"Colombia is dangerous…if you're drunk or high," explained Matilda over our breakfast of stuffed maize in banana leaf with coffee. Meanwhile, her affectionate schnauzer named Vodka vied for our attention. Matilda was twenty-four years old, with small features, a face full of freckles, and dark curly hair. She was wearing a business suit, ready to take on another day at the office in the bustling capital city of Bogota, Colombia. "I used to work at a hotel," she went on, taking a sip from her coffee, "One day, we received a room service request from a gringo in an upscale suite. When we arrived, he was so coked out that his face was beet red and he was dripping with sweat. Many tourists come here for drugs. They party too hard, and don't care about anything else. Then, they act surprised when they're robbed."

"The tourists I'd met in La Candelaria were telling me that everyone gets held up at knife point in Colombia," I retorted, "Like it was a rite of passage."

"That's not true," Matilda continued, "Maybe if you're walking around by yourself late at night and you're heavily intoxicated as the tourists like to do. And of course, a taxi is going to be dangerous if you are alone and intoxicated. You are making yourself an easy target. But if you keep a level head, then you'll be alright."

"I've found that's true just about anywhere in the world," I replied, considering my past experiences, "If you go looking for trouble, you're going to find it. Yet, I believe if you go looking for cultural immersion, you can certainly find that too!"

"My country wasn't always so safe," Matilda went on, "When I was growing up, Colombia was a scary place. It's gotten a lot better in recent years."

In fact, not long ago, Colombia was one of the most dangerous places in the world.

"Ask almost anyone around the world about Colombia and they are likely to evoke images of violence and narcotics…The basis of this image lies in the reality of the country in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time in which a combination of leftist insurgents and right-wing paramilitaries, together with the world's largest cocaine cartels and a weak state, conspired to create an explosive cocktail of ruthless violence and daily kidnapping" (Control Risks: 2007).

Fortunately, Colombia has come a long way in the past decade, thanks to proactive political and social reform. Yet, it is obvious that their reputation for conflict still sticks. When first I told my family and coworkers that I was going to Colombia, a lot of them responded with grave concern for my safety.

"It's dangerous!" cried my mother, "You're going to get shot!"

The other reaction I got was one of suspicion, as if I were only going to consume mountains of cocaine. Was it so hard to believe that I was going to Colombia for the culture? That I wanted to experience the food, the music, and to practice my Spanish with the people of this nation? According to Globe Trooper, a travel resource, there are three major misconceptions about Colombia.

"Misconception 1: Colombia is full of cocaine-addled drug addicts



Misconception 2: Colombia is dangerous; you will get robbed, kidnapped, shot, or possibly killed



Misconception 3: There's really nothing much to see in Colombia" (Globetrooper Todd: 2010).

​The truth is that Colombia's rich with historical, architectural, and culinary experiences. There are numerous museums and colonial structures, not to mention the gorgeous Andes Mountains, which are hollowed by salt caves and blanketed by rolling green pastures. Perhaps I shouldn't even be saying any of this, because in my opinion, Colombia is one of the world's best kept secrets. I'll be damned if I'm the one who lets the cat out of the bag. Yet, people seem eager to blow it off faster than a line of cocaine.

Not many tourists go to Colombia, although I did run into a good number of Germans. What's unfortunate for Colombia is that for the most part, tourists who do visit their country often do more damage than good by encouraging the highly profitable drug culture that is found in neighborhoods like La Candelaria.

"It's hardly shocking that some travelers in Colombia can't resist trying the country's most famous product, but it seems the drug is becoming a tourist attraction in itself. Just as you try steak in Argentina and caipirinhas in Brazil; in Colombia, you sample the coke…[It] seems to further distance travelers from the serious reality of the country's problems…The homepage of his [hostel] website features a prominent plea asking travelers not to do drugs in his home country and to be aware of the trouble they are causing. 'If not for your own well-being, we would encourage you to refrain from supporting violence against the Colombian people by purchasing cocaine'…'The type of traveler coming to Colombia is changing,' he [the hostel owner] says...'A lot more people are here just to party'" (Baker: 2008).

The Colombian people are some of the kindest and most hospitable people in the world, once they are given the chance to present their culture beyond the negative stereotypes. When people go to Colombia just to party, not only does it isolate them from the locals who truly understand the horrific consequences generated by demand for cocaine, but it encourages cartels that continue to destroy the lives of innocent Colombians. Some tourists continue to be blinded by powder, selfishly feeding their numbing indulgences while ignorant to the desperate plight of many virtuous Colombian people. I asked Chicago musician Diana Mosquera, a native Colombian, to comment on this issue.

"Colombia has a bad reputation mainly because of the drug issue, but the reality is that Colombia is a beautiful country. In a world study of happiness, Colombia was the third country in the world with the happiest people…It makes me a little sad for the ones [tourists] that isolate from the culture because they miss a lot…Our bad reputation is mainly because of ignorance about the true Colombia. By promoting our culture, food, traditions, music, to the world, [we can] show the other face of Colombia to the world" (Interview with Diana Mosquera 3/27/2013).

I found Colombia to have an extraordinary culture, rich in music, art, and historical value. Thanks to the many Colombians who found pleasure in teaching me about their language, I learned new terms and vocabulary while gaining confidence in casual conversation. Most Colombians expressed awe in encountering a young tourist who was interested in their food, language, and culture, as if this were out of the ordinary. This was beneficial to my own self-interests, because it meant that locals were willing to go the extra mile to share all of their knowledge and to make me feel welcome in their beautiful country. I was invited to numerous social gatherings, including a Spanish language karaoke party. It was there that I was introduced to Colombian hot dogs, covered in mayo and pineapple sauce, and a pitcher of "Lulu", the drink of truth.

Another memorable experience took place when I was invited to a family dinner by a girl named Alejandra. Tall and thin with long dark hair, it was obvious that Alejandra's family had pulled all the stops to treat me as a special guest in their home. Her brother and father flipped through a coffee table book featuring pictures of Colombia, while describing the history behind each location. Then, they pulled out several albums. They proceeded to teach me about their traditional music and dance, with origins in the fusion of African and indigenous rhythms. As we gathered around the table for supper, the entire family laughed and giggled as they urged me to try one of their traditional dishes, which looked like ground sausage. It was revealed to be cow intestine, and it wasn't half bad!

"The most dangerous thing about Colombia," remarked Alejandra's father, as he peeled away at an exotic orange fruit, "Is that you will never want to leave!"

It was true. I loved Colombia. During my stay, I never once felt threatened. The only time I felt unease was when I was around other foreigners, who openly participated in risky behavior. I remember walking down the streets of La Candelaria's hostel district, observing the tourists who seemed to wander agitatedly, covered in dirt and sweat, evidently coked out of their skulls. I knew they wouldn't experience the same version of Colombia that I was experiencing. I spent the majority of my trip exclusively hanging out with Colombian locals, exploring new sites and customs. It was beyond amazing, and I wouldn't have traded it for all the drugs in the world.

Baker, Vicky. "The Rise of the Cocaine Tourist." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 01 Apr. 2008. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. .

"Control Risks." Schinnerer, Apr. 2007. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. .

Globetrooper Todd. "Does Colombia Still Deserve Its Reputation?" Globetrooper Travel Blog. N.p., 7 Oct. 2010. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. .