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From today's Times: Colombia NONSTOPS FROM Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New York, Washington and Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. WHAT YOU GET Tropical beaches; Amazon jungle; snowcapped Andes mountains. WHY GO NOW? Having made great strides in safety, Colombia is back on many travelers’ wish lists. Last year, the number of visitors from the United States rose 10 percent, according to Proexport Colombia, the nation’s tourism promoter. Though the State Department continues to caution United States travelers of violence by narco-terrorist groups in some rural areas and big cities in its Travel Warning on Colombia, it also notes that security has “improved significantly” in recent years in tourist destinations like Cartagena and Bogotá. International hotel chains have taken note. Next year, Colombia expects 42 hotels to open, adding 7,287 rooms to the country. Still, prices remain low, even at the high end. The JW Marriott Bogotá, which opened last year, was recently offering last-minute weekend rates from $209 on its Web site. Oasis Collections, a boutique rental agency with design-oriented apartments in Latin America, has several affordable Colombia options including a three-bedroom on a private island in the Rosario Islands for $2,880 a week.

This is from the United States - Department of State web page as of 11-5-2010. After reading even a portion of this, would anyone feel safe visiting Columbia? SAFETY AND SECURITY: While security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, violence by narco-terrorist groups continues to affect some rural areas as well as large cities. The potential for violence by terrorists and other criminal elements exists in all parts of the country. In recent months there has been a marked increase in violent crime in Colombia. Murder rates have risen significantly in some major cities, particularly Medellin and Cali. Kidnapping remains a serious threat. American citizens have been the victim of violent crime, including kidnapping and murder. Firearms are prevalent in Colombia and altercations can often turn violent. Small towns and rural areas of Colombia can still be extremely dangerous due to the presence of narco-terrorists. Common crime also remains a significant problem in many urban and rural areas. For additional details about the general criminal threat, please see the Department of State's Country Specific Information for Colombia. The incidence of kidnapping in Colombia has diminished significantly from its peak at the beginning of this decade. Nevertheless, terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and other criminal organizations continue to kidnap and hold civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips. No one is immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors. Kidnapping in rural areas is of particular concern. On July 2, 2008, the Government of Colombia rescued 15 hostages, including three Americans, who had been held for more than five years. Although the U.S. government places the highest priority on the safe recovery of kidnapped Americans, it is U.S. policy not to make concessions to or strike deals with kidnappers. Consequently, the U.S. government's ability to assist kidnapping victims is limited. U.S. government officials and their families in Colombia are permitted to travel to major cities in the country, but normally only by air. They may not use inter- or intra-city bus transportation, or travel by road outside urban areas at night. All Americans in Colombia are urged to follow these precautions. For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State's, Bureau of Consular Affairs' web site. It contains current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free within the U.S. and Canada, or by calling a regular toll line, 1-202-501-4444, from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State’s extensive tips and advice on traveling safely abroad. Back to Top CRIME: Although the threat of terrorism has decreased in most of Colombia’s cities, they nevertheless experience much of the same crime that is seen in comparably sized cities throughout the region. Robbery and other violent crimes, as well as scams against unsuspecting tourists, are common in urban areas. Generally speaking, if you are the victim of a robbery, you should not resist. Some of the most common methods used by criminals in Colombia are noted below: Robberies of ATM customers: Tourists and others have been robbed after using automatic teller machines (ATMs) on the street. In some cases, robbers have used motorcycles to approach their victims and later flee the scene. Americans are urged to use ATMs only inside shopping malls or other protected locations. Driving to and from the location – rather than walking – provides added protection. When using an ATM, you should be on the lookout for anyone watching or following you. Robberies of taxi passengers: Robbery of taxi passengers is a serious problem in Bogota. Typically, the driver – who is one of the conspirators – will pick up the passenger and then stop to pick up two or more armed cohorts, who enter the cab, overpower the passenger, and take his/her belongings. If the passenger has an ATM card, the perpetrators may force the passenger to withdraw money from various ATM locations. Such ordeals can last for hours. In almost every case of taxi-related crime, the victims have been riding alone and have hailed taxis off the street. Rather than hailing a taxi, you should use the telephone dispatch service that most taxi companies offer. Many hotels, restaurants, and stores will call a taxi for you, and the taxi usually arrives within minutes. When a taxi is dispatched by telephone, the dispatcher creates a record of the call and the responding taxi. Robberies of tourists departing airports: U.S. citizens arriving at major Colombian airports have occasionally been victimized by armed robbers while en route from the airport to their hotel or home. The perpetrators typically scout out victims at the airport and then follow their vehicles before robbing the occupants at a stoplight. Travelers should remain vigilant at airports and report to local airport police if they suspect they may be under surveillance.

If you are going to travel to Colombia I can assure you that there is no need to hire .. the boys there are handsome, sexy and many of them are always happy to meet Americans or Canadians. They will be the most faithful friend, lover, travelmate that you could possibly desire. If they like you they will never, and I mean never(up to 20 years!!) forget you or leave you alone! The downside is that most of the boys will not speak any english.. and of course Colombia has had a bad reputation for the last fifty years for its kidnappings, drug killings and crime. Bogota and Medellin are beautiful cities that will surprise you. The security situation has improved greatly in the last five years however, for those daring to go.

I am glad to see that you were able to enjoy the company of one of Colombia's finest. The boys there are great, and if they fall in love with you ..well start registering at Bloomingdales. Colombia while beautiful and diverse, is not tourist friendly. They have been through a 50 year de facto civil war, drug war, right wing death sqaud war,kidnappings, etc. which has resulted in the extensive security measures that you experienced. It is too bad because the country has so much to offer. The capital, Bogota and Cali, to the south are also nice places to visit with active gay scenes where you can get an overdose of cute Colombian guys. Colombia surprisingly has recently seen more progress with respect to gay rights than we have here in the US(or not surprisingly with our current administration). Its Supreme Court in Feb granted certain property rights to gay couples, and gays are able to serve openly in the military. I have never seen any overt prejudice against gays there. If you are wiling to tolerate the many inconveniences that come with being a non spanish speaking tourist, your trip may be full of pleasant surprises.

Medellin is like most other major cities in the world, it has its nice areas and it has nieghborhoods that you would not want to stray into unless you are riding in an armored tank with your heavily armed bodyguards. Medellin may be the nicest city in Colombia, it has a pleasant year round climate and is surronded by mountains. The people you will most likely find to be agreeable. They are not particularly used to tourists, with a 50 year civil war going on, so service may not be what you would experience in Costa Rica for example, a country which relies heavily on tourist income. As for the boy scene, I have not been there in a while, but there are nice places(ie bars) to go and a lot of the boys love Americans. I find it easier to meet guys on the street or in parks, They are very cruisy and it is not hard to strike up a conversation with a cutie after the requisite initial eye contact. A lot of the Colombian boys are good looking and you should have no trouble finding someone to suit your tastes. I am not talking about boys who are necessarily escorts or charging for their company. English is not widely spoken however, so if you do not speak spanish, carry your english-spanish dictionary. In the past I dated some guys from Medellin and they are the best bf's you can have. If they really like you, you are really going to be spoiled. Cali and Bogota are also great places to visit and make new friends. Have a great time..