would have returned to Ecuador me to validate the output (without being seen by returning So! it is grotesque). I play back my way and told me that it will not be possible ... The leader is absent a few minutes, returned and said: "So what do we do? "I understood from the beginning, a below-the-table would settle the matter, but I am one who does not understand. Moreover, it proves that there is a way out, but he uses the situation. So I play the guy not in a hurry, who did nothing wrong.

Very quiet, I summarized the situation : " Listen, I know that as a traveler, I'm supposed to do the customs formalities, but I did not hide when leaving Ecuador! I went to the end of a street, I took a boat and at no time have I been tested! It is not for me to follow the border in search of a post-control! "This does not really laugh.

I told him I was a journalist, this kind of info is not verified. I did it on purpose, I know that certain nationalities or professions, influence authorities in Latin. And a French journalist, that's good 'leader disorders. Sometimes it is good to have the reputation of French protesters ...

As he did not respond, I read i said that if I did not return to Ecuador, nobody will see anything! And no problem for them or for me! Besides, I do not INTENTIONS return to Ecuador, I continued north. His bribes is far away and he pulls a bit of cum ...

Without saying anything, he phone at a DAS another city (which has access to electricity) to verify my identity on computer ... Ten minutes pass and he hangs up a little tense. I guess that phone, an officer reported that he was "clean" and that he had let me pass. The head stamps my passport limiting myself to 30 days in the territory, and said to me in the eye "Do not go to Ecuador! "He lets me leave without greeting me and I'm outta DAS!

I beloved Tumaco, and if I go, not because of rain, or administrative complications, but because it takes my point!

I take a bus to Cali, a city that lacks the international reputation of Cartagena, Bogota and Medellin, but who is the 3 rd largest city in the country . The road is long, it must then follow the Andes to reach the Panamerican. In Colombia, the Andes were formed in somewhat different from the South. There are 3 large beds, separated by a river, creating differences significant climate relatively short distances.

example, in Bogota, located at 2500 m altitude, the average is 14 degrees, but it can get very cold! Just 60km from here you can find deserts and tropical forests.

In Cali, there is no winter, it is always hot. The city among the first cities in America Latin in terms of miscegenation and black population (also known as Afro-Colombian). As usual, I went everywhere: in markets, streets remote, bus stations, major pedestrian streets, I went out at night and nothing happened to me! Well, I saw some dirty cum, but must recognize that Colombia is not more dangerous than any other neighboring country.

must also confess there are cops on every street! And they are not there for nothing ...

You now understand that to spend some borders is quite complicated, not impossible, because of terrain or vegetation. Although there are tracks, it is mainly the boats or planes that serve as transportation.

In my case, to connect Panama, it is necessary that I travel to Medellin, and Turbo. Then it was like to go adventure from Ecuador to Colombia: boat, bicycle, boat ...

I calculate how long it would take me to this route, and what is the cost hotels + bus + boat. I realize that if I take a plane to Cali, I'll pay about the same thing! And I will put qu'1h30 to arrive in Panama. I have rolled my hump for 2 months, I move like I did from the beginning, but now it seems clear to fly.

The owners of the hotel in Cali are nice. And rather than negotiate a taxi (I could write a special chapter on taxis!) Father and son invite me to take me to the airport for a very reasonable sum.

For the first time in 14 months, I'll fly ... After countless kilometers in buses, trains and boats!

continued: Yugoslavia! No, I'm kidding. Panama, of course! ;)