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

Changes in Altitude45blinded mule. I edged closer to the mule and finally climbed aboard. Itkicked just a bit, but with Farid holding its rein and whispering in itsear, it quickly quieted. Farid jumped on the other mule, and with thesound of the other guerrilla chopping away, we headed up the othertrail. When I looked back, it was as if the trail had closed behind us.I was glad to be off my feet, but riding a saddled mule didn’t give memuch relief. Every bounce up and down was transferred through myalready beat-up feet. We were on a steep incline, but with the mulesmoving at a good clip, we soon came to a more or less level area of thetrail. To my left and to my right was darkness, but ahead of me, throughthe branches and vines, a dim light faintly shone.A few moments later we exited the jungle into a large clearing wherewe were greeted by a breathtaking panorama of mountains spread outacross the horizon; each peak cast a silhouette against the violet backdropof the sky. About a half mile or more away, a little campesinofarmhouse sat on a promontory overlooking this vista. An extremelysteep switchback trail led up to the farmhouse, and Farid and I pausedfor a moment, both of us taking in the view. Sitting on the mule, Ifelt as if I was in a Hollywood western, coming in from a hard day inthe mountains rounding up the herd to bring them off pasture for thewinter.When I got to the house, a group of six other guerrillas was there.They were sitting outside around a small fire. They’d driven two smallforked sticks into the ground with a metal rod resting in the crotchof each. Suspended above that on the rod was a large pot. One of theguerrillas opened the pot and steam escaped, and the smell of chickensoup wafted across the air. Though I could feel my insides gnawing atthemselves, I turned down their offer of food. I was feeling so alien,so dislocated from everything that I’d previously known, and so angryat the situation that I couldn’t bring myself to sit down to a meal withthem.The house was divided unequally into two rooms—a larger main