Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit South America?

Of all the Spanish-speaking regions, it is the most diverse. A few of my friends and I had the opportunity to visit the Republic of Colombia, a country located in the northwestern region of South America, and the experience was amazing.

We found it to be a place filled with character, vitality and beauty. And, its physical geography is a medley of contradictions. It is bordered by Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. Colombia is located between the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Magdalena River.

The Magdalena River is a major source of transportation. And along the Caribbean are many ports to allow the import and export of goods from different countries. It is formed by two great territorial zones -- one submerged in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and the other submerged land formed by the Andes Mountains and the Llanos Bajos, or low plains, that are shared with Venezuela. The country is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of the world subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Bogota was our first stop. There, we caught a connecting flight to our destination city. Bogota is the capital and the largest city in Colombia. It is known for its cool, moist climate. Because we arrived late at night, we only saw the airport and our hotel. The airport was huge and reminded me of Grand Central Station in New York. We stayed overnight at the Hotel Habitel, and early the next morning, we flew out of Bogota to journey to Barranquilla.

From the air, Barranquilla appeared to be located in the middle of a jungle. After we landed, the airport looked like it was on a little island. At first, it didn't look like a city, but when we left the airport and traveled into its center, we saw that it definitely was one. The main modes of transportation are buses, taxis and motorcycles.

Barranquilla is Colombia's largest port on the Caribbean. It was founded in 1629 and enlarged in the 1920s. It gradually grew to surpass Cartagena, its old rival. It is also the home of Shakira, the famous Latin singer.

To me, Cartagena, our next destination, had the most appeal. Its histor

y and beauty attracts tourists from all over the world. In fact, we met a group from Spain while touring the Museum of Gold. Cartagena is a charming city that looks a little like downtown Charleston on one side and New York City on the other. It has an area called "el Bocagrande," which translated means "the big mouth."

The entrance of Cartagena's historic district is called "la Puerta del Reloj," the Clock Gate, and "la Plaza de los Coches," the Street of the Carriages. As we walked through, I couldn't help but feel as if I were back in the 1800s. Even when we were traveling to Cartagena, we passed many villages that reminded me of the old American West. It was like a little of the old and a little of the new all wrapped up in one city.

Some of its history is similar to ours because it was a slave port. The first slaves worked as cane cutters to open roads and in the construction of buildings and fortresses. The agents of the Portuguese company Cacheu distributed human cargos from Cartagena for mine exploitation in Venezuela, the West Indies, the Nuevo Reino de Granada and the Viceroyalty of Peru.

Also, because it was a major trading port, especially for precious metals, it attracted pirates and buccaneers.

The last place we visited was the city of Santa Marta. There, you will find the most bea.jpgul beaches in the world -- aqua blue and clear with gold, glistening sand. Santa Marta was founded in 1525 by the Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas, and it is a big producer of bananas.

Traveling to the neighboring continent of South America was an experience I won't soon forget. I learned a lot, practiced Spanish, ate the food, mingled with the people and had a great time.

To sum up this experience in only a few words, it was "maravillosa" to visit the bea.jpgul and growing country of Colombia.

T&D Correspondent Veronica Washington can be reached by e-mail at nakeetavw@yahoo.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

Let us know about the places you've been and send or bring us some photos so we can learn from your travels. Send photos and write-ups to: Wendy Jeffcoat Crider, features editor, The Times and Democrat, P.O. Box 1766, Orangeburg, SC 29116, or e-mail wjeffcoat@timesanddemocrat.com. You can also drop items off at our office, located at 1010 Broughton St. in Orangeburg, Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. We look forward to hearing from you!

You must be logged in to comment.