Päivi & Santeri
A Colombian paramilitary group has reportedly kidnapped three Americans in the Darién Gap
We strongly advise you not to travel to the Darién Gap because of the risk of violent criminal activity
Drug-running Colombian rebels are using the dense, lawless jungle to smuggle cocaine
Colombian terrorist groups, drug traffickers and other criminals throughout the Panama-Colombia border
Foreign nationals have been the victims of violent crimes, kidnapping and murder
Crossing the Darién Gap
Colombia
Darién Gap
Panama
Turbo, Colombia March 10-13, 2013
Capurganá, Colombia March 14, 2013
Is this your first time in Colombia? Yes, this is my first trip to Colombia.
I think I will come back again.
So you like it here?
Yes, there are a lot of nice and beautiful places here.
How do you feel about this place?
It's a quiet place, a small village.
It's really nice. People are not very very friendly.
But it is an isolated place and if you want to
relax a couple days, it's perfect.
Immigration? It is not here.
Are you going straight somewhere?
The immigration is not open now because there is no electricity.
They can't stamp your passport without electricity.
Breakfast US $4
What was your route from Peru to Capurganá?
My trip was quite monumental I have to say.
I left from Lima and went to Tumbes.
I was at the beach at the border. Punta Sal was very beautiful.
I wanted to go back there one day.
Is it in Peru?
Yes, Tumbes is near the border in Northern Peru.
Very beautiful, also the beaches.
From there I went to Guayaquil, Ecuador, then
to Quito and to the Colombian border.
From the Colombian border I went
to Medellín, Turbo and Capurganá.
How did you come here? By speedboat and bus from Medellín.
OK, so you took a bus from Medellín and then where did you go?
To Turbo. And then by speedboat 2.5 hours.
How was the ride? Bumpy.
A little bit, yeah.
I came here by boat.
And that was really a boat, not a bus.
Were you seasick?
No, fortunately I took some precautions.
Did you take medication?
No, I just relaxed and tried to enjoy the ride.
The trip took a bit over 2 hours.
I am not used to being at sea.
Was there a lot of water flying all over?
Yes, a lot of water and jumping up and down.
But the trip went fine and we enjoyed it.
Some people were yelling.
Soon I was anxiously waiting for the arrival.
When we were in Turbo, it was funny,
we were just shooting there in the harbour.
And then they got really irritated saying that you
can't shoot here. And then the immigration came
and they took us to some place and checked
our passports and then they were asking
all the time "Are you journalists?"
"Are you journalists?"
I think I saw you. OK, you saw us shooting there?
Yeah. OK, yeah, so it was really funny.
Then I was asking them why
are you so afraid of journalists.
"Just show me your passport."
"I need to check it for your own safety."
Then we showed them, he checked them, alright, and
then he asked once more: "Are you journalists?"
Once in your lifetime to be in a city called Turbo.
Yeah, it's a funny name.
Turbo. Sounds like some kind of drug.
It's a strange city, noisy.
It was actually the only Colombian city we have
visited so far where tap water was not potable.
It was so bad that it looked like porridge.
We went yesterday for a little walk.
We walked from Capurganá, from here,
all the way to Panama.
How was the trail, how did you like it?
Nice, a bit muddy,
like always in the jungle.
The hike was a bit tedious
but when we arrived,
I didn't think about it anymore.
It was worth all the trouble.
It was fabulous.
I have to admit that it
was indeed worthwhile.
As I said, my trip was long.
The whole journey.
But coming here,
yes, it was definitely worth the trouble.
The jungle is so beautiful and peaceful.
It rains 3 times a day or so and
the path gets really muddy when it's raining.
It is something you can walk without
backpack and a lot of stuff.
But if you have all your gear with you,
then it is not so fun anymore because it's a slippery mudslide.
Scenic place
Of course there are always some problems in touristy places such as this.
Yesterday we took a boat to Sapzurro.
There was a small incident with the price.
Yes, I understand that as a Latin American person.
You expect these kind of things to happen.
Many times you have to adapt.
You can't help it, these things just happen.
Some people take advantage of others.
Like yesterday, we agreed about the price
for the trip but the guy changed it afterwards.
They just try to take advantage of you.
But you learn to notice it.
You need to be prepared.
Keep things clear and always check the price.
Make sure there's an agreement.
But when someone changes the rules on the way,
what can you do?
You will have to negotiate so that nobody loses.
Meeting halfway
so that you don't lose and I don't lose.
Solomon's judgement.
You have travelled with Markus who is from Europe.
Does he have more problems than
you because you speak Spanish?
Yes, yes.
There is a huge difference.
You see it in many places.
I notice it right away.
In prices, when talking with people, when buying something.
Suddenly everything just changes
if they see you with a person who looks different.
I do the negotiations because I speak the language.
So we try to get the right price.
Their prices change according to the customer.
They take advantage of you.
It is discrimination in that sense.
It seems to me that you often feel discriminated.
Because of your skin colour, you pay a different price.
It is just another form of discrimination
They think you have more money than they have.
I don't like it, but that's how it is.
Does that happen only in Colombia?
No, it is everywhere here, also in Peru and Bolivia.
What is the image of Colombia and Colombians in Peru?
The image I had was that Colombia is dangerous.
There are guerrillas that make it dangerous.
Thanks to this, I was prepared.
There are a lot of policemen and soldiers around.
They make travelling safe.
In other countries, you just hear rumours.
But you need to see it for yourself.
You never know, you might want to return.
Do you feel that it is dangerous here?
At the moment no, except the sea.
No, fortunately not. Everything is fine.
It's about inner peace, you have to break out of your comfort zone.
When you are relaxed, you are not thinking
all the time what bad can happen to you.
Something can always happen, but...
Have you felt unsafe here, are there some dangers?
No, not at all.
Is there anything negative in Colombia that
you have experienced during your travel?
Prices.
Yes, prices, they are high. Colombia is very expensive.
That is the only negative thing. Ttravel costs.
Accommodation, food?
No, I can manage with food and accommodation
but travelling is outrageously expensive.
On top of everything else, you have to pay that, too.
This is the only negative thing.
Panama
Welcome to Panama
At the Colombia-Panama border
there was a little shack
where they checked passports and
wrote down passport numbers and names.
We asked them about walking all the way from
La Miel, the border city on the Panamian side,
to Puerto Obaldia where there is airport and transportation.
The border guard told that there can be
some gangsters or some drug smugglers or
bad guys or at least there has been at some point.
Or at least everybody is forbidden to walk there.
On the Colombian side everything has been very safe,
also on the Panamian side there was nothing really.
The only guns were in the hands of the border guards. Everybody else was pretty relaxed,
just some local indigenous people and that's all.
Yeah. It didn't feel so dangerous.
But anyway, maybe...
I think they want to promote the (boat)trips.
Yeah, maybe that's the reason.
In the viewing platform we saw an American woman who
was travelling with a local guide. She had been
hiking in the south and she told that
there are paths so it might be possible
to walk all the way from the south to Capurganá.
Not to take that speedboat. Oh really?
According to her, yes. Her guide told that you
can't walk all the way on the beach.
At some point, you will have to go inland but there are paths.
So if you can use your map and compass
and know a little bit how to survive in the jungle
it should be possible.
Or if you hire a guide like she did. She was from New York.
La Miel, Panama March 15, 2013
Taking a flight sounds stupid because
Panama is so near and Colombia is its neighbour.
So why not try something else? Then we checked sail boats.
Crazy expensive and we drink a lot of water
so we can't carry enough water with us there.
Then we found this route.
From Turbo by speedboat and then walking.
Yes, coming here was worth the trouble.
After all, I'm here, what else can I say?
It has been beautiful, interesting and
it has changed my image of this place.
I recommend it.
I guess the biggest challenge for people crossing
the Darién Gap has been taking some motor vehicles with them.
That's what makes it complicated because there are no roads,
just walking pathways.
It is OK to walk, but if you want to drive
a car, it might be hard. Yes.
Even from Capurganá to Panama, think about driving there.
In the mud and over the hills, it's just jungle.
Thanks a lot! You are welcome.
Crossing the Darién Gap
Interviewees: Magnolia, 41, Peru. Markus, 44, Switzerland.
Music: Jungle Boys and Juan
Maps: 2D © OpenStreetMap contributors. 3D by NASA
Production
Filmed in Colombia and Panama in 2013 Produced by Päivi & Santeri, 2016
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