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Colombia Travel Blogs

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 Living the Dream
February 5th 2007

Mountains, Paramilitaries, Cocaine and the ¨Lost City¨

South America » Colombia » Santa Marta » Ciudad Perdida

Village of 50 Indigenous People
This is a small village that we passed through on our way to the Lost City.

Hey Everyone, Greetings from Colombia! As you can see we are alive and well and definately taking advantage of the beauty and diversity that Colombia has to offer. Another blog is coming soon for the Colombian Coast, as this page is all about our trek to Ciudad Perdida or the ¨Lost City.¨ Located in the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Lost City is an ancient site that housed around 1500 inhabitants from an indigenous tribe that does not exist any more (built around 500 AD). The city is a marvel of engineering, built on a steep valley wall using thousands of [View Full Entry]

By tonyandkerensa
February 5th 2007

Ipiales, Colombia

South America » Colombia » Ipiales

Columbia Border Office

To get our Ecuadorian Visas that will allow us to stay in Ecuador for more than six months, you have to leave the country and file the paperwork in a consulate located in another country. (They prefer that we do this paperwork in the states before we come to Ecuador - The closest US consulate was in San Francisco.) The closest consulate to Quito is in Ipiales, in Southern Colombia. We had heard mixed remarks about the border crossing into Colombia, so were a little nervous. We rode a bus from Quito to Tulcan (in the very north of Ecuador) [View Full Entry]

By natsta
February 4th 2007

Taganga

South America » Colombia » Santa Marta

Taganga

What can I say other than Taganga turned out to be a disappointing experience for me. Taganga is only 15minutes away form Santa Marta and is the sort of place where people go for 2 days and end up being there for 2 months. The difference being that we only had 2 days and the main reason for my visit was to check out some of the infamous diving of the Caribbean. Unfortunately I became a victim to South American time (This is that there is no such thing as being on time or a schedule). After committing to diving a [View Full Entry]

By En Colombia sin tiquete de regreso
February 4th 2007

Colombia; Inside out

South America » Colombia » Barranquilla

Girls dressed in garabato costume

1. English first 2. Español abajo This is the way my girlfriend's country looks from the inside! This entry’s photos are mainly from the Carnaval de Antaño, a colourful prelude to the actual Barranquilla Carnival, which begins in just over two weeks. Although I am going to miss the Carnivals here this year, Rochy and I have tasted some of the colourful, chaotic experience. You can see this in the surrounding photos! Apart from that, here are some of my thoughts on life in Colombia… Muchachas Most middle-class families here have a &l [View Full Entry]

Rochy and I, on our way to the Carnaval de Antaño

La Reina del Carnaval (The Carnival Queen)

By natsta
January 29th 2007

Tayrona National Park

South America » Colombia » Santa Marta

National Park
The terrible threesome

Oh my life, what can I say other thanparadise. Under normal circumstances I would let the pictures do the talking but as per usual this was not an uneventful trip. [View Full Entry]

By pipincolombia
January 29th 2007

Fiesta in the mountains

South America » Colombia » Bogota

Up in the mountains
The view en route to the top was amazing. Unfortunately I was so busy trying to breathe I didnt see much of it!

On the 27th of January each year thousands of Bogotonians head to Ubaque for a gruelling four hour climb up the mountain and a not so gruelling party all the way down. The photos tell the rest of the story ... [View Full Entry]

By Katha
January 27th 2007

Home Sweet Home

South America » Colombia » Medellin

Schau mal an! Das ist Kolumbien

Ich glaube, ich schreib' euch in meinem ersten Eintrag wie mein kolumbianisches Zuhause aussieht, bevor ich mit meinen Abenteuererzaehlungen so richtig anfange. Schliesslich ist dieses Haus und dieser Stadtteil zo ziemlich der Ausgangspunkt meines Lebens hier. Ich lebe in einem Stadtteil, der ROBLEDO genannt wird. In der Urbanización NEBRASKA. Schoener Name, oder? Wenn ich euch einen Anhaltspunkt in der Stadt geben oder einem Taxifahrer eine ungefaehre Route beschreiben muesste, wuerde ich sagen, dass ich in der Naehe des "Institutes Ferrini" (lycée), der Urbanización "Cortijo", des [View Full Entry]

Medellin - Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera

Darf ich bitten??? Willkommen in meiner bescheidenen Behausung.

By natsta
January 27th 2007

Chilling in the Caribbean

South America » Colombia » Santa Marta

Santa Marta
Sitting chilling watching the sunset

Santa Marta is 6 hours around the coast from Cartagena and can not compete with its old city but is the gateway to paradise (Tayrona National Park). We had a brief stop over here but soon moved on to its neighbours. [View Full Entry]

By natsta
January 25th 2007

Playa Blanca

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

Playa Blanca
"Of course you want a Mango I give you a good price"

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 spent the whole day drinking beer, having a laugh and admiring the paradise that we had found. The only problem being that as with all Caribbean places there is someone that wants to sell you something. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't be too much of a problem other than the fact that I had my self a stalker. It didn't matter whether I was [View Full Entry]

By natsta
January 24th 2007

Cartagena

South America » Colombia » Cartagena

Cartagena

Due to the lack of time left in Columbia we (I found 5 bad influences along the way) decided to head to the Northern coast to spend our remaining time more wisely on the Caribbean. First stop Cartagena. Don’t let the pictures fool you as it’s not all perfect. The hostel we were staying in was deep in the ghetto with prostitutes and drug dealers (some of you might think I felt right at home then hahaha) but as with all holes there is beauty around the corner. The Old city holds some of the most enduring architecture of Spain that [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » South America » Colombia