5 Things You Must do In Medellin, Colombia

If you’re either looking for options for a Colombia vacation or are trying to decide where to go for a Latin America vacation, you’ll be delighted with your decision to visit Medellin.

However, Medellin is a Colombia destination that is commonly know for a lack of tourist things to do, so why should you visit? For the lack of tourists, of course! For an opportunity to get to know a Colombian city that isn’t over-run by sightseers and where you can get a genuine feel for the country and its population, Medellin is a great option.

You’ll have a great few days in the city, which could include any of the following activities:

1) Watching a world record-sized flower parade
Medellin is known with its temperate climate as the City of Eternal Spring, making any time of year good for a visit. However, you can see the best of Medellin in early August, when the Festival of the Flowers (Fería de las Flores) is scheduled; a series of parades, concerts, speeches, craft sales and impromptu parties.

2) Rock climbing the easy (or hard) way at El Penol
A two-hour drive from Medellin is the imposing free-standing rock of El Penol. A breathless climb up some steep steps carved into the giant stone face will take you to the top, presenting some spectacular views. More adventurous types can arrange for the equipment to attempt a rock-climb.

3) Get a dose of internationally-renowned art
An internationally-known sculptor from Medellin, Fernando Botero is famous for his over-sized human figures. Visitors to Plaza Botero can see and interact with his sculptures, as well as seeing other works in the more formal setting of Museo de Antioquia.

4) Get to know the world’s biggest drug dealer
If you don’t know who Pablo Escobar is, then you probably aren’t aware that people sell illegal drugs for money. Tour operators give visitors an opportunity to get to know the hometown of the infamous Colombian, who was killed in a shootout with police in 1992. The tour will include a visit to Escobar’s grave at the local cemetery, passing by the former headquarters of his cartel (now ironically a drug rehab unit), the roof where he was shot and the collection of private planes that still litter the local airport, part of his $20 billion legacy that was eventually seized by the Colombia government.

5) Taking to the skies
If seeing Medellin and the surrounding area at street level just isn’t your thing, then tour operators offer the opportunity for paragliding flights. Those without the necessary know-how to pull strings and ride thermals can take a tandem flight, sitting back and enjoying the view while their pilot does the hard work.

A city with an interesting mix of culture, history and influences, Medellin will be the destination to give you an insight into a real working city on your Colombia vacation.

Have you visited Medellin, or done any of these activities? What were your experiences?

Author: Jon Clarke - Escaped to Latin America / Escaped to Peru

The Colombian Myth Exposed - No Longer A Vacation Danger

Johnny Depp waits, nervously sweating in the mid-day heat of the Colombian jungle. Hovering behind each shoulder is a heavily armed guard, ready to put a bullet in him. Across the square where he’s standing two men are talking. One of them gestures in desperation, and the other one responds by putting a gun to his head, pulling the trigger and leaving a red stain on the wall behind him as the body crumples to the ground. Depp flinches as Pablo Escobar, the most powerful drug lord in the history of the world calmly turns away from the execution and strides towards him.

It’s a scene from the popular Hollywood movie, Blow, but it could be any one of a number of films featuring Colombia. Drugs, violence, corruption. Any time Colombia comes up, it always seems to be a dangerous place that the main character of the story must brave to achieve his goal. A steady stream of TV shows like Miami Vice and movies like Scarface in popular culture have repeatedly kept us under the impression that the country is run by the main players of the international drug trade and their business. Added to the mix the history of terrorism, violence and crime that has bubbled up into the news seeming every month up until the present day, and you find yourself thinking about Colombia as the last place that you’d want to visit.

Is this a true picture of Colombia? Certainly not. Lets have a look at a couple of events over the last couple of decades that can break Colombia’s unfair reputation.

• On December 2nd, 1992 Pablo Escobar was killed in a fire-fight with Colombian police. Within a couple of years all the leaders of rival cartels were either killed or imprisoned.

• Colombia's homicide rate, for many years one of the highest in the world, has almost halved since 2002.

• In the recent decade violence in Colombia has decreased significantly. Many paramilitary groups have demobilized as part of a controversial peace process with the government, and guerrilla groups have lost control in many areas where they once dominated.

• There has been a steep decrease in reported kidnappings - from 3,700 in the year 2000 to 172 in 2009. That’s a decrease of over two thousand percent.

• Lonely Planet picked Colombia as one of their top ten world destinations for 2006. When the most popular guidebook in the world encourages you to go, it should give you a bit of confidence.

• According to the Colombia Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Colombia received 2,348,948 visitors in 2008. They say there’s safety in numbers.
Plenty of signs show that thanks to a savvy government, the dangers of Colombia are diminishing and tourists are flocking to the country to sample its diverse and beautiful attractions. If you finally kiss goodbye to the scare-stories, you could soon be enjoying the beaches and walled city of Cartagena, Medellin’s Festival of the Flowers, or any one of the country’s national parks, including the Tayrona National Nature Park on the Caribbean coast.

Nevertheless, the problems that do exist in Colombia can serve to sour your holiday if you don’t take a well-informed approach to the up-to-date state of the country. You certainly don’t want to end up in a bad place or situation through ignorance. Make sure you check your Government’s website for the latest information, or if you’re going to Colombia with a tour company, ask them what to expect or avoid to keep safe and have a happy, fulfilling Colombia vacation.

Author: Jon Clarke - Escaped to Latin America / Escaped to Peru

Colombia - 6 World-Class Exports...That Are Legal

It’s no secret; Colombia has a very bad reputation in the past, much of which people still feel is true today. When Colombia is mentioned in conversation, it is hard not to bring images to mind of Pablo Escobar and his drug trafficking exploits of the 70s and 80s. But it’s time for Colombia to shed these unfair associations. The country is now becoming popular as a tourist destination as the security situation improves dramatically and the level of tourist services increases, and news of the warm and welcoming friendliness of Colombians also continues to spread.

For a better idea of the things that the lovely country of Colombia has to offer, here are 6 of its better-known legal exports.

1) Colombian Literature
Winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1982, author Gabriel Garcia Marquez is regarded as one of the most influential authors of the 20th Century. His most famous works are 100 Years Of Solitude (1967) and Love In The Time Of Cholera (1985). Pioneering a style known as magical realism, Marquez is known for creating dream-like and fantastical events that occur in everyday situations in his stories. Although not referencing any specific location in Colombia, his influences lie firmly in his home country and page-turners can get a strong sense of the essence of Colombia through his work.

2) Colombian Coffee
Known in industry circles for its high quality and distinctive flavour, Colombian coffee is some of the best in the world. Don’t take my word for it; The Speciality Coffee Association of America (SCAA) awarded the Single Origin Coffee of the Year prize to a Colombian producer in 2009.

3) Colombian Dance
Any visitor to Latin America will quickly become aware of the Cumbia dance craze that has been sweeping the continent for the last few years. Cumbia has changed over time to appeal to a more mainstream Latino audience, but its origins lie firmly in Colombia. Elsewhere in the world, salsa clubs are springing up in every town and any aspiring salsa dancer will see the roots of the dance from a visit to Cali, the “Capital of Salsa” and home to numerous Salsa World Champions.

4) Colombian Women
Proud of the reputation of their women as some of the most beautiful in the world, Colombians are quick to showcase their talents. Companies, municipalities and even prisons hold over 100 beauty contests a year, revering the good looks of their women. One universally recognized beauty is Shakira, whose songs seems to be cropping up everywhere. Her most recently globally-heard offering was the anthem for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

5) Colombian Emeralds
The driving force behind the World’s supply of emeralds with between 50 and 95% of production, Colombia is responsible for some of the purest, largest and most beautiful gems on the planet. The largest emerald ever found in the world, “La Galacha”, was discovered in Colombia and weighed in at an impressive 172 grams.

6) Colombian Flowers
Over 70% of cut flowers imported into the United States are Colombian, which makes them world leaders and experts in the art of horticulture. Not to mention a symbol of all things romantic. Since May 1st, 1957, the town of Medellin has hosted the Festival of the Flowers,a multi-day event that culminates in a parade representing an end to the days of slavery when, instead of flowers, the slave class carried men and women on their backs up the steep hills of the town.

Hopefully these examples of famous Colombian exports will serve to break the reputation perceived by so many about Colombia, and instead present a country steeped in art, passion, beauty and romance. With these things in mind, it’s time to book a trip to one of the lesser-known and most delightful locations in Latin America, and enjoy an unforgettable Colombian Vacation.

Author: Jon Clarke - Escaped to Latin America / Escaped to Peru

Cartagena, Colombia - 4 Ways To Visit Before Leaving Home

If you’re not sure what to expect when planning a trip to Colombia, you’ve already got a wide selection of handy references in popular culture to give you an impression of the place before leaving. One place that pops up time after time is Cartegena, the colonial port town that sits on the Carribean coast. If you’d like to get excited about a Colombia vacation, try any of the following four options.

Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ Novel
Colombia’s most famous literary export, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, spent most of his early years in Cartegena. Even though the city is not explicitly mentioned (dubbed a “Caribbean port town”) it doesn’t take a genius to see that Marquez is writing about Cartegena in Love In The Time Of Cholera, one of his most famous books that became a film adaptation in 2007. Weaving a complex narrative that twists and turns amongst the city’s “steamy and sleepy streets”, Marquez will have you ready to book your ticket, even if the novel is set between the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.

The Mission - The Award Winning Robert De Niro Movie
Set in the 1750’s, The Mission chronicles the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in the jungles of South America. Showered with awards, The Mission won the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Filming took place in Cartegena and Brazil, so for an introduction to the city via an award winning film you should check this one out.

Smuggler’s Blues - Miami Vice’s Popular Episode
It’s only so long before the drug references creep into any mention of Colombia, but what better way to introduce them than through one of Miami Vice’s most popular episodes. The classic Eighties cop show goes on the road as Crockett and Tubbs are recruited by the DEA to track down a local law-enforcer who is murdering drug dealers and their families in cold blood. The episode takes its name from a song by musician Glenn Fray, who appears in the episode as a laid-back aircraft pilot, Jimmy Cole. If you can look up from your well-bitten nails, you’ll see that most of the filming takes place in Cartagena, Colombia...

The Red Herring - Romancing The Stone
A popular offering from the mid-Eighties, you’ve probably seen Robert Zemikis’ Romancing The Stone at one point or another. Kathleen Turner’s big screen break and Michael Douglas’ re-introduction to the movie-going public, the film enjoyed box office success. For those without a viewing, the film follows romantic novelist Jean Wilder who is drawn down to Colombia when her sister is held to ransom in...yup, you’ve guessed it...Cartegena, Colombia. However, before you dig out the VCR player and that old dusty tape, you should know that the majority of filming took place in Vercruz, Mexico. You’re about as likely to see a Colombian vista as you are an appearance by Indiana Jones. Stacking up the reasons not to see this movie, Douglas pronounces the name of the town Cartegeña (“Cartehenya”), as opposed to the correct “Cartehena”, a source of much annoyance amongst locals.

You may not be visiting 18th century Colombia or flying down with the boys from Miami Vice, but you can certainly afford to associate yourself with a little excitement and romance that will definitely be a part of your Colombia vacation if you decide to visit Cartagena.

Author: Jon Clarke - Escaped to Latin America / Escaped to Peru