Bogota Colombia | Salt Cave Light Show | World Travel
Colombia is dangerous…if you're drunk or high, Matilda remarked as we ate a breakfast of stuffed maize in banana leaf with coffee. Meanwhile, her affectionate schnauzer vied for our attention. Matilda was dressed in a business suit, ready to take on another day at the office in the bustling capital city of Bogota, Colombia.
I work at a hotel, she went on, taking a sip from her coffee, One day, we received a room service request from a gringo in an upscale suite. When we arrived, he was so coked out that his face was beet red and he was dripping with sweat. Many tourists come here for drugs. They party too hard, and don't care about anything else. Then, they act surprised when they get robbed.
The foreigners I'd met in La Candelaria were telling me that everyone gets held up at knife point in Colombia, I retorted, Like it was a rite of passage.
That's not true, Matilda continued, Maybe if you're walking around by yourself late at night and you're heavily intoxicated, but if you keep a level head, you'll be alright.
I've found that to be true all over the world, I replied, If you go looking for trouble, you're going to find it. Yet, if you go looking for local culture, you can certainly find that too!
My country wasn't always so safe, Matilda went on, When I was growing up, Colombia was a scary place. It's gotten a lot better in recent years.
Not long ago, Colombia was one of the most dangerous places in the world. Fortunately, Colombia has come a long way in the past decade, thanks to proactive political and social reform. Yet, it is obvious that their reputation for conflict still sticks. When first I told my family and coworkers that I was going to Colombia, a lot of them responded with grave concern for my safety.
The other reaction I got was one of suspicion, as if I were only going to consume mountains of cocaine. Was it so hard to believe that I was going to Colombia for the culture? That I wanted to experience the food, the music, and to practice my Spanish with the people of this nation?
There are a lot of misconceptions about this country. The truth is Colombia's rich with historical, architectural, and culinary experiences. There are numerous museums and colonial structures, not to mention the gorgeous Andes Mountains, which are hollowed by salt caves and blanketed by rolling green pastures. Perhaps I shouldn't even be saying any of this, because in my opinion, Colombia is one of the world's best kept secrets. I'll be damned if I'm the one who lets the cat out of the bag. Yet, people seem eager to blow it off faster than a line of cocaine.
I found the people of Colombia people to be most kind and hospitable when given the chance to present their culture beyond the negative stereotypes. Furthermore, in the interest of sustainability, visitors should consider the consequences of drug tourism and how this impacts the local community.
Colombia has a bad reputation mainly because of the drug issue, but the reality is that Colombia is a beautiful country, comments musician Diana Mosquera, Our bad reputation is mainly because of ignorance about the true Colombia. By promoting our culture, food, traditions, music, to the world, [we can] show the other face of Colombia to the world.
I found Colombia to have an extraordinary culture, rich in music, art, and historical value. Thanks to the many Colombians who found pleasure in teaching me about their language, I learned new terms and vocabulary while gaining confidence in casual conversation. Most Colombians expressed awe in encountering a young tourist who was interested in their food, language, and culture, as if this were out of the ordinary. This was beneficial to my own self-interests, because it meant that locals were willing to go the extra mile to share all of their knowledge and to make me feel welcome in their beautiful country.
On the plane, I'd met a woman named Alejandra, who invited me to her family's home for dinner. When I arrived, it was clear her family had gone all out to make feel welcome. As her brother and father flipped through a coffee table book featuring pictures of Colombia, they described the history behind each location. Then, they pulled out several albums and proceeded to teach me about their traditional music and dance, with origins in the fusion of African and indigenous rhythms. As we gathered around the table for supper, the entire family laughed and giggled as they urged me to try one of their traditional dishes, which was revealed to be cow intestine and wasn't half bad!
The most dangerous thing about Colombia, remarked Alejandra's father, as he peeled away at an exotic orange fruit, Is that you will never want to leave!
It was true. I loved Colombia. During my stay, I never once felt threatened. I spent the majority of my trip engaging with locals, who were eager to share their lives and customs. I wouldn't have traded this experience for all the drugs in the world.
Some South Colombia Highlights: Cali, Popayan and San Augustin
We will visit Cali with a very nice zoo.
Popayan, the white quiet city and San Augustin.
San Augustin is famous for the more then five hundred, 5000 year old, statues.
Little is known about the people who made them from soft volcanic rock.
There is of course much more to see in South Colombia, but this has been my selection.
Our FAVORITE FOODIE and FIESTA city in South America! - Lima, Peru
Lima was our favorite foodie and fiesta city in South America! We love how on Sundays, locals gather at Miraflores Central Park to dance. There was even a wonderful parade taking place during our stay in Lima! By the way, the sunsets in Lima were amazing!
Shot with the DJI Osmo Pocket, Sony RX 100V, and DJI Mavic Pro Drone
Aventuhero Blue Hole Jamaica (corto)
...nos habían hablado de un lago color turquesa esmeralda, un embalse protegido por las montañas que sólo se unía con el mar abierto a través de una lengua de agua.... Sigue la aventura en nuestro Blog
Primera parte Viaje a Jamaica:
Segunda parte Viaje a Jamaica:
Cuenca Ecuador
Cuenca Ecuador
A week in Cuenca
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Galapagos Scuba Diving-Day4/5: Isla Floreana - Is this the best diving site?
21.August: The boatride took us just two hours from Puerto Ayora.
Little current; great place for us to relax and take in all that Galapagos has to offer.
We watch the endemic Red Lipped batfish, differnet rays, lot of fishes, turtles, sealions and one white tip shark.
So, this is really one of the best diving sites here at Galapagos, because there is a great variaty in fish & topography !!!!!!
Swing Latino
The Incredible ‘World Of Dance’ Finalists
It’s almost time for the ‘World of Dance’ finale! Don’t worry; there’s still time to learn more about the finalists.
1. They’re a dance school from Colombia
Swing Latino is a salsa dance school and academy located in Cali, Colombia. The school was founded in the late ’90s by current director and choreographer, and team member Luis Eduardo Hernandez (aka El Mulato). Swing Latino was designed to be a way to get impoverished kids in Colombia off the streets, and doing something creative. They grew into a world-class salsa dance collective and one of the most famous attractions in Cali.
2. They’re finalists on World of Dance
It’s no wonder, then, that Swing Latino made it to the finale of World of Dance, NBC’s massive dance competition series. World of Dance brought Earth’s best dancers and teams together for the chance to compete for glory. They beat out 10 other dance teams and 28 acts total to make it to the top three. Now, they have to beat 14-year-old solo dancer Eva Igo, and duo Les Twins for first place.
3. There are currently 21 members
While a whopping 16 dancers make up Swing Latino’s World of Dance team, a whopping 21 dancers comprise the academy in total: Nilson Riascos, Deisy Zapata, Kevin Mosquera, Steven Montaño, Ingrid Tabaez, Lina Montoya, Jhon Colorado, Cristian Montenegro, Jhon Caicedo, Paula Guevara, Jeimmy Iarguelia, Yohana Calambas, Jonier Torres, Luz Posso, Jenny Rodríguez, Carlos Marquez, Andres Diez, Saray Duque, Johan Moreno, Eliana Saavedra, and Emanuelle Campaz.
4. They’ve won other international dance competitions
Swing Latino has won multiple dance titles in Colombia, and even more worldwide. They took home first place at the 2004 World Congress “Salsa Open” in Philadelphia, the 2005 World Salsa Dancing Federation’s Championship in Miami, and the 2006 and 2007 Las Vegas Salsa Championship.
5. They’ve appeared on other dance TV shows
Swing Latino wowed the crowd in 2009 on the Polish dance show You Can Dance: Po prostu tańcz!, as well as on Dzień Dobry TVN. They were also on ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen with guest performer Marc Anthony. Isn’t that funny? Marc’s ex-wife, Jennifer Lopez, is a judge on World of Dance!
Hostel Caracol, Popayan, Colombia, HD Review
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Offering free bikes and free WiFi connection in all areas, Hostel Caracol is located 1,500 feet from Caldas Park and just 1,800 feet from El Morro del Tucán archaeological site.
The rooms offer a shared bathroom with towels and shower. Extras include a desk and linen.
At Hostel Caracol you will find a 24-hour front desk, a snack bar and a shared kitchen. Other facilities offered include a shared lounge; and an array of activities can be enjoyed on site or in the surroundings, including cycling.
Guests can find the Campanario supermarket 2 miles away.
This property is 5 minutes’ walk from Casa Mosquera Museum and 10 minutes’ drive from Guillermo León Valencia local airport.
Hotel Quinta Avenida, Medellin, Colombia, HD Review
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Comfortable rooms with neat, modern décor and free Wi-Fi are offered only a 10-minute drive from Plaza Mayor Convention Centre and Unicenter Shopping Centre. Free private parking is available nearby.
Hotel Quinta Avenida has rooms with cable TV, work desks and private bathrooms with free toiletries. Laundry services are available.
At Quinta Avenida, guests can wake up to a daily breakfast with world famous Colombian coffee and tropical fruits. Room service is offered.
Antioquía Museum is a 25-minute drive and Olaya Herrera Airport is 20 minutes by car from the hotel.