By Nevada Tolladay – Special to the Pahrump Valley Times

Editor’s note: Nevada Tolladay is a Pahrump resident who traveled in Colombia. He submitted these dispatches along with photos shortly before Christmas and the New Year. They have all been edited for style and grammar, but the contents of each remain unchanged. Look for newer dispatches in future issues of the Pahrump Valley Times.

DISPATCH #1:

Ghosts of Medellin

Pablo Escobar rose from humble beginnings in the Envigado area of Medellin, Colombia to become one of the 10 wealthiest men in the world.

He is reputed to have acquired some $24 billion in the late 1980s. He was responsible for the deaths of hundreds, perhaps stretching into the thousands of Colombians, ranging from criminals in his own organization to judges, journalists, policemen and even Supreme Court Justices, not to mention the many who were simply innocent bystanders caught in a hail of bullets or in the vicinity of a bomb.

One of the most horrific incidents linked to Escobar occurred in November 1989. All 110 passengers and crew of an Aviacsa airliner died when a planted bomb exploded. The intended target, a presidential candidate, wasn’t even on board.

Ask most Americans about Colombia and they will probably mention his name or organization without hesitation. What they don’t seem to remember is that the infamous murderer and head of the Medellin Drug Cartel was killed in 1993. For a time reference, that was when Bill Clinton was in the first year of his presidency. The Cali Cartel, which was run by the Rodriguez brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, was quick to fill the void but ultimately they too were broken up by the Colombian government.

While there is no denying illicit cocaine traffic remains a problem in Colombia, the long arm of the law continues to reach out and touch those responsible. It is a reasonable contention that drug trafficking no longer dominates or controls this South American democracy as it once did. Today, a new and economically vibrant Colombia replaces the one that made so many headlines in the 1980s and 1990s.

I am anxious to see it with my own eyes.

As the prospect of retirement looms ever larger on my horizon, I, along with many other baby-boomers, am weighing the prospect of leveraging meager retirement assets by changing economies, and countries. Others, being better prepared financially, are simply looking to hedge investments by diversifying their assets through currencies other than the U.S. dollar. As of this writing, $1 is the equivalent of about 1,938 Colombian Pesos.

According to medellininfo.com, a tourism website for Medellin, this beautiful capitol city of the state of Antioquia, lies in the Aburra Valley at an altitude of about 5,000 feet, which accounts for its mild climate.

The average annual temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit justifies its nickname as the city of eternal spring and alleviates any need for central heating or air conditioning with predictable results on utility bills. Even window screens are unnecessary as meddlesome insects are few.

The Medellin River transects the city north to south and enhances its charm. Public transportation via Metrorail, bus and taxi is safe, inexpensive and readily available. Its nearly 3 million inhabitants claim to enjoy the best overall quality of life in Colombia.

So, with a pocket full of pesos and some rudimentary Spanish, I’m off to have a look at Medellin and to meet a few of our compatriots who have chosen to become ex-pats living abroad. I purchased a round trip ticket for under $1,000 courtesy of Continental Airlines and I’m eagerly anticipating two weeks in Medellin.

I’ll let you know how it all works out.

DISPATCH #2:

Dreams of an ex-Pat

It’s party central here at The Wandering Paisa Hostel in the Laureles barrio of Medellin as I write this article. Karaoke night is in full swing with a group of about 30 young adults from various countries compensating for any lack of musical talent with unbridled enthusiasm and inhibition.

This youthful gusto is fueled by the liberal application of local brews like Pilsen, Aguila, Club Colombia and the local equivalent of a micro-brew called 3 Cordilleras. For those preferring something stouter, there is a local anise flavored liquor called Aguardiente distilled from sugar cane. Rather like drinking a mixture of liquid licorice and turpentine, it does grow on you.

Alcohol is acceptable in this hostel, but a zero tolerance policy on drugs and prostitution has earned it the respect and acceptance of its Colombian neighbors.

Everyone participates with the able assistance of co-owner Brent Knowles as he pulls up songs on YouTube and projects the words onto a garage door in what is now the bar. In the hallways, the TV room, out on the back ground floor patio and in the hammocks on the roof patio, conversation abounds with youthful abandon.

Local Colombians, here by invitation, are eagerly practicing their English skills in a mutual language exchange. The scene is as lively as any nightclub in any city in the world but in a much more laid back and congenial atmosphere. The din is deafening but the neighbors don’t mind because they are all engaged in their own celebrations with family and friends. December is party time here and these people party hard.

Miles, along with younger brother Brent, both graduated from the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001 and 2004 respectively. Miles went on to earn a degree in Communication at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and Brent completed his BA in Political Theory at Willamette University in Salem, Ore.

While waiting for his younger brother to complete his studies at Willamette, Miles took a job as an account manager with a small advertising agency and dreamed of a way to make his social life his business life. Both brothers are accomplished musicians. Miles plays guitar and Brent plays both guitar and piano. For a time, Miles played with the MTV award winning band Art of Chaos and later toured with Linkin Park for a month. Never losing sight of his educational goals, he completed his Masters in Public Diplomacy at the University of California in 2009.

Brent developed an interest in human rights and in becoming bilingual during his college years. He studied one month in Buenos Aires, Argentina and another three months in Costa Rica, becoming involved with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and later returned for a year to Argentina. Returning to the U.S. to complete graduate school at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif., he earned his Masters Degree in International Development.

While backpacking together through Argentina, Peru and Colombia, they shared a common interest in development, both social and economic. Assessing the various hostels they encountered in their travels, they conceived an idea to start one of their own. Finding Medellin much to their liking, they saw a need for such an establishment near the Metro in the Laureles section of town. Just one year ago on Christmas Eve, they opened the doors of The Wandering Paisa Hostel, which they market as “The Other Side of Medellin.”

Wishing to promote inter-cultural experiences, Miles initiated salsa classes and Brent further developed the social calendar of the hostel by arranging a language exchange night with a nearby school where Colombians learn to speak English. Movie and karaoke nights further round out social activities. The staff is bilingual, which those guests with limited Spanish abilities such as myself, much appreciate. As we talked, they related an emotional moment of acceptance by the local community when during a street party involving two of the neighboring apartment buildings, they and their guests were invited to join the festivities.

With a capacity of only about 30 people due to their emphasis on more common areas versus more rooms, “TWP” as it is referred to, has hosted about 1,000 guests during its first year. The addition of a third story to the building is planned in the coming year. Brent and Miles spend a considerable amount of money to do things properly, i.e. accurate and timely tax payments and contributions to an employee benefits program, in their effort to be part of the positive side of tourism.

Both brothers retain a desire to visit yet more of the world and hope one day to turn the operation of the hostel over to a manager and be free to travel a couple months out of the year. Brent has already arranged an internship with Amnesty International in Chile, a joint project with his graduate school.

TWP is a very lively and social hostel with a strong emphasis on inter-cultural exchange. This is 20-something country. If quiet uninterrupted sleep is high on your list of priorities, you might want to consider a hotel or an apartment; but if mingling with locals and meeting fellow travelers from every corner of the globe, and, in my humble opinion, two of the finest young men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, then this is the place to be. I wish them every success.

You can check them out for yourself at hostelworld.com or on their own website wanderingpaisahostel.com.

DISPATCH #3:

The Medellin Metro

The residents of Medellin are hugely proud of their metro system, which is, in and of itself, a fascinating tourism experience. It is a combination light rail and cable gondola system. The main line opened in 1995. It parallels the Rio Medellin north and south for about 14 miles. The east-west line connects about mid-point. It opened just a year later, and runs nearly four miles. Further expansions are under construction.

In 2004, an electric powered cable car line was added to serve the poorer barrios on the steep hillsides in the northeast, which reduced their commute time to the city from an arduous and dangerous two and a half hours to a pleasant and comfortable 30 minutes. Four years later, another cable car line was added from the westernmost point to serve residents in the northwest area of the valley. The Metrocable, as they call it, has rendered a dramatically positive economic transformation in both of these areas. The contribution of the northeast line was greatly enhanced with the extension in 2009 from Santo Domingo Savio to Parque Arvi, thus bringing thousands of tourists to areas they most probably would never have visited.

Cultural programs associated with the Metro include such events as a short story competition for young people each year. Additionally, two Bibliometros, or metro libraries, sit along Metro’s route; a program called Palabras Rodantes, which means rolling words, is much touted.

This program loans copies of short stories or extracts from novels to passengers, who may read them while traveling, take them home to complete and return to exchange for another. In reality, about 70 percent of these publications become souvenirs for tourists, or augment meager collections of local residents.

This too is all part of the program. The idea is to enhance the commute of the passengers and to encourage literacy.

Cleanliness, courtesy and safety are the impressions one perceives on the Metro; no food or drink is allowed, no feet on the seats, no sitting on the floor or playing loud music, no smoking and no graffiti. In fact, there is no smoking indoors anywhere in Medellin including the casinos.

In the Poblado Station, I noticed a worker with a 20-foot pole dusting the rafters. Trash receptacles are conveniently placed and if someone should drop a scrap of paper or a wrapper, bystanders will quickly but politely inform them that they have dropped something.

Police and private security are present everywhere and display a relaxed and friendly demeanor. In fact, this open friendliness is one of the most alluring qualities of the people of Medellin.

In spite of the fact that there are approximately two-and-a-half million people in this municipality, its residents take great pride in being a large city that has not lost its humanity. A smile given is nearly always returned, even on the Metro.

When asking directions to some nearby destination, not only will they gladly comply, but it is extremely common for them to insist on personally showing you the way.

I am perpetually amazed and gratified by this pervasive tendency of the citizens of Medellin to go out of their way to be of service to others and to view themselves as self-appointed ambassadors of good will.

Going well beyond simple assistance with your inquiry, they will also offer friendly counsel, such as suggesting that a particular area might not be a good idea to visit alone or at night.

While it may be very close to paradise, it is still a big city with all the attendant risks and dangers of any other and they genuinely do not want anything bad to happen to their visitors.

Yesterday, in the charming company of two local friends, Emilce and Maria, I rode the Metro from the western station of Floresta to the main line connection of San Antonio. From there we proceeded north to the Acevedo station and transferred to the Metrocable to begin our ascent up the mountain.

Each station is named for the barrio, or comuna, in which it exists. A ticket is less than a dollar and is good for the entire line and the cable cars are simply an extension of the system.

Climbing to the Santo Domingo Savio station, we exited for a brief walk about the comuna and a tour of the Spanish Library. Completed in 2007, this impressive trio of buildings is named after King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, who contributed to the $4 million cost of constructing the 11,500-square-foot project.

As we approach in the gondola, the Biblioteca Espana protrudes from the hillside like a massive black stone formation. It stands in contrast to the surrounding humble red brick structures, haphazardly built one upon another.

Many of the tile or corrugated tin roofs display clothing spread in the sun to dry. The immense triplet structure is divided into three functions; an auditorium, a library and a community center. It hosts social and cultural events previously unavailable to local residents.

Hopping back onto one of the empty gondolas that arrive every 12 seconds, we continued our ascension to Parque Arvi. Though some facilities are still under construction, there is much to see and enjoy in this ecotouristic natural preserve of more than 4,000 acres in the township of Santa Elena. Another facet of the social conscience of Colombians is their concern for the natural environment.

Arvi Park is, according to the map and brochure handed to visitors, “the past, present and future of a biodiversity and multicultural territory which is the natural heritage of the nation.” Gliding gently above the tops of the tall pines and other vegetation of the El Tambo region, we climbed to 8,500 feet above sea level, where the average temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stone surfaced paths lead visitors to activities such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, picnicking, camping, bird watching, boating on the Piedras Blancas reservoir and my all-time favorite; eating huge quantities of delicious food at bargain prices.

When you tire of these, you simply ride a clean, comfortable bus back to the Metrocable, sit down and enjoy the vista as you float back down the mountain. into the welcoming warmth of the Aburra Valley.