{"id":2944,"date":"2014-07-15T10:35:26","date_gmt":"2014-07-15T10:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.hostelworld.com\/?p=2944"},"modified":"2014-07-15T10:35:26","modified_gmt":"2014-07-15T10:35:26","slug":"8-crazy-things-you-didnt-know-about-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/8-crazy-things-you-didnt-know-about-colombia\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Crazy Things You Didn&#8217;t Know About Colombia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>By Manita Dosanjh &#8211;\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Manita_Dosanjh\" class=\"post links\">@Manita_Dosanjh<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article\">\n<p>Now the world cup frenzy is winding down, it\u2019s time to reflect on what we\u2019ve learnt over the past month.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from the obvious:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Germany are football beasts<\/li>\n<li>Messi is bummed out<\/li>\n<li>Brazil have redefined the meaning of the term \u2018epic fail\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There was one little country that stole everyone\u2019s hearts\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2948 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2_OFLdQUR.jpg\" alt=\"2_OFLdQUR\" width=\"535\" height=\"189\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Colombia team are so adorable that they broke down barriers between nations.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2950 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/3_ZXSKezN.gif\" alt=\"3_ZXSKezN\" width=\"245\" height=\"165\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A new star was born.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2951 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/4_DHbTf93.jpg\" alt=\"4_DHbTf93\" width=\"535\" height=\"376\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And suddenly we all realized that there\u2019s a whole lot we don\u2019t know about the coolest corner of South America. Well that\u2019s all about to change&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s what you didn\u2019t know about Colombia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. There\u2019s a special reason behind the dance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2958 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/6_0SHGFwY_3.gif\" alt=\"6_0SHGFwY_3\" width=\"484\" height=\"218\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So why do they do that?<\/p>\n<p>Football is just one of Colombia\u2019s many talents. Over the last five years Colombians have been gracefully dancing their way out of the slums.<\/p>\n<p>Salsa dancing is a huge part of Colombian national identity and this suave victory wiggle is all about telling the world they can do more than just kick a ball. At The World Latin Dance Cup (yup, that\u2019s a thing\u2026kind of a big deal actually) Colombia have been regularly stealing first and second place prizes over the last eight years. A lot of young children from the <em>barrios<\/em> (Colombian slums) are now able to make a living from their rhythmical talents thanks to a rising demand for salsa performances, and some can even earn a private education.<\/p>\n<p>So next time you see that dance gif, remember it\u2019s all about something way bigger than scoring a goal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Colombia. Is. Beautiful. Like, actually.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Did you know this was in Colombia?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2959 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/7_3s8j7Pm.jpg\" alt=\"7_3s8j7Pm\" width=\"535\" height=\"357\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Or this?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2960 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/8_ZVTcUub.jpg\" alt=\"8_ZVTcUub\" width=\"535\" height=\"359\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And this?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2961 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/9_EVKzoAE.jpg\" alt=\"9_EVKzoAE\" width=\"535\" height=\"359\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Colombia is home to the most incredible natural beauty you will ever see in your life. And its cities are nothing short of awe-inspiring. Above, you\u2019re looking at The Ancient Inca Road System that runs through the Colombian portion of the Andes, The Salt Mines of Nemoc\u00f3n and the Plaza de Bolivar in Bogota.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Colombian cuisine is going through a renaissance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/10_88qq5d4.jpg\" class=\"post links\"><br \/>\n<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2963 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/10_88qq5d4.jpg\" alt=\"10_88qq5d4\" width=\"535\" height=\"357\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With thanks some economic processes that I\u2019m not qualified to explain, the last five years has seen a restaurant boom in Colombia. New food joints are spreading across the country like wildfire, with Bogota at the centre of it all. As well as traditional Colombian empanadas and tamales, you\u2019ll find a host of trendy establishments offering everything from the trusty burger to Peruvian to Asian to this new thing called Fusion.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. The architecture is so beautiful, it stops crime<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2962 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/11_18GpMWB.jpg\" alt=\"11_18GpMWB\" width=\"535\" height=\"357\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Not so long ago, Medell\u00edn was the undisputed territory of Pablo Escobar, Colombia\u2019s most infamous drug lord. The city was once Colombia\u2019s epicentre of drug trafficking, homicide and all things generally dangerous\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to some pretty awesome buildings that have sprouted up since Escobar\u2019s death 20 years ago, Medell\u00edn now has a stable business and medical infrastructure, ousting crime and luring in thousands of tourists every year. Not too shabby for a former murder hotspot\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. It isn\u2019t all about drug cartels<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How most Colombians feel about being asked for cocaine:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2964 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/12_hm3IkS5.gif\" alt=\"12_hm3IkS5\" width=\"255\" height=\"143\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that Escobar is now long gone, so if you\u2019re in the habit of assuming Colombia is a coke-soaked warzone, then you\u2019re about 20 years behind. With most drug crime now localized around the \u00a0US border, describing Colombia as a drug battlefield is considered ignorant and hugely offensive to locals. Asking for cocaine also a very bad idea, so if you&#8217;re stuck in the past, it&#8217;s time to catch up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2968 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/13_GBpo42Z.gif\" alt=\"13_GBpo42Z\" width=\"221\" height=\"221\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"article\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Shakira used to look like this<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And they liked her better that way.<\/p>\n<p>To be honest, we kind of do too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Gabriel Garcia Marquez has only ever been outsold by God<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Gabriel Marquez\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/Y96MINh.jpg\" alt=\"Gabriel Marquez\" width=\"409\" height=\"459\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Colombia\u2019s most famous export (closely followed by Shakira\u2019s bionic mid-section) Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the man behind <em>Love in the Time of Cholera <\/em>and <em>One Hundred Years of Solitude. <\/em>Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature and famously bff with Fidel Castro, Marquez\u2019s works are the biggest selling Spanish language books in the world after the Bible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. And it\u2019s ColOmbia, not ColUmbia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re insulted by me telling you that, good for you.<\/p>\n<p>So now you\u2019re clued up about all things Colombian, go forth and spread the word\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Thanks to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tmzafrica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/James-Rodrguez-TMZ-Africa-Sport.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">TMZ<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pe5pe\/5370535210\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">Luis P\u00e9rez<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/wolfgangkuhnle\/13933676024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">Wolf Gang<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/wneuheisel\/5638759779\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">William Neuheisel<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/82066314@N06\/13723493313\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">Iqbal Osman<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tmzafrica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/James-Rodrguez-TMZ-Africa-Sport.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">TMZ<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pedrosz\/5743986824\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">Pedro Szekely<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/luchilu\/2178306585\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">Luz Adriana Villa<\/a> for the images from Flickr. Please note, all images were used under the Creative Commons Licence at the time of posting.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Manita Dosanjh &#8211;\u00a0@Manita_Dosanjh Now the world cup frenzy is winding down, it\u2019s time to reflect on what we\u2019ve learnt over the past month. Aside from the obvious: Germany are football beasts Messi is bummed out Brazil have redefined the meaning of the term \u2018epic fail\u2019 There was one little country that stole everyone\u2019s hearts\u2026&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":135267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9473],"tags":[1792,1794,59,1796,1798,113],"class_list":["post-2944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-colombia","tag-cuisine","tag-inspire-me","tag-shakira","tag-south-america","tag-tips","wpbf-post"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>8 Crazy Things You Didn&#039;t Know About Colombia - Hostelworld Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There&#039;s more to Colombia than great football and &#039;Scarface&#039;. 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