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Background: Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to overthrow the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries has grown to several thousand strong in recent years, challenging the insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade, and also the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas. While Bogota steps up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders.

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By Bosko
March 4th 2007

Lago Calima

South America » Colombia » Cali

Way to lago Calima
A lot of colombians enjoy it that way...

Hola amigos y amigas! Today we went to a trip we were planing to go for a long time, from a last time... go to the lake which supposed to be beautiful. So, we wake in a cloudy day, opposite of days during last week, but we anyway went... we got on we our friend from company, mauricio, which also organized all thing, talk to the driver, chosse recreation ground,... We drove rof about 2 hours in one direction, about 120 km from Cali, up to the hills, the way drivers drove, i guess you can experience that only in south [View Full Entry]

By Bosko
February 25th 2007

Los tres cruses

South America » Colombia » Cali

Cali
On the way to top

Well, hello again! Today starts as normal day - of course a day after saturday...:). Breakefast was fine. Then me and Bojan decide to go to a hill behind the Cali. On top there are three crosses, and its looked small... but as always, no soup it's eaten so hot as it was cooked. Se, we start from bottom, the only way always, around 9.30. And it was already bloody hot. First we were searching where to go, but whene we got there, to the road to top we knewed that that is the right road. We were suprised that so [View Full Entry]

By Bosko
February 22nd 2007

Back to Colombia

South America » Colombia » Cali

Our hotel
Four point Sheraton - for 100 US

Well! After few months I am back to Cali, Colombia. After a long trip from Europe - Ljubljana we arrived to final destination for next 35 days - at least so long. The plane here was quite good - Air France is better then Lufthansa, you get more drinks.... Well, 26 hours on planes and airports you're littlle tired, but not for few more drinks, of course we (me and 4 other guys) have to said hello to hotel staff..., we also meet another friend wainting us at the hotel. We went next day working (e.g. Saturday), finished a litlle earlier [View Full Entry]

By natsta
January 17th 2007

Home from home

South America » Colombia » Cali

Cali was what I would say the first experience I’d had in a long time of feeling that I could be at home. The third biggest city in Columbia not only had white, brown, black people with blue, green and even yellow eyes but seemed to not have a stereotypical type of person. Then to top it off the shopping malls had supermarkets like Asda, Diesel, Dunkin donughts and many other shops you would find in any good English city. Well I only intending spending a week here but I soon became too comfortable (not sure how as it was by [View Full Entry]

By mrandmrssimmonds
October 3rd 2006

Day 93 - Our last bus journey in the Northern Hemisphere

South America » Colombia » Cali

Child sized seats.

Up early to get to the bus station in good time. We'd done our homework and checked out the various bus companies' windows around the edge of the terminal building, and we'd picked a bus for our trip to Ipiales, a small town on the Colombia / Ecuador border. They weren't selling advance tickets though, so that's why we got there early. Anyway, when we got there it turned out that the bus we wanted mysteriously didn't exist. Either the bus company's staff don't really know what they're talking about, or our Spanish remains vulnerable to misunderstandings; we're going for [View Full Entry]

By mrandmrssimmonds
October 2nd 2006

Day 92 - 24 hours too long in Cali

South America » Colombia » Cali

Our ever-so-hectic schedule gave us a single day to explore Cali. This city, Colombia's 3rd largest, is famous for 2 things: the home of the infamous Cali drug cartel (although many syndicate leaders were jailed in 1995); and where Isabel spent her 3rd year of university. Cali is in Southern Colombia and we had picked it mostly because of this fact. In other words we didn't fancy spending much time in this semi-lawless state. Maybe a little cowardly but there you go. So, our conclusion from our (limited) look around is that it is a quite unremarkable place. In fact it [View Full Entry]

By mars3
August 7th 2006

hot sexy SALSA

South America » Colombia » Cali

me tarzan in jungle pool!

4th August- 7th August CALI...possibly the world´s capital of salsa!!! as soon as i step off the bus i feel the humidity of the place...a warmth that ive been longing throughout my cold adventures through Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador! We stayed at hostel Iguana- run by a friendly swiss guy who fell in love with a Columbian woman and decided to spend the rest of his life in this tropical wonderland! rumoured to have the best looking women in Columbia, it was not surprising to find our hostel filled with guys! The city itself was nothing special. sightseeing was completed in [View Full Entry]

By lasobrevivencia
June 11th 2006

Yeeh Shakira country!

South America » Colombia » Cali

RECOVERED

Yeeh so now im in the fabulous world of shakira and i swear her country bloody love her thats all they friggin play ha ha but I love her so i dont mind! Well ive been ok at the moment about the saftey issues of columbia but I can definetly feel the diffrence in the people, its just beacuse of the way they have been brought up to defend themselves so theres lots of tension all the time in bars and things and if one little thing is wrong people kick up a fuss! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh I met a boy yesterday who [View Full Entry]

By Paul
May 21st 2006

A Night With Drug Lords

South America » Colombia » Cali

Fences strong enough to keep out the Guerillas

The first inkling that it was going to be an interesting night was when I met Pablo at the entrance to the party and we started chatting and I told him I was from the US. “Oh, really?” he said. “I spent 3 years in the US.” “What part?” I asked. “Florida” he replied simply. “Right on, what did you do while you were there?” “I sat in jail. Apparently the states don’t like it when you bring 5 kilos of heroin into the country.” It was at this juncture that I realized the invitation-only party I was about to wa [View Full Entry]

By Tommy No Papers
May 7th 2006

Lazy Cali Weekend

South America » Colombia » Cali

Discoteca de Cali
There is nothing much to do during the day, but during the night this place comes alive with Salsa beats.

I would have to say that this has been the lazy portion of my trip. I have spent all weekend here and done absolutely nothing. That it is because there really is nothing to do around here during the day. I lie around watching TV, listening to music, and taking naps. Luckily this is a great hostel for that. With cool tropical breezes and an open air lounge that makes you feel like you’re on a veranda in amongst the rainforest. My only activity during the day is going to the main area to find some food to eat. The [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » South America » Colombia » Cali