The cars that go boom.

Colombia was bombed by the communist FARC the day before yesterday. The FARC are the country`s oldest guerilla group here in Colombia who operate basically everywhere but are concentrated in the south and northeast regions, where even the military avoids. There was one car bomb that exploded in Bogota, in a suburb, activated when three military cars drove past. One civilian died and a slew of others were hurt. FARC is reminding the presidency about their strong opinion again because it`s a few days before President Uribe`s inauguration for his new term and they want to sound off, literally, about what they think of him. I won`t go into the details of the politics here because they`re complicated but moreover, I`m not entirely educated on them, but Uribe is controversial because he is connected to the paramilitary group the AUC. The paramilitary group are comprised of mercenaries (i.e. gangsters and criminals) who were originally hired by drug lords to protect their land. Eventually they became a force to be reckoned with and Uribe, as part his winning presidential platform, promised that they`d be dismantled. It`s all b.s. because they still exist, it`s all just for show, people say. There`s graffiti all over the city declaring ´´Uribe paraco,´´ which is essentially ´´Uribe is a paramilitar.´´ The FARC killed his father in the´80s.

Bogota seems to be running normally. In fact, I hadn`t heard about the bombings until later that evening when Colleen sent me a link to a BBC story. I don`t expect the surprise bombs to stop but you have to go about your life. No one seems to have changed their routes or schedules as a result of these bombings. That`s Colombians for ya. They`ve been through so much they know how to deal with this. Everyone you meet here has been through something. In fact, Natalia and Amparo, were once tied up along with the other people in their housing complex by robbers. Gabriel`s been next to buildings in which bombs have gone off.

So things are normal, sorta. This morning I went with a guy here named John to his leather tanning factory in the deep south of Bogota. The south isn`t where you`d go as a tourist. It`s a working class area of the city and there are a lot of slums around, including the infamous Ciudad Bolivar. He showed Chris and me the different leathers they dye and create. I learned tons -- namely, it is friggin cheap for raw material here. Leather especially. We then went to a leather manufacturer of bags and jackets and got more information. Not sure how I will use it, but it`s good to know. It`s inspiring me to perhaps try out fashion design here. Bogota is ripe for this stuff and it`s in a place to really carve out a position as a cosmopolitan center enough to rival Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. People are experimenting more with fashion and are also spending money to live comfortably and look good. Which means Colombia is on the up. Yes, despite the bombings. I am even thinking of investing money here, in La Candelaria, perhaps in a hotel or something. The bombings make me pause and think, but seeing how this place is progressing and aware of its promise really convinces me.
Off to the grocery store now and to meet up with a friend, a chef at a very cool restaurant. I can`t wait to have tofu soup and Vietnamese anything though...