11.1 The Wrong Route

When Marina and Guido took off to Cali from Jorge Cháves International Airport, four of them went back to Hotel León in Miraflores. Brigida and Chio, a girl of Japanese origin, set to travel with Madeleine to Quito. Rosa stayed in Lima with the Toyota and the key contact to monitor movement in case the two parties got disconnected.

Madeleine had to take this long way if she wanted to make that excuse that she only gave her a lift; from Lima to Quito, from Quito to Medellín, from Medellín to Cali. By doing it, Madeleine could say that she gave Marina a lift up to Lima.

Brigida and Chio left with Madeleine to Trujillo on an ASTA Beechcraft. There was no direct connection from Lima to Tumbes. They had to take the domestic airline one more time to Tumbes.

Three took a bus ride up Panamericana to Zarumilla Province 20 kilometres away and passed the narrow road with lively markets on both sides, colourful parasols, electric cables and people. Greater half of Aguas Verdes town lay on the opposite bank of Zarumilla River. A vibrant but chaotic area at the frontier. Free movement permitted for people to cross this border between Peru and Ecuador but foreign travellers required to register at immigration control posts located further inland on both sides of the border.

There was no confusion in this bustling town other than the narrow lane, she got her papers and crossed the bridge over Zarumilla River and yet a narrow bridge over a meander, changing colours from red to blue of the flags and entered the Cantón of Huaquillas on 24^th Friday.

She could have crossed on a boat and nobody would know she ever entered. Though she had to fly from Quito and literally a passport required a stamp.

Immigration control check point on the Ecuadorian side of the border was located out of the village on the east lane of the highway. She entered as Madeleine Blanche.

Then the three rolled on a bus to Santa Rosa to catch a TAME to Quito.

Madeleine couldn’t help without hands on Chio; short and slim, with a bob cut hair and beach waves. She was playful and tease went on in the crowded bus. Loud cackles, tickling and stroking. Commuters watched with enthusiasm. A thin woman, in a width of a tight red pair of denim shorts, was lot boisterous. Her lanky legs tapped over the seats in a pillow fight. Brusquely, Madeleine grasped Chio’s hand and spitted on her face. She spat and spat. Commuters raised their brows and turned away. Madeleine could hardly smoke a cigarette without coughing as the two girls put their hands on her.

They arrived in Quito on a TAME flight and on the same day booked seats on Avianca to Colombia.

Sunday, 26^th of May, they arrived at the metropolitan city of Medellín in Colombia.

They took a taxi to Berrío Park to book a train to Cali. Had lunch near Plaza Cisneros and caught in an afternoon rain while hanging around.

At five-thirty, they walked towards the railway station dragging the bags, passing the stalls on a busy street, when they heard a loud explosion. They dreadfully witnessed a fire far behind Coltejer Building – the tallest tower in Medellín. Crowd ran in the opposite direction brushing on them and they turned away from the site, running up a lane beside Iglesia de La Candelaria – the oldest church in Medellín – and made way to the railway station.

Military police appeared promptly and Bell helicopters began to circle in the sky. The station locked down immediately before they could even pass through.

Madeleine had been to this city many times before during the 80’s when the cocaine cartels led a series of bombing campaigns. On one occasion Madeleine visited this city with the great Juan Carlos Bauzá.

It was blamed on the Extraditables – the armed legion – at a time the Colombian government ceased to hold talks with the cartels. There were several such cartels and one of the most feared drug lords of the decade was the larger-than-life Pablo Escobar. These venues weren’t peaceful; Medellín – the second largest city in Colombia was the most violent city in the world. Fierce gun battles took place among rival cartels, kidnappings, assassinations and tarnished by crime.

Madeleine and the two peruanas finally entered the Antioquia Train Station and climbed the last train to Cali. Literally ‘the last train’ for only a few years later these trains stopped to exist; replaced by a modern metro system. They slept all the way in the midnight train.

The phone rang and Guido cursed. He rolled over to pick it. It was Rosa calling from Lima to say the party arrived in Cali.

“Who are they?” asked Guido.

“Madeleine, Chio and Brigida.”

“Holy Shit! Why did they come?”

“I have no idea,” replied Rosa, “they are there with Maddy.”

Marina lay in bed, eyes partially closed and powerless to get up. Guido wiped a towel on his belly and chest to dry the sweat.

“They are coming here in a taxi,” Guido reached down and grabbed a shoulder under an arm, kissing her. A landslide of 260 lbs crushed her body. Since the snogging and grappling with Lucero in a sinful excitement, she felt nothing in her to satisfy an overbearing chubby guy who gets rocked every five minutes.

There came a knock on the door. Guido got up, wrapped the towel and opened.

“I want to keep Brigida for a few days,” said Madeleine, “and Chio too will stay.”

“Why?” asked Guido.

“Brigida knows Cali. It’s my first time. I need her help.”

“Well, I have to go. Send them home as soon as possible. We have work to do in Lima.” Guido left that afternoon.