What's it take to be Colombian of the Year?

El Tiempo: 'James, the personality of 2014.'

Colombian media has anointed football star James Rodriguez as 'Colombian of the year.' And Rodriguez sure is good at kicking round objects between upright sticks.

However, it is a sad commentary on human priorities that Rodriguez is now probably the second-

El Espectador: 'James, fortune and God.'

most-famous Colombian, behind only cocaine king Pablo Escobar. My Google search for "James Rodriguez" Real Madrid produced 16.4 million hits, while "Juan Manuel Santos" presidente Colombia produced 7.8 million hits and "Gabriel Garcia Marquez" only a pathetic 1.2 million. (For whatever it's worth, I bet that 100 years from now they'll rank in reverse order fame-wise.)

I'm waiting for someone to explain to me why running behind a ball - across the ocean in Spain, no less - is more important than, say, well - almost anything else.

What does the media's deification of a sports star say about its respect for science, politics, business, teaching, medicine and all those other human endeavors which produce so much to benefit us, but receive little attention or reward?

Gloria Barreto defends riot police from rioters.
(Photo: El Tiempo)

And, even among prominent athletes, Rodriguez doesn't stand out in much besides athletic ability. He hasn't excelled in philanthropy, even tho he probably leaves enough loose euros behind in his dry cleaning to solve the child malnourishment problem in a lot of Colombian towns, or buy schoolbooks for schools in Ciudad Bolivar.

Rodriguez could employ his fame and the huge admiration he commands (justifiably or not) from Colombians of all kinds - to bring his people together to find peace, stop violence, study harder, or embrace any number of causes, but he hasn't bothered to. Instead, Rodriguez serves unintentionally as an unfortunate role model: How many boys and young men have slackened their studies and focused on futbol because they expect to become the next James Rodriguez?


Rather than Rodriguez, how about someone like Gloria Barreto? She's the humble woman who had come to downtown Bogotá (albeit in August 2013) to complain about her water bill when she found herself in the midst of a riot in which youths hurled chairs, tables and rocks at police, who cowered behind their shields. Barreto, a short, apparently frail woman, placed herself between the police and attackers, her arms spread protectively. The rioters paused their attack only long enough to pull her away. A few moments later, an anti-riot tank arrived firing tear gas canisters, and the youths fled.

But when it comes to the 'most important Colombian of 2014', love him or hate him, it's hard not to name Pres. Juan Manuel Santos. He got reelected and carried forward the peace talks with the FARC guerrillas, which appear likely to end Colombia's half-century of armed conflict. In fact, the FARC ended the year with the announcement of their first-ever unilateral cease fire - a milestone in Colombian history, even if it doesn't last.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

What's a Victory Good For?

Workers go crazy in Paloquemao market as Colombia scores its second goal. I'm afraid I suffered permanent hearing loss.

A few scenes of celebration - and futbol paraphernalia - in central Bogotá today during and after the Colombia-Greece football game, which Colombia one overwhelmingly.

Today, they're celebrating. Tomorrow, they'll wake up to a country that still has a civil war, lots of poverty, hunger and other troubles. Hopefully, the presidential election will get as much attention as this match did.

Dancing away outside the Universidad Nacional.

Employees of Paloquemao Market.

They're not subtle.

Celebrators from a nearby 'Canadian' language academy cross an overpass above Carrera 45 near the Universidad Nacional.

The academy celebrators near the Universidad Nacional cheer Colombia's victory. However, the sign they're carrying is about emigration to Canada. 

The mural on the Universidad Nacional campus says 'Rebel Football, dignified and popular.'

The girls and the puppy are all dressed in the Colombian uniform.

Selling pirated jerseys on San Victorino Plaza.

Workers in Paloquemao Market watch the big screen. If not for that screen, would they have come to work?

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Scenes From La Ciclovía

Holding hands, a couple pedals down Ave. Septima. 

Recently, Bogotá's famed Ciclovia has been packed. And it's not just cyclists, but also walkers, joggers, and skaters. And folks aren't out just out exercising: they're also advertising products, campaigning for candidates and demanding rights for their pit bulls. 

Riding room only: A packed Ciclovia. 

Not only for two-wheelers. A couple skates past a mural on Calle 26.

On Calle 26, a bicyclist and a TransMilenio bus pass each other. When the TM line was created on 26th, city officials worried that the buses' draft would endanger cyclists. But I haven't heard of any accidents. 

Near the Parque Nacional, cyclists pass left-wing political banners. 

Learning to ride on training wheels. 

I've seen lots of these green Gran Estacion bikes recently on La Ciclovia. The shopping mall must be either lending or renting bikes. 

Swingin' in the Recrovia in the Parque Nacional. 

Cyclists carry flags for the Union Patriotica, a political party.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Fantasy Football Rankings?

Can coach Jose Pekerman, an Argentinian,
bring back Colombia's glory days?

Barring collapse, Colombia will soon qualify for a direct spot in next year's Football World Cup - for the first time since 1998.

Colombia might just possibly be entering into another period of football glory, similar but healthier than the cocaine cartel-financed 1990s, when Colombia was one of the sport's giants. As a populous, soccer-crazy nation, Colombia has every right to rival Italy, Spain and Argentina.

But is Colombia there already? I don't think so, despite the national team's number five place in the FIFA's world rankings.

Does anybody really believe that Colombia is better than soccer monster Brazil, which has won five

Can it really be? FIFA ranks
 Colombia above Brazil!

world cups? Or perennial contender Netherlands? What about the United States, which looks to qualify easily this year? And is Colombia really better than every single African national team? After all, this is a team which just a few weeks ago lost to laggard Venezuela.

Colombians should be proud of their team's imminent qualifying (but without forgetting that education, health care, peace, child nutrition and many other things are more important than sports), but without being overconfident. One day, perhaps, Colombia will return to world football royalty.

We'll know a bit more after tomorrow's match against Chile in Barranquilla.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Scenes from World Skateboarding Day in Bogotá

Skateboard power on Plaza Bolívar.

Today skateboarders celebrated their annual World Skateboarders Day with a show of power in numbers. They gathered on Plaza Bolívar and skated north to the the Parque Nacional, filling Ave. Septima with an estimated 5,000 'boarders, stopping other traffic. A skateboarders' Critical Mass - something bicyclists have never accomplished here.

Raise that skateboard high!

Rolling downhill in the Parque Nacional.

Cruising north on Ave. Septima.

Skateboard power!

A skateboard family.

Observers on the sidewalk. Notice the tie vendor taking pictures.

Leaping for it in the Parque Nacional.

Oooops!

Skateboard anarchist.

Super cool skateboarders.

Only a small minority of boarders are female, but this girl was going for it on the downhill in the Parque Nacional in Bogotá.

Go Skate Day.

Skateboard love.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours