In the city of Santa Marta, on Colombia's Carribean coast, you can find all of the modern conveniences that we in the Western world have come to expect: bars, restaurants, shopping malls, cinemas, etc. Add to this the Carribean sea, some lovely old colonial architechture, churches, and paradisiacal beaches and lost ruins all within the nearby vicinity, and you have yourself a pretty decent backpacker destination. But if you look beyond the sun-kissed plazas and the tourist track, you will see that the city of Santa Marta has economic poverty as well as geographical riches within its vicinity. If you venture beyond the city centre and go to a district of the city misleadingly named "Oasis" then you will find the perfect example of the poverty and deprivation that plagues many of Santa Marta's residents. Past
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