The overall rating of a review is different from a simple average of all individual ratings.
Advantages:
Amazing cuisine; coffee; very, very cheap; locals are charming and helpful
Disadvantages:
Kidnapping . Like the Sword of Damocles, a pall of fear hangs over everyone . Beggars/prostitutes . Oppressive humidity in Buenaventura .
Columbia has recently been rated the 3rd most dangerous place in the world, and I can believe this, but the situation is not so cut-and-dried.
The biggest and only real problem is the kidnapping. According to locals I met in 3 cities, the cartels will kidnap you no matter who or what you are. If you look (in their eyes) American (Gringo) i.e. Anglo-Saxon, then you are the highest risk group, because by definition, you have more money. I come from a Lancashire Irish Catholic family, and my appearance is textbook Anglo-Saxon. But it doesn't really matter - if you are worth a million dollars or just one, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you will be kidnapped.
I arrived in Bogota in late July. A tropical country, I thought, better not take a heavy jacket. Well, Bogota is half-way up a mountain, so it is pretty cold. It looks like any
other capital city - 2 million tonnes of brushed concrete and dog-dirt. And EVERY road was dug up, EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Stayed in a fabulous hotel - the Charleston, one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in. Unfortunately, at some point, my credit card details were taken and coveted by someone who later made a replica card and purchased plane flights to the USA. Apart from that, I would have stayed there again, but as it was the only place I used my AmEx, either they have unscrupulous or dishonest staff.
I flew to Kali, which is beautiful, a fine city and I long to go again. I was only there for a few hours, but it has been a long time since I saw so many friendly, happy and, lets face it, beautiful people. Had a seafood cazuela, and it was heaven.
I flew on to Buenaventura, where I was to work for the next week. I urge you not to go. Buenaventura is at the end of the longest cul-de-sac in the world. Yes, even more so than Barrow-in-Furness. The airport is in the middle of the jungle, and as we landed and skidded to a halt, my bags were flung out into what looked like the lumberjack's vehicle from Wacky Races. All my stuff was rifled through by Faustino Asprilla, or one of his lookalikes anyway. I was met (luckily) by a local marine consultant, who was both streetwise and cultured.
I was working in the docks for over 14 hours a day, so I didn't get into too much trouble. My hotel was quite nice, the Hotel Estacion, which betrayed the rich Spanish Colonialheritage of the port. I was recommended not to go wandering on my own. I really stuck out like a sore thumb, even in the scruffy attire I normally work in. Luckily, Jorge was a willing companion and indulged me on my eating and drinking exploration.
Highlights were a bean soup with a blubbery heap of pig skin in it. I accidentally ate a bit of the pig skin, thinking it was a bit of plantain. It was a revelation! So delicious, I ate the lot. Had several other cazuelas, superb! Cazuela is a delicate broth thickened with cornmeal. The most memorable had huge chunks of lobster, langoustine and crab, all as fresh as a daisy. It also had small black chewy things in it which Jorge couldn't translate. But they were delicious, so down they went. Another nice dish I have forgotten the name of, but it consisted of a very thick sweetened cornmeal pancake filled with a creamy but tart sheeps cheese, a spicy black pudding and a less spicy pork sausage. What a combination! But the most memorable meal was the simplest - a huge bowl of empanadillas - small pasties filled with potatoes and meat, delicately spiced. And some very decent pilsner-style beer to go with it. We feasted while staring out to sea where the humpback whales frollicked. Everything was dirt cheap. A meal for three with free-flowing beers came to about a fiver. And, as you would expect, the coffee is mind-blowingly good.
Sleep was almost impossible. Beggars/prostitutes were banging on my door or shouting outside. When they were moved on, the sound of the docks or the air conditioning was too loud. I eventually would drop off for an hour or two of sweaty, exhausted sleep.
I left Buenaventura just in time, or I would have been stuck there another 4 days. Its an experience I won't forget, and if there is another task there, I won't complain about going back.
I enjoyed this op as have just finished Cocaine Train by Stephen Smith which is about him tracing his bloodline through Colombia, it sounded not the number one hoiday destination but I cannot help feeling I wouldn't mind going.
Freespirit 06.04.2001 16:56
Fabulous opinion - but I don't think I'll make any plans to visit this part of the world - thanks. Hope there's more like this to come.
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Apr 6th, 2001
very helpful by (87%):
helpful by (7%):
somewhat helpful by (7%):
