General Impressions of Colombia
Since I have spent 2 weeks in Colombia and have visited several places, I feel the need to synthesize my impressions of this country.
1) Generally, people are supernice and kind. Bogota may be a little bit of an exception on some occasions, but overall, cabdrivers, store clerks, hotel workers, all CIAT personnel, and just people I have encountered, have been very nice and helpful.
2) Colombia is a relatively developed country (compared to the rest of the Andean nations). The people are better educated, the communication systems are rather advanced, and even transportation is better organized than in Bolivia and Peru.
3) It has a lot of colonial history. Almost everywhere there is evidence that Colombia was the heart of the Nueva Granada (the name given to Spanish colonies in the New World). Besides, the famous South American Independence hero, Simon Bolivar, lived and died in this country. In addition to the preserved architectural remnants of its past glory, it also boasts of some of the best museums I have been to.
4) It has less indigenous history since most indigenous groups here belonged to small federations unlike huge empires like those of the Incas, Mayas, and the Aztecs. At the same time, Colombia has lots of African history as it was one of the main centers of the slave trade. The mixture of ethnicities gives this country a very interesting atmosphere and a range of its own problems. It is also very regionally-diverse.
5) Even though I had only a few typical meals (a soup called sancocho, fried platano, and fish in Cartagena), all the dishes were delicious. I got completely hooked on fried platano, rice cooked in the coco milk, and cassava (which is a lot softer than the kind that I had in Bolivia and Peru). Besides, having fresh fruit several times a day always suits me well!
1) Generally, people are supernice and kind. Bogota may be a little bit of an exception on some occasions, but overall, cabdrivers, store clerks, hotel workers, all CIAT personnel, and just people I have encountered, have been very nice and helpful.
2) Colombia is a relatively developed country (compared to the rest of the Andean nations). The people are better educated, the communication systems are rather advanced, and even transportation is better organized than in Bolivia and Peru.
3) It has a lot of colonial history. Almost everywhere there is evidence that Colombia was the heart of the Nueva Granada (the name given to Spanish colonies in the New World). Besides, the famous South American Independence hero, Simon Bolivar, lived and died in this country. In addition to the preserved architectural remnants of its past glory, it also boasts of some of the best museums I have been to.
4) It has less indigenous history since most indigenous groups here belonged to small federations unlike huge empires like those of the Incas, Mayas, and the Aztecs. At the same time, Colombia has lots of African history as it was one of the main centers of the slave trade. The mixture of ethnicities gives this country a very interesting atmosphere and a range of its own problems. It is also very regionally-diverse.
5) Even though I had only a few typical meals (a soup called sancocho, fried platano, and fish in Cartagena), all the dishes were delicious. I got completely hooked on fried platano, rice cooked in the coco milk, and cassava (which is a lot softer than the kind that I had in Bolivia and Peru). Besides, having fresh fruit several times a day always suits me well!
posted by HM at
11:04 AM
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