About a week ago, Magnolia asked if we would be interested in a trip to the coffee region of Colombia. This was a trip that we had considered last time we were here, but decided not to venture too far away from the city of Cali. Both of our adoption agencies at the time, and the U.S. Department of State had warned us of the dangers related to travel into the “rural” areas of Colombia. The warning then read much like they do now.
Statements like these would strike fear in the heart of any traveler. “The Department of State reminds U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to Colombia…violence linked to narco-trafficking continues to affect some rural areas and parts of large cities…exercise caution and remain vigilant as terrorist and criminal activities remain a threat throughout the country…Explosions occur throughout Colombia on a regular basis…Small towns and rural areas of Colombia can still be extremely dangerous due to the presence of terrorists and narco-traffickers…Although the incidence of kidnapping in Colombia has diminished significantly from its peak in 2000, it remains a threat, and is of particular concern in rural areas…One U.S. citizen was kidnapped and killed in March 2011, and another was kidnapped and freed in May 2011…the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited.” (note: the full statement is documented below)
Of course, if you look up travel information for foreigners to the United States, the information isn’t all that flattering either. Terrorism, street crime, attacks with guns, and gang violence are all concerns for foreign travelers. Travel hints like, “Don’t wear jewelry, stay in well lit areas, don’t leave your door open, and travel only on main roads” are all listed. So, the reality is, people are the same everywhere. Sure, some places have more issues than others, but the bottom line when traveling is just be smart. It doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the rich culture that a country has to offer, just make sure you travel smart and I recommend always travel with a local.
So, saying all that, we weren’t going to pass up the opportunity again. We began planning the trip and discovered that the cost of making the trip was only a little more than what we were paying to stay in Cali, so we invited our friends from Texas to go with us and hit the road (it wasn’t really that simple, but for the sake of space, I will leave it at that). I hope that my account of this trip will be a help to other families that come to adopt in Cali. I hope that you will embrace the culture that your new son or daughter is coming from and be willing to venture out a little to see this amazing place that is Colombia.
Okay, I have mentioned our friends from Texas a couple of times, but they haven’t really gotten a formal introduction (I don’t think). So, here it is. Michael and Stephanie are a first time adopting couple from Texas. I met them for the first time as they were  exploring the dark hotel when they first arrived wondering what in the world they had gotten themselves into (it was Sunday night and the staff had all retired for the evening). Their non-English speaking driver had picked them up at the airport and dropped them in their room. Since they are like us and don’t speak Spanish (we all relied on Google Translator a lot on this trip), they had no idea what was going on. Thankfully I had needed to fill our water bottles and bumped into them at the water cooler. They told me later how thankful they were that they had met me that night. Their first night was a lot like ours when we got Cameron – Arrival Day for Cameron’s Adoption (expect I wasn’t there to calm my nerves…that would have been weird…like something out of a time travel movie or something). Anyway, Michael and Stephanie are adopting a beautiful young lady (13 years old) from Buga where Cameron and Cooper are from. We have been sharing many of our experiences together for the past week. We have enjoyed having some friends to talk and share with. Plus, Ana has been a great babysitter. She is going to make a great big sister.
So, back to the trip. We had a wonderful trip up to the coffee region, stopping about halfway up for some wonderful Colombian lunch. For the record, Michael and I learned that in some parts of Colombia, a “ham” burger is just that. It has a beef patty, a slice of ham, and then the normal stuff you see on a burger in the states. We both thought that we were getting a little taste of home…oh, well. =)
We passed through some amazing country on our way to a city called Armenia. As we got closer to the city, we started seeing lots of….banana trees!! (you thought I was going to say coffee plants, didn’t you). Yeah, the local folks joke about how the coffee region is becoming the banana region. There are so many banana trees. Fun fact: did you know that the average banana tree only produces one or two bunches of bananas before it is cut down and a new tree is planted! I guess that it why they have to have so many. =)
We also started seeing a lot of coffee plants too. The coffee plant only grows at a certain altitude, so I am sure that we will see more later on in the week. We are going to the National Coffee Park on Wednesday, so I am sure we will see a lot of coffee then.
Once we got to the hotel, we took a little nap before dinner. Afterwards we played in the pool for a bit and then I watched a little bit of a movie before calling it a day. Tomorrow we are going to tour a little town called Salento. It is supposed to be a really old town with a lot of authentic Colombian architecture.
Many of the pictures below were taken in a moving vehicle, so I hope the beauty of the country side is not lost.
Full Statement from the US Department of State:
“The Department of State reminds U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to Colombia. Security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, including in tourist and business travel destinations such as Cartagena and Bogota, but violence linked to narco-trafficking continues to affect some rural areas and parts of large cities. This replaces the Travel Warning for Colombia issued February 21, 2012, to update information on recent security incidents and terrorist activity.
While the Embassy possesses no information concerning specific and credible threats against U.S. citizens in Colombia, we strongly encourage you to exercise caution and remain vigilant as terrorist and criminal activities remain a threat throughout the country. Two people were killed and approximately 60 injured by a car bomb during an assassination attempt on the life of a former Interior Minister on May 15, 2012. Explosions occur throughout Colombia on a regular basis, including some in Bogota itself. Small towns and rural areas of Colombia can still be extremely dangerous due to the presence of terrorists and narco-traffickers, including armed criminal gangs (referred to as “BACRIMs†in Spanish), that are active throughout much of the country. Violence associated with the BACRIM has spilled over into many of Colombia’s major cities. These groups are heavily involved in the drug trade.
Although the incidence of kidnapping in Colombia has diminished significantly from its peak in 2000, it remains a threat, and is of particular concern in rural areas. Terrorist groups and other criminal organizations continue to kidnap and hold civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips. No one is immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors. One U.S. citizen was kidnapped and killed in March 2011, and another was kidnapped and freed in May 2011. The U.S. government places the highest priority on the safe recovery of kidnapped U.S. citizens, but it is U.S. policy not to make concessions to or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently, the U.S. government’s ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited.
U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel to major cities in the country, but normally only by air. They may not use inter- or intra-city bus transportation, or travel by road outside urban areas at night. U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia must file a request to travel to any area in Colombia outside of two general areas. The first area is outlined by the cities of Bogota, Anolaima, Cogua, and Sesquile. The second area is on the Highway 90 corridor that connects Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta. All U.S. citizens in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions and exercise extra caution outside of the aforementioned areas.” -Â http://travel.state.gov/
