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

Changes in Altitude43words over and over again, I could piece together a bit of it. “We lovethe peace. I am a guerrilla because I love the peace.”When I wasn’t being yanked off the ground or listening to Faridspout nonsense, my eyes were focused at the vegetation around me.The dense thicket we traveled through was alive with all kinds of creatures.I’d always enjoyed nature shows on TV, and suddenly I hadstepped into one. If it weren’t for the circumstances, I would have lovedit. There was a greater variety of monkeys than I’d seen at any zoo—most of them different kinds of spider monkeys. Like our captors, theyseemed really interested in the new kids in the jungle, and they perchedin the trees looking down at us with their enormous grapelike eyes.Just as the sun was about to set, two guerrillas, or at least guerrillasympathizers, joined Farid and me. One was a young man, dressed insweatpants and a T-shirt. He had a campesino hat on—a wide-brimmedwoven thing that was a cross between a fedora and a sombrero. Theother was a young woman dressed just like the guy, and her eyes werewide with astonishment at the sight of me. They were carrying a smallplastic bag filled with white rice and freckled with bits of chicken. Theguy used his machete to hack off a couple of palm fronds that we coulduse as plates. They heaped a pile on two leaves, handed one to Faridand one to me. Sitting down, Farid rounded his body and hunched hisshoulders to protect his meal. He began shoveling the food into hismouth with his fingers, his nails black with dirt and so long they hadbegun to curl.Even if I hadn’t seen Farid wolfing down his food, smacking hislips, and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, I still wouldn’thave had an appetite. I hadn’t eaten in nearly forty-eight hours, butthe thought of food turned my stomach. The young female guerrillasat beside me, and I could see the look of concern in her eyes. She puther hands under mine and raised them toward my face. I turned myhead and screwed up my face in exaggerated disgust. The food smelledokay, but something was wrong with my stomach. Eventually she just