The Off Topic Topic

[Savonarola]

I might be going to Cali in Colombia in a few months.
It doesn't seem the safest or nicest place in the world, so I guess I'll just work then go. But I am tempted to take advantage of being in the americas to pop in somewhere better on the way home.
At a glance possibilities seem to be Miami or Panama

Cali is supposed to be quite pretty.  If I had a few free days in that part of the world I'd see Bogota (check the weather for that time of the year, though, their winters are wet and chilly) or Cartagena.  HVC's advice is good, (though Colombians consider Brazil a dangerous country.)  If you stick to tourist areas you shouldn't have any problems.  There were only a couple times I felt unsafe in Colombia, and those were in small villages which were experiencing civil unrest.

Miami is a lot of fun as well, depending on how long you're planning to stay you might want to check out the Keys or, if you're here in early spring, the Everglades.

I don't know anything about Panama; a lot of people like Costa Rica if you're into eco-tourism.

[mongers]

I might be going to Cali in Colombia in a few months.
It doesn't seem the safest or nicest place in the world, so I guess I'll just work then go. But I am tempted to take advantage of being in the americas to pop in somewhere better on the way home.
At a glance possibilities seem to be Miami or Panama

Cali is supposed to be quite pretty.  If I had a few free days in that part of the world I'd see Bogota (check the weather for that time of the year, though, their winters are wet and chilly) or Cartagena.  HVC's advice is good, (though Colombians consider Brazil a dangerous country.)  If you stick to tourist areas you shouldn't have any problems.  There were only a couple times I felt unsafe in Colombia, and those were in small villages which were experiencing civil unrest.

Miami is a lot of fun as well, depending on how long you're planning to stay you might want to check out the Keys or, if you're here in early spring, the Everglades.

I don't know anything about Panama; a lot of people like Costa Rica if you're into eco-tourism.

This is potentially a perfect storm of a Languish 'drive-by' event, as Josq is our well know public transport advocate and with your inside knowledge about some Columbian railways, we could see him adventuring on an obscure Columbian railway line or alternatively illegally hitchhiking a ride on one of your bauxite* ore trains? 



* was it a bauxite mine to coast rail project you guys were working on?

[Savonarola]

This is potentially a perfect storm of a Languish 'drive-by' event, as Josq is our well know public transport advocate and with your inside knowledge about some Columbian railways, we could see him adventuring on an obscure Columbian railway line or alternatively illegally hitchhiking a ride on one of your bauxite* ore trains? 



* was it a bauxite mine to coast rail project you guys were working on?

  Now that would be a story (don't really do that Josq.)

It was coal, the bauxite one never got out of bid phase for us (and was is Guinea-Bissau, so I'm not too disappointed.)  I don't think there's long distance passenger rail service anywhere in Colombia.  They don't even have freight (though the old passenger lines do still exist.  One of our bids is to revitalize the tracks from the outskirts of Bogota to the edge of our mining line about 100 Km from the Colombian Caribbean coast.)

[HVC]

It may very well be that Brazil is more dangerous than Colombia. However, it appears to me that a large part of civic pride amongst South Americans consists of acknowledging that their country may be dangerous but their neighbours are much worse

[Savonarola]

It may very well be that Brazil is more dangerous than Colombia. However, it appears to me that a large part of civic pride amongst South Americans consists of acknowledging that their country may be dangerous but their neighbours are much worse

  Yes, but I think you are more likely to be a victim of street crime in Rio de Janeiro than you are in Bogotá.  Colombia's dangers (at least when I was there) stemmed from revolutionary armies and the drug trade.

[crazy canuck]

Everyone I know who has been to Columbia has nothing but good things to say about their stay.

[Jacob]

I'd suggest Josq avoid travelling to the US for the time being. So I'd recommend Panama over Miami.

[Syt]

Everyone I know who has been to Columbia has nothing but good things to say about their stay.

What about Colombia, though?

[HVC]

It may very well be that Brazil is more dangerous than Colombia. However, it appears to me that a large part of civic pride amongst South Americans consists of acknowledging that their country may be dangerous but their neighbours are much worse

  Yes, but I think you are more likely to be a victim of street crime in Rio de Janeiro than you are in Bogotá.  Colombia's dangers (at least when I was there) stemmed from revolutionary armies and the drug trade.

Yeah, from what I know Brazil can be quite bad. Smaller  and northern cities, I'm told, are safer. With exceptions, like Salvador is super unsafe and rivals rio.

[crazy canuck]

Everyone I know who has been to Columbia has nothing but good things to say about their stay.

What about Colombia, though?

I stand by what I said, just add a British to Columbia

[Syt]

[Sheilbh]

Yeah, from what I know Brazil can be quite bad. Smaller  and northern cities, I'm told, are safer. With exceptions, like Salvador is super unsafe and rivals rio.

I enjoyed Brazil a lot. But I would note that I've a female friend who has traveled all over Latin America and says Brazil is by some distance the country she feels least safe in.

[HVC]

Yeah, from what I know Brazil can be quite bad. Smaller  and northern cities, I'm told, are safer. With exceptions, like Salvador is super unsafe and rivals rio.

I enjoyed Brazil a lot. But I would note that I've a female friend who has traveled all over Latin America and says Brazil is by some distance the country she feels least safe in.

That's cool. Not the friend feeling uncomfortable part hah. Where did you visit? I'm personally too scared to ever go I've heard too many stories. Plus i can't understand Brazilian portuguese.

[Sheilbh]

I didn't go to the North - I've not been to that bit of South America (went to Brazil, Argentina, Paraguy - don't - and Uruguay).

So I started in Rio then down to Sao Paolo and a few spots in the South (Santa Caterina, Curitiba) before popping over to Foz do Iguacu to cross into Argentina and, regrettably, Paraguay.

[HVC]

Jeez, what happened in Paraguay