I think the word, “Colombia” evokes images of violence and nacro-trafficing in the minds of most Americans. The Colombians I met all say that narco-trafficing continues, but not at the level of the 1970s/80s nor with the flamboyance of Pablo Escobar. It is illegal to operate tours that focus on Escobar and his many haciendas. In fact, the government has destroyed these properties to prevent them from becoming positive images of Escobar. The FARC is less of a resolved issue. The public referendum to make peace was defeated last fall. The Congress has recently passed a less generous provision for peace. The Colombians that I met are universally opposed to peace deal offered by the government. They fell that giving the FARC members a pension and allowing they to be part of the government is not right. This was especially true for one man I met, about my age. His in-laws were kidnapped and killed before the family farm was seized. It’s complicated and clearly not a resolved issue.

What is clear is that Colombia has emerged from the shadows of Pablo Escobar and the FARC to become a country that is welcoming and eager to receive tourists. While the violence of earlier years has eased, Colombia remains a country with a few very wealthy and a large number of poor, a dynamic found in most Latin American countries. Unique to Colombia is the concept of strata. Strata are assigned based on the caliber of housing where someone lives. Persons living in huts with dirt floors and few neighborhood amenities are Strata 1 or 2 while those living in upscale housing adjacent to shopping are assigned the Strata 5 or 6. Strata matters- a lot. Public services are means tested. Persons in Strata 1 or 2 receive free health care (such that it is) and pay nothing for their utilities. The upper strata residents subsidize those living in Strata 1 and 2. Sounds progressive, right? Well, there is another side to strata- you are where you live. Your strata is listed on your national identification card. Need a loan from the bank? The first question the loan office will ask is to see the identification card. A quick look at the identification card showing a lower strata means that a poor person has little hope of getting financing. It’s red lining without needing to look at a map.

My final observation from Colombia is about tejo, a national game that has been played since the pre-Colombian era. Remember skee ball from the arcades? Tejo is skee ball with a little gunpowder thrown in to keep things interesting. Players are divided into teams with each player selecting a rock about the size of their palm. The rocks are thrown underhanded at a mud incline (sort of like Fred Flintstone’s bowling league). On the mud incline is a circle formed by small triangular envelopes filled with gunpowder. The players from each team takes turns throwing their rocks towards the circle. The rock has to hit and stay, no bouncing allowed. For each round, the rock that gets closest to the circle wins a point for the team. If the rock hits one of the gunpowder envelopes hard enough to make it explode- 6 points. In the midst of my game, a chicken crawled from behind one of the targets. Everyone had to stop throwing their rocks until the court could be cleared.

Before the game starts, the bar brings a case of beer, a shot glass and a bottle of Aguardiente Antioqueno. Aguardiente is 100% alcohol with the whiff of anise (this could serve as an explosive deterrent to North Korea). Players are supposed to take a shot before starting their game. Tejo is harder than it looks. Can’t hit the envelope and make it explode? Not to worry. After a couple of shots of this stuff, you don’t care. I think Tejo has potential for the U.S., the only caveat is that it would have to be modified to include automatic weapons, not just gun powder.

• Bogota is the greatest exporter of flowers to the U.S. other than the Netherlands. Flower growers have greenhouses near the Bogota airport so that flowers can be shipped to the U.S. within 6 hours of cutting. It has hurt U.S. flower growers (don’t tell the Orange Overlord).

• Bogota has a huge flower market that opens daily at 4 a.m. and closes at noon (see pictures below).

• Bogota is home to the Salt Cathedral- a salt mine where somebody decided there needed to be an underground sanctuary and other chapels/religious symbols.  There is religious music piped underground with lighting timed to change with the music.  Who thinks this stuff up? Think tacky Las Vegas. If you are going to Bogota, this can go on the “skip” list.

 

• Bogota has lots of cool colonial architecture (as does most of Colombia)

• Bogota has a vibrant street life. 

Bogota at night- the city population is 8 million, 1/6th of the country’s residents

• There are many groups involved in the coffee production process:

• Almost all premium Colombian coffee beans are shipped abroad. Local Colombians drink bad coffee, which is why they all put sugar in their coffee

• In 1991, Colombia introduced mandatory education until age 17. This requirement has had a profound impact on the coffee industry as few young people want to work as coffee pickers. Colombia is looking for immigrants to come pick coffee as no Colombians want to do the work. There are many Venezuelans illegally in Colombia. Coffee farmers are hoping they can use them in the fields. Sound familiar?

• The main commercial part of the city lies in the valley between two steep hills. Many low-income people living high up the hills, at least 2 hours walk from the valley.

• A major industry in Medellin is textile production. Industries were having trouble keeping workers because of the distance and steepness of the walk for people living in the hills.

• The government installed escalators and cable cars in the low-income areas to help people get down the hills to the valley.

Cable cars are used on one side of the valley

A series of escalators are used on the other side of the valley

CARTAGENA- INTERESTING FACTS

• Located on the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena has a look and feel that is completely different from the rest of Colombia. Both the Spanish and Afro-Caribbean influence are strong.  

• The walled city (historic area) looks a lot like New Orleans

• The Spanish used Cartagena as an origination point to explore the rest of South America. They had to fend off attempts from the British to control the area.
• Cartagena was a center of the inquisition.

• 40 miles inland from Cartagena is the village of Palenque, founded in the late 17th century by 40 slaves that escaped from Cartagena. The slaves spoke different languages, coming from different parts of Africa. The slaves formed their own language that is still used today. The residents of the community live separately from other Colombians. Palenque has been declared a UNESCO site and is even home to an 85 year old musician who came to D.C. to play in the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in the 1980s.

• Located on the Caribbean Sea, about 180 miles northeast of Cartagena 
• Remote, not on the tourist beaten track 
• Wonderful hiking and birds

• Beautiful beach but the sand flies want a live sacrifice. Break out the hydrocortisone!