PBH / colombia (active forums more▼ | travelguide | pictures) / post

Rosy stories about Colombia

Vanman in a recent post you complained that to many people wrote posts painting Colombia in a Rosy light, to many Rosy stories.

This is because for many people living here, Colombia is a Rosy experience. Im an Australian but have decided to live here because for me life in Colombia is rosier than that at home. I live in a smallish town here called San Gil, I feel safe here, I have not had bad experiences so when some of us are writing rosy posts its because this is our experience of Colombia. We do not deny there are problems here. Sometimes in defence against the over the top "all gringos get kidnapped" posts that often appear some people go over the top in saying Colombia is the safest place in the world. But most of the time people are just writing facts: we have lived/travelled here, we have had few problems, we have had great experiences in Colombia and we want people reading these posts to know that it is possible to travel in Colombia.

No one who has lived or travelled here really thinks Colombia is safer than Canada, but it is a common opinion that other Sth American countries with bigger tourist industries are more dangerous to travel and that Colombia shouldn't get stuck with the most dangerous country in the world label.

Post advising people to be careful are definatly needed on this site as are posts discussing crime, kidnappings etc. because in most cases they are facts, as are the rosy posts.

From reading your post it looks like you will be making your first trip here in a month I would love to read your thoughts on the country after you have visited because I wouldn't be suprised if your writing your own rosy PBH story.

I noticed in your travel plans that you were only thinking of visiting Med and Bog because they are safe. Many small towns in Colombia are also safe (safer) and for many are a highlight of the country, try the coffee region.

I have never written ROSY so many times in my life

Have a ROSY day everyone.

By carter on Mar 14, 2005, 13:27 in Friendly Talkzone.

utopiacowboy says on Mar 14, 2005, 13:38:

I always have a wonderful time in Cordoba and never worry about my safety. Walking around Monteria at night. Riding the buses between the towns. The good ol' AUC making it safe for gringoes. How's that for a "rosy" point of view?

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

VanMan says on Mar 14, 2005, 14:05:

rosy-ness I have never said that Colombia is a place that can't be visited by tourists, vistors for a long period of time, or people who plan to move/live there for an extended or indefinite amount of time.

I do plan to have a rosy time in Colombia and I will probably write some rosy stories once I come back. But, to state yes, I DO appreciate both sides of the coin. Rosy points of view and not-so-rosy points of view.

The rosy-ness one.

p.s. Also, one of my best friend is from Colombia originally and our friendship and my relationship with his family is very very rosy.

VanMan

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte says on Mar 14, 2005, 15:20:

vanman go to the promised land...see why you like your colombian friend so much. go where it's safe...go where it's dangerous. they're both part of the colombia i love. i've been close to her breast and i've seen her bloody wounds. and i've even seen her dead corpses and buried my son there. but i love her, she gives me and my wife and child more than the land of my birth. why? i can't answer that.

go yourself, you'll get the answer while you're there. if you don't, it wasn't meant to be. maybe a trip to baghdad will do it for you. for me, after 13 years in the middle east, ending up in colombia was like dying and going to heaven.

good luck, friend, be safe, enjoy yourself, tell us about it when you go home.

dw

0 funny, 0 helpful.