There was the time in the jungle of Colombia where I turned around from examining a rock outcrop only to find a squadron of men in camouflage emerged from the trees, pointing machine guns at my team. There were two possibilities. They could have been army soldiers on regular patrol, checking to see what we were doing in this out-of-the-way area, in which case, things would be fine. But in this particular spot it was equally possible these were rebel troops of the FARC or ELN guerrilla movements — both of… Read More
There was the time in the jungle of Colombia where I turned around from examining a rock outcrop only to find a squadron of men in camouflage emerged from the trees, pointing machine guns at my team. There were two possibilities. They could have been army soldiers on regular patrol, checking to see what we were doing in this out-of-the-way area, in which case, things would be fine. But in this particular spot it was equally possible these were rebel troops of the FARC or ELN guerrilla movements — both of which are known for kidnapping and holding prisoners in the jungles for months, years, or even decades. As they waved for us to come forward, we had a tense moment of decision — go peacefully into what might be a trap or make a run for it up the hillside? The terrain was against us, so we chose to approach. Hearts in our mouths, we neared the group of men — who then identified themselves as army. It was one of the greatest rushes of relief I’ve ever felt. They gave us a lecture… Read More