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Published: February 14th 2022
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Poet, novelist, and travel writer William Graham lives in Stowe, Vermont. He newest work of fiction is called
Darkness in Paradise: Colombian Tales of Mystery & Horror, which is part of his
South American Novels, inspired by the people, history, and culture of the region.
Colombia has had a poor reputation for many years, fueled by media coverage of the drug cartel wars that featured kingpin Pablo Escobar and the decades-long guerrilla war. For many people, what they know about Colombia derived from watching the Netflix series
Narcos.
But Escobar was killed in 1993. A peace accord between the government and the largest guerrilla army was signed in 2016. That is not to say that Colombia is now a peaceful tropical utopia, but the country is much more than its dark past. It is one of Latin America’s leading centers for finance, high tech, and media production. Even Disney has discovered Colombia’s magical allure through its hit animated musical
Encanto, with songs written by
Hamilton composer Lin-Mañuel Miranda.
Colombia is a beautiful and diverse country where you can walk on sparkling Caribbean beaches. strap on crampons and trek on an Andean glacier, and venture deep into the Amazon jungle. It is a vibrant, multi-colored country that
I visited for the first time in February 2022. Take a few minutes and let me tell you about what I saw during my sojourn there.
Medellín Once the epicenter of the drug wars, Medellín is now a vibrant, modern city with a sparkling metro system and numerous upscale neighborhoods where more and more expats are moving to enjoy the “City of Eternal Spring.” Even though the city looks to the future, it cannot forget its dark past. I visited a solemn memorial to the estimated 35,000 police, journalists, government officials, and innocent civilian victims that Pablo Escobar’s army of 3,000 hitmen killed in the 1980s and 1990s. The polished granite stone in the upscale El Poblado neighborhood has thousands of small holes in it representing the dead. On a more positive and joyous note, I also visited the once infamous Commune 13, territory that was fought over for decades between the cartels and the guerrillas. Set in the hills of Medellín, the district is now alive with music and murals. Locals and tourists flock there to eat, dance, and enjoy the views. It has been a remarkable transformation born of a desire among the citizens
to take back their city and their lives.
Medellín also features a beautiful botanical park, lush with tropical trees and flowers. When I was there on a Sunday afternoon, thousands of people strolled through the paths and sampled local food while artisans displayed their wares. The garden and Commune 13 represent the new Medellín: spirited, youthful, and colorful. It’s a city now of life, not of death and fear.
When you are in Colombia, you need to visit a coffee plantation. I visited Finca La Manchuria, about a four-hour drive from Medellín deep in the stunning highlands. Hugging the steep slopes, workers pick the coffee cherries (that’s what they are called before being processed into beans) by hand. Women do most of the picking because their hands are nimbler. It’s hard, backbreaking work. Everyone who drinks coffee should appreciate the labor that goes on in the shadows to produce that flavorful cup.
Villa Maria Tayrona From Medellín, I flew about an hour north to the Caribbean city of Santa Marta, from where I was transported to a magical place called Villa Maria Tayrona, a resort located in the coastal jungle. The resort features individual
cabanas, most of which have sea views. That was my base for exploring the jungle with a local guide. We took a boat up the Don Diego River to an historical site called Taironaka, or the so-called “Lost City.” The indigenous village dating back to 750 A.D. was only unearthed in 1975 when the land was purchased by a man intending a build a new house. He decided to preserve the area and turn it into a cultural heritage site. The original inhabitants had fled deeper into the mountain jungle when the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s. But the indigenous culture survives even in modern Colombia. While I was there, it just so happened that the spiritual leader of one of the tribes had trekked a day on foot with his wife to spend some time in Taironaka. Barefoot, with long flowing black hair, and wearing a traditional white robe, the leader explained that the tribe lives simply deep in the forest, limiting its interaction with the outside world to preserve its language and traditions. His is one of an estimated 87 indigenous cultures that are in Colombia, from the Caribbean in the north to the Amazon in the
south. Most try to preserve their traditions while navigating dangers posed by the narco-traffickers and smaller guerrilla groups that still plague the country.
Cartagena A five-hour drive down the coast from Santa Marta is the pulsating town of Cartagena, which is like its own unique nation within Colombia. Salsa music fills the air while bikini-clad beauties party on the beach. (Not that I noticed, of course.) But there are really two Cartagenas. There is the city of towering white condos and hotels. And there is the Old Town of narrow streets and colorful buildings and wonderful history. I much preferred the older area. There, I learned an interesting piece of American history while touring the San Felipe fortress. In 1741, a British naval officer named Edward Vernon recruited Lawrence Washington (the older half-brother of George Washington, first president of the United States) to join him on an expedition to pillage the Spanish of its treasures of gold, silver, and emeralds in Cartagena. Vernon assembled a large armada of ships that sailed to Cartagena to begin a siege of what we now call the Old Town. Outnumbered ten to one, the Spanish soldiers held fast in the
San Felipe fortress, eventually repelling Vernon’s assault. Defeated in his pursuit of gold and glory, Lawrence Washington returned to Virginia, where he renamed his plantation Mount Vernon, in honor of the man under whom he had served. I like to think of myself as someone who knows a lot of American history. But I never heard of this ill-fated episode. I think my Cartagenian guide summed it up best when he said: “Everyone remembers George Washington because he was a winner. No one remembers Lawrence because he was a loser.”
On my final day in Cartagena, I was part of an armada of sorts myself. On a private speed boat (the good ship
Beer Run), I traveled with literally hundreds of other boats to the Rosario Islands, an archipelago of about 30 islands 60 miles in the Caribbean from Cartagena. On the islands, you can swim, snorkel, takes walks, or just hang out on the beaches and party. The area is spectacularly beautiful. It was a fitting end to my Colombian sojourn. Discard any prior prejudices you might have about Colombia. It’s a wonderful country.
Colombia and Covid Colombia is among the most vaccinated countries
in the world. In the major cities, the vaccination rate tops 90%. Colombia currently welcomes fully-vaccinated tourists. (A negative PCR test is required if you are not vaccinated.) One day before my return to the United States, I took a Covid test at the Hyatt Regency where I stayed in Cartagena. I received results in two hours. But if your hotel does not offer tests, there are many clinics in the modern part of the city where you can be tested.
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Robin
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Thorough
Your blogs consistently bring a new knowledge and appreciation level to me where you have visited. Thank you Bill