Colombia: it's complicated

In many ways Colombia reminds me of South Africa – its land area, population and the size of its economy are all comparable. It has a wealth of beauty, biodiversity and minerals. It has a complicated history - of invasion, colonialism, disenfranchisement of indigenous people – a troubled present (an unpopular president) and an uncertain future.

What do you know about Colombia? You may know about the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebels? 52 years of civil war (220,000 dead, 7 million displaced). Have you heard about the peace treaty from last year – the one that the public voted down in a referendum (51-49%) and then it went ahead anyway? The president, Santos, went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, but we’ve spoken to more than a few locals who reckon it’s all a smokescreen. I’m sure you know Colombia’s the biggest producer and trafficker of cocaine in the world (about $4bn/year)? But did you also know the eastern half of the country is made up of vast swathes of open savannah, and the northern reaches of the Amazon rain-forest? Did you know it’s home to spectacled bears (yes, I saw 3 of a surviving population of only approximately 700) and jaguars (no, still looking…)? Did you know that there are more bird species in Colombia than in any other country on earth (more than 1900 – of a total of approximately 10,000)? So many challenges, yet so many opportunities…

We arrived on a sailboat, after 5 days on the Caribbean, in the port city of Cartagena. It’s the oldest surviving city in South America and surely boasts some of the most striking colonial architecture. In amongst its beauty, though, there was a fair amount of grime, and we were offered drugs countless times, including cocaine presented in an open palm. This happened often in the alleyway where we were staying, in between children playing and grannies drinking their tea. It was a strange blend. Cartagena will also be remembered for the most intense combination of heat and humidity of the entire trip, which incapacitated us between 8am and 5pm. Thank God for air-conditioning.

At times, the towns and countryside made us feel like we were in Tuscany, and at others, orderly, fertile valleys looked just like Gruyere in Switzerland. Of course, there were also times when the highways were blocked by burning trees and protesters.

We hiked to 3912m and limped all the way down with a swollen ankle. We sipped organic, small-batch coffee on the farm where it was produced (you might also know Colombia claims to produce the highest quality coffee in the world), took 10hrs to drive 150kms on more than one occasion (think windy mountain roads criss-crossing the Andes, with one lane in each direction, no place to overtake, and many MANY trucks). We rode across beautiful landscapes on horse-back and visited ancient rock sculptures from lost civilizations.

And we “survived” yet another country where people may tell you “you just shouldn’t go.”