Out of Captivity : Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle

TWELVERunning on EmptyMay 2006–September 2006MARCOur departure from the Chess Camp in May of 2006 began months ofa gypsylike existence, going from temporary camp to temporary camp.With the supply and communication chains still in f lux because ofPlan Patriota, it was often unclear if there was, in fact, any destinationat all.The longer we wandered aimlessly with Milton, the thinner our suppliesgot. We nearly ran out of soap completely, and toilet paper becamejust a memory. To that point, Ernesto’s promise that better dayswere ahead had proven untrue. We’d become masters of frugality; wewere able to make a tube of toothpaste last six months or longer, andwhenever we could steal something from the FARC, we didn’t hesitate.They’d taken so much from us that a bit of kitchen soap to bathe withseemed inconsequential. We had hoped that by leaving the mountainsand heading into the flatlands, our supplies would increase, but like so