COLOMBIA and the Old Hippie GRINGO

"Mi Medellin," Where are the pigs? There just has to be some pigs! NOT!

Let's just start by saying whatever you think you know about COLOMBIA - forget it! My little Lady is from Medellin, and we have lived the last 3 years in the cloud forests while I advised the railroad system.

As a railroad guy, I never see the bright side of a town, but in Colombia, rich or poor - every side is the bright side. I was there 27 years ago and damn near killed by soldiers who mistook me for a Russian. At that time the country was in chaos, it's long democratic traditions were turned on it's weak military when rogue states sent in invading armys.

Today you see a completely different Colombia. On every corner is enterprise and explosive growth. A spirit is in the air that is "CAN DO". Contrary to stupid American movies, there are no pigs in the streets or chickens in the restaurants. In fact even villages have restaurants that WE would rate as 4 or 5 star! Freeways, mile long coal trains, container ports, skyscrapers, automobile plants, and a huge farming sector really does make this paradise.

The President got a hold on things with a new bill that made the miliary professional. Young peasant boys and girls without benefit of education can join the military and get it all - including college. They created a GI bill and VA type benefits that take care of their heros for life. They train in Israel the UK and USA. All three countries supply the weapons to fight the fading insurgents...(in fact nearly extinct). Army, police and national police teams also took up station in EVERY community in the country. Pride took the place of apathy.

Do Americans get killed or kidnapped there? Well yes, it "could happen", but knowing the country like I do now, when I hear it on the news it always has a twist. This twist will never make it to the ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS broadcasts.
You see it would be like finding two murdered Colombians in the middle of the Everglades. Which begs the immediate question, WHAT were they doing in the middle of the Everglades??

Put another way, Medellin, once "The worlds most dangerous city" has a crime rate that has fallen 500%... NO SHIT! The violent crime rate in Medellin today is 1/5 that of Jacksonville, FL - or 1/10 that of Orlando - or 1/8 that of Miami.

Today Colombia is the 3Rd largest country in Latin America, just a tad bigger then Argentina. It's economy is the 3Rd largest in the Hispanic World. 24% of all foods that are imported to the USA come out of Colombia. The worlds leading source of orchids and floral industry flowers, 2Nd largest exporter of OIL to the USA and largest exporter of high grade cleaner burning coal. The most amazing thing about Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart here is that everything is made somewhere else. The amazing thing about Exito - Flamingo - Lay or Caraful Stores are that nearly everything you touch, from food to appliances -clothes to china and furniture... All PRODUTO DE LA REPUBLICA DE COLOMBIA!

Awesome? I have found EDEN and it's friendly, close to home and LOVES AMERICANS. Just remember if you go there, we are all one people, these are your family and they deserve to be treated as such.


BROTHER BOB