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J U N E
 2 0 0 9Issue 29
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RIOHACHA, COLOMBIA: THE BEAUTY AND THE BEACH
By Carter Clews Mention Colombia to most people, and they immediately conjure up visions of Pablo Escobar, “Colombian neckties,” and roving gangs of masked bandits. And that’s too bad – especially since Escobar has been dead since 1993 (when the Colombian army killed him), Colombian neckties have long since been relegated to the trash heap of noise rock, and the immensely popular Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has made the streets in Colombia safer than those in most American cities. So, let’s take a look at what’s there now – and maybe, just maybe, you’ll decide that you should be, too. Colombia is the northernmost country of South America, nestled between Venezuela to the east and Ecuador and Peru to the west. It’s the only country on the continent with beachfront coastline on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. About twice the size of Texas (with just under twice as many people), Colombia is a land of dramatic contrasts – from its verdant river valleys to its towering, snow-capped mountains and its pristine white-sand beaches. Generally speaking, the country is divided into four fairly distinct regions. Each offers its own enticements, depending upon the tastes of the tourists – or, with Clews’ Views readers potential investors and re-settlers. Colombia’s Guarjira Peninsula (“Guarjira” apparently being the Spanish word for “What the hell?!”) is a 7,000 square mile desert-like scrubland jutting out into the Caribbean Sea at the northern-most tip of South America. It is sparsely settled, and always has been, largely due to its torrid climate, barren soil, and lack of potable water. So, does this desolate region have any allure? Well, yes, actually, it does – if you are an avid fan of the History Channel’s Wild West Tech, or an avid reader of Louis L’amour. In short, Colombia’s Guarjira Peninsula could best be described as the kind of place where you and your Smith & Wesson can live for next to nothing … with next to nothing. Ironically, in just a moment, I’m going to take you back to the very outskirts of the Guarjira Peninsula for a quick look at a quaint, hospitable town you may one day wish to call home. But, first, let’s finish our Cook’s Tour of Colombia’s remaining three regions.  Colombia’s Caribbean Coastal Region consists largely of beautiful pristine beaches mosaically punctuated with a myriad of quaint colonial towns and cities. With twenty-one percent of Colombia’s population living in this region, it is the country’s second most populated area. And, understandably so. The weather is splendid year round. The port cities of Barranquilla, Cartagena, and Santa Marta lend the area a cosmopolitan flair. And beyond these cities lie banana, pineapple, and sugar cane plantations; cattle ranches; and a plethora of small farms – all offering a cornucopia of dining delights. Simply put: life doesn’t get much better than here. The Pacific Coastal Region of Colombia was made for those whose idea of a good time is to “boldly go where no man has gone before” in hopes of carving out a thriving civilization. Imagine Coral Ridge, Florida, before Henry Lyons bought that low-lying marshland in the early 20th Century and developers later turned it into a high-priced planned community. Right now, the Pacific Coastal Region is a largely uninhabited hodge-podge of tropical forests, thick swamps, and deserted beaches. Wait, let me correct that: it actually is inhabited – mostly by tapirs, giant anteaters, and rodent-eating bush dogs. So, why would anyone want to invest in such a place? For the same reason Henry Lyons bought up 20,000 acres of South Florida swampland: “Tomorrow, tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow they’ll be sun.” And that brings us to the Andean Region of Colombia. Eighty percent of Colombia’s population lives in the Andean’s Region’s lush valleys and basins. The longest high-mountain range in the world cuts through this region, the highest peak reaching to a staggering 18,865 feet. The area is rich in gold, silver, emeralds, coal, and oil. Sugarcane and coffee – two of Colombia’s primary exports -- are also plentiful. The Andean Region is home to Colombia’s two most populous and prosperous cities: Bogota (the capital) and Medellin. Though both cities were once riddled with drug-related crime, each now is relatively peaceful; the former being a major banking and insurance center, the latter renowned for its fashion and textile industry. So there you have the bird’s eye view of Colombia – a country of which esteemed historian David Bushnell (author of The Making of Modern Colombia: A Nation in Spite of Itself) has written, “Colombia is the least studied and perhaps the least understood (by outsiders) of all the countries of Latin America.” “COLOMBIA IS ONE OF SOUTH AMERICA’S MOST STABLE ECONOMIES…(WITH) ECONOMIC GROWTH OF OVER 5 PERCENT IN RECENT YEARS.” Twentieth (and now, Twenty-First) Century Colombia, as Bushnell observes, has -- unlike Mexico, Cuba, or Nicaragua -- remained free of revolution. Unlike Brazil, Chile, or Argentina, it has not fallen prey to significant military intervention. And, at least since World War II, it has been relatively stable economically, without the volatility suffered by other countries of the region, such as Peru, Brazil, and Argentina. Indeed, today, according to the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom, “Colombia is one of South America's most stable economies … [with] economic growth of over 5 percent in recent years.” |
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Politically, Colombia has been a democratic republic for nearly two centuries. For most of the modern era, the Liberal and Conservative Parties have alternately dominated the political scene, though their differences to most observers seem minuscule.
 Indeed, in one of his most famous novels, Colombian Nobel Prize-winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez has one of his characters exclaim, “The only difference today between the Liberals and Conservatives is that the Liberals go to mass at five o-clock and the Conservatives at eight.” In 2002 and again in 2006, the immensely popular Alvaro Uribe was elected president, and we have no idea what time he goes to mass.  Here, you can lay back, close your eyes, and let the rolling waves of the turquoise Caribbean lull you to sleep amidst the gentling sounds of children at play. It is paradise found. And now, it can all be yours.
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