Rio Negro

Yesterday I did a longer walk along the Rio Negro.  I passed again the huge military base (one of at least two in Bogota) and was musing again about the huge church in the compound.  It just seems incongruous but I suppose the soldiers go there to confess their sins of killing to get all forgiven again before they go out to shed more blood.  Sorry to my non-pacifist Christian readers but I have never been able to conceive of a Christianity that isn`t already inherently pacifist.  Any serious reading of the Gospels is not going to suggest otherwise. Of course it also remains arguable as to whether the church, or a lot of the churches anyway (Anglican included) are really inherently Christian.  Or to put it another way, if you`re not thinking outside of the box, then you`re not really thinking at all.

There were more black vultures than ever round the military compound and they seemed to be strutting around the grounds like pigeons or Canada geese.  As well as a big flock of them circling up in an upward draught.  I wonder if this bird would make an appropriate symbol or civic emblem for Bogota.  While I have come across some nice people here, especially my friends, I also encounter an awful lot of arrogant douchebags in this city.  The walk was otherwise enjoyable and I must have gone two or three miles each way.  I stopped in the snooty French cafe for croissant, coffee and art where I must have spent a good hour and a half working on the last drawing in my sketchbook.  Then I resumed my walk along the Rio Negro, but in the opposite direction towards the mountains.  This is the wealthy side of town and the river here is much narrower and doesn`t stink.  It does make me wonder at which point the stench begins and where it must come from.  (Maybe the military base?)  It is very peaceful with lots of towering trees on both sides.  I ended at Seventh where I walked along the flank of the mountain.  Despite the heavy traffic, on my right I was greatly enjoying the green trees, grass, bushes and flowers on the mountain side.  There also appeared to be a few rudimentary trails but I didn`t feel tempted to explore.  It could be really unsafe and at this altitude I`m not one much for climbing unnecessarily.  Let`s just say that if I ever make it to Everest I won`t even get as far as base camp.  Everest however isn`t even on my bucket list, and you know something else, Gentle Reader?  I don`t even have a bucket list.  I`m not afraid of going to my grave without ever having seen the Eiffel Tower or sipped tea with the Dalai Lama.  Really, I don`t see life that way at all.  I don`t think that I will have had a less than satisfying life if I don`t get X amount of things done.  Really, for me a saztisfying life depends much on my treatment of others along the way and whether I`ve had any success at  mastering myself.  I continued on as far as the other military base, then walked across the neighbourhoods to my bed and breakfast.  Altogether I must have walked around fifteen miles yesterday.

Both Myriam and Andres, the owners of my bed and breakfast are sick with laryngitis and I seem to be sneezing a lot but I think it`s just allergies in my case.  All very humanizing.