I am fascinated with Colombia and am always studying more about it; not just the pedestrian perspective but the expanded scope of its history and peoples.  It is almost impossible to focus on Colombia outside the grander context of South American history including Simon Bolivar and Grand Colombia but this is a start.  The only way to truly know Colombia is to go there.  For first timers, it is a pleasant assault on all the senses.  For returning gringos, it feels like a long time coming.   Of course, I am not alone in this endeavour as many gringos have visited; some still living there so I will relay an abbreviation of my experiences there. 

For many, there are questions about safety and security; for others, questions about marriage, visas and living there and still others want to know about customs, foods, tourism and so on.  For those reasons, the rest of this site should be useful.

Many people have done a great job capturing their experiences and posting their stories and photos wisdom and I have linked to them in the "personal websites" section for you to enjoy.  They have put in a lot of time and effort documenting for others and I applaud their efforts as I enjoy browsing their sites.  With that credit due, here are my own thoughts about Colombia as I have experienced it.

First things first, enough about drugs and war.  I know they exist but I didn't travel there nor did I create this site to focus on those issues.  Colombians already get a bad rep by being stereotyped as third-world or drug smugglers as these are the snippets we're constantly being fed by the news sources, never the full picture.  Jajaja (prounounced "ha ha ha")

Actually drug use in Colombia is considered seriously distasteful that only the lowest form of society partake.  Colombians believe the drug "problem" is an American creation due to its demand market force although profits from cocaine sales during the 1980s led to a spike in violence in Colombia due to the emergence of powerful drug cartels.  Unfortunately, the precept of Colombia and drugs has been galvanized into American thinking.

Still, Colombia's relationship with the United States remains strong.  On a personal level, I've never been accosted for the popular differences between our nations, only welcomed because nationalistic pride never surpasses personal, one-on-one warmth extended by individuals.  Even speaking Spanish as badly as I did in Colombia only created more connection with those I spoke to.  They were unendingly patient and willing to help me, even happy to do so.  I wonder how much patience an American would have if it were reversed.

There are metropolises and there are untouched, primitive areas of the Amazon.  Even with cities such as Bogotá or Cartagena, you can see colonial Spanish structures amidst modern city centers.  The changing of the guard at the presidential palace is a colorful and well executed vestige of Spanish colonialism.  It is a ceremony performed every day and well worth seeing.

Colombians are very proud and patriotic, not only of their country but for each of their cities.  Each city's inhabitants can spout why their city is better than the other but it is all in jest.  Personally, I have never been treated other than kindly and welcome by everyone I have met.  I think this is due to the strong familial culture of the Colombians. 

There is a very obvious stratification of classes with members of each class ensuring all know their status but I have witnessed extreme professionalism and politeness from all I have come in contact with. 

Of course, once there, it was hard for me to concentrate on the attractions because besides its little known oil, emerald and flower exports, Colombia is the top producer of the world's most beautiful women, an epiphany not wasted on foreign men, myself included. 

The  Cachacas (Bogotá), Paisas (Medellín), Caleñas (Cali), Costeñas (Barranquilla) and so on; take your pick, they're everywhere and unless you have a strong heart, I wouldn't go, you'll never want to return to the U.S.  Luckily, I've prepared a quick test you can take right now to see if you are qualified to visit Colombia.  If you pass, buy your ticket, you're ready to go.  Whether you want to come back is a different matter altogether.

Speaking of Colombian delicacies, it was so nice to get away from the usual and  eat something different, food that is.  I was immediately drawn to mornings of steaming hot cappuccino, a couple almohabanas and a tamal. 

The tamal is a corn meal (although someone strongly disagrees with me still) with pieces of corn, pork and (?) boiled in a banana leaf.  Since the main meal is lunch in Colombia, this breakfast was a good filler. I had never had so many fancy choices of drinks either; every kind of tropical fruit could be made into a drink although mandarina seems the most popular.  I didn't know this before but when I order espresso or a cappuccino, I have to specify non-alcoholic or they'll automatically add Brandy. 

My own personal lunch favorites are Pargo rojo (red snapper) or pescado parilla (fried fish) con arroz de coco (that's cocoanut, not cocaine), sopa mondongo (a tripe soup from Medellin) and the very potent salsas with aji.  Of course, when pizza was in order, there was nothing better than Archies!  Here's where much of my food budget went.  The rest of my money went to Crepes y Waffles because I became addicted to the calamara con curry.  I also had a lot of ceviche and Aguila in nearby Chia which is more like a seafood cocktail given that the seafood comes in cocktail sauce.  I am more used to the Ecuadorian version with lime and red onions sans sauce but both are good.  Inexplicably, arroz con pollo is eaten  with ketchup.  Hmm, not a big fan of that version.

In Colombia, climate is determined by elevation from sea level.  Since Bogotá is 7,800 feet high in the mountains, or as the Bogotanos call it: "2,600 metros mas cerca de las estrellas" (2,600 meters closer to the stars), it is cold at night and rainy in the afternoons.  This doesn't hamper the nightlife however, as Thursday seems to be a popular night to go out.  Before my first visit to la Zona Rosa, I figured it to be a seedy, red-light district of town but I was completely wrong.  It is a very beautiful area replete with more clubs per block than I've ever seen;  music thumping loudly and doormen trying to lure you in.  It is also where you'll find two malls and the Hard Rock cafe within a minute of each other.  I know it's terribly touristy but I was surprised to see a Hard Rock there. 

A few blocks away is another party and shopping district, the Parque de la 93.  Technically it's a small park on 93rd street but the park is flanked by even more clubs and restaurants.  This was the more affluent and older crowd compared with Zona Rosa and a common tourist hang out as well.  I went to the Mc Donald's there one busy afternoon and it was nicer that the ones in the States; the place was immaculately clean.  They even served espresso.

I visited the Salitre park, a local attraction with a giant, indoor pool (no I didn't swim...too much pee pee) and carnival attractions.  One hell of a good pilot landed an AVIANCA 757 there and I guess they couldn't figure out how to remove it so they made an attraction out of it too...no cute flight attendants though dammit.  The park has some good roller coasters, haunted house and a very cool Ferris wheel high enough to snap some great photos of downtown.  I got a little tired from being there all day but luckily I found this espresso stand...colorful but very strange.

Driving in Bogotá, and Colombia for that matter, is the driving school of hard knocks.  Unless you've driven in Tampa or Seattle, this will surprise even the combat hardened.  I had to forget everything I learned such as right of way, green means go and so on.  Sometimes, red means go too.  Whoever's bigger, such as a bus, has the right of way. 

The first time I stopped at a red light, someone handed me a free map of Bogotá through the window.  Cool, I thought, but within seconds of the light turning green, the guy came back to collect some pesos for it.  Actually, at almost every red light in Bogotá, I could have my windows cleaned, buy phone cards, fruits and cigarettes and so on.  The street performers are some of the best; everything from Charlie Chaplin to fire-baton twirlers.  And just when I though I figured it all out checking for buses and motorcycles, I quickly learned not every manhole cover was present.  I've had to swerve around Spokane's legendary potholes but fall into a manhole and count on expensive suspension repairs.  I either drove slowly and carefully around them but on the autopista, I just cruised around 70 m.p.h. and just flew over them...took some getting used to.  Also, Colombia is the only place where you can regularly pass two machine-gun toting cops on a motorcycle and they don't seem to mind.

Renting a car in Bogotá was insane.  I paid extra for insurance but as is the rule there, it would only pay for 60 percent of any damage and they'll make you leave them a blank check or credit card to cover the balance in case you damage the car...a likely event there.  There is no full coverage.  Just like in Mexico, I had to buy insurance in order to drive there.  Luckily, I didn't hit anything and someone stole only my hubcaps and not the radio.

Taxis made the most sense.  I even hired one for the day for $25 which won't get you a ride to the airport in the states.  For quick hops, I also took the bus because I was blowing too much money on cabs.  There was no better way to observe people, overhear conversations and get to know the streets other than taking a bus.

San Andrecito refers to two shopping areas in Bogotá best described as flea markets.  One is off the autopista on the way to Chia but is comparatively small compared to the one south of downtown Bogotá.  This main one is several blocks long containing a few thousand shops dedicated to selling mostly counterfeit products.  Outside, you can find food vendors selling empanadas and pork and rice...cooked in the pig's carcass.   Not since Panama have I seen such a robust frenzy of business and people.  It is not the prettiest part of town by far, in fact it is quite rundown but if you're looking for DVDs of movies that are still showing in theaters or a cloned cell phone or Levis, Nikes, Microsoft software and so on, this is your Mecca.

I went searching for "Maria Full of Grace" because I missed seeing it in a theater in New York a month earlier but in San Andrecito, one young man ran all over the place and came back with my copy...err "backup."  He was like my personal shopper displaying several sheets of movie titles he could obtain for me.  Finally, I just sat back at an espresso stand and just gave him a list of movies I wanted and negotiated a price of 5,000 pesos each and off he went.  I ended up buying 24.  In the meantime, another guy approached with an armload of popular watches such as Tag, Omega and of course, Rolex.  Well, I had always wanted to have my own genuine fake Rolex and this copy was so good, I couldn't tell the difference.  It even had the sweeping Rolex motion and the holographic seal of authenticity on the back.  No wonder the Secret Service is worried of Colombian counterfeiters...  Like duty-free Panama however, there are many genuine products such as liquors and perfumes that can be had at a fraction of the price found in the U.S. or even the duty-free section at El Dorado airport. 

While I was there, the police, clad in riot gear, helmets, shields and accompanied by an armored personnel carrier were preparing to do a anti-counterfeiting sweep of the entire strip but so the shop owners all closed their doors and waited until the sweep was over...a rather surrealistic and humorous scene to watch.  Even with the shops closed and the lights off, the shopkeepers continued to solicit sales in person by just approaching and asking what I was looking for. 

Once again, I managed to get two more movies delivered to me on the corner despite the 'crackdown.'   The funniest part I remember is that around another corner were about 20 police on lunch break and buying the same things from street vendors they were sent to stop in the first place.  When the sweep was over a couple hours later, all the shops reopened as if nothing had happened to begin with.  You have to love the spirit of the whole thing.  

More later...panaderias & Chia