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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 Muno
October 28th 2006

Mud Wrestling in Colombia

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

Villa de Leyva Square

The hits to our travelblog are already down by about 30% so point to self: make this blog short, sharp, witty beyond belief and only include one little white lie - well can´t promise all four, but here goes.. After a 10 hour boat ride up the Amazon we arrived in Leticia, the Columbian port town, which was still in the middle of the jungle. It had a carribean feel to it which was cool and we realised we were in the middle of nowhere when we wanted to pay a travel agent by credit card for our flights and I [View Full Entry]

By Jen and Mike
October 23rd 2006

We made it to Columbia

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

We sailed into Cartagena on at 2 am late Saturday night. It was quite the adventure getting here. We sailed on a 32 foot sailed boat named Good Karma. There was 4 of us on the boat, Mike and I, the Captain, which we refered to as "Captian Ron" and a hippie from Australia, Johnny Rasta. We left Portobelo at sunrise on Wednesday morning and got into the San Blas Islands at sundown that day. The San Blas Islands were beautiful and very remote. Most of the islands only have 1 or 2 families living on them. The water was crystal [View Full Entry]

By EL LUCHO
September 1st 2006

How many days 15 days have?

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

although i was born in this city i never had the chance to grow up there. nevertheless i never missed the chance to spend my vacations at the Heroic city. the last time i went there was about one or two months ago so i have pretty fresh memories. ok, so um.. where do i start? well the house where i stayed was pretty old, with a lot of colonial stuff, antiques. there my aunt lived with all her familly. since her son, Ernesto, or Nesty, is almost my age, i used to go hang out a lot with him and [View Full Entry]

By mars3
August 27th 2006

its getting hot in here...so take off all your clothes!!

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

local women walking on playa blanca (white beach)
this woman kept on hounding me to give me a massage....finally i gave in...for 6 dollars, u dont really need to convince me!

22nd august- 27th August Arriving in Cartagena from Medellin was like hitting a heat wave!!! it was sudden, sweat drenching humidity! After the coldness of Bolivia and Peru, this was a welcomed and yet unwelcomed change. No sooner would i have a shower,that i would step out and return to immediate sweat, feeling like i need another shower! i found myself sleeping for long periods because of the depressive heat, sleeping below the fan full blast (finally deciding to find an airconditioned room!), and drinking gallons of water that passed out through my sweat rather than through my kidney! [View Full Entry]

oldcolonialspanish buildings-the bell tower

By The Yak
July 12th 2006

Cartagena

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

An hours flight up the country and what a difference, hit by the heat as soon as we stepped off the plane...we´d gone from 16 in Bogota to 32 up here...Proper little paradise, palm trees everywhere..You know the score.... Had a hotel called Tres Banderas which is built in the old part of the city which is within a huge wall built in the 15th century to keep out all the English Pirates, but they let us in...GArrrrr! Hotel was amazing, outside our room was a waterfall with banana and orange trees...Gower was pleased about the banana trees as he could [View Full Entry]

By pink mona
July 1st 2006

5 DAYS IN CARTAGENA

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

San Pedro Museum
on the roof

Visiting Cartagena turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life...the city is absolutely amazing...there are so many things to see and so many things to do..I took things slowly and started with the city center, visiting San Pedro Memorial House which is nowadays a Museum, next to the Church and it has a really nice but sad history. It looks like San Pedro, of Spanish origin got to Colombia where he started dedicating his life to the abolition of slavery, and if not total abolition, at least taking care of the slaves in the best way he [View Full Entry]

By pink mona
June 27th 2006

feel like doing something...

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

muddy roads
unfortunately you often see this in Colombia, though must admit not in the big cities.

terribly bored of santa marta...really fed up...for Godºs sake...choosing to spend one year of my life here?? I mean it is beautiful , with Tyrona Park, El Rodadero especially in high season, but one year! come on! so after drifting, thinking and changing my mind thousands of times, I took the plunge: I will stay in Colombia, with all the ups and downs, disappointments and everything, I will give Colombia one more chance, but!! living in another city. In the meantime, a bit of travelling canºt hurt anybody...so off I goooo...on Monday, that was yesterday , I just woke up and [View Full Entry]

By Hayley
June 26th 2006

The day we left South America

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

Cartagena

We spent our last day in Cartagena in Colombia, it is a beautiful city... very colonial Spanish. We arrived on the bus from Santa Marta and got chatting to a local women who was visiting her family.. and she invited us to stay with her family!! This is a real reflection on how friendly the Colombians are. So we stayed in her sons apartment, right in the centre of the city... it was great. We took a horse and cart around the city, being proper tourists. Then we went out for a celebration meal, with wine and everything. We also spent [View Full Entry]

By KB
June 25th 2006

Last stage.....

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

Hi there to u all out there. Well, a month has gone by so fast, that is the time I have been back in Europe so thought it time to finish off the South American journal before beginning the Europe Beach one. I finished the last segment in Ecuador after returning from the Galapagos Islands and after there Diana and I travelled north thru Colombia and took heed of everyones advise and tried to keep out of harms way. However, now we are safe here in Europe I have to report that we had our one really scarey moment of the [View Full Entry]

By Tommy No Papers
May 12th 2006

A Final Encounter with Colombia

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

Tommy No Papers
Chilling in Colombia

I couldn't resist adding one last note. On my last night I met this awesome Colombiana and wound up spending my entire last day with her. It could possibly have been my favorite day of the trip. Who am I again? After the two of us finally parted ways, around 5pm, I set out one last time down the main aveneida in Bocagrande to take it all in and grab some dinner. Once again, the colors and sounds rushed past me. But no more were they the senses of the unknown. I had become part of the scene. I felt at [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » South America » Colombia » Cartagena