<p>Walking in the Clouds is a true story about events experienced by an American writer who lived and worked in Colombia in the 1980s, a painful period of political upheaval, violent cocaine wars, and leftist guerrilla uprisings. As a freelancer, Michael Kastre's livelihood depended on finding relevant stories; on a personal level, he integrated himself deeply into his new environment. Becoming a local meant that he was no longer an outsider looking in, but a character within the stories themselves. Just like Colombia, the stories vary in their cast of characters and the events and emotions they cover. After moving to Colombia, it was only a matter of time before Michael found himself engaging in political debate with a guerrilla leader, having a unique encounter with the Pope, and interviewing the head of Colombia's Anti-Narcotics Force. The photos he was given during this interview have never been publicly available until the publishing of this book. Most people know little about Colombia beyond its notoriety for drugs. The continent's oldest surviving democracy, Colombia combines the splendor of colonial Spain with the energy of modern Latin America. Its demographics are as diverse as its majestic terrain and as complex as its history. The vignettes and articles in Walking in the Clouds provide a unique glimpse into the history, politics, and culture of this remarkable country, its complex psyche and rich contradictions captured through the humble eyes of a gringo.</p>

Walking in the Clouds - Colombia Through the Eyes of a Gringo

Biographies & Memoirs

Kastre, Michael F.

Historical

Saint Michael's Press

"Walking in the Clouds - Colombia through the Eyes of a Gringo" is a series of true events and corresponding stories as experienced and chronicled by an American writer who lived and worked in the country during the violent cocaine wars and leftist guerrilla uprisings in the 1980s. From the Torching of the Judicial Palace, 23,000 Souls Vanish, and Conversations with a Guerrilla to Carnival, A Shot in the Dark, and A Water Tower View of the Pope, this series of stories provide a timeless lens through which to view Latin America, They also provide a mirror that reflects back a realistic perspective of how others view us. Colombia represents not only the promise, but the problems that haunt an entire continent. Unlike those to the north, the seeds for the idea of hereditary power and landed gentry were sown from the beginning. The continent's oldest surviving democracy, Colombia combines the splendor of colonial Spain with the energy of Latin America. Yet, despite the fame of Colombian coffee and its notoriety for drugs, most people know little about the country. As colored through its stories, Walking in the Clouds provides a glimpse into Colombian history, economics, politics, psyche, culture, and contradictions.

History

Americas

Virtualbookworm.com Publishing

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Books by Kastre, Michael F.