| FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND Carthagenians lined our
route of departure on Friday, April 22,1988. Choppers buzzed overhead.
Soldiers in black uniforms with fully loaded M-16's attempted to force
the crowds back from the Rallye staging area. Camera crews were everywhere.The
first and only Trans Amazon Rally is off when a pistol is fired into the
air at 11 AM . We, the press, get Mitsubishi Monteros. At 100 mph they
seem to be able to keep up with the racers for the most part. Actually
we passed many cars on the road that were boiling over in the 100 degree
heat. The first stretch of the 700 mile route for the day was pretty effortless.
We headed East Northeast along the Caribbean coast. The road was ours.
Throughout the entire Colombian portion of the Rallye, the Army had sealed
off all regular traffic when we were barreling through, so there was no
nonsense with the ancient rickety buses and diesel belching trucks that
climb 12000 foot mountains at 5 mph. Even the "enemy" had been
negotiated with; we were to have free passage through M-19 territory as
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At Santa Marta, a famous transshipment point for
Colombian Gold, we turn south. It is at this point that the Andes reach
their Northernmost point as they drop off into the Caribbean.It is also
the only place in the Caribbean that one can see snow, on top of a 16,000
foot glacier. Another easy stretch of highway. The Monteros do not have
the extra fuel tanks that give the other big 4 wheels up to 800 mile range.
This is later remedied by carrying large cans of gas. We fill up twice,
after about 250 miles each time. The race had gotten off to a late start
as it would almost every day. Instead of 7 AM, it had been almost 11 by
the time we got rolling. It had been an easy first day by sunset. And very
self gratifying too. At every gas station and water stop we are surrounded
by teen lovelies. I feel like David Cassidy in 1971. I actually sign autographs.
It makes no difference that I'm a reporter, how would they know? I develop
a trade mark signature. My name through a heart. They all scream "Mi
Amor!", and blow kisses as we speed away.
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