Colombia - A Hidden Paradise

Colombia carries a heavy baggage in terms of reputation. Drug-related and political violence, petty crime and kidnappings were the news that made Colombia famous around the world.

However, things are changing for good, it appears, and one person who could claim credit to the improved situation is the present President, Alvaro Uribe. He won on a security-above-all platform five years ago, and true to his promise, he has increased security in major cities. Uniformed officers are ubiquitous. In fact, Colombia is a country of uniforms –they have the usual police, the tourist police, the metro police, the transportation police and private security officers of business and private properties, for example.

The investment has paid off, at least for now. According to Gustavo Adolfo Toro Velasquez, director of Tourism in Colombia, increased security has had a positive effect on internal tourism, which went up by more than seven times, from five million in 2000 to 36 million in 2004. With these statistics as a proof of improved security situation, the national tourism department has launched campaign to attract more tourists from abroad.

Officials have also taken other steps to instill a sense of security in tourists. For example, some airports have a taxi counter where one could give the address of the destination (within the city), and then get a chit along with the price. The pre-determined price along with screening of the taxis allowed to carry incoming passengers rules out possibilities of cheating or even robbery.

But one should be careful when traveling around. Some cities and rural areas are not considered safe and it is wiser to listen to advice of fellow travelers, travel advisories and, above all, Colombian friends.

The advise of the Colombian friends are particularly important. Having suffered from a bad reputation their country has abroad, they are keen to help tourists enjoy their time.

But without being paranoid about security, the traveler has a lot to enjoy in Colombia. It has the mountains, even snow covered, it has the plains, and it has the coastal areas. It has magnificent churches, some 500 years old and still intact, universities and castles that would take the breath from lovers of colonial architecture; it has small cities and hamlets that are still in the early 20th century – kind of pioneer villages. And it has monuments belonging to mysterious pre-Columbian civilizations.

Just around the capital, Bogota, itself one could find plenty of stuff, belonging to ancient civilizations to early 20th century settlers. For example, just fours hours from the capital is Villa de Levya, a village that has basically remained in the 20th century with a 500-year church in its center. And close to the village is El Infiernito, the Little Hell, which is actually a system of 20-plus cylindrical Stonehenge type- carved stones planted right into the earth vertically. It was supposedly used by some indigenous groups in the early centuries of AD to tell the time.

Even closer to Bogota is Zipaquira, noted for its salt mines. A cathedral out of the salt is one of the must-see items for those visiting Colombia.

One of the advantages of Colombia is that it is relatively cheap. A massage in the mud bath would have cost at least 50 dollars in neighbouring Costa Rica. Similarly, one could only dream of a 30-minute paragliding experience with an instructor for just 25 dollars.

Colombia is widely connected by air. Along with many private airlines, Avianca, the national airline – which holds the reputation of being the second oldest airline in the world to operate under its original name – flies to a large number of destinations within the country, and this is perhaps the best way to travel between major cities as distances and the mountain topography, along with the security situation in certain areas, make road journeys long and arduous.

The friendliness of Colombians deserves special mention, hence a special section. Wherever I went, I only encountered friendliness, and a keenness to help us. I am a South Asian -- therefore, not the typical white tourist. One example was my confusion with the public transit system in Bogota. I wanted to get into the TransMilenio and got confused, but the security officers even helped me with buying the tickets even though we could hardly communicate in one language. I had met amazing people who went all the way to make my stay pleasant.

Food: Differs from region to region. The coastal areas have more fish in the diet.

The heaviest, in my opinion, is Bandeja Paisa, a fullsome dish with fried potatoes, egg, grilled sausages and meat, rice, beans and a lot more.

My Favourite: Cazuela de Mariscos -- a thick brothy dish with lots of fish, served with rice.

Though not as developed as in some other countries, the visitor has lost of choices, from hostels to medium-sized decent hotels. Alternatively, one could also rent apartments.





				Colombia - a Hidden Paradise R Senthilnathan Colombia carries a heavy baggage in terms of reputation. Drug-related and political violence, petty crime and kidnappings were the news that made Colombia famous around the world. However, things are changing for good, it appears, and one person who could claim credit to the improved situation is the present President, Alvaro Uribe. He won on a security-above-all platform five years ago, and true to his promise, he has increased security in major cities. Uniformed officers are ubiquitous. In fact, Colombia is a country of uniforms –they have the usual police, the tourist police, the metro police, the transportation police and private security officers of business and private properties, for example. The investment has paid off, at least for now. According to Gustavo Adolfo Toro Velasquez, director of Tourism in Colombia, increased security has had a positive effect on internal tourism, which went up by more than seven times, from five million in 2000 to 36 million in 2004. With these statistics as a proof of improved security situation, the national tourism department has launched campaign to attract more tourists from abroad. Officials have also taken other steps to instill a sense of security in tourists. For example, some airports have a taxi counter where one could give the address of the destination (within the city), and then get a chit along with the price. The pre-determined price along with screening of the taxis allowed to carry incoming passengers rules out possibilities of cheating or even robbery. But one should be careful when traveling around. Some cities and rural areas are not considered safe and it is wiser to listen to advice of fellow travelers, travel advisories and, above all, Colombian friends. The advise of the Colombian friends are particularly important. Having suffered from a bad reputation their country has abroad, they are keen to help tourists enjoy their time. But without being paranoid about security, the traveler has a lot to enjoy in Colombia. It has the mountains, even snow covered, it has the plains, and it has the coastal areas. It has magnificent churches, some 500 years old and still intact, universities and castles that would take the breath from lovers of colonial architecture; it has small cities and hamlets that are still in the early 20th century – kind of pioneer villages. And it has monuments belonging to mysterious pre-Columbian civilizations. Just around the capital, Bogota, itself one could find plenty of stuff, belonging to ancient civilizations to early 20th century settlers. For example, just fours hours from the capital is Villa de Levya, a village that has basically remained in the 20th century with a 500-year church in its center. And close to the village is El Infiernito, the Little Hell, which is actually a system of 20-plus cylindrical Stonehenge type- carved stones planted right into the earth vertically. It was supposedly used by some indigenous groups in the early centuries of AD to tell the time. Even closer to Bogota is Zipaquira, noted for its salt mines. A cathedral out of the salt is one of the must-see items for those visiting Colombia. One of the advantages of Colombia is that it is relatively cheap. A massage in the mud bath would have cost at least 50 dollars in neighbouring Costa Rica. Similarly, one could only dream of a 30-minute paragliding experience with an instructor for just 25 dollars. Colombia is widely connected by air. Along with many private airlines, Avianca, the national airline – which holds the reputation of being the second oldest airline in the world to operate under its original name – flies to a large number of destinations within the country, and this is perhaps the best way to travel between major cities as distances and the mountain topography, along with the security situation in certain areas, make road journeys long and arduous. Friendliness The friendliness of Colombians deserves special mention, hence a special section. Wherever I went, I only encountered friendliness, and a keenness to help us. I am a South Asian -- therefore, not the typical white tourist. One example was my confusion with the public transit system in Bogota. I wanted to get into the TransMilenio and got confused, but the security officers even helped me with buying the tickets even though we could hardly communicate in one language. I had met amazing people who went all the way to make my stay pleasant. The friendliness is perhaps the hidden treasure of Colombia Tips: Currency: Pesos Food: Differs from region to region. The coastal areas have more fish in the diet. The heaviest, in my opinion, is Bandeja Paisa, a fullsome dish with fried potatoes, egg, grilled sausages and meat, rice, beans and a lot more. My Favourite: Cazuela de Mariscos -- a thick brothy dish with lots of fish, served with rice. Accomodation Though not as developed as in some other countries, the visitor has lost of choices, from hostels to medium-sized decent hotels. Alternatively, one could also rent apartments. Further Reading & Links www.poorbuthappy.com/colombia/