6 



friendly and patient with Clara v s Spanish* 



The hotel office gave us directions for finding the 

 National City Bank of New York, where we cashed travel- 

 ler^ checks at the rate of four dollars equals seven 

 pesos* The bank directed us to the United States Em- 

 bassy on Carrera Septima; it seemed a long way out on 

 that first afternoon, and very near later* At the con- 

 sulate we talked with Col. Strong, Mr. Lovell and Miss 

 James j at the Embassy with Mr. Donovan. 



Next we delivered our letter from DoHa Paulina Gomez 

 Vega to her sisters. We found Carrera Octava, No. 17-86, 

 a three story brick building on the corner of Calle 18. 

 The entrance was barred by a high metal grill, locked. 

 We rang, and after a long wait a little girl came and 

 told us las Senoritas Gomes Vega lived on the third floor. 

 * e climbed the high narrow spiral of the stone stairway, 

 and rang again. Another long wait. We presented our let- 

 ter and cards, were bowed to chairs near the door, and 

 began the longest wait of all. Then came Dona Silvia, 

 who spoke very slowly and patiently A that we could really 

 talk with her. She would be glad to make a place for us, 

 but it would take several days to do it. She would tele- 

 phone us at the hotel when she could set a day. 



Back to our room to rest before dinner. Telephone 

 from the desk announced a caller, and we went down to 

 make the acquaintance of Richard Schultes, a botanist 

 from Harvard. He was to leave early next morning for 

 seven months in the Putomayo region, working on poison- 

 ous and narcotic plants . fe sat in the high gloomy hotel 

 lounge, among the straight solemn black leather chairs 

 and impressive tall floor lamps that cast an incredibly 

 feeble light . 



Dinner in the dining room, ending with a white pedes- 

 tal bowl of Colombian fruits , mango, naseberry, finger 

 bananas, and sad little wizened green peaches . 



Feb. 6. We had planned to be at the Ofieina de Policlas 

 at eight-thirty, to ask Sr. Esguerra for a cedula. Fe 

 were a few minutes late and were told that he was out 

 and would not return until three in the afternoon. Walked 

 home through the Plaza de Bolivar, and looked around the 

 patio of the Palacio de Gobierno; much effort to get up 

 courage to ask name of statue from some hurrying male, 

 finally found it on rear of pedestal — Tomas de Mos- 

 quera. Walked all around Bolivar in center of plaza. 

 Stopped at bookstore and bought a copy of "Condesa de 

 Charny" . Back at room in time to take a phone call from 

 I urillo announcing his call . He came with Carlos Lehmann, 

 who speaks English perfectly. Lehmann is an ornitholo- 

 gist who specializes on hawks j he is a great grandson of 



