I quickly unlearned all that I was taught to believe about Columbia. Growing up in the Western world, I had been brain-washed to believe such negative things. Because of the small percentage of the population who control the narcotic trafficking business, the rest of the population is given a giant mis-fortunate mark on their forehead as being ‘bad’, which haunts them all of their lives. I have learned that it is more us, the Western world, that is the problem because we are the ones that keep the traffickers in business by purchasing their illegal drugs.
I had no idea how fascinating and beautiful this country could be. Rolling hills, mountains, rivers and oceans and a climate that I consider to be one of the best in the world really surprised me. The people here are equally amazing. They are very educated and have quite a European mentality. In downtown Pereira, a professor caught me off guard when he approached me to talk about our writer/novelist Ismail Kadare. He admitted reading many books from our famous writer and loves his writings. Also, most Columbians that I encountered knew the story of Kosova and actually support our independence. That could have been one of the reasons that the media coverage was so excellent. Finally, the coffee here is excellent, even for someone like me who tries to avoid caffeine.
The one feature of this country that I was dismayed by, however, was the Civil Aviation Authorities. In addition to encountering many bureaucratic issues with them, the airplane parking for our baby plane was $50 for every 24 hour period, which is one of the most expensive prices that I have ever encountered in my entire career of flying. Despite this hiccup in my experience of Columbia, I really hope to return and visit this amazing country again in more detail.
