mwangaza has left 3 comments

mwangaza comments on Uribe strikes again. Private teachers losing rights

Teacher Rights Teaching in Colombia is not a highly desirable profession. Thousands of schools across the country cannot find teachers to teach their students. Perhaps most of these schools are public schools, but most private school teachers in Colombia barely make enough to make ends meet. Where I teach, several teachers work 2 or more jobs during the school year. 5 more weeks of work per year with out compensation means less time these teachers can work earning income on the side in their 2nd and 3rd jobs.

Although Uribe has made great strides in making Colombia a safer country, his social policies clearly lack justice. While many who have fought for political justice in Colombia are mudered or extorted into silence, a president should show more leadership. The problem is that Colombians, in general, are not politically informed nor do they feel empowered to enact change by exercising their right to vote. Where I live mearly 35% of the citizens voted in the last mayoral election! To Colombians Uribe looks pretty good next to past presidents who have been shown to have had connections with drug cartels or taken political bribes.

Recognizing that education is a great vehicle for social change and a necessity to move toward more equality in Colombia and realizing that only 56% of Colombians graduate from high school, Uribe's move to weaken the educational system (if what jccg reports is true) by demanding more work from teachers without compensation will only increase the teacher shortage across Colombia and dash the hopes of many young Colombians whose only hope of earning a livable wage lies in receiving a strong education.

mwangaza comments on Trip to Leticia

Ideas Brad,

I suggest either staying at the Colombian national park called Amacayacu which is a 4 hour boat ride up the Amazon from Leticia, or going to a reserve in Brazil called Palmari.

You can sleep in firm beds or in hammacks at Amacayacu for about $20,000 per night and they supply meals for between $3000 and $6000. Contact the national park office in Bogota for more info.

Most people who go to the Amazon do day trips from Leticia, but to really experience the jungle there is nothing like staying at Amacayacu.

mwangaza comments on bicycle travel in columbia

Cycling in Colombia Let me share some of my thoughts about cycling in Colombia with you. Living in Colombia and having ridden over 2000 kms in the past 6 months, I can tell you form experience that riding in Colombia is risky. Riding in general in Latin America is risky. Most of the roads have no shoulder, drivers do not respect cyclists and here in Colombia you have bandits and the guerrilla to worry about. I was riding in a busy, "safe" area three weeks ago when I was stopped by two young men with weapons. They ordered me to dismount and shutup as they stole my bike. The incomprehensible part of this incident is that none of the 75 people who watched this happen did anything to help!

Robbery is common in even the most "secure" places. Three friends of mine where attacked by robbers with machetes and had their bikes stolen during a mountain bike race! Will you be carrying much gear? Will you be camping at all or do you plan to spend every night in a hotel? If you are carrying gear, you will be targeted and perhaps robbed.

Also, heed the warnings about the danger of riding in the Darien Gap and between the border of Ecuador and Cali, Colombia. Sure several people can tell stories of safe and happy bike travel through Colombia. Most people who ride here probably have little problems, however the lack of safety here is cause for concern because the problems that people have here are serious (i.e. being struck by a car traveling at high speeds, being kidnapped, tortured and then killed after your family is extorted and pays large sums of money to your kidnappers, etc.).

I've toured thousand of miles on the West Coast and the Great Divide Trail in the U.S. without major safety concerns. However, poverty makes people take drastic measures in an attempt live the type of life they could live if they had money. There is a lot of poverty in Latin America. The gangs in several countries in Central America are also a serious threat. Personally, I don't think that riding alone puts you at a greater risk, although riding with someone else would make you more visible to drivers. Weapons are easily accessible here and serious criminals have several and are not afraid to use them. A gun can stop many cyclists. If someone where driving the entire route alongside you, then I might say you gain some safety, but you don't want that I'm sure. New York Times headline: "Man rides his bike next to a van from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina to Gnome, Alaska" just doesn't sound right.

If you decide to take the calculated and well-considered risk of doing the ride, PM me. The Panamerican Highway will take you right by where I live. You could grab a hot shower, a good meal, and a good night's rest at my place if you like. And if I buy another bike, I might even enjoy riding a few hundred miles with you. There are some fearsome climbs here in Colombia that I think you will enjoy.

Ride on because two wheels are always better than four!