Colombian Culture, Colombia Adoption and Raising Colombian Kids

Located in the islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina in the San Andrés Achipeligo , Old Providence McBean Lagoon is Colombia's newest National Park. It was created in 1995 in order to preserve a portion of the island's unique mangrove forests from foreign investors who were desirous to build time-share condos there. The Park covers 90 land hectares and 995 marine hectares and includes about a 10% portion of Providencia's corral reef -- the 2 nd largest reef in the Caribbean. It also includes the Tres Hermanos and Cangrejo Keys. The rainy season is from July to December with the rainiest months being October and November. The park can be reached by flying from San Andrés to Providencia (about a 20 minute flight) or by taking a boat from San Andrés (about 8 hours). [FYI, flights to San Andrés can be taken from Costa Rica, Panamá , or from BOGOTA, CARTAGENA , BARRANQUILLA, MEDELLÍN or CALI.] The great news for you gringos that don't speak Spanish is that ...

Okay, so here is a place for my bucket list. I had heard about Gorgona from an old Salsa song by Fruko and Sus Tesos called El Preso (The Prisoner). The lyrics start out like this: " Oye , te hablo desde la prision , Wilson Mayoma , Gorgona ." (Hey, I am speaking to you from prison, Wilson Mayoma [name of the lead singer of Fruko ], Gorgona ." When I heard the name in the song, I asked by husband -- "So, what's Gorgona ?" The answer -- the Alcatráz of Colombia. The next question, "So where is it?" On an island in the Pacific Ocean about 2o miles from Guapi , Cauca , Colombia. Here's the story: The earliest remains of inhabitants of the island date to 1300 B.C. One of the earliest European visitors was Francisco Pizarro, who, in 1527, gave the island its name. Following the Spanish conquest, Indians from the Sindagua tribe inhabited the island. Then, in the 1950's, it was decided that because of the remoteness of the island, the ...

The Chigaza National Park is located just outside of Bogota (about an hour's drive on paved, well cared for roads) in the Department of Cundinamarca. It offers you an opportunity to get up close and personal with nature -- hiking, camping, birding and photography are your best options here. Established as a National Park in 1977, Chingaza covers about 76,600 hectares. It ranges in elevation from 2,600 feet above sea level (800 meters) to 13,200 feet (4020 meters). At the lower elevations of the park, the climate is rainy and more tropical, while the higher elevations are host to a frigid tundra climate with temperatures reaching below freezing. Most of the year, the area will receive a great deal of rainfall, with mid-December thru February being the dry season. The area receives so much rainfall that a particular moss has adapted to help hold the water. The Spahagnum moss can hold up to 40 time its weight in water. The Park is home to the Chuza Dam, which provides Bogota wi...

Like most parents, we start planning our summer vacation way in advance. First, we decide where we will be going. Then, we research all of the activities and options and prices for our decided destination. This year, we are planning a month long trip to Colombia. This means I am researching what new places we will visit this year. My hope is to document our trip back on the blog here. We will be taking our 5 1/2 year old and our 9 year old sons. In part because of my research about biodiversity for this blog, in part because of the new tourism campaign, and in part because of our vacation, I have been researching Colombia's National Nature Parks. Did you know that this year Colombia's National Nature Parks are celebrating their 50th anniversary. In honor of that Golden Anniversary, I plan to feature information about several parks that you might consider visiting over the coming weeks. To check out the whole series, you'll want to click on the National Parks Tab at the rig...