The common perception of Colombia is that it is an extremely dangerous place to visit because there are drug dealers on every street corner and simply being an anglo-american would almost ensure my abduction and ransom by these hardened criminals, but this could not be further from the truth. I honestly had no idea what to expect out of this trip and was, at times, a little skeptical about our safety prior to arriving, but after being down here for about a week now it is very obvious that we are in good hands well out of harms way. I can see why this country is considered to be the second happiest place on the planet. Being down here and experiencing first hand the living conditions and social structure of this unbelievably beautiful countryside, I feel guilty for ever having second guessed this place. It is sad to realize how misrepresented Colombia is in the eyes of Americans and the world as a whole. Obviously, Colombia managed to achieve its reputation as the staple source of the world's drug trade for a reason, but it only achieved this notoriety as a result of the narcotic's popularity amongst the other nations world wide. That being said however, the world's population has failed miserably in recognizing the amazing things Colombia and its people have to offer the rest of the globe. A recognition that is unfortunately currently impossible to realize without taking the "daring" trip south the the openly feared country.
Eric
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