bicrom abroad

in a few years colombia is going to be the must visit destination in south america, surpassing the likes of argentina and possibly even the behemoth that is brazil. it has everything; bustling cities, stunning coastline, snowcapped peaks, a slice of the amazon, ancient indigenous cities hidden in the jungle, the best of what the continent has to offer can be found within its borders. the future welbeing of this country however lies in its ability to provide security in the first instance to its citizens and, consequently, its visitors. whilst the sight of so many policemen and soldiers, all carrying guns of various menace, is deeply unsettling it is evident why they are required. this is a country pulling itself out of decades of conflict and uncertainty, a process which i fear involves spilling a little milk. the progress however is tangible, and the pay off potentially massive.

we loved the things we did see, and now lust after the things we did not have time to get to; san agustin, medellin, manizales, this is a country that could swallow you up for a couple of months and never disappoint. i think we were fortunate to visit at exactly the right time, when its dangerous reputation is largely undeserved but is still fresh enough in the memory for it to not be overrun by tourists. i hope that it does become as popular as its myriad parts deserve as the people are incredibly friendly and warm, especially on the caribbean coast; they deserve the tourist dollar more than i deserve to selfishly maintain a collection of off the beaten track places to call my own. all in all a wonderful fortnight in a diverse, exciting, subliminally joyous country.

rip my brown linen trousers. at my side since 2005 and veteran of numerous farflung destinations, they succumbed to a snarl of barbed wire in the valle de cocora. laid to rest in cartagena, in the sunshine which they so loved. sniff.