Gorgona Island: Natural Wonder or Military Outpost?

Gorgona Island from above. 

Gorgona Island, located 35 kms off of Colombia's Pacific Coast, is a natural wonderland. In the past, however, the place was a nightmare. When Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro took refuge there in 1527, so many of his men died from snake bites that he named it after a monstrous goddess from Greek mythology who had serpents growing from her head.

From 1960 to '84, the island contained a much-feared prison, where prisoners died from snake bites, tropical diseases and beatings from sadistic guards and vicious fellow inmates. Finally, the prison was shut down under pressure from human rights defenders and prisoner advocates.

Today, the island is a national park, boasting sloths, monkeys, sea lions and, of course, snakes. It has

Isla Gorgona, (E), off of
Colombia's Pacific Coast.

41 species of reptiles, 155 species of birds and 13 of bats. In the surrounding waters, swim sharks, dolphins and humpback whales.

But environmentalists now charge that this natural paradise is threatened. The Navy plans to buid a communications base on top of the island's tallest hill. Naturally, the military moved ahead with the plan to alter this national treasure without any public hearings.

Unquestionably, the island is strategically located to monitor drug trafficking and illegal fishing in the region. The military points out that its project - consisting of a telecommunication tower and support facilitie - will be built on already-disturbed land, an old prison football field.

A sloth on Gorgona Island.

A lizard on Gorgona Island.

But that's not the point. The base will inevitably require road building, loud, heavy machinery and the arrival of outside workers, who many not be environmentally sensitive. The base will also house about 28 soldiers.

Those young men will be bored and restless. And young military conscripts don't have the best reputation for environmental sensitivity. Will officials be able to prevent them from hunting, building campfires, smuggling animals onto or off the island, riding around on dirt bikes, and all kinds of other destructive misbehavior which bored young men are inclined to? Remember that Gorgona used to be a prison, where men suffered from heat, insects and snakes. For tourists, the island may be a natural paradise. But for someone stuck there involuntarily for months, the place could be a living hell.

Whatever the military ultimately decides to do on Gorgona Island, the decision should be taken with public input, rather than behind closed doors, as the Colombian government unfortunately is wont to operate.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Nudists and a Nude in the National Park

Today, these folks with the Nudism and Naturist Association of Bogotá were in the Parque Nacional asking the public what we thought of nudism. I think it's great, for those who want to do it, but it's obviously not for everybody. While nudism isn't big in Colombia, the Santa Marta/Tayrona Park region has several nude beaches.

Is nudism natural? Scientists believe that at least some humans have been wearing some sorts of clothing for close to 200,000 years - at least. That's far longer than humans have been doing, for example, agriculture, which I think most of us consider to be natural.

Just a few meters from the nudism activists, a young woman was standing practically nude, her body colorfully painted, as part of a university art project. The nudists seemed a bit embarrassed by her, hurrying to point out that theirs was an unrelated activity - perhaps because they're in favor of nudism, but not exhibitionism.

For her part, the students were doing a project for their Social Communication course at the Universidad Cooperativa. And nudism is unquestionably a form of communication that's very social.

Can a naked, painted woman be art? they asked me. Sure, she can. Of course, anything at all can be art these days.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Mirror Play in the Park

In what seems to be becoming a weekly tradition, visitors to the Parque Nacional got some free street theatre once again this afternoon. I'm not sure what it was about, if anything, but the play with dance and mirrors made for some dramatic scenes.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Skateboard Racing in the National Park

A downhill skateboarding competition is going on in the National Park during this three-day weekend.

Skateboarders from all over the world have come to Bogotá for the competition, in which they look like they're dressed to be fired out of cannons into space.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Roller Derby in Bogotá's National Park

One of the most culturally odd activities going on in Colombia has got to be roller derby. This group trains every Sunday afternoon in the National Park in Bogotá.

Roller derby's been played for about four years in Colombia, started by the popularity of an otherwise forgettable movie. Today, Bogotá has four roller derby teams, and there are about a dozen across Colombia, with names like Bone Breakers, the Fugitivas and the Rock and Roll Queens. It's a female-only sport here, altho most referrees are male. Many of the teams are associated with high schools and universities.

Roller derby's popularity here is doubly surprising as an aggressive, violent, contact sport in a country where few women traditionally play sports at all, much less violent ones.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours