The Colombian Myth Uncovered - No Longer A Holiday Risk

Johnny Depp waits, nervously perspiring in the mid-day heat of the Colombian jungle. Hovering behind each shoulder is just a heavily armed guard, ready to put a bullet in him. Across the square where he's standing two men are speaking. One of them signals in desolation, and the other one replies by getting a gun to his head, pulling the trigger and as the human anatomy crumples to the ground causing a red spot on the wall behind him. Depp flinches as Pablo Escobar, the most powerful drug lord in the annals of the planet smoothly turns away from the delivery and strides towards him.It is a world from the favorite Hollywood movie, Blow, but it might be anybody of a number of films presenting Latino in South Beach. Medications, violence, problem. Anytime Colombia comes up, it always appears to be a dangerous place that the primary figure of the history must brave to accomplish his goal. A steady flow of TELEVISION shows like Miami Vice and movies like Scarface in popular culture have over and over held us under the effect that the nation is run by the primary participants of the international drug trade and their business. Added to the blend the annals of terrorism, abuse and crime that's bubbled up in to the news seeming every month up before the current, and you find yourself considering Colombia because the last place that you'd desire to visit.Is this a true picture of Colombia? Most certainly not. Lets take a look at a couple of activities over the last couple of decades that will break Colombia's unfair reputation.- On December 2nd, 1992 Pablo Escobar was killed in a fire-fight with Colombian authorities. Within a handful of years all the leaders of competing cartels were either killed or imprisoned.- Colombia's murder rate, for a lot of years among the best in the planet, has almost halved since 2002.- In the recent decade violence in Colombia has decreased significantly. Many paramilitary groups have demobilized within a questionable peace process with the federal government, and control has been lost by guerrilla groups in several areas where they once dominated.- There's been a large lower in noted kidnappings - from 3,700 in the entire year 2,000 to 172 in 2009. That's a decrease of over two thousand percent.- Lonely Planet picked Colombia as one of their top ten world spots for 2006. If the hottest manual in the planet encourages you to get, it will give somewhat of confidence.- to you According to the Colombia Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Colombia received 2,348,948 guests in 2008. They say there's safety in numbers. Plenty of indicators show that travelers are flocking to the nation to taste its diverse and beautiful sights and thanks to an experienced government, the hazards of Colombia are decreasing. If you finally kiss goodbye to the scare-stories, you can soon be experiencing the beaches and walled town of Cartagena, Medellin's Festival of the Flowers, or anyone of the country's national parks, including the Tayrona National Nature Park on the Caribbean coast.Nevertheless, the problems that do exist in Colombia may provide to sour your trip if you do not have a well-informed strategy to the up-to-date state of the region. You certainly do not wish to result in a negative place or situation through ignorance. Make sure you check your Government's website for the newest data, or if you're likely to Colombia with a tour company, question them what things to expect or avoid to help keep safe and have a happy, satisfying Colombia vacation.