Eight years ago the guides on my Patagonia trip, Micho and Danny, raved about their home country. Colombia, they said, had it all; a Caribbean coast and a Pacific. Amazonian jungle, hills full of coffee and banana, modern cities, fine people and great food. There were political issues but the country was getting safer to travel through.
They were right on all counts. A stunningly beautiful country with a huge variety of landscape. Beautiful people: the Curva Peligrosa girls and the boys with check bones to cut paper with and gym bunny bodies. A huge mix of different peoples: indigenous, European and African and all combinations in between. There is great wealth and poverty (rural and urban) cheek by cheek.
It feels to me like a country going through rapid change. The government has established security in most areas. Police and army are very visible everywhere reassuring the population. The infrastructure is being improved. The big cities are being modernised with metro systems and cable cars. It’s the little things too. Construction sites have strict rules on worker protection. Coffee plantations pay workers a fair wage and are sensitive to environmental impact.
A few of the group have had flu but no stomach problems. Good local beer. Good local and international food in enormous portions.
Mind you. The driving leaves a lot to be desired. It isn’t aggressive like London. Or careless like China. But it it is chaotic. You have to have your wits about you all the time. Which is one reason there aren’t that many photos of the tour. Stopping safely is often impossible.
I’ve loved my time in Colombia. I’m not sure I’d come back but I’d recommend it to anyone wanting an off the beaten track adventure.
They were right on all counts. A stunningly beautiful country with a huge variety of landscape. Beautiful people: the Curva Peligrosa girls and the boys with check bones to cut paper with and gym bunny bodies. A huge mix of different peoples: indigenous, European and African and all combinations in between. There is great wealth and poverty (rural and urban) cheek by cheek.
It feels to me like a country going through rapid change. The government has established security in most areas. Police and army are very visible everywhere reassuring the population. The infrastructure is being improved. The big cities are being modernised with metro systems and cable cars. It’s the little things too. Construction sites have strict rules on worker protection. Coffee plantations pay workers a fair wage and are sensitive to environmental impact.
A few of the group have had flu but no stomach problems. Good local beer. Good local and international food in enormous portions.
Mind you. The driving leaves a lot to be desired. It isn’t aggressive like London. Or careless like China. But it it is chaotic. You have to have your wits about you all the time. Which is one reason there aren’t that many photos of the tour. Stopping safely is often impossible.
I’ve loved my time in Colombia. I’m not sure I’d come back but I’d recommend it to anyone wanting an off the beaten track adventure.
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