Colombians are a major part of life, here in Houston.
It is estimated that there are as many as 50,000 Colombians living in the Houston area. There is a major Colombian Consulate office, here in Houston. There are about 25 Colombian restaurants in Houston, with delicious typical dishes. (For those of you who assume that Colombian food is like Mexican food, think again! The cuisine in South America is very different than Mexican or "Tex-Mex" food.) And, every year on July 20, there are two or three major Colombian Independence Day festivals held at parks around Houston, with thousands of people in attendance. (I've attended these events the last two years, and had a great time.)
A mi me encanta viajar a Colombia! Translation: I love traveling to Colombia! And, I strongly encourage you to visit Colombia, at least ONCE in your life. It is a country rich with history, music, art, food, architecture, beaches, islands, recreation, and great people.
Of course, Colombia is known for its delicious "mountain-grown" coffee. Also, the world's finest emeralds are mined in Colombia. About 50% of the roses sold in the US every day are grown in Colombia and shipped here to our florists. For those of you who share my love of butterflies, you'll find more species in Colombia than in any other country.
Oh... and, for you men out there who are single (as I am)... "las Colombianas" are some of the most stunningly beautiful women in the world! Trust me on this!
By the way, that's me in the photo, on a trip to Colombia, dressed in a Colombian poncho and a sombrero volteado, which is a hand-made typical Colombian hat.
Unfortunately, many people in the US still believe that Colombia is a dangerous place to visit. Well, that is an OLD reputation, based on OLD news. Sure, there are still some unsafe places to go in Colombia, just as there are some unsafe places to go, right here in the US! But, under the leadership of Colombia's President Uribe over the past several years, Colombia has become a MUCH, MUCH safer country to visit than it had previously been. I travel there frequently, and have NEVER had ANY problem there, whatsoever.
I love Colombia's current tourism slogan: "COLOMBIA... The only risk is wanting to stay!"
There are a couple of direct flights every day, from Houston to the Colombian capital city of Bogota. And there are a number of flights that originate in Houston, and then have one stop in another city (often Miami) before continuing to Bogota and other Colombian destinations.
Below are some of the places I've visited in Colombia. I am currently updating the information for each of these destinations on this page. Visit here again soon, to get my personal recommendations for where to stay, where to eat, what to do, etc.
