Last posts on Colombia

EU-Digest: How safe are the flowers you are buying

2008-06-05T11:20:00+02:00

The flower industry keeps those flowers perfect for our enjoyment with a heavy douse of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, growth hormones, fungicides, and highly toxic pesticides. Imports can have unregistered chemicals or those otherwise banned because of the high costs at stake. If bugs are found in the cargo, the entire lot can be rejected. Studies have found more than 50% more pesticides on flowers than the allowable limit on produce; roses had 1000 times more cancer-causing pesticides than food! The pesticides used are very strong toxic chemicals. They travel to neighboring farms and into their water supply. Many of these chemicals are listed as "category 1" and include the most hazardous of chemicals (Methyl Bromide). Some of these chemicals are known to deplete our ozone layer and cause birth defects. When you touch a chemically treated conventional flower, you get poisons on your skin which can be ingested when you put your hand to your face or your child's face or can even penetrate your body through your skin. When you smell the fragrance, you are also inhaling poisons. Worse yet, the workers (many sorely underpaid) on flower farms and in green houses usually work in toxic environments. Studies show that they are exposed to 60 times the "safe" standard. As you can imagine, the toxic fumes are intensified in green houses! And as the farm hands return from work toxic chemicals also enter their homes and into the lives and bodies of their children and loved ones. But it does not end there. When the flowers are shipped and arrive at their destinations around the world, health hazards can now also enter the home of the consumer. This time with the addition of usually environmentally unfriendly packaging. Have you ever checked if the packaging or sleeves around the flowers you are buying are made from recyclable and sustainable materials. Like corn-based flower sleeve made from polylactic acid (PLA), a natural, rapidly biodegradable alternative to traditional petroleum based cellophane sleeves used by most flower companies! Are they safe to the to the environment, can they be recycled? Do the flowers you buy carry a sticker which says that the flowers are eco-friendly and have not been treated with poisonous chemicals? The next time you buy flowers for someone or for some special occasion, make sure they are not only appealing to the eye, but also carry a label which guarantees they are eco-friendly. These are all serious questions that need to be addressed by the multi-billion flower industry, which at the moment seems to be burying their head in the sand.For the complete report and additional news updates related to Europe in EU-Digest click on this link

Adventures, Often Fun

2006-11-30T15:00:00+01:00

I can fly!

There is a trend developing in my travels. I always seem to find a way to soar through the air. In Laos it was Cable-Gliding. In Colombia it is Para-Gliding.

The mountain that my fathers house sits on consistently has enough wind out of the North-East to make a great spot for Para-Gliding. Years ago a Frenchman taught a few of the locals how to do it. They have created a small network of take-off and landing areas, plus a small school down by the lake. So when I realized that hanging out in Bogota on my own was not what I really a good idea, I made arrangements to meet one of the instructors. His name is William, he´s a friend of a nieghbor of Angelas. At first we were unsure whether or not I would have enough time to learn much. We are going to the island of Gorgona next week and I leave for Argentina a few days after that. So we decide that the next day Angela and I would just try tandem jumps with William. A nice safe way to experience flying. After talking for a bit longer though, William convinced me to come down to the school and take one lesson, just to see how I liked it and how quickly I could pick it up. Well turns out I am able to pick up Para-Gliding rather quickly. After two hours I had made it to the point some people take a month or more to get to. Without even flying I was already hooked.

The next day William took us up the mountain for our tandem flights. Normally the good pilots take off and land in the same place. With the normal wind and thermals they are able to maintain and gain enough altitude so that they are not forced to land lower down. Sadly the wind did not cooperate that day. We sat for a few hours waiting in vain for it to pick up. Finally when it was clear that their was no wind to be had it was decided we would just do a short little jump straight down to one of the near landing sights. Now I don´t know if you have every run as fast as you can towards the precipice on the side of a mountain but let me tell you it seems a little crazy as you are doing it. That is until that sail picks you up. Then all of a sudden, you are flying. One of the best feelings I have ever had. It is peaceful, exhilerating, calming and terrifying (though I am not smart enough to be terrified). I have climbed up into the rigging of Tallships under way. Flown across a stage like Peter Pan and glided from tree-top to tree-top in the jungle. All of that pales in comparison. This is actually flying.

My favorite dreams have always been flying dreams. In the middle of the night I all of a sudden find the hidden secret and am able to fly. I always wake up in the morning feeling a little more inspired. Now I know the secret in my waking life. Needless to say I felt I needed to learn how to do this on my own. So, on tuesday I took my second lesson. Once again I progressed quickly. I am proud of how well I am picking this up in part because I am learnig how to do it without the benifit of detailed descriptions. I don´t think I mentioned that William´s English is pretty limited. He has spent two years in the U.S. but still most of the lessons have been in Spanish. This has worked out for a few reasons. William is very simple and clear with his instructions so even when I don´t know the words the meaning is clear. I am geting better and better each day at understanding Spanish. I am picking up the vocabulary slowly and am still not able to have anything near a conversation but when I listen carefully I can usually figure out what people are talking about. Mostly though I just understand how Para-Gliding works. Each little step makes sense in my head. I know how the wing lifts me up into the air. I undertand how my weight, motion and the wind act on the wing to get it up in the air and then how it conspires with nature to break me free of gravity. By the end of the day Tuesday. I was able to make two very short fights, solo. I was not in the air much more than a minute each time but oh it was great. I am so hooked. When I get back home I am sure I will seek out more lessons and probably buy my own sail. I wish I could have done this much sooner.

Happily here life pushed me down the right path and I have the time and money to follow. Though, it has not cost very much. William is very generous with his time and equipment. I will go back up there this weekend for more lessons. Right now I am in Bogota. You may be asking yourself why not go learn to Para-Glide more. Did I mention the beautifull Venezuelan woman? While on the mountain for the tamdem jump I was introduced to Yazmin. She speaks English and lives/works here in the city. I asked her if she would show me the night life this week. We went out last night. Had a great time and will probably go out again more this week. She spends most of her weekends learning how to Para-Glide and driving her friends around the mountain. She will give Lylia (Angela´s mother) and I a ride out there on Saturday morning.

Life is good. Sure there are some crappy parts but in this instance getting my back-pack stolen was a small blessing. If all had gone as planned I would done some sight-seeing around the city, guide book in hand. My guide book was in the back-pack. There was no mention of Para-Gliding in there anywhere as I recall.

There are many other small advetnures. Too many to go on about now. Some time I will tell you about the amazing amount of waiting you do in Colombia. Dad and Angela just got their new truck yesterday. They aplied for the loan just before I got here. Took all fo this time to do the paper work.

I will post a few pictures soon on the photoblog Hope all is well.

Quitapasares

2006-11-15T01:25:00+01:00

I am back in Bogota after a week at my Fathers house Quitapasares. The name means leave your sorrows. It is a beautiful house in the area of Tomine del Blanco over looking the Tomine Resevoir, a lake created by a hydro-electric dam that supplies power to Bogota. The valley is gorgeous and from the house you can see two little towns, Guasca and Guatavita. The range across the valley contains the Parmor. A unique ecosystem unlike anywhere else in the world. It is kind of alpine meadow meets tundra meets jungle. Moisture moving up out of the Amazonian jungle colides with the eastern range of the Andes. the resulting rain and fog is trapped in the unique vegetation. The water feeds into the streams and rivers in the valley below. The landscape is dominated by the Frielejon plant that is found nowhere else in the world. It is a huge exotic variation of the daisy.

My adventures over the past week have have been small excursions. Trips to Guasca, the lake and town of Guatavita. A short but intruiging trip to the Paramor and an exploration of the ruins of the brick-works that Angelas father used to own and operate. Mostly though I have been sitting, talking, watching birds and some of the most variable and dynamic weather I have ever seen. I know, not the high adventure I promised. It has been wonderfull none the less. Quitapasares it amazingly quiet. I don´t know the last time I slept so well. Life here is incredibly peacefull. the perfect begining to my South American journey.

A little more about the day trips. Guasca is a pretty, sleepy little town with the classic South American plaza and church. The locals see few visitors so we recieved many quizical stares. Guatavita lake is sacred to the local Muisca people and is tied up in the legend of El Dorado. Some of the cermonies and sacrfices in the lake include quantities of gold. So the conquistadores cut a hole in the side of the mountain hoping to drain the lake and plunder the gold they hoped to find in the bottom. Sadly for them the lake is very deep and they were never able to reach the bottom. Now it is a protected nature park with tours and explantions of the history. Guatavita, the town is relativily new. When the power company built the hydro plant and flooded the valley in the 50´s they had to build a new town above the waterline and move all of the residents. The architecture captures the Spanish style but gives it an elegant update. It is quite beautifull.

Our trip to the Paramour was under the guidance of Angela´s freind Horacio. He is a a great character. A tall man, now a university professor teaching psycho-analysis and anthropolgy two days aweek on the verge of retirement. At one time the classic South american leftist. He went to school in Chicago in the 60´s and spent years in the jungle studying indigineous tribes. Now he spends as much time as he can watching birds and hiking the Parmour. He adores the place and takes great pride in how unique it is.

Tomorrow we are off to the town of Villavincencia. It is on the other side of the mountains and closer to the jungle. I am told I will enjoy the wildlife. We were suposed to see a few of the sites here in Bogota today but Angela and I had to return to the house in Tomine to retrieve some papers esential to recieving a lone for the new pickup they are purchasing and as it turns out to help recieve some new outdoor funiture. the driveway up to the house is very rough and steep in places. It is amazing that their little comact car has survived it this long and it was too much for the delivery truck. We were forced to unload the truck partially so it could get up the steepest part, carry the furniture up the hill and reload the truck. Today I also got to drive in the controlled chaos that is Bogota traffic. What was supposed to be a day of sightseeing turned into an everyday Colombian adventure. That has been the best part of being able to come and see family here, the everyday veiw of things and people here. I am having a great time!

Also, check out my photoblog marcsworld.blogspirit.com for many pictures. And rember if you sign up for the newsletter I will notify you when the real adventures begin without having to check in constantly.

The adventure begins

2006-11-08T19:44:35+01:00

I have arrived safe and sound in Bogota. After about 21 hours of travel, most which was a rough nights sleep in the Miami Airport, my Dad and step-mother Angela picked my up at the airport. I have seen a little bit of the city and learned more new words (most of which I forgoten already) in just a few hours than I have in most weeks of my life. Now we are at Angelas mothers house, she made us a delicioso lunch. We laughed about the humor that arises when languages collide. I think Angela has every conversation twice, once in Spanish and once in English. Luckily for here she speaks so fast she can do it in half the time. I don´t think it will be too long before I can understand most of what is said. Luckily with the common latin roots english and Spanish are close enough that I can figure out a lot.

We are not going to spend much time here until next week. After a few errands we will drive up to their house and will spend most of a week there. I love travel.