PICNIC PARA AYUDAR EL PUEBLO DE ITUANGO - PICNIC TO HELP THE TOWN OF ITUANGO

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Fuente: CM&
http://cmi.com.co/?ir=noticia&nota=42407&seccion=7

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Domingo, 04 de Abril de 2010 15:21
Unos 1.500 campesinos abandonaron sus tierras y buscaron refugio en el casco urbano de Ituango presionados por la guerrilla de las FARC, denunciaron hoy las autoridades civiles de esa localidad.
Los labriegos proceden del caserío de La Vega del Inglés y otros tres parajes rurales de la población, precisó su alcalde, Carlos Mario Gallo, quien indicó que el éxodo se registró el sábado. Los desplazados atribuyeron el desplazamiento forzado al frente 18 de las FARC, reducto que actúa en la región, agregó el funcionario, que dispuso que los campesinos fueran acogidos en un establecimiento educativo.

En declaraciones a la cadena Caracol Radio, el alcalde pidió a la Gobernación de Antioquia, departamento al que pertenece Ituango, lo mismo que a entidades estatales y al Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja (CICR), que ofrezcan ayuda humanitaria a los desplazados.

La zona del éxodo estuvo bajo control de grupos paramilitares, cuenta con siembras de cocales y es escenario de frecuentes choques armados.

EFE

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Hola todos, vamos a tener un picnic en el Jardín Botánico a las 12PM para ayudar los desplazados en Ituango. Lo que pasa es que el pueblo de Ituango tiene apenas 5.900 habitantes pero porque hay conflicto en la región ahora tiene más que 1.500 desplazados en el pueblo (como 25% incremento de la población).

NO SE PREOCUPEN, el picnic va a ser un picnic normal con mucha diversión, risas, comida, y amigos nuevos; SIN EMBARGO, para participar con el picnic tienen que traer por lo menos unas comidas no perecederas, artículos de aseo (como papel higiénico), y/o cobijas para donar a los campesinos desplazados de Ituango.

Gracias por su apoyo.

Attn,

-Kevin Post


///ENGLISH VERSION///

Source: Latin American Herald Tribune
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=354766&CategoryId=12393

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FARC Forces 1,500 Peasants off Land in Colombia

Some 1,500 peasants left their land and sought refuge in Ituango under pressure from Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrillas, officials in the northwestern city said.

The peasants, who are from the hamlet of La Vega del Ingles and three other rural communities, left their land on Saturday, Ituango Mayor Carlos Mario Gallo said.

The peasants were forced off their land by the FARC’s 18th Front, which operates in the area, the mayor said, adding that the refugees were given shelter at a school.

The government of Antioquia province, where Ituango is located, public agencies and the Red Cross must provide assistance to the displaced peasants, Gallo told Caracol Radio.

The area where the peasants live was once under the control of right-wing paramilitary groups and is home to coca plantations.

Fighting among rival groups frequently takes place in the area.

Colombia, where leftist rebels and right-wing militias have been battling each other for decades, is second only to Sudan in the number of internally displaced people.

The FARC, Colombia’s oldest and largest leftist guerrilla group, was founded in 1964, has an estimated 8,000 to 17,000 fighters and operates across a large swath of this Andean nation. EFE

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Hey everyone, we are going to have a picnic in the Jardín Botánico at 12PM to help the displaced population in Ituango. The thing is the town of Ituango has a population of about 5,900 inhabitants but because of the conflict in the region the town has more than 1,500 displaced persons (roughly a 25% increase in the local population).


DON'T WORRY, the picnic is going to be a normal picnic with fun, laughs, food and new friends; HOWEVER, to participate you have to bring at least some non-perishable food, toiletries (such as toilet paper), and/or blankets to donate to the displaced campesinos of Ituango.

Thanks for your support.

Attentively,

-Kevin Post

Colombian Hitchhiking Part I - Sabaneta, Amagá, Fredonia, Venecia & Bolombólo

(click to enlarge photos)

I completely forgot that I had these photos from a hitchhiking trip here in Antioquia during Semana Santa (Holy Week) in April. Sadly I didn't keep a journal log of this trip so I am afraid that there is a lot I don't remember and as a result this entry is going to be briefer than I had hoped. Nevertheless, I hope to inspire some of you to take some time to hitchhike is this wonderful country with no itinerary or specific destination...just go for it! If you have any questions regarding hitchhiking in Colombia feel free to ask.

I started the trip from southern tip of Sabaneta and caught a ride from a truck driver named Juan Carlos (there are thousands of Juan Carloses in Medellín alone) to Amagá. Very nice guy who couldn't believe that I wasn't with my family during Semana Santa. He treated me to an empanada while in Amagá which was very nice of him. I found very cheap accommodation that night in Amagá after participating with the celebrations (which was basically a six hour church service). I didn't have my camera with me because this was a very religious occasion and I didn't want to offend anyone; sorry for not having any photos from Amagá.



Before I headed out on the open road for four days of hitchhiking wherever the drivers were heading during Semana Santa (Holy Week) here were some of the supplies I had brought with me. The sign says, "If you would be so kind" in hopes to make drivers feel sorry for me and give me a lift. Luckily for me it turned out that the sign wasn't necessary in order to be picked up constantly by drivers. My list of supplies and why I brought them:

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GEAR REVIEW/PACK LIST

-35 liter Gregory Z-35 backpack. I traveled throughout Turkey, Iraq and Syria for two months with this pack. It is light weight, is a roll top, breathable, and has a good amount of lumbar support. I highly recommend Gregory packs for their support and durability. However, always buy a pack that fits perfectly, is best for your needs and is able to fit all of your gear (the backpack should be the last thing you buy before going on a trip).

-Vanilla soy milk powder.

-Assorted oatmeal bars.

-Arc'teryx Palisade Pant.

-Bathing suit. This actually wasn't and still isn't a necessary item, I just swim in my ExOfficio boxers which by the way are AMAZING. I warn you, once you buy ExOfficio boxers/briefs it is incredibly difficult to go back to cotton underwear.

-Sun glasses. I didn't use these either. Sun glasses are a must during mountaineering pursuits or while on the water but other than that I've never been a sun glasses kind of guy. Just make sure while purchasing sun glasses that they are polarized.

-The last of my couchsurfing cards. Sometimes we (couchsurfers) meet people along our journeys and think to ourselves, "Man, this guy is what couchsurfing is about". Sometimes we just have to spread the good word.

-Cell phone.

-Adventure Medical Kit.

-Regular glasses in order to see the mountains more clearly.

-Black Diamond Cosmo headlamp.

-At least 3 liters of drinkable water in case of little luck hitching a ride.

-Pack cover to protect pack and gear from getting wet or damaged.

-Quick drying synthetic towel.

-Golite windstopper jacket.

-Western Mountaineering ultralite -7°C/20°F down sleeping bag. Luxury baby. Trust me on this one, as soon as you sleep in one of their sleeping bags you're hooked.

-MSR Hubba Hubba tent. This is a wonderful tent but I would have been happier with the one person version the Hubba. A two person tent is a bit much when traveling alone (which is usually the case).

-And of course a synthetic t-shirt that is breathable and quick drying, jeans if invited to dinner or a special event with hosts, and a camera so that your parents don't scream at you for not taking enough photos.

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The road somewhere between Amagá and Fredonia in the department of Antioquia. Not the best place to hitchhike due to lack of shoulder space for the driver to pull over; a beautiful area nonetheless.








Although sporadic showers bombarded me from time to time I am happy that no one gave me a lift for the first two hours of my walk from Amagá to Fredonia. The walk was stunning with mountains, very Paísa fincas (Paísa farm houses) and coffee farms in every direction. Several minutes after taking these photos a guy from Medellín gave me a lift in his 4x4 jeep from the 1960's through "roads" that eventually led to Fredonia. He even invited me to some beer which I happily drank even though I don't care too much for beer.

From Fredonia I was instantly offered a ride from a girl that seemed to be quite interested in me. She gave me her contact information and seemed quite eager to go out sometime to dance salsa and vallenato with me in Medellín. I still have her number and might actually call her sometime. Nevertheless, she dropped me off in the middle of nowhere and didn't even invite me to her finca (farm house) for some arepa. Luckily ten minutes after dropping me off a family picked me up whom we very nice people and invited me for dinner in Venecia. The trout was amazing as well as free which made it taste better I suppose! Sadly they didn't give me their contact information and went on their way. Venencia is a lovely Antioqueño town surrounded by amazing trekking opportunities but during the peak of tourism season (Holy Week) I couldn't find free accommodation nor a place to camp and it was getting late.

It's funny because my sign was absolutely useless except when bombarded with rain it helped shield some of the rain. Being an obvious foreigner with red-blondish hair greatly helps in regards to Colombian hitchhiking to the point where I don't even stick out my thumb to get rides. Here is a typical dialogue (more or less) between me and drivers in Antioquia:

A secondary road in Antioquia with a bright blue pack-cover alone with a good walking pace while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Every time I hear a vehicle behind me I turn around and make eye contact with the driver in attempts to show the driver that I am in need of a ride and have no intentions of robbing the guy. The driver pulls up next to me and the dialogue begins with a heavy dose of the Paísa (or Antioqueño) dialect of Latin American Spanish.

-Driver: "Oíga mono, venga pues!" (Hey white person, come here)
-Myself: "Hola muy buenas tardes señor ¿cómo le va?" (Hello good afternoon sir, how's it going?)
-Driver: "¿Bien o no? Gracias ¿y vos?" (I'm good thanks and you?)
-Myself: "Muy bien gracias. Señor, ¿me puede llevar?" (Very good thank you. Sir, can you give me a ride?)
-Driver: "Claro pues, bien pueda mijo" (Of course, you're more than welcome my son)
-Myself: "¡Esoooo! Listo pues! Gracias!" (Yessssss! Ready! Gracias!)
-Driver: "Con mucho gusto" (My pleasure)

Most driver that pick up hitchhikers are either incredibly curious about the foreigners' journeys or are just incredibly lonely and need someone to talk to. During vacation time in Colombia (especially Holy Week) drivers will often pick up hitchhikers out of pity for that hitchhiker's lack of family. Family is INCREDIBLY important throughout Colombian cultures.



On the road from Venecia to Bolombólo. The girl that picked me up in Fredonia had told me about a town called Bolombólo which isn't on any map I've seen. She told me that I had to go there so I took her word for it and began walking from Venecia to Bolombólo. The light soon faded and so did the small amount of day traffic. When a car did pass by once an hour at most they weren't too crazy about picking up a hitchhiker at night; I don't blame them honestly. Long story short, I spent the next five hours walking down an empty road where anything could have happened. There were times when I literally couldn't see anything which was both a relief from light pollution but also a bit sketchy. These photos were taken with a flash and still nothing can be seen. My head lamp came in handy. Finally I arrived in Bolombólo and was greatly disappointed to find nothing more than a truck stop with a population of roughly 13,000. If it weren't for the Semana Santa (Holy Week) I probably would have been mugged. After an entire day of hitchhiking and many many hours of walking I was ready for bed. Bolombólo is at a much lower elevation so as a result it was a good 27°C/80°F at night. I slept in the cheapest accommodation I could find which was 10,000 Colombian pesos a night (roughly $5 at the time) which was double the normal price (normally 5,000 Colombian pesos a night or $2.50) due to Holy Week celebrations. I slept incredibly well in this truck stop prostitute infested motel.

The next morning I woke up at 6am and walked around a little bit. Sadly my hitchhiking trip came to an end because I literally had about 8,000 Colombian pesos ($4) on me and had some homework to finish. I couldn't risk running out of money because I didn't have my debit card with me and it is always a good idea to have some money just in case of an emergency. So after about 45 minutes waiting for a ride I finally came across a bus that took me to Sabaneta for 6,000 pesos ($3). Sadly my original four day plan was only three days.

I greatly look forward to going back to Amagá, Fredonia, Venecia, and Bolombólo to spend more time exploring these areas and as a result write more about them.

By the way, I am currently in the process of writing and uploading photos for my next blog entry "Colombian Hitchhiking Part II - Manizales"

I hope that you guys enjoyed this entry and were encouraged to hitchhike as well as support the smaller towns of Colombia. Take care.

Attn,

-Kevin Post

I leave tomorrow for Quindío & Tolima; nine beautiful days in the mountains of Central Colombia

It is such a relief and I feel as if happiness is giving me a bear hug right now because I am going to my favorite place on earth. I have been here eight times and still I have so much more climbing & too much exploring to do. I also look forward to climbing Nevado del Tolima* (Colombia's tenth largest peak at 5,216 meters) one of these days. My only drawback to summiting is that I don't have my piolet nor my crampons with me in Colombia; therefore summiting +5,000m(+16,000ft) snow/ice covered peaks is going to have to wait for now.

*4.647605, -75.333252

This is an amateur visual of where the departments (states) of Quindío and Tolima are located in relativity to where I live:



Anyway, I need to get some sleep because tomorrow morning I have French class at 8am and then a 6½ hour bus ride to Armenia (the capital of the Quindío department of Colombia) which I don't look forward to to be honest. I have been on hundreds of buses with long durations throughout my travels on three continents but every time I get off a several hour bus ride in the Andes I still feel as if I hadn't slept in three days and gotten my ass kicked by a gang. I could have an abundance of energy (which is usually the case) five minutes before I get on a bus and 30 minutes into the journey I feel like taking a nap. I have never gotten off a several hour bus ride and thought to myself, "Man, my neck doesn't hurt, I don't feel like bathing and I slept wonderfully!" But it's all good because when I arrive at my destination I love the destination even more.

Before I go I would like to share with you some photos of the last time I was in the mountains of Quindío and Tolima with my sister McKenna. Enjjjoy! (All photos, unless otherwise noted, were taken and are property of McKenna Post)


Coffee Plantation of Salento, Quindío, Colombia


Me in Salento, Quindío, Colombia


In Salento looking towards Cocora. I was sure that it was going to rain during our time in the Cordillera Central*. Lucky, very lucky for us our four days in the mountains of Quindío and Tolima we weren't burdened by heavy rainfall which is a normal occurrence in the tropical mountains of the Zona Cafetera (Colombia's coffee zone).

*In southwestern Colombia the Andes break off into three major mountain chains called the Cordillera Occidental, Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental (Western, Central, and Eastern mountain ranges).



Me in El Valle de Cocora (Cocora Valley) which is my favorite place on earth. I want to spend my last years of my life here.



McKenna crossing a makeshift bridge in Cocora, Quindío, Colombia. (Photos: me)


Esneda and I. We met in Cocora and she tagged along with us and we became good friends. I look forward to seeing her this upcoming weekend.


For me, simply paradise.


The sad thing is that there is a lot of fighting going on in order to have power and control over paradise. This bridge was recently destroyed (no more than a year ago) by, let's say, "problems with public order" (aka armed groups).


Some of the coldest water I've ever bathed in.






Beautiful



Sometime in October 2007 (I was here in December of 2007) the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Las FARC) destroyed this finca (farm house) as well as another one completely burnt to the ground in the same area because they were owned by the regional government...(Photos: me)




...and Esneda, McKenna and I camped inside of the finca to escape the strong wind. The MSR Hubba Hubba* is an amazing tent but NOT for three people (Esneda and I had to get quite cozy together). Mom, dad, I am sorry for bringing your one and only daughter in the mountains of Colombia to camp in a finca destroyed by leftist guerrillas. (Photos: me)

*Gear review regarding the MSR Hubba Hubba coming soon.


I didn't realize that I am in this photo until now. My Arc'teryx Beta AR* blends in very well to these type of surroundings (i.e. páramo, jungle (not recommended), tundra, dense forest).

*Gear review regarding the Beta AR coming soon



Almost a perfect circle carved into the rock. We were amazed by natures beauty and unexplained complexities. (Photo: me)





For lack of a better word: essssooooooooooooooo essssss! (literally translates to "that's it", a very Pan-Colombian way of saying "Wow" or "That's what I'm taking about man!"). The one thing I miss in Medellín is the ability to see the sunrise and sunset because mountains surround Medellín on the east side of the city and the west side of the city. Medellín is cozily settled in El Valle de Aburrá (Aburrá Valley) making Medellín more or less compact from north to south. (Photos: me)


The sunset casts beautiful colors onto the mountains as well as the man made destruction. (Photo: me)



(Photos: me)


Páramo only exists in five countries on earth: Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panamá and Costa Rica. The best way I can describe it is high altitude grassland with extreme humidity making it a hostile environment for humans (no food, very wet and very cold, no natural shelter, strong winds, very cloudy making visibility difficult, and every step is like taking three steps due it's mushiness). I have never seen nor had the opportunity to walk on tundra yet but I would think páramo is comparable to tundra that just melted.






This region is also known as El Valle de los Perdidos (The Valley of the Lost) by the locals who live here due to its facilitation to become incredibly disoriented. It is impossible to differentiate landmarks, one cannot see the sun past noon, and the man made trails are not visible and/or destroyed during the rainy season. I highly recommend hiring a guide in these regions unless one is very familiar with the area. (Photo: me)


Esneda and Adriana in el páramo. We were racing each other the entire time while my poor sister suffered a bit from the altitude (4000m above sea level). (Photo: me)


More desolation...but beyond beautiful and peaceful for me. (Photo: me)




Finally the only landmark for many kilometers. El Nevado del Tolima (5216m). (Photo: me)



Racing to meet McKenna in Cocora. She took a horse down while Esneda and I had to almost race down to the valley all day to meet McKenna. Poor McKenna had to wait almost three hours. Anyway, Esneda and I enjoy racing each other as well as talk about nature. We also bathed in the river which was much needed before returning to "civilization". (Photo: Esneda)


Alright everyone, I have to go! Much love, I'll get back to you in a little less than two weeks.

A bear hug from me

Attentively,

-Kevin Post