Randy Lewis

COLOMBIA, PART 2 -THE TRIP

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RANLAY Racing Trackchaser Report

DAY 3 – “COLOMBIA – JUST FOR A LONG WEEKEND” TRACKCHASING TOUR

EDITOR’S NOTE

When I started out in trackchasing, I never would have imagined traveling to South America in pursuit of my hobby. Over the next three Trackchaser Reports, I am going to tell you about my personal experiences traveling to Bogota, Columbia. I will tell you this in advance. I’ve met a good number of very nice people as I have pursued my trackchasing hobby. However, I had never met a larger group of nice racing people than the folks I hung out with at the races on Sunday.

GREETINGS FROM TOCANCIPA, COLOMBIA

TODAY, SATURDAY, I HAD ALL DAY TO EXPLORE BOGOTA AND MEET MY NEW COLOMBIAN RACING FRIENDS. THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED DURING DAY THREE OF THIS PLANNED FIVE-DAY TRIP.

SEE THE PHOTOS; ENJOY THE PHOTOS

If you would like to see photos from today’s trackchasing adventure go to www.ranlayracing.com, click on the “Foreign Countries Visited” tab and then click on “Colombia, Part 2 – The Tour” for the Bogotá, Colombia pictures and story. Don’t miss them. As with each of my international trips, you will view some unusual sights never before seen at www.ranlayracing.com.

PART 2 of 3, THE TOUR

THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED HAD YOU BEEN PAYING MORE ATTENTION IN SCHOOL

I will maintain my policy of affording anonymity to readers who send in interesting bits of information or who provide cutting edge analysis.

From somewhere out in the Midwest

“On Colombia: Do you think it is any scarier than, say, NYC? I’m just curious.”

In answer to this question, I’m not sure I can give a data based answer. In my opinion I suspect Bogota is just like any other big city. If you go into a bad area late at night, you might have a problem. Overall, I felt very safe in and around Bogota. It was somewhat disconcerting to see so many armed police, several with dogs, around. However, that police presence appears to have dramatically decreased the crime they used to have. More than 20% of Bogotanos live below the poverty line, but a large middle class makes up the bulk of the population. According to the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) of 2006, the most prevalent threat to all travelers is street crime. The bus system poses a threat to visitors as well. I didn’t ride any buses!

TODAY’S HEADLINES

Any idea what my favorite form of auto racing is?...................more in “The Objective”.

Did you know that I am formally trained in the Spanish language. …………..details in “The Trip”.

What was a shock to see in an ice cream store at the Gran Estacion shopping center?…………..details in “The People”.

What you are about to read is based upon a true story. Heck, I’m seeing some of this stuff for the first time myself!

THE OBJECTIVE, THE TRIP AND THE PEOPLE…AND A WHOLE LOT MORE

The Objective

What’s on the other side of the mountain?

Many of my “civilian” friends cast a wary eye when they learn about my trackchasing hobby. They think I spend all of my time at a racetrack watching cars go in circles. I always try to correct this impression with them. For anyone who has that feeling, it could not be further from the truth.

I enjoy auto racing very much, no doubt. Actually, the auto racing I like the most occurs on my 50” plasma TV screen. I’m talking about the NASCAR Sprint Cup races that come on some 36 weekends every year. What I like about NASCAR is the off-season is so short. They finish in November and start up again in February. I like that.

However, I enjoy watching races on a live time basis very much as well. It’s not as convenient to watch racing in person as it is on TV. In order to watch racing live, I have to get on an airplane, rent a car, drive a good distance and/or hope the weatherman cooperates.

I watch 98% of the TV programs I see on a recorded basis. I’ve had TIVO for years and now have switched over to Direct TVs digital video recorder. This allows me to watch NASCAR racing when I want too. I often watch a NASCAR TV production is 3-4 sittings. I watch the very first minute of the show until the very last driver has been interviewed and the credits begin to roll. Of course, I skip through the commercials. Since I don’t do any of our household shopping and don’t see any TV commercials, I am sometimes unaware of new product opportunities.

“But, Randy if sitting at a racetrack watching cars go around in circles is not your primary motivation, why do you trackchase”, the curious reader might ask. I trackchase to see “what is on the other side of the mountain”. What does that mean? I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction of doing and seeing things for the first time. That’s what trackchasing is for me.

Many things that I do and see one time, do not warrant having the experience a second time. On the other hand, if I like something I’ve done or seen once, I then know that I will want to do it again and maybe again.

Therefore, the real objective of these trips is seeing “what’s on the other side of the mountain”. In my life, there are a lot of mountains to cross. I try to cross one or two nearly every weekend. That’s just how I do it.

The Trip

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2009

Language barriers can be a problem for some.

My first activity of the day was to have breakfast in the hotel. On my first day, there was a buffet of sorts featuring corn tamales. You don’t need to talk much when you eat at a self-service buffet. However, today there was no buffet. I had to place my order with the restaurant’s service staff.

There is very little English spoken at the Hotel Centro Internacional. They don’t speak much English and I don’t speak much Spanish. “But Randy, didn’t you tell us you took two years of high school Spanish in high school”? Yes, I did tell you that. However, my performance in Spanish class left something to be desired. I recall two of my semester grades being 70 and 71. I was able to achieve these passing marks simply because I was on the basketball team. A score of 70 was the minimum required to pass the class. I only took a foreign language because it was required to gain admission to college.

I grew up in a small Midwestern town in Illinois. I didn’t know anyone who spoke Spanish, I had never met anyone who spoke Spanish (except my Spanish teacher Senora Korngiebel) and didn’t expect to ever speak Spanish again once my two years of high school Spanish were finished. Yes, that is how a teen-ager might feel when growing up in a lower middle class town out in the middle of our nation’s cornfields.

It was a minor struggle to order two eggs sunny side up with orange juice and hot chocolate. However, the mission was accomplished without too much pain for either party. It might have been a different story had I fallen overboard and needed a lifeline.

I was about to learn a bit more about downtown Bogota.

My hotel was located just a block off the main drag in downtown Bogota. It was 9 a.m., the weather was perfect for a walking tour (about 65 degrees, cloudy with some minor misting rain). I had about three hours before the UCLA NCAA tournament basketball game came on at noon. That would give me plenty of time to get some walking exercise and see the sights. Of course, you can see many of the same sights I saw at www.ranlayracing.com. Simply click on the “Foreign Countries Visited” tab and then on “Colombia”.

I get a kick out of seeing how foreign cultures operate. Something as simple as seeing a drug store with foreign language signs is fun for me to see. On this Saturday morning, I passed by drug stores, supermarkets and all different kinds of architecture. One man was getting a shoeshine, vendors were setting up fresh fruit and produce stands and military police were walking down sidewalks with M-16 rifles. I didn’t feel any danger in any way, however with the warnings I had received, a couple of which from local residents, I maintained a wary eye.

I like to get out of my own comfort zone whenever I can.

I don’t come all the way from my home in California to a place like Colombia, or anywhere else for that matter, to do the things I do at home. I want to see new things. I want to eat in places that aren’t offered at home. I want to do things I don’t do every day.

Am I successful in this regard? Partially. When I compare my experiences to other people my age, I find I’m far surpassing my peers. However, when I compare my experiences to our children, as an example, I often find I’m barely scratching the surface. As long as I challenge myself, I feel like I’m having fun trying to expand my own comfort zone.

What challenges did I encounter today?

During my morning walk, I probably covered a couple of miles in one direction before I began my return to the hotel. I went past some very upscale shopping areas, the Bogota business district and then encountered a lesser neighborhood. In one of the more shady neighborhoods, I encountered a pool hall. Actually, it was a “billiards parlor”. There is a difference. I entered the building just to see what it would be like. The proprietor was friendly and allowed me to take pictures, although I’m not sure how a couple of the billiards players felt about being photographed!

Soon I found myself in front of “Museum Nacional”. I was hoping this museum might be featuring a “banos”. Of course, “banos” are famous prehistoric dinosaurs from, apparently, before history was recorded. Yes, the Museum Nacional had “banos”. I decided to pay 3,000 Colombian pesos to enter the museum. Before I go any further, I must confess that “banos” are not prehistoric dinosaurs. “Banos” are bathrooms! Yes, that’s about what it will take to get me to go into most museums. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my one-hour tour of this three-story display of Colombian history.

Next up was lunch. I saw very few American food franchises in the greater Bogota area. I wouldn’t have eaten in them anyway, but I always enjoy studying a foreign (to me) cliental enjoying American food outlets. I was attracted by a small café called the Fogon Colombia. A large sign in the window advertised several specialties including tamales. I ventured in. There were a few local people inside enjoying the food. There were no Americans. In fact, I did not encounter another American from the time I left the Bogota airport on Thursday night until I returned to the airport on Monday morning. When I’m on vacation in a foreign country that’s how I like it.

My tamale was served just as it had been in the hotel yesterday morning. The corn tamale was wrapped in a series of banana leaves. It was the size of a volleyball! Along with my tamale I was served a croissant of sorts and a Coke Zero. The entire bill came to about $1.50 U.S. Yes, eating in local restaurants is both fun and cheap. Of course, the food is very good.

It pays to bargain and it’s fun.

When Carol and I travel, we are always on the lookout for gifts for the folks back home. They don’t have to be big or expensive, just something small to let the folks at home know we were thinking about them on our trip. This is especially fun now that we have two grandchildren.

I came across an area of kiosk shops that were selling local goods. One vendor had some very attractive kid’s t-shirts. I always go for shirts with the local countries logo or name on them. I asked the vendor how much two shirts would cost me. He replied in Spanish and I didn’t understand. I motioned for him to write the amount on a piece of paper. He wrote “24,000”. Heck this seemed to be more expensive that buying two shirts on Rodeo Drive in Hollywood. Then I remembered we were talking about Colombian Pesos! Twenty-four thousand pesos was about ten bucks U.S. That was more than reasonable for two kids t-shirts.

However, I am trained to negotiate. Yes, I have taken just about every negotiating course offered and read most of the books on the subject. I would feel bad if I didn’t make a “counter-offer”. I suspect the shopkeeper might have felt the same way. I grabbed his pen and wrote “20,000” just below where the seller had written his amount. The vendor looked at me, nodded in the affirmative, and began to wrap my purchases. Folks, that’s how it’s done. It’s simple, it’s part of the process and on many occasions, it can save you money. By the way, what was my saving in U.S. dollars? Less than two bucks! However, making a counter-offer was more principle than anything else.

A little further down the street, I encountered a storefront selling ladies purses. I saw one that I thought Carol might like. I tried the same bargaining process I had with the kid’s shirts. The store clerk wrote down an amount and I countered. She said no and I walked. Carol has enough purses anyway!

I was really looking forward to my afternoon activity.

With the distance I had walked and the time I had taken for lunch, I arrived back to my hotel after the UCLA game had already begun. No problem. The NCAA tournament basketball program I have runs on my laptop. It allows me to watch any game in the tournament when it is being played live or on video after the game had been played. I would simply watch the game later tonight.

Mr. Ricardo Soler was my “angel” for this trip. He had given me all of the details about the coming race I would attend tomorrow. He also explained the “TC2000” group would be having a car show at a major shopping mall in Bogota on Saturday. I wanted to see this show.

For the first time during the trip, I had the hotel order a local taxi for me. Just as the online tour research had said, taxis don’t have seat belts in the back. Nevertheless, I arrived at my destination, the “Gran Estacion Shopping Center” in good shape. Imagine the very best shopping mall in your hometown. The Gran Estacion was probably better! Their food court had 35 different eateries, none of which was American owned, and a like number of restaurants and food shops scattered throughout the mall. It was “posh”.

The car show was fun and well attended.

The mall had a huge paved area, about a square block in size reserved for the TC2000 car show. When I arrived there were about ten racecars on display. By the late afternoon, there were about thirty on display.

In addition to the racecars, a local car club featuring vintage automobiles was also part of the show. These cars were going to have a vintage race at the Autodromo de Tocancipa track tomorrow. That would be fun.

A stout P.A. sound system had been setup and music was entertaining the fans as they wandered about the car show taking photos. The first thing I wanted to do was meet Mr. Ricardo Soler.

Mr. Ricardo Soler in person.

I saw what looked like a check-in/information booth. One driver was just finishing up and then it was my turn. I opened with my standard line in Spanish speaking countries. “Yo no habla Espanol” which I hope means “I don’t speak Spanish” and does not mean “Can I date your daughter”. The young woman at the check-in desk immediately replied in perfect English, “not a problem, what can I do for you”?

All right, this was going to be easy. I told her I wanted to find Ricardo Soler. She looked up and pointed at the man in the driver’s suit who had just been ahead of me in line. “That’s Ricardo,” she said. This was going to be easy.

I have had some very good local foreign contacts in my trackchasing career. However, none would be any better than Ricardo Soler. I introduced myself and Ricardo showed me the personality that makes him so well liked amongst his staff and so well known to everyone. Ricardo could not have been more excited to see me. No, he was not like those dreaded East coast trackchasers. He had been anticipating his meeting with the “World’s #1 Ranked Trackchaser”.

Although Ricardo was being tugged and pulled by everyone at the car show to do one thing or another, he took time out to welcome me and explain what he had in mind for me this weekend. Ricardo wears many hats for Colombian auto racing. First, he is the Executive Director of the Stop & Go motor racing magazine. This is a slick looking publication focusing on Colombian motorsports. Ricardo is also the producer for Colombian TV’s Speed Channel. He would be coordinating that broadcast at tomorrow’s race. Ricardo was also the track announcer at the Autodromo de Tocancipa. It seemed like everyone and his brother or sister knew Ricardo. Ricardo got to hug and kiss all the girls who came up to say hi and interview all the drivers who would be racing tomorrow.

If you know what Juan Pablo Montoya (Formula 1 winner and current NASCAR Sprint Cup driver) looks like, then you know what Ricardo looks like except Ricardo looks younger! Mr. Soler was wearing a snappy looking dark blue driver’s uniform. I would later learn that his entire staff of some 32 people wears the same uniform at the track. Ricardo smiles and laughs a lot. Maybe that’s why he has so much energy and looks so young.

Ricardo had plans for me.

As a visiting trackchasing international dignitary (my words), Ricardo had plans for me. He wanted me to be involved in the Speed Channel broadcast as well as do an interview for Stop & Go magazine. Since it’s part of my trackchasing charter to make myself available to promote the hobby of trackchasing I was more than happy to oblige.

It wasn’t long before Ricardo had me standing in the middle of the car show with a microphone in my hand. He wanted me to handle the “intro” for the Speed Channel broadcast that would air later in the month. I can only imagine what the local people thought to have an American shouting in English (ala Suuuuunday!!!!!) about the upcoming race at Tocancipa. I was happy to do it and it only took me three takes to get what Ricardo wanted to be shouted.

Editor’s note: We have some sixty people or so who are “official” trackchasers. Each has seen more than two hundred tracks. Seven of those people have seen more than 1,000 tracks. Most of the trackchasers are small-town hard-working folks who go about their business in a low-key manner. There is certainly nothing wrong with that approach. However, I have chosen a different path. I don’t mind celebrating the trackchasing hobby with folks who have never been exposed to what trackchasers do. I know from experience that the “light turns on” for many people who have never heard of this hobby. When they think for a moment, and then smile, I know I have made a convert to the understanding of the trackchasing hobby. Often times people say it, or at least I can tell they are thinking that this must be pretty cool to travel all over the world chasing tracks and seeing all manner of interesting items. It is!

We finished up this portion of the day with some more on camera “Q&A”. They pretty much let me talk about the hobby from any point of view that I thought would interest the listener. I hope to get a DVD of the TV production. If I do, I will find a way to share it with my readers.

The People

The TC2000 folks I met were great.

One of Ricardo’s top assistants was Juan Alvarez. Juan and I spent several minutes together talking about Colombian racing and the sport in general. He was most incredulous about my hobby. Juan helped me complete my on-air interview with the Speed Channel TV crew. I was also able to meet Juan’s wife, Clarita.

Ricardo helped arrange my transportation plans from my hotel to the racetrack on Sunday morning. Juan and his wife would pick me up at the hotel. With that in mind, I invited them to join me for breakfast. I was thrilled when they accepted my invitation.

I spent a few hours interacting with and observing local Colombians on a casual Saturday afternoon and evening at the mall.

As mentioned the Gran Estacion shopping mall was an upscale collection of stores and eateries. After the car show, I found myself scouting out the mall. I found several things that were interesting to me.

First, the mall was very upscale and packed with shoppers on a late Saturday afternoon/early evening. There were more sports oriented (running shoes, etc) stores than I expected. They were also selling cars in the mall, including Chevies! I don’t see malls selling cars in the U.S.A.

I was surprised to walk past one small ice cream shop and see two security guards manning their posts. Seeing security guards was not in itself unusual. I saw security guards everywhere in Colombia just as I had in South Africa. However, one of the security guards in the ice cream store was holding a double-barreled shotgun at the opening of the store. I suspected that some V.I.P.s were in the store. When I came back ten minutes later the guards were gone! From what I have read about Colombia, after a recent political regime laid down the law and started putting police everywhere, crime has gone down. If that’s what it takes to work, that seems O.K. to me.

One of the applications from my Apple iPhone that I find particularly useful in “Truphone”.

I have long felt somewhat frustrated with the communication options when I travel abroad. It isn’t easy to simply “call home” when I travel out of the country. The time change is always a challenge. A trip to Europe creates a nine-hour time difference. This always narrows my “window of opportunity” to make a call.

The second challenge is having the hardware to get in touch. In the past I have rented phones while abroad or purchased “sim” cards that work in the country I am visiting. Once while in England having a phone saved me late at night when I was in need of a room and couldn’t find one.

With my Truphone “app”, whenever there is an internet connection available, I can call just about anywhere in the world for six cents per minute. While I was enjoying a delicious shrimp dinner at a restaurant in the mall I “called home”. I got answering machines with Carol, Kristy and J.J. However, I made contact with son Jim in Honolulu and my stepfather in Florida. The connections went through quickly and the voice quality was as clear as a bell.

Coming soon!

How do fellow P&G retirees really think?

I have some really big news that will break in my first Trackchaser Report after April 25, 2009. Despite frequent questions, I can’t tell you what this is about until the appointed date. I will say I am receiving some most unusual questions and comments on this topic.

Why I fear Ed Esser.

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser

Walking is easy, when the road is flat.

TRAVEL DETAILS

AIRPLANE

Orange County, CA – Atlanta, GA – 1,919 miles

Atlanta, GA – Bogota, Colombia – 2,100 miles

RENTAL CAR

No rental cars, I took taxis and the hotel’s private car everywhere I went in Colombia

World's #1 Ranked Trackchaser