The officials we dealt with checking in to Colombia were some of the nicest we've met on this trip.....when we dropped anchor in the harbor, a yacht's agent, a guy from the Port Captain's office, and a guy from Migracion came out to the boat to do our paperwork...not only were they insanely polite, but they invited us to come to the Port Captain's for coffee the next day so he could get to know us and talk to us about Providencia. Since it was the first time in Colombia for both of us, and we weren't quite sure what to expect as gringos, we accepted and speculated about the nature of the invitation.

When we reported to the Capitania we were invited in for a very strong cup of Colombian coffee with Capitan Guzman, who proceeded to give us an hour-long lesson in Colombian maritime history which then led to refreshingly candid discussion of global politics, border wars, Simon Bolivar, land use, drug trafficking, and more. It was really a neat experience. The captain makes point of getting to know every sailboat that comes though his port, and for the rest of our stay he kept popping up just when we needed help with something. Thanks Captain Guzman! Good luck at your new post in Cartagena!