KAVU Colombia

Part 2 - Words and photos: Jacob Glass

By KAVU

February 12^th, 2019

The inarguable truth is that the world is immense, varied, and fascinating. The opportunity to travel allows one to experience a deeper appreciation for the great fortune that is life and, the same humanity that all people share.

There are many motivations to cast off to a new area.

Some of my friends enjoy cycle-touring, while others explore through photography. Foodies seek novel flavors, and hikers yearn for distinct terrain. I happen to use paragliding as my excuse to situate myself in a foreign context.

BE PRESENT

Regardless of the particular reason for which we pick a destination, our time there, more often than not, rewards us with far more insight and intimacy with our chosen local than we expected.

In coming to Colombia, I was looking forward to abundant thermic lift, patchwork farmscapes..... and a culture of friendly people because my friends had told me stories of such gems. Although there was so much more......

these are what ultimately added the most value to my trip.

One lesson I never want to forget while afield: there is an incalculable value in extemporaneous shenanigans;-)

Such as when three friends abandon their plans to go bird watching because one of them had heard that it was possible ascend a nearby tower and get the best view for a sunset. After some discussion about how paragliding was never as scary as climbing up that ladder in the howling Pacific winds, we relaxed and joked about spending the night up there, feeling secure in the integrity of the large metal structure.

wild locals

As the second most biologically diverse nation, Colombia is a nature lover´s paradise. We would watch toucans and colorful tanagers as we imbibed endless coffee while waiting for the clouds to clear off from launch, allowing us to fly our paragliders.

A magnificent swallow-tailed kite circled with me through some turbulent air and inspired me to keep going with the day. A massive iguana scared me senseless when I almost walked straight into it while bushwhacking along an irrigation canal. These are just two memorable moments among endless trip highlights....

Young children gleefully rode upon horses through town in a cavalcade, celebrating the importance of ranching and agriculture to this valley. Large, vivid skirts twirled kaleidoscopically during the dances representing the different regional traditions presented by the local Museum of Omar Rayo. Aguapanela, a drink derived from hardened sugar cane juice, is ubiquitous.

Trust me on this one: try it with cheese.

And of course, the coffee is damn good.

I could not imagine just how warmhearted they are.

After spending some quality time here, I found it hard to walk through town without several people calling my name to stop me for a quick "Hello." Maybe it's someone who served me breakfast yesterday or, perhaps it's the kind motorbike driver who delivered me back to town after a flight, helping me to escape the intense heat of the midafternoon. Most likely though, it is Cesar. He is always in the central park and seems to know everyone.