Colombia . . . Go beyond Hollywood stereotypes
By Tom Adkinson
September 30, 2022

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Cast aside your stereotypes of Colombia from “Miami Vice,” “Law & Order” and “Chicago PD.”

Pablo Escobar is no more a representative for his country than Al Capone or the Unabomber were for the United States. Colombia deserves better than to endure negative images that the entertainment industry uses to capture the eyeballs of mass audiences.

When you look beyond the hype, Colombia is more than a pleasant surprise for today’s visitors. It is a trove of treasures – historical, cultural, culinary and personal. It is big, diverse, wild, beautiful and inviting – and its citizens are open, friendly and helpful to visitors.

Bogotá, the capital of this democracy of 48 million citizens, is closer than you might suspect – about four hours from Miami, five hours from Atlanta and Houston, and six hours from Toronto (all non-stops).

When you step off the plane, you might need to catch your breath. The airport is nice, but not breathtaking on its own. The reason you may pause is that you’ve landed on an expansive plateau at 8,600 feet elevation in the Andes Mountains.

“I like to say we are half again closer to heaven than Denver is,” said American writer and Bogotá resident Charles McNair.

Bogotá is a metropolis of more than 11 million, and you can no more absorb it in one visit than you could absorb New York City in one visit. Still, it’s fun to sample what you can.

Bogotá’s highlight reel is action packed. The Spanish colonial architecture of government buildings and churches in the Plaza de Bolivar sets an Old World tone as you visit attractions such as the Gold Museum (see why the invading Spanish went gold crazy) and the Botero Museum (chuckle at the chubby characters painted by Colombian Fernando Botero and then admire works by Picasso, Renoir, Dalí and Matisse).

You quickly notice Bogotá’s street art scene. Graffiti and more formal murals are omnipresent, often giddily colorful, sometimes political and occasionally humorous. (An illegal graffiti escapade be Canadian singer Justin Bieber in 2013 was a strange catalyst for subsequent spray paint expressions of others. Ask a local to explain.)

Vibrant neighborhoods filled with shops and markets invite you to wander. Enticing open-air restaurants accent many markets. Colombia produces fruits and vegetables you’ve probably never seen before, so it’s not a sin to ask, “Just what is that?” when offered a guanabana the size of two footballs.

To look down on the sprawling city, take a cable car to 10,000 feet elevation to visit the sanctuary of Monserrate. There is a walking trail, but don’t try that on your first day in the city.

It sounds improbable, but there’s another religious destination that soars over Monserrate. It’s the Virgin of Guadalupe statue, whose outstretched arms are 11,020 feet above sea level. You’ll need to travel by car to reach it.

Bogota is only a starting point for a Colombian exploration. The country, sometimes called “the Gateway to South America,” is twice as big as France and wildly diverse in topography, scenery and wildlife.

You probably benefit from Colombia’s botanical lushness virtually every week. If you see a floral display in a church or an office or buy some cut flowers for your sweetheart, they likely came from Colombia. Around 75 percent of the cut flowers sold in America are from here, according to the USDA.

Colombia has coastlines on the Pacific and the Caribbean (cruise ship travelers often get a taste of tropical Cartagena), while inland areas boast whitewater rivers in the Andes, coffee-growing regions of worldwide fame and many miles of the Amazon River that slices through the rainforests. Eco-lodges in the Amazon basin are at the other end of the spectrum from the fancy hotels of Bogotá and other major cities.

Even though a line in a Jimmy Buffett song says you may “soon learn a word of Spanish or two,” you can manage with English, a smile, and perhaps a translator app on your smartphone in Colombia.

Colombians are friendly, helpful and sometimes amused by visitors’ communication challenges.

An encounter I had with a taxi driver proved that bonds can be found, even in odd situations. I enjoy trying to chat with cabbies, and as I introduced myself to one in Bogotá and said I was from Nashville, Tennessee, he beamed and began singing.

“Smoky Mountain rain, keep on falling,” he crooned. “Ronnie Milsap, no?”

His English, except for song lyrics, was as weak as my Spanish, but we had a great laugh and saw each other as real people.

As a citizen of the world, you owe it to yourself to look beneath the patina of a nation’s stereotypes. Your rewards may be gold, culinary treats or a singing taxi cab driver on the busy streets of Bogotá.

Trip-planning resources: Colombia.travel and BogotaDC.travel