Taking Off

Today was a very special day for me. I mean, every day has something interesting I want to remember, but this one is one I will keep with me so I can tell my grandchildren when I am old (something my grandmother loves doing every weekend we visit her). As I was saying, today was very special; because it's the first time my dad lets us take the car alone! Honestly, he didn't have a choice. He was very busy training for the South American Games that will be in Medellin in a week or so (he classified in archery because he is one of the best archers in Colombia. He even participated in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles) and my mother had to take my little sister to her first basketball match. We needed to go ride our horses in CESPO which is at the opposite side of Bogota where my sister was playing. We took the car (my big sister driving) and we drove across Bogota. We successfully made it to CESPO, went to our grandmother's house to have lunch, and went back home without getting lost! (Thanks to the iPhone's GPS, this is exclusively managed by me, the navigator). I'm so sorry with my dad, because he was so nervous. Not for my sister's driving skills, because he trusts her completely, but for the huge mass of drivers that go out on Saturdays. 90% of them are completely clueless about good driving. Seriously, in Bogota you have to be aware of angry buses, crazy taxis, and furious old ladies who lack that little voice that tells you to be careful. He died about 20 years ago. In any case, we were able to sort everything out, and we proved to our dad we are capable of taking care of ourselves on the road.

There wouldn't have been a problem at all if we still had the horse-back riding and the polo field in our club (which is a step away from our house), but some stupid idiot called Enrique Peñalosa worked his ass off to take it away from us. I really don't know how he did it. The Country Club is private property, but he somehow managed to claim it as public property and turn it into a park! Supposedly the mayor (Alcaldia de Bogota) should pay the Country Club for that land, which by the way is worth like 35,000,000 pesos ($20,000), but they have only paid 5,000,000 pesos ($2,000). I found out the process in which they are taking the club is completely illegal. Still, the game is not over yet; because Peñalosa lost the mayor elections to Samuel Moreno, which promised he would give it back. The weakling hasn't been able to live up to his promise, because communist politicians would critize him and say he gave the "rich people" their land back. It's unfair, but the worst part is the taking won't end because Peñalosa isn't going to stop until he gets rid of the whole Country Club. As soon as he gets over the polo field completely, his next move is the golf course, and next the whole club. For people that think this would teach the rich people a lesson, I think they are fooling themselves, because not only would the rich people loose, but the whole city would be affected.. First, Colombia would loose it's most famous golf course, which has already hosted countless international tournaments, including the PGA a few weeks ago. Second, there are about1000 employees working at the Country Club. Where would they go? Third, Bogota would loose one of its largest green areas that help balance the toxic fumes from the millions of buses that contaminate our city. The pureness of the land would be ruined by anything else they want to put on top (another reason Peñalosa has to destroy the club is to make a street on top of it). Fourth, it would promote government corruption in the country. The government would be free to abuse power in any way they want, without any consequence. Colombia is already corrupt enough, and it's inconceivable they can go taking land to their delight.

I really hope Peñalosa doesn't get away with his scheme, and somehow justice will be able to save our beloved Country Club.