An irrelevant aside...

[BobG]

Cheers Sydney! Best sky experience I've ever had was an upper class campsite out in the wilds of Tanzania. Mind you, a couple of nights later the termites swarmed. Couldn't see a bloody thing - not even the way to the food tent. The buggers got EVERYWHERE. And I mean that literally.

BobG

[BobG]

The local area in Cucuta....

[BobG]

And again

[SydneyRover]

Just watched a bit of 'long lost family' which about an adopted girl, now woman from Bogota, which gave glimpses of life there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf_FGYp8DC4

2018

[drfchound]

The local area in Cucuta....

I thought you would stay in a better hotel than that Bob.

[BobG]

Thank you Sydney. I've just watched what looks to be a trailer. I'll try to find the full thing in a mo.

I'm not staying in hotels Hound. It's been fairly cheap, and sometimes very cheap, apartments which are the homes of relatives of people I know. I tried a big posh hotel in Cartagena 2.5 years ago. I loathed it. Doing it this way is far, far closer to Colombia.

BobG

[BobG]

Cooking, btw, absolutely HAS to include a small mountain of salt. I suggest 'let's try cooking without it' and everybody looks at me like I'm from Mars. Sugar is as bad too....

Whether this is down to the fact that I am moving in ill educated and ill resourced circles I don't know. But it's frightening to someone with my background and experience.

BobG

[drfchound]

I'm not staying in hotels Hound. It's been fairly cheap, and sometimes very cheap, apartments which are the homes of relatives of people I know. I tried a big posh hotel in Cartagena 2.5 years ago. I loathed it. Doing it this way is far, far closer to Colombia.

BobG

I was making a joke Bob about the picture of the building with the corrugated metal doors.

[BobG]

Aye. I realised Hound, but I also realised I hadn't  described the sort of visit this is. It's very definitely at the bottom end of the market

BobG

[SydneyRover]

Thank you Sydney. I've just watched what looks to be a trailer. I'll try to find the full thing in a mo.

I'm not staying in hotels Hound. It's been fairly cheap, and sometimes very cheap, apartments which are the homes of relatives of people I know. I tried a big posh hotel in Cartagena 2.5 years ago. I loathed it. Doing it this way is far, far closer to Colombia.

BobG

The ABC posts episodes onto a watch anytime channel when this episode appears I'll see if there is more info for a better search.

[BobG]

Thanks!

[SydneyRover]

Correction the prog is Long Lost Family-What Happened Next series 4 episode 1

[BobG]

I learned something rather astonishing this morning. I happened to swear - 'bugger' escaped my lips. I was then given the third degree about what it meant. I was slow on the uptake so I just said it's a 'grosera' - a swear word. That failed to satisfy my inquisitors. Ultimately I told them what it means. They collectively then asked me why it's a swear word? That particular activity 'es normal aqui'. Oh. Right. Fair enough!

BobG

[Usher wide.]

Not that I’m wishing anything on you Bob, but how would you go on for health care?

[BobG]

There are public hospitals where you can just turn up - but the waiting times are long. Or, with either your own money or insurers, you can go private. Colombia is reckoned to have the best health services in S. America. As a lot of Yanks are retiring here I suspect that's probably correct. Across all my visits I've twice consulted dentists and once a hospital. Service was rapid and very good on all three occasions. Cheap too. I've never bothered claiming on the insurance in fact.

BobG

[BobG]

My place of repose this afternoon. It is 32 degrees....


BobG

[BobG]

Arsenal get bloody everywhere... This is the middle of a hugely bustling 'Centro Commerciale' in Cucuta, Colombia, right on the border with Venezuela


BobG

[BobG]

Typical lower end Cucuta residential street...

And it's chuffing hot!

BobG

[BobG]

It's past 4 pm on a stinking hot Saturday afternoon here. I've just watched some municipal chap with a big container strapped to his back spray every garden in sight with stuff to kill mossies. I reckon that's pretty good.

I'm particularly happy to see the bloke cos the mossies are taking chunks outta me.

BobG

[BobG]

Today is the 'Dia de la Velitas'. A lot of VERY loud fireworks, a meal of Venezuelan 'hallaca' and then the children each lighting a candle. I think it has religious significance, but tbh, I'm not sure. My friend Claudia will put me right.

[BobG]

Another view

[BobG]

And one more.

The food on that big green leaf thing is my hallaca. Edible, but they do love leaving all the bones on their meat so you gotta go carefully. It's polite to strip the meat off the bone by chewing the bloody thing until it's clean, and then chuck the bone to one of the ever watchful dogs...

[BobG]

Candles are different colours. Each colour represents a different hope: health, wealth, gratitude, etc. It's a brilliant sight down these poverty stricken streets. I lit 2 for health. I also bought beer all round!

[BobG]

This is a good night!


Later: actually, I'm getting quite pissed...

[BobG]

Down the street... Candles lit all the way down the street. But I can't attach a video.


BobG

[BobG]

I really am getting quite pissed... And these chuffing 'fireworks' are scary loud.

[BahrainRover]

Hey Bob,
Fantastic following this thread please keep it running!
Your current situation and location reminds me very much of where I live when I am not working here in Saudi. I have called Mindanao, South Philippines home for the past 10 years now. If anyone is familiar with the name Mindanao they will know its also on the government red no go list, as with many other countries, and to top it I live in Maguindanao the area Filipinos even fear.
I cannot say everything is without reason for this and past history shows it and why, but I have learned not everything is as you are told and media stir up lots of this fear/misunderstanding. I have been to many paces around the world with work and travel, but Mindanao and especially Maguindanao has my heart. Despite all the troubles and subsequent hardships (a lot has been at the hands of the Philippines Government in Manila) these people have to be some of the most resilient, welcoming and generally happiest people I have ever encountered. I have encountered many different people there in many different circumstances in life, from the so called rich to the the families living under tarpaulins. And it's these poor families that stick in my mind of how great humanity can be if we push back and take stock of what's really going on around us. One such incidence that really is etched in my mind was some six years back walking through Datu Piang one evening. A small family were eating dinner outside their plywood and tarpaulin house, when as we passed the man jumped up and shouted to me "brother please come eat with us" that was probably the most English he had ever strung together. I politely declined the kind saying I had already eaten, but stayed to chat awhile. What sticks to me is times like this when those who have nothing but are willing to share what ever little they have, I will never forget this and in some way it has shaped how I act now in myself and how I am to others.
Looking forward to more of your updates Bob, keep writing them please.

Regards,
David.

[BobG]

Thank you David. I very much appreciate what you've written

You are spot on about those with very little little being the most willing to share. I had a shower here late tonight. I hadn't brought anything with me though as I hadn't anticipated it being such a late night. The shower itself was the most primitive I've ever encountered. The towel they gave me might just do as a floor rag in England. There was no shampoo at all. But it didn't matter. They gave what they had. And I appreciated it very much.

Having stayed so late I'm now going to sleep on an old mattress on the floor of a half built extension that the family are building themselves. No electricity. No lights. No flooring except concrete. But tonight was, and is, an absolutely cracking night. Oh. And the extraordinarily loud gunpowder explosions are still going off from time to time. Lol...

I came across a blog recently by an Englishman living in Bogota. He is clearly livid about the way the world has and is ignoring the plight of so many millions of Venezuelan refugees. He made the point that it's the poor in Colombia who most often share what they have with these poor sods. It does seem to me that increasing wealth tends towards decreasing generosity.

I'm at one with this guy about Venezuelans. If I allow myself to think about the despicable leadership of that country and the plight of its people I get so wound up that I become very emotional. I've messaged the bloke. See if I can join his crusade.

Oh. And Mindanao. Yes. Famed for a very, very big trench.

BobG

[BobG]

I've just had breakfast...

2 plain arepas and a sort of consomme type soup containing 2 poached eggs... Different.

BobG

[BobG]

And the garden where I ate it....