Colombian taxi driver and canine co-pilot spread Christmas cheer
BOGOTA, Dec 27: People looking for a bit of Christmas merriment in the Colombian capital might find it in an unexpected place: the front seat of a taxi, in the form of a costumed canine co-pilot.
Taxi driver Nicolas Walteros and his beloved dog Colonel take passengers around the city together, dressed in matching green Santa tops and hats, aviator sunglasses and a fluffy fake beard resting on the pup’s blonde snout.
“We’re showing people a Christmas of hope where there’s not just material things but what’s in people’s hearts,” said Walteros, 52, as he and the pooch cruised around crowded, high-altitude Bogota two days before Christmas, their vehicle decked out in fake pine boughs. “That’s Christmas!”
Walteros found Colonel, a mutt with shaggy fur and floppy ears, on the street six years ago and the dog has been riding shotgun daily for three, usually dressed in a police costume. The pair start work at 4 am, attracting smiles and attention throughout their shift.
“It’s unusual, but this year has been unusual and getting into a cab with a dog dressed as Santa Claus is fun!,” said passenger Cesar Reina.
Walteros said there is no end to his love for the hound. “Colonel is a friend, a buddy. I can’t explain what I have in my heart for him,” Walteros said, his voice cracking. (Reuters)
Mysterious ‘Gingerbread Monolith’ appears in San Francisco park
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 27: It could have been alien elves. There was no other immediate explanation for a 7-foot-tall gingerbread monolith that mysteriously appeared in a San Francisco park.
It’s not clear how edible the structure was, but witnesses reported the texture and smell of the monolith panels seemed to be the real thing – and it was decorated with frosting.
The monolith appeared early Christmas Day on a hilltop in Corona Heights Park overlooking the Castro neighborhood.
Resident Ananda Sharma told KQED public radio that he went for a run in the park early Friday and spotted what he initially thought was a “big post” – but as he ran closer, he could smell the gingerbread.
The structure was the latest in a series of monoliths that have appeared – and disappeared – from Utah to Romania. The San Francisco version appears to be the first made of a Christmas treat. (Agencies)