Before we left Providencia we were asked, well told really but with a nice enough attitude behind it, if we could take a Colombian General out on our boat for an afternoon sail. Whaaa? The port authority came out to our boat with a entourage of men in fatigues to request this small personal favor.
Even though I had dirty laundry hanging on the lines and the boat wasn't exactly freshly cleaned, I thought, "this will be an experience!" Con explained that he needed fuel, I think hoping to squirm out of the request, and the port authority quickly offered to take him into town with our gas caddys and pay for them to be filled. So this General has some pull, these guys are jumping at straws trying to make this gringo couple take the General out for a sail. Con boards the military boat and I start scrambling around cleaning, straightening, and scrubbing toliets. I can't have the General thinking we are dirty! Shannon jumped over and took our empty beer bottles and a bag of dirty laundry over to her boat and she helped me straighten things as best she could. I put a cute yet conservative outfit on to wait for the military procession to board our boat.
A military panga comes to the boat, carrying three very friendly, civilian dressed couples and their cute kids. Not what I was expecting but apparently Generals take vacations with their families as well. The men stayed in the cockpit for the majority of the sail and the voluptuous Colombian wives had a photo session on the nets, holding onto the rigging with the wind blowing in their hair. They were adorable. The weather was perfect for an afternoon sail and we all very much enjoyed ourselves. We sailed to southwest bay and the General invited us in for lunch. We politely agreed and hopped on the panga boat that was waiting to ferry us to shore. Man, am I glad we accepted the lunch invitation. Seafood platters were ordered for every couple at the table. Platters were carried out that look like something you would see at a five star resort and we were sitting under a thatched roof in plastic chairs with our wet bathing suits showing through our clothes. The plate was huge and the food was artistically portrayed over fresh palm fronds. There was a whole, large red snapper, marinated conch, whole lobster, crab cakes, coconut rice, and plantains. It was by far the best meal I have had on this trip and probably top five of my life. The taste of everything was light and fresh but with rich flavors hinted through out the seasoning. It was delicious and fun. We spoke bad spanish to the wives as they playfully fought over who got to eat the eyes of the fish and the husbands helped the conversation flow by translating back and forth for the group. A lot can be said, however, with smiles and a few words. After lunch our Colombian crew had to catch their private plane so we exchanged emails and thanked each other for the fun day. I have no doubt we had very important people on our boat that day, but they were also very kind, fun, generous, cute and loving with thier family, and very grateful for the sailing experience, not at all acting as if it was owed to them because of their status. And if we ever get ourselves to Colombia again, we know a General. Sorry for the lack of pictures.
M.
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