The army came for dinner

You get great cheap steaks in South America and I was savouring a triad of them each cooked in a different sauce, when the army arrived. We were seated in a restaurant frequented by missionaries. First, armed soldiers on motor bikes came and were stationed around the building. Then two silver long-wheel based Range Rovers with tinted glass parked (tinted glass is prohibited unless you happen to be very important) One contained military body guards, and the occupants of the other went straight to the vacant upstairs floor of the restaurant. Now this was the day President Bush was visiting the capital, Bogotá, and it was reported that 27,000 were involved in the security operation.

Medellín is the country's second city and has a history of awful violence. So I guessed it was a meeting of security chiefs held in the kind of place the guerrillas wouldn't have targeted. The waitress simply divulged that these were important people.

But it was while we were drinking coffee that I changed my mind, for we heard the strains of a familiar song that soon became louder: "Happy birthday to you ..."

Some must always live in the dark shadow of Colombia's violence. But security has improved noticeably in the last 3 years. And the steaks taste even better - come and see.

Don Carson arrives next week.



Learning a new way for Colombia: students in the Bible interpretation class

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