Don Quijote or Dante?

Dear community, friends, and families:
If you follow the news, you are probably concerned about the safety of the crew joining the Colombia trip.  Do not be.  Headlines are first and foremost that: attempts to grab your attention away from other matters to focus on the screen or the paper.  As you read our travel entries over January, you will see that Colombia is not Dante's "Inferno" and the students and their faculty leaders are not as Quixotic as we may seem.  I invite you to discover the complexity and beauty of Colombia through our eyes. 
The Colombian tourism agency has a new slogan that says, "the only risk is that you will want to stay."  I promise that I will bring everyone back--even if I have to drag them kicking and screaming onto the plane!
Your team leader,
Myrna Santiago