Colombia: The Latest from Cartagena and Bogota

In fact, it has quickly jumped on to my favorite destinations list and I am hoping to get back to Cartagena around the same time next year. What made it such a great trip?
 
First of all, the people are incredibly friendly and welcoming; they are aware that to many outsiders, the country is marred by its reputation for crime and cocaine instead of its beautiful natural attractions and wonderful hospitality--and they are quick to make an excellent impression as well as share their favorite spots with you.
 
Then there was the sophisticated hotel and restaurant scene with its wonderful food and converted colonial spaces. Add in that the salsa music was some of the best I have ever heard, the temperatures (especially in Cartagena) balmy, and that the place was a real deal (the Colombian peso seemed to devalue daily). What's truly exciting is seeing its transformation from one of Latin America's most blighted countries to a revitalized urban and gastronomic center.
 
Read more here.