Adventures of Colombia Essay
We traveled to Colombia to experience all that Colombia had to offer. Colombia is a beautiful but dangerous country filled with breath taking landscapes, diverse cultures, and a unique history. The country has a rich history stemming from the native people of Colombia and the Spanish. Colombia was settled by Spain with the formation of aristocratic estates. A history of violence has been present in Colombia since its independence in 1821 from Spain. There was a civil war in 1921, another from 1899 to 1903 and yet another in 1948-57. Most of these wars involved two rival political parties, the Liberals and Conservatives. Presently there are numerous small guerrilla and drug gang wars. The prevalent drug industry is suggested to amount to a large part of the country’s national income. The operators of this industry are believed to bribe government officials. Colombia is being aided by the United States and other countries in their promotion of peace, war against the narcotics industry, revival of the economy, improvement for the respect of human rights, and strengthening the democratic and social institutions of the country.
Colombia is a democratic country; yet even with democratic elections held violence still is widespread The Presidency is alternated because of the negotiated compromise between the Liberal and Conservative parties. There are also left wing guerillas and a powerful criminal element in the shape of the Cocaine dealers who have used the profits of their illegal trade to buy land and legitimate businesses, and also becoming a political power. The United States also holds and influence on the country by trying to limit or eliminate the drug trade, by trying dealers in the United States. The Constituent Assembly drew up a new constitution trying to fix some of the problems and violence that Colombia has.
Colombia has an important agricultural economy, including coffee, but it is suggested that Colombia’s largest industry is the illegal processing and distribution of Cocaine and Marijuana, mostly to the United States and Europe. The money from the drug industry affects the whole society many of the countries wealthy include the notorious drug dealers.
When thinking of “Colombian” food we Americans often think of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, or chimichangas, but Colombian dishes contain chicken, beef, fish, rice, potatoes, yuca, plantains, soup, and juice just to name a few. Most combination plates at a Colombian restaurant consist of meat served with potato, yuca or plantain, a small portion of salad, a bowl of soup, and juice. Restaurants are inexpensive in Colombia but as we say in America, “ The best cooked meal is a home cooked meal.”
Listen to the music! Not everyone listens to American music there are several varied musical forms in Colombia which include Vallenato, the Cumbia, Bolero, and Salsa. The Vallenato is an extremely popular Afro-Colombian music originating from Valledupar. The song form modulated with the times, taking on a mild rock rhythm for dancing. Cumbia is another Afro-Colombian rapid beat. These songs are typically light hearted. Bolero is usually a deeper, romanticized love song. Its roots originally stem from Cuba, but gained popularity in Colombia from 1919. Salsa is, like the bolero, a transplant. From its most popular base in Cali, it has impacted the rest of Colombian culture with its high-energy salsa dance form. But there are also some American influenced music including rap, country, techno, and R&B.
Entertainment tonight! Colombia has many activities including historical and artistic museums. Beautiful beaches line the coasts of Colombia and rainforest engulf some of the inlands. Soccer and bullfighting are the predominant sports in Colombia. Colombia comes is alive with music everywhere. Nights in Colombia are brought to life with blaring music in the streets and restaurants and nightclubs on every street corner. This is the hotspot.
Colombia is made up of many positive and negative things that make it unique and different from the rest of the world. So let’s go already.
