final RENdom colombian photo and other RENdom thoughts

the colombian countryside
el campo cerca de santa marta, colombia

some random colombian observations:
- cheese is awful here. plasticey and chewy. in general, south american cheese is terrible, but here it seems the worst
- busses have these monitors that beep when the bus goes over the speed limit of 80 km/hr. of all the busses, half of them don't work.
- just like the rest of south america, double yellow lines in the road mean nothing.
- the country feels a lot safer than it's neighbor ecuador. it's dangerous reputation as a drug smuggling center and hotspot for guerilla activity is something that most citizens are trying to shed.
- some of the warmest, friendliest people i've ever met.
- medellín is the whitest of all the cities and towns in colombia. it's the most chic, and has the largest amount of plastic surgery and breast implants in the country.
- a lot of times, you can't find bottled water. instead you have to buy them in plastic bags. you break off a piece of the corner, and drink it from there.
- lots of deep fried food here. haven't made it a day without eating that's been somehow deep fried.
- along the coast, they have some of the best milkshakes i've ever tasted. and dirt cheap too.
- colombia is the only country in south america where you can get a good tasting cup of coffee on a regular basis. it's chocolate is pretty bad though.
- police and military carrying machine guns are everywhere. i think this is a good thing.
- the capital of bogotá is dry of alcohol on july 20, independence day. this fact still boggles my mind. the country is dry for 3 days during presidential elections and re-elections. 3 days is a long time.
- tough accent to understand. it's also the toughest place as far as pronouncing things incorrectly. if you don't say things in spanish with the proper accent, colombians have a real tough time understanding you. i think it's because it's still discovering tourism in lots of places.
- the national drink is aguadente. tastes like nasty black licorice. by the third shot, you don't even notice the taste.
- lunch is the main meal.
- it's the only country where coke is cheaper than pot.
- like the rest of south america, you can't find change anywhere.
- i highly recommend travelling here. great people and great scenery.