Jericó: Joshua Fought the Battle January 2020

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho. The short story is Joshua of the Israelites won the battle of Jericho when he and his men surrounded Jericho and continuously blew their trumpets until the walls of Jericho came ¨tumbling down¨. This story comes to me via Sunday school and listening to Odetta, whose composition comes from spirituals African American slaves passed down through generations from the plantations to the black church of today. The African captives on plantations celebrated Jericho’s walls triumphantly tumbling down metephorically (and subversively) as their chains of captivity would eventually give way to freedom. 

I have a fondness for the idea of Jericho.

And so I know Jericó, Colombia is a long way from both Israel and American plantations, but I had to decide on whether to follow the paths better travelled to Cartagena or Santa Marta, or Nuquil, or Cali, and hearing of a little pueblo 3.5 hours to the south of Medellín called Jericó is all it took. This is how I will make travel decisions from now on. 

The journey from Medellín does not rate a mention except to say that by the third hour I was openly sneering at the driver while sucking my teeth every 20 meters as the microbus flung us passengers either into each other, or into the asiles and windows at every switchback. Microbuses are not designed for passengers over 5 feet tall, or crossing mountains. 

Jericó was worth the trip. Stunning little village nestled in the hills. I was the only non-Colombian as far as I could tell. I did meet an Italian woman, but her husband is Colombian, so she does not count.

And I got to ride a horse for 2 hours, which was a nod to Elizabeth Paranhos, my buddy in Boulder, Colorado. She has two horses of her own, which she took me out to meet on my last visit to Boulder. I am ashamed to say, but I was too terrified of the giant beasts to get very near to them. Horses are huge!

This time though, when I was introduced Martillo, which translates to ¨Hammer¨ (seriously?) I just focused on him being a slightly larger version of Norbert. Completely under my control . . .   neither Norbert nor Martillo are under my control, but we did have a good go of the day together.