Colombia - the only risk is wanting to stay!

After deciding to visit Bogota, Colombia this week, some of my friends/family asked me, “Why?” Colombia has a reputation for being the drug capital of the world and a place where kidnappings are a common occurrence. In some surveys, Colombia is still rated one of the top ten most dangerous countries in the world, but that is definitely not what I found after arriving in Bogota, the capital city.

While lacking the culture of Buenos Aires, it makes up for it in its charm and hospitality. I booked my hotel after seeing some excellent reviews of it in some of the travel magazines. I couldn’t have made a better decision. Located in the historical center of the city known as La Candelaria, I was close to a lot of the touristy sites like Plaza Bolivar, Museo del Oro and Montserrat but still just a $5.00 taxi ride away from the nightlife and restaurant scene.

I booked the hotel’s top floor suite, which consisted of two floors with a bedroom, a living/dining/office area and a second floor with another bedroom and a ceiling of windows overlooking the surrounding mountains and city.

While the architecture and history of the city was very impressive, what I found most charming were the people. Everywhere I went, everyone went out of their way to help. Two times I got lost, policemen walked me to the site I was looking for, even though it was 15 or 20 blocks away. One even took a bus with me to make sure I got there OK and then shook my hand and told me to enjoy his country.

Yesterday, I took a cable car to Montserrat, a mountain 10,000 feet above sea level offering a spectacular 360 degree view of Bogota and explored Plaza Bolivar, where many of the government buildings are situated.

Recently, to counter the negative image Colombia has because of its reputation in the media, it launched a public relations campaign to encourage tourism. Its slogan: “Colombia – The only risk is wanting to stay.” Very true.  I was tempted to.

To see more photos from my trip, click here.