Michael F. Kastre

Walking in the Clouds - Colombia Through the Eyes of a Gringo Michael F. Kastre

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.