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Published: September 26th 2008
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I don’t need to start this blog claiming that Colombia is the new Peru or Costa Rica. An unexplored, undiscovered tourist mecca, with glorious mountains, beaches, rainforests and happening cities, blah, blah, blah. All of those things are true except for the unexplored and undiscovered parts. Colombia is already discovered and is very popular. The idea of it being a terrifyingly dangerous country with kidnappers, murderers and cocaine traffickers on every corner, is very outdated. The number of tourists here testifies to that fact. True, there are areas that you shouldn’t visit, but given the size of this country it would be difficult to end up there by mistake.
According to some book I read, Colombia is the size of France, Spain and Portugal combined. Being from Britain and now living in Costa Rica, to me, that is big. Bus rides between cities that look close on the map take twelve or more hours. A twelve hour bus ride in Britain or Costa Rica would take you to another country or make you extremely wet. Thus, the two weeks I had here really was insufficient time to see even a fraction of the country. I met a geezer who had
In the Crater of Volcan de Lodo El Totumo
The mud was strange. It was hot with the consistency of melted chocolate. We aren't stood on the bottom (its over 100m deep) but are just bobbing around. been travelling around Colombia for five months and he still had only covered a very small portion.
The type of travellers you meet in Colombia are an interesting set. It’s true that there are very few American’s here, indeed most of the travellers are European. Apparently because CNN or Fox News still portray Colombia in a similar light to Darfur. And, most of those European travellers are Brits. This would normally get on my nerves but seen as I work entirely with North Americans it was refreshing to have my jokes understood, be able to talk about football and have people who I had just met rip the piss out of me for no reason then buy me a beer.
It is also true that most of the tourists are male. This seems to be for two reasons; 1. Solo females are still a little wary of coming here.
2. Gentlemen are aware of the legendary beauty of Colombian ladies.
I’ll try to clarify the above reasons for any prospective visitors.
First, lasses you have nothing to worry about. True you will be ogled or whistled at on the streets but it is much the same
Botero Sculpture in Medellin
He liked his lasses big. And also his horses, cats, roman soldiers, in fact everything he cared to sculpt or paint. as any Latin American country.
Second, gentleman the rumours aren’t entirely true. I believe that on average the girls over in Costa Rica are prettier. However, every now and then on the streets of Colombia you will be bowled over and have to pick your tongue up off the pavement.
The rumours of Colombia being cosmetic surgery capital of the world might be correct. I would guess that over a third of the girls in one particular club we went to in Medellin (Mangoes - with the Salsa dancing midgets), had enhanced figures. Apparently in Medellin the cost is $500 per boob. I’m not sure why they are priced each. Perhaps you get one done as you save up enough money then start saving for the other.
Another rumour I would like to dispel is that the streets of Colombia are swimming with coke. Any areas that backpackers frequent will be patronised by shady characters offering wraps of the world famous white powder but it is not shoved down your nose. The quality and price will be most tempting but please remember one thing before dabbling. Since the very popular President Uribe came into power, his hard-line
Bogota
Big innit. tactics against the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) have seriously restricted their influence and threat to the general population. The often equally destructive anti-FARC paramilitaries, who some claim are supported, or at least, not discouraged by the Uribe government, have also become less active. There is, for the first time in forty years, some hope that the effective civil war will come to en end. The reason that the FARC and the paramilitaries can still function, despite the efforts of the government and the increasingly open resentment of the population, is that they are funded almost entirely by the black market sale of cocaine. Colombia supplies 90% of the world’s cocaine and the industry is worth anywhere from $3 to 6 billion annually. Any group with that kind of budget is going to be hard to erase.
My opinion of the white stuff changed after talking to people directly or indirectly affected by the troubles, such as a man in Medellin whose two sons had joined FARC and were later killed, or my Colombian friends in Costa Rica whose families had escaped the troubles in the eighties. I don’t wish to preach, though I think I do, frequently,
Cathedral and Main Square, Bogota
It didn't stop raining the whole time we were there. but please think about where your money is going next time you want to rack up some lines.
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Winged
Andres Duran
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You're killing me dude! I truly enjoyed your descriptive informative and hilarious blog. Thanks for informing peops about the detrimental effects that the cosumption of the stuff has on other people and for being considerate to others. I would also like to add that you are more likely to find drugs in areas that backpackers frequent because there are people that go there just to buy it, but while walking the streets you won't see it any more or less than anywhere in the world. People have to go to shady areas to buy it just like anywhere else.