NameSilvia
Area CoveredColombia
InterestsMarine conservation, Music, Environmental work, Arts & literature

Introducing Silvia - your Friend at the other End!

About Me

Hi, my name is Silvia. After living in Bogota for 25 years, I moved to Pamplona, a small colonial city on the Andean mountains of Colombia near the Venezuelan border. I am a biologist with a MSc in Biodiversity and Ecology. Currently, I am part of the Research Group of Ecology and Biogeography at the Universidad de Pamplona where we are doing research on ecology of threatened animal species such as brocket deer, curassows, and tapirs. I am also involved in a NGO called Fundacion Caipora, doing research and developing strategies for biodiversity conservation. Since I was a child, I have felt attracted to other cultures. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to live abroad, meet people from different countries and visit wonderful places. Travelling has been an important part of my life, allowing me to learn from first hand about the great value of each culture including those in my country. I wish that more people knew about Columbia as a tourist destination. With the right local contact person, you can plan an amazing trip in this beautiful country.

Rough Guides Introduction and basics

Salto de Bordones falls, San Augustin area, Southern Colombia
Photographer: Jamie Marshall
Copyright: Jamie Marshall

Home to a rich history, stunning natural scenery and some of the continent's friendliest and most sophisticated people, Colombia offers many reasons to visit. Unfortunately, the threat of violence hangs over every aspect of Colombian life - and not only for those involved in the country's drug trade or its four-decade-long civil war. There's every reason to be cautious about a trip to Latin America's fourth largest nation - as Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano has pointed out, there are more homicides in any given weekend in Cali or Medellín than in an entire year in Norway. If that weren't bad enough, Colombia is also the kidnapping capital of the world.
Colombians like to call their country Locombia, or the "mad country", a nickname that alludes not only to their self-destructive streak but also their penchant for revelry. This exuberance is among Colombians' greatest charms, as though they are compensating for their country's poor reputation abroad by being some of the warmest and friendliest hosts anywhere. Perhaps this warmth owes itself to their diverse roots - more than any other country in the Andes, the mixture of the European with the African and indigenous is more complete. The result is a rich culture and a nation of proud citizens anxious to show their country off.
There's certainly plenty to put on display. In an area roughly the size of France, Colombia - the only country in South America to border both the Pacific and the Caribbean - offers every eco-system imaginable, from the Amazon rainforest near Leticia to the snowcapped mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The same rugged landscape that has long fragmented economic and political power could still contribute to Colombia's future prosperity should the war end and tourism follow its natural course.
For now, though, tourism is barely even an industry. Only about 750,000 foreigners arrived to Colombia in 2002, most of them to do business or visit family. Perhaps that's why experienced travellers rightfully refer to the country as Latin America's best-kept secret.

© 2009 ROUGH GUIDES LTD

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