I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULD BE GOOD. But one thing led to another and I ended up drinking half of the bottle of Aguardiente, pictured above center. And look what it did to my breath!!

Seriously , I did drink most of the bottle myself. Aguardiente is made from sugar cane, plentiful in much of South and Central America.  I've sampled it in other countries and it always seemed like the low budget, rot-gut, cheapest buzz you could buy, kind of liquor. But in Colombia it has some flavor and not just fire.

Just like cutting a large piece of cake into two and eating both of them; the result is the same but part of you feels better about yourself. At least until the next morning...

It  started out as a nice family gathering. Friends of friends.  I trusted my friends but was a little leery of their friends. The host was just a little too outgoing.  He wanted me to know that I was safe in his home.

He said he made sure there were never any problems for his family. He pulled a shiny silver revolver out of the back of his jeans as his demonstration of security. Great!  I feel so secure! Can I leave now?

We did leave the party. This evening evolved to a tour of the local niteclubs. Palmira is not a big town so the tour didn't take long.

BOGOTA WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED. In spite of the revolver incident at the party elsewhere, Colombia is not at all what is represented in American media. Bogota, the capital, is a huge city with a burgeoning middle class and it is 'business as usual' everywhere you go. Far fewer guards with guns than many other Latin cities. The populace is educated, even somewhat sophisticated. On Sunday mornings in Bogota the major thoroughfares are closed to motorized traffic and reserved for walkers, joggers and bikers. Not exactly what you would expect from a country supposedly overrun with drug lords and rebels.

Don't get me wrong, Colombia has its problems, but day to day city life is not affected to the extent we are led to believe.

Another Cali character was an artist as well, with more than his fair share of talent. Eccentricity was part of his package also. At the age of 15, his talent as a concert pianist brought him all the way from Cali to Washington D.C. He spent almost 20 years there, pursuing that passion. He treated me to a private concert. After a few phone calls he gained access to the massive but empty Metropolitan Theatre.

He had performed there before to a packed house but this time I was the entire audience!

His fingers flew across the keyboard and the sound poured out of the massive grand piano. I was mesmerized. I recognized some of the numbers but many were original compositions.

In spite of the talent I witnessed, Diego is no longer pursuing his piano career. His passion has shifted from the piano to painting. 

He asked if I could help him market his portraits in the U.S. I photographed much of his work and put it on CD for him.

He does personal portraits from photographs so it is not a problem long distance. Establishing personal relationships from afar seems to be his biggest challenge.

CARTAGENA WAS THE LAST STOP on my visit to Colombia. It is probably the most historic and picturesque city in Colombia.