I was up early and walked directly to the beach. One of the beach bars was closed and offered me perfect conditions, shade, a seat, a plug for the battery to recharge and a plug for the notebook to connect. The computer started but I could not open my archives, something was wrong. When I pressed any of the archive buttons the computer automatically switched off for a split of a second and did not open the archive, something was wrong. I am a very bad mechanic and I am a very bad technician; I restarted the computer and was hoping that the problem was only a temporarily problem. I was hoping for a miracle but the miracle did not happen. My stomach turned around immediately, I did not want to have a serious problem with my computer.

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I wanted to drive to Santa Marta right away to find professional help and walked to the bus stop next to the beach. I passed a cyber and asked the owner for a technician here in the village. He referred to Fran just around the corner and up the unpaved, stony and dusty road. After 100 meters I asked the mechanic in front of his house and he answered to continue up the unpaved, stony and dusty road. After 100 meters I asked a woman and she pointed to the house opposite. The door was open and I shouted for Fran.

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Fran showed up in the doorway and I explained my miserable situation and my concern about my computer. He had the time to have a look immediately and pulled an extension cord through the window to the terrace in front of his house and we connected my computer. He started his examination and after 15 minutes his diagnosis was that the computer had a virus, my antivirus program had expired. He was very optimistic that he could solve the problem and started to eliminate unnecessary programs from the computer. The work would need some time and so I left my computer with him, took the bus to Santa Marta to do a sightseeing tour, have lunch and come back.

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Fran had to pick up some parts for a repair on a speaker and we took the bus together. He got off first and I continued for 3 more stops to the promenade of Santa Marta. From here I walked straight to the extremely busy main street and to a snack bar that I had seen from the bus yesterday. I had a Colombian potato and an Avena drink. I was eating when suddenly a strange feeling overcame me. Fran wanted to format the computer and I remembered having lost a lot of my savings and archives when the office computer technician had done the same. I was worried too much that Fran might not backup all my savings and archives and I immediately took the next bus back to Taganga and back to his house. He had not arrived back and so I waited with his mother in law outside on the terrace.

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Half an hour later Fran arrived with 2 plastic bags and went straight to his neighbor to do a repair work but the neighbor was not there and Fran came back. I apologized to him; I did not want to upset him but explained my concern. Fran opened my computer, took out the memory card and connected it to his computer. I was hoping he had understood my concern and was doing the right thing and left him to do his work. I walked to the beach and watched the preparations of the village, the restaurants and the bars, the artist and the tourists for today’s sunset. I was tempted by the music and the sunset and had a picture taken of me.

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I walked back to Fran’s house; the computer was ready and working. Thank you. I asked if I could leave the backpack for the night. Thank you. I walked back to the beach to have a Colombia potato and a drink before I went to the football pitch of the village again to stay for the night.

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