Hey! How was Colombia??

Since my return to The Land of Uncle Sam, my closest friends, acquaintances, baristas and bartenders have all been asking me the same question.

So, how was Colombia??

Good question.  I suppose.  I have even been recruited to speak to school children on the subject.  And so, I think it wise to clarify my thoughts first.  Today, I will begin with basic information.

Here is Colombia:


It's a South American country nearly two times as big as Texas.   The country is home to 46.4 million people--nearly 8 million of whom live in the capital city of Bogota. 

The country boasts a little bit of every climate; islands and beaches; warm, fertile land where they produce delicious coffee and other, more addicting and less socially acceptable plants; cold and mountainous regions (where Bogota averages 60 degrees Fahrenheit year round); and its own little bit of the Amazon rain forest. 

Photo by Neil Palmer (CIAT)

Colombia has struggled under guerrilla warfare for some fifty years, only recently seeing any decline in the number of kidnappings and homicides.  The countryside remains an uncertain place to be, given the presence of FARC and of drug traffickers.  Partially as a result of this fact, millions of ruralites have migrated into the capital city, a population explosion that has affected everything from city growth and stoplight street performers, to contamination and unseasonal, street-wrecking deluges. 

To come:
Colombian Food and Vegetation
Educational Practices and Family Culture
Tourist Attractions and Public Transportation
Animals?

Shoot, ya'll.  If you have any requests on what I should talk about, leave me a comment and let me know.  Bearing in mind, I spent most of my time in Bogota and Boyaca.