Frank Coffey living somewhere between a Kafka novel and Márquez’s “A Hundred Years of Solitude”

My compay, Don Frank has been in Colombia the past three months honing his retirement skills after leaving Crested Butte Ski Corp as their main Avalanchero for many years. He’s going to concentrate his attention exclusively on snow problems in Portillo Chile. But with the drama of this pandemic he’s trapped in paradise unable to return to the states so in Don Frank style he’s living the life at a beautiful beach community entertaining the local female population and sipping cold beers with his friends.. Salud compay!

rŌbert

Hey amigos!

I am not allowed to leave the country. I will not be coming back anytime soon. It’s been exciting and very much like a “100 Years of Solitude” dream here of late. Welcome to Gabriel Garcia Marguez’s country, Colombia. ” I don’t believe in God, but I’m afraid of Him”…thanks Gabo.

I traveled to the border with Venezuela on Tuesday to fix a visa problem and, well, that story is so surreal it demands an oral narrative.

The beaches in Colombia are closed. You can walk the beach, but not go in the water….kinda like Chile where people are on the beach, but not in the water (see the before and after photos of the beach).

The one with the crowds is from Sunday three days ago.

The second image of a girl walking on the beach at sunset is from today.

The hotel where I am staying in Taganga is closing in two days. The bars are closed.

Attached is a photo of my friend, Andres, and me in a bar where we used to drink, cheapest beers(50 cents) in town. He has my back. I have been Taganga for three months and have never seen another gringo in that bar…that’s why it’s my bar? Vallento music and cold beer, a perfect marriage.

Restaurants are open until 7:00, but not for much longer. This seedy, little beach town where I have been hanging out for the past three months is shutting down…and I will be staying here at a friend’s hotel and not going to Santa Marta. I think that it might be my best month ever in Colombia. I miss you guys!

Salud amigos

Don Frank