Bahia Malaga, Columbia

The Pacific approaching Columbia

Finally after four years in the Coast Guard, I have been to a foreign port. Alaska may have been isolated, but still part of the US. Puerto Rico is a Territory and within two months of the boat, I have been to South America. It was a short stay and saw very little of the county, but I got an impression. We had a one-night port call at the Columbian Navy Base at Bahia Malaga. It was a working port call due to the fact that were there to cooperate with the Columbian Navy, but none the less, it was some time off the cutter.

A small Columbian Village

The typical verdure of the coast

 My first impression of Columbia was that it had not changed since the Pre-Spaniard civilizations had inhabited the landscape. The villages seen were the only indication of modern culture and even then, it was more like shanties than most Americans would call a home or a town. The multicolored roofs and patched buildings butt up to the beach with an old pier shooting out to the protected harbor. The visible boats are in some state of dilapidation and awe inspiring verdure of forest creates the background as far as the eye can see. Like a painting you see in a gallery of 1900’s abstract fishing village. It has a reverent unrevealed beauty that leads the imagination to wondering what could be hiding in the vast jungle. The lack of refinement in the structures compared to the overwhelming jungle give a sense how small we are. While most of the coast is the endless jungle consisting of countless small uninhabited islands and inland waterways, there is an insignificant amount of civilization. I can see why the Spaniards thought the Indians that inhabited the land to be savages. From the coast that we saw coming in, it seem that not very much has changed.

The band greets us at the pier

We had sailed a ways in when the Columbian Navy Base came into view. It is a very remote base build from sea and surrounded by jungle. The Columbian and American flag flying. The Ships were lined up on the pier, some being older Coast Guard Vessels. Upon arrival, a band greeted us and after the work of mooring up was complete, we had a little liberty and some friendly competition with the Columbian Navy.

A Game of Tug-of-War

Soccer and tug-a-war were the opportunities. Sad to say, the greatest Coast Guard in the world was unable to beat the Columbian Navy in soccer. They played well, but I suppose futbol being a way of life made them pretty good. We did however defeat them in the Tug-a-war. Even with the help of one of our own whom I will not mention, we won two games out of three. It seems they do that a lot as well, considering the marks were painted on the pier. The base was surrounded by jungle as most of the coast was and tempted me the entire time to explore. Roads were carved through what looked to be sandstone walls and plants climbed everything. There was a small shopping center with a bar, and a semi-submersible museum.

For those that are not aware, semi-submersibles are what the drug runners are using drugs. They are very difficult to see on the water and the pilots of these crafts are sometimes forced to transport under the threat of their family being killed if they do not. Columbia is a nation that struggles with the influence of the drug trade. The profit margin is incredibly high, they can afford build a one time transportation unit costing half a million or more. The semi-submersible range in size and capacity and are often painted the color of the water. The Columbian Navy does what they can to capture them and their museum is a collection of those. We were informed the area outside the gate is unsafe due to the drug trade. It is strife I feel fortunate enough to separate myself from. Regardless how fortunate we are in the US, this is a way of life for many. They are good people and do what they can against the challenges they face. We were only able to see the military personnel on the base and the shopping center but it was an experience none the less.

The plants overtake the wall of the rock

Crew members enjoy a little time off

The shopping center was small but a very nice place to relax. It was the only place to purchase anything, so the entire crew happened to congregate there. There was a small bar in the middle surrounded by a few hole in the wall places to eat and some gift shops. They did have a place with internet, but it was patchy at best. I tried to get a hold of family, but was unable. I spend the remainder of the night socializing with my shipmates and having a few beers. Everyone was having a good time dancing, talking and doing all the thing we are not able to do onboard. It was a good break from the patrol however brief. I had some authentic food and took a leisurely stroll back to the cutter. The moon had risen, the stars were bright and the forest came right up to the road. Amidst this wild beauty, the most memorable sight was not natural at all, but very telling of the people. There was a small church on base with a neon cross. When the verdure had faded from vivid to modest, it still shown bright from anywhere in the landscape. The Columbians and many similar cultures, share a strong faith. It does not seem to matter what era you look at, there is faith in what they believe and how incorporate that faith into their life.

We left Columbia the following day with a Helo demonstration before we continued the patrol. It was humbling to see the resources of our allies and the environments they work in. The same band saw us off to the open sea.