Viva Medellin! Viva Antioque! A Heartfelt Cheer Here

I've spent a whole day and night in this mysterious and misunderstood country. And I love it already! Colombia truly has gotten a bad rap, and over and over again, we got a chance by meeting friendly people and seeing wonderful sights to prove that it deserves a second look.

Of course, I'm not saying there aren't problems here. A newspaper story was headlined "Three Days with No Homocides," celebrating a dubious milestone for Medellin. But then I thought, what is New York or Chicago's record? How many US cities go very long without any murders?

There are some interesting changes that have come with the state of extreme security now in place here. Motorcyclists must wear vests that have their plate number prominently displayed on the back, and on the helmet. That's because of the large number of murders committed on the backs of speeding motorbikes.

The police, army and private security presence is extreme. It's hard to walk that far without seeing some sort of a guy with a gun. Guardhouses are manned all over the place, and there are even men who wear jackets with Vigilancia on the back, these are sanctioned private neighborhood security forces who back up the cops. Roadways are full of police cars pulling over motorists and barriers and blockades are common.

Our guides told us that the last pockets of regular FARC and drug cartel problems are down by the Venezuelan and Ecuadoran borders. The bad guys run over the border and cannot be hunted down by Colombian forces. People here are angry with many Scandinavians who somehow confuse the FARC rebels with freedom fighting heroes, and actually give them money. There is no way these murdering drug dealers deserve any support--the list of horrors is long and proven.

The exhuberance that we felt today at the Flower Parade, when the crowd cheered Viva Medellin! Viva Antioque! was heartfelt. It was like we were hearing them cheer eachother on, and to the rest of the world, all they can do is try harder to solve their security problems and invite them to come and see what Colombia is really like.

I've Been Invited to Medellin, Colombia

Today is a high energy day. I've got lots to think about and I'm feeling great. The first thing on my mind is an invitation I got yesterday, an answer to a dream I've had for a decade. It was from the Ministry of Trade for Colombia--an invitation to travel to Medellin and see their flower show. I've always wanted to visit this misunderstood and honestly, dangerous place and here came my invite.

I immediately phoned my shooter Paul Shoul. He's been there before, and it's always fun to travel with him and use his fantastic photos in our stories. He's got his reservations though, he's thinking we might be kidnapped. Then I pitched Tom Vannah, the editor of the Advocate. He sent me back a scary article from Outside Magazine, full of terrifying advice like 'don't dress in khaki clothes, they will look like a soldier and shooting is the only form of communication.'

But at the end of this story, the author, Eric Hansen reflects on a tough, days-long journey that ended in a fishing village called El Valle in a remote part of the coast.

"Much to my surprise, I no longer feel a need to get blotto. Instead, with a sober mind, I'd like to continue processing, analyzing, and ruminating on what I've seen. And it strikes me that this change from passionate drunk to reflective abstainer is just the kind of personal transformation that's the reward of any adventure. It's an example of the power of a place to change a person, of getting far gone both physically and psychically, of looking in the mirror and wiping away the fog, and of the compulsion to blather on about your own shit in trite metaphors without ever feeling ridiculous. Jesus, I hope it's not permanent."

Our trip in August will not involve driving out into the country, where the rebels are most active, but to a civilized city of two million with a dangerous past. I'm planning on going, and I hope I have my shooter Shoul there with me.