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.
May 8th 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena For the many friends worried about us being kidnapped, donīt worry! We are not being held hostage! We landed Friday morning in Cartagena as planned, checked into our hotel in Bocagrande and got some ... 9 photos[full story]
May 2nd 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena Eens even kijken. Terwijl Joost zich ligt op te fokken omdat hij geen Youtube kan kijken (een echte junk) ga ik maar eens een update erop gooien. Het is iets van 30 graden buiten, maar ik ben natuurli ... [full story]
April 24th 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena CARTAGENA
Yvonne was still not feeling well, and the busride didnīt help. The airconditioning made us feel freezing cold again. We had sleep with our coats covering our heads.
We stayed in Casa ... 8 photos[full story]
March 25th 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena
And a bit left over for a bag of chips....
Under the cover of nightfall, me and me dear brain, reunited once again where I left him at the airport in Bogota made haste for Lima. There are times I ... 13 photos[full story]
April 1st 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena A noticeable change in topography occured not long after the border, as we moved into the outskirts of the Canaima national park area, before stopping at our spectacular campsite, Salto Kama, nestled ... 6 photos[full story]
April 9th 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena The last week or so of my time in South America was spent on the Caribbean coast of Colombia in Santa Marta, Taganga and Cartagena. I have included all three in a single blog as I got lazy towards the ... [full story]
April 6th 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena Having recently returned from a Caribbean cruise aboard the excellent ship Celebrity Constellation, I came to the conclusion that the Caribbean is actually rather short of interesting places to visit. ... 2 photos[full story]
January 25th 2007South America » Colombia » Cartagena Well we decide to put the syringes and dirty nappies behind us and head to a little paradise called Playa Blanca a short boat ride away. Now this is what I was expecting from the Caribbean.
We spen ... 7 photos[full story]
March 8th 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena Welcome to a hot hot hot and sultry Cartagena. We have now seen practically everything and depart tomorrow so as we have a complete day of leisure before hitting a 22hr bus journey I thought Iīd upda ... [full story]
March 6th 2008South America » Colombia » Cartagena Well needless to say itīs been an adventures few weeks. San Jose was a lot different than I remember it from 8 years ago. A lot more cosmopolitan. Did some good shopping and some good wandering. But ... [full story]
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