Despite the travel warnings issued by many governments Colombia can safely be visited and lived in providing you follow certain guidelines. Colombians are very proud of their country and with good reason. The people are educated and so full of life that the country is affectionately known as 'Loco'-mbia.

The civil war is conducted between the government, the various guerrilla factions and the right wing paramilitaries. If you stay away from the conflict, you can travel in Colombia and enjoy it in a way that you'd be hard pushed to find in much of Latin America. It's cost of living compares to Thailand's, the people are smart and engaging, and the country is exceptionally beautiful. Tourism in most of the country is uncommon making you somewhat of a novelty . Just keep your eyes open.

The major cities are Bogota, Medellin, and Cali in the center, and Baranquilla and Cartagena on the coast. The center is predominantly white and is where the money is. The coast has the African influence. There are significant social rifts between the Cachacos -the inland people, and the Costenos -the coastal folk.

Bogota is the capital and parts of it feel like Europe. With its high altitude, it can be cold and dry. Bogata is one of the wealthier cities of Columbia, with slums located on the southern outskirts of the city.

Medellin and Cali are hotter and more chaotic. The good and bad neighbourhoods are intermingled and there remains a significant mafia infiltration.  Both cities were ruled by drug lords in the early 90's but have calmed down now.

Cartagena , a UN World Heritage Site is full of colonial architecture and has a beach.

It is recommended that you speak Spanish if you are going to Colombia or have friends there to make sure you stay safe. 

Life can be ruthlessly cruel here for the locals. The cities are flooded with refuges from the civil war many of whom fall victim to drug addiction. 

The country is rich in natural resources and has an educated population, and by all rights, should be a prosperous country. But the vast inequalities of wealth have bred other problems, such as cocaine.

It's a very cheap country with terrible inequalities of wealth but what else is new.

Meet the Columbians
Standards of education are very high in Colombia and you'll find good conversation everywhere. People generally only speak English in the rich neighborhoods but the Spanish is amongst the clearest and easiest to understand in the world.

Colombians are family-orientated people and the guys are so famous for loving their mothers that a psychological condition was named after it. Many will only leave the house when they get married or move out of their hometown in search of work.

The nature of the ongoing civil war means that there's a good deal of caution, even paranoia around. The various militant groups have informers and agents working in the cities and so you never really know who you're talking to. For that reason you can feel a certain restraint when talking to people sometimes and it's best to avoid polemic issues like the civil war and cocaine until you know them better.

People are also very cautious due to the risks of kidnapping and street violence. Anyone with their own business could be a target.

Colombians are very patriotic and very Catholic. This doesn't prevent them from going wild when they party but they tend to be very conservative in outlook. Despite the party image of the country, Colombians are often quite conservative people and attitudes towards things like homosexuality can be quite backward.

Appearances are very important and it's common for people to spend half their salaries on their suits.

Like elsewhere in South America, anyone who can afford it will have a maid. She'll be paid the minimum salary of around $80-90 a month.

Nobody ever arrives on time.

They are incredibly inventive in their efforts to make a living. People sell everything everywhere. You may even see people walking into bars to try and sell garden earth.

Work & Money for the Traveler in Colombia 
English teaching is in demand though the wages aren't spectacular. You can make between $200-400 a month which is just about enough to live on. You'll be expected to dress very smartly. 

Teaching private lessons is the best way to go though very erratic. Put adverts in the newspaper and charge around $7 a class though you may be expected to travel to the student's house. Always take money in advance for the month's classes or else they'll postpone and cancel at the last minute or maybe even not show up.

Do not smuggle drugs from Colombia. It is not worth your while, period. The jails are horrendous places that you will not survive and there are informants everywhere.

The same goes for any scam with emeralds. The mafia here is very dangerous.

Colombia is very cheap to travel and live and you can bum around here on about $10 a day. If you live here that could even come down to around $200 a month if you have simple tastes.