Lois on the Loose by Lois Pryce

Author:Lois Pryce
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781409065562
Publisher: Random House

ELEVEN

I WAS GAZING at a floor-to-ceiling map of the Americas in the air-conditioned bliss of a travel agency as I waited to book my flight to Ecuador. The familiar landmass felt like my second home, its shape forever burned into my brain. I craned my neck, squinting north to Alaska, remembering the freezing blizzards and black bears; they seemed to belong to another lifetime. Back at eye level were the altogether sultrier Panama City and my imminent destination, Quito, the capital of Ecuador. But there was a glaring gap between these two cities in the form of a huge slab of South American soil, the most dangerous country in the world by all accounts. Colombia.

Locals and travellers alike had warned me off visiting Colombia for all the usual reasons, and even in the last week a group of backpackers had been kidnapped there, making headline news around the globe. But as I stood in the office with the whole of the continent laid before me, I bitterly regretted my lily-livered decision to avoid the kidnap capital of the world. My bike was already Ecuador bound, but there was no reason why I couldn’t take in a whirlwind tour of Colombia on my way. After all, when would I be in this neck of the woods again?

‘Next,’ called the woman behind the desk.

She was dressed like an air stewardess, despite being shackled to a landlocked job, but they do love their uniforms in this part of the world. I took a seat in front of her. This was it, decision time.

‘I’d like a one-way ticket to, er … Quito please …’

‘When are you flying?’

‘Tomorrow …’

She tapped away on her keyboard.

‘… um … would it be possible to make a couple of stopovers in Cartagena and Bogota?’

‘No problem, señorita.’

Done. I was on my way to Colombia.

Dusk was falling as I walked back through the steaming streets; the rainy season’s regular afternoon downpour had ended as abruptly as it had started, and Panama City sizzled like a sauna in its aftermath. I was excited about my spontaneous change of itinerary. How bad could it be? I reasoned. After all, if I’d listened to every warning, I’d never have left home. Remember, the doom merchants are everywhere and they must be ignored. And looking on the bright side: a kidnapping would save on hotel bills, and as for the torture and mock executions I’d heard about … well, there are people in London who pay good money for such services.

I was feeling quite chipper due to my impending adventure. Realising that this was my last day in Panama City, I took an explorative route back across town, wandering first through the busy shopping streets and then into a quiet residential district. It was here, tucked between two unassuming houses, that I spied a ramshackle little shop, its grubby windows promising a treasure trove of scratched records, yellowing books and other intriguing goodies, including an ancient piano accordion inlaid with shimmering mother-of-pearl. A hand-written sign

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