Hasta Luego Colombia...Parting Thoughts

  Bogota, Colombia
Thursday, March 22, 2007

Lasting Images of Colombia:

- No seats on toilets anywhere, and even though you pay to use the facilities, there will hardly ever be any toilet paper or soap for your use.

- Showers without a shower head, so the water pours down like a hose, flattening your hair and hurting your genitals. Reminded us of that Seinfeld episode where Kramer had switched to a low-flow shower head and lost control of his hair.

- Bread sucks, you canīt get a descent hamburger anywhere, as the bread is so enriched with sugar and starch that it tastes like fruitcake. Finding integral (whole wheat) bread in a supermarket once in a while was music to our bowels. Every single Colombian will rely on a bottle of Pony Malta (a disgusting carbonated malt beverage) and a small loaf of white bread for midday sustenance.

- Coffee can become addictive. For a couple of Indo-Canadian steadfast chai drinkers to start ordering Tintos (strong and black) on a regular basis means something.

- McDonalds menu items - Quatro de Libra (1/4 pounder), McQueso (grilled cheese for $3.50 USD - expensive), McNifica, Pechuga Crispy (McChicken), & McPollo Deluxe.  Oh yeah, and the drive-thru is actually called the "Auto-Mac" in these parts.

- Locals eating "pollo frito" (fried chicken) with plastic gloves on their hands.

- Simon Bolivar, the beloved Liberator, sits in various poses in the central squares of almost every single Colombian settlement. In one town, he's even featured completely naked in an artistic pose. Parque de Bolivar was always on our agenda no matter where we were, as it would give us an opportunity to rest our feet, people watch, and soak up the atmosphere.

- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the nationīs most famous author, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, is coined as being responsible for introducing the global public to magical realism. One of our favorite books, One Hundred Years of Solitude is written by him, and when we moved through the region near his hometown near Tayrona Park, we enjoyed trying to picture his written descriptions against the visual realities we were witnessing. Although we never spotted any children with tails of pigs, or women eating the earth, we could definitely imagine the large shipwreck in the middle of a mountainous jungle.

AND FINALLY, we truly can say the Colombians are quite honestly and simply a compassionate, hospitable, warm and amazingly friendly bunch. They have an inherent sense of passion and spirit towards their country, and are instantaneously ready to become your close personal friend. All cliches aside, they are by far one of the most friendliest populations we've encountered in all our travels. And purely for subjective comparison, in our eyes, they rank right up there with the Sudanese, the Arabs, and the Brazilians in terms of that #1 attribute tourists care about...friendliness. Interestingly enough, most travelers who we've met that have been to neighboring Venezuela, have the exact opposite feelings towards Venezuelans, where a tourist seems to be thought of as an inconvenient germ passing through their country. The consensus seems to be that Colombia is the personal favorite country for many travellers who've toured all of South America.

However, it's a sad truth that the cocaine industry, violent crime, rebels and kidnappings have marred Colombia's innocence, where drug cartels, paramilitaries, and guerrilla terrorism are foremost in the media eye. But beyond the headlines is a thriving country with an excellent health care system, some of the best universities in South America, a burgeoning tourism industry due to its geographical, cultural, and historical wealth, and most importantly an improved level of security.

In fact, US intervention has assisted the government with providing resources to combat security issues. As a result, it is without a doubt, evident that the Colombian government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country in its municipalities and highways, which seems to be effectively stifling the potential for violence. In fact, insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since about 2002.  Last year, more than 32,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized, turning their weapons in.

As well, Colombia's economy has experienced positive growth over the past three years despite the armed conflicts of the past 40 years. The economy continues to improve in part because of government budgets, focused efforts to reduce public debt levels, an export-oriented growth strategy, the improved security situation in the country, the signing of a free trade agreement with the US have all induced a growing sense of confidence in the economy.

However, it would be ignorant to say that Colombia doesn't face its own challenges such as dealing with poverty, corruption, residual insurgent rebels, and the negative issues facing the cocaine industry. But, despite these cold truths, Colombia is turning around and shattering the expectations of visitors who often are left to wonder how so many troubles can plague a country that appears so normal. Indeed, its turbulent past seems to be separating itself from its promising future. A future where its families can travel safely through their land and enjoy the fruits of its remarkable Andean landscapes, tranquil coastal waters, peaceful colonial towns, diversity of races and cultures, and treasures from its own indigenous heritage. We know it certainly exceeded our expectations and can anticipate that the land of El Dorado, Lost Cities, ancient tombs, Catholicism, cafe, Juan Valdez, flowers, emeralds, gold, pirates, Spanish destruction, Native struggle, Marquez, Botero, Bolivar, Escobar, Shakira, boob jobs, motorbike trains, mud volcanoes, thermal hot springs and lonely beaches, will without a doubt end up as becoming the highlight of our journey through South America.

Hasta luego Colombia...Mucha suerte!





NOTES FOR THE TRAVELLER:
- Go to Colombia!