Stereotypes shattered in Colombia

Colombia ... long known as the murder and kidnapping capital of the world and one of the globe's most dangerous places. The world's supplier of cocaine and overrun by drug traffickers, armed guerillas and paramilitaries.

Colombia ... a country whose landscape is astonishing and her people the friendliest I've met. A country I fell in love with and will never forget.

Colombia has long been plagued by internal conflict and violence. It is second only to Sudan in the number of internally displaced refugees. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is a communist guerilla group that continues to be active in various parts of the country, and it is true that Colombia continues to struggle with the drug trade, particularly cocaine.

However, Colombia has recently made great strides in improving the security situation. President Alvaro Uribe was recently re-elected to an unprecedented second term by an overwhelming majority. He has tackled Colombia's problems head on, and has found success in many areas. Many of Colombia's cities are now some of the safest in South America, including the once-infamous Medellin. The countryside has even become safe to travel in many parts of the country.

With all these preconceived notions, my wife and I recently traveled to Colombia. We arrived in Cali, and hurriedly went to the airport hotel. We cautiously parted the curtains in our room to look out on this mystical place.

Looking into the parking lot, we could see many locals enjoying a warm, tropical evening. The atmosphere was friendly and everyone appeared happy. The next morning we took a shared van called a "colectivo" into the heart of the city. It was interesting to watch the people go about their normal lives and we were immediately struck by the overwhelming kindness of the Colombian people. Being as very few tourists venture to most parts of Colombia, we were treated with utmost respect, even astonishment.

We proceeded to Ipiales on the border with Ecuador, where we took a taxi to Las Lajas Sanctuary, a Gothic cathedral constructed over a river gorge. I asked the taxi driver about Colombia, and he told me that things were improving. He went so far as to thank me as an American for our help in their struggle - something that is rare in the world today, yet I heard it on several occasions from Colombians.

On the return trip from the Sanctuary, a different taxi driver pointed out a plaza where guerillas recently killed three policemen. Yet he also agreed that the situation is improving greatly and that the guerillas were now "cornered." He attributed this mostly to President Uribe and his strong stance against the guerillas.

Temperatures in Colombia vary greatly with altitude. Nights were cold in Ipiales, high in the Andes - yet it is much warmer in the lower elevations. We found it interesting that each town not only listed the population and elevation on a sign on the highway, but also the temperature - due to the proximity to the equator, it is nearly constant at any particular elevation.

We ventured to La Victoria, a small town in the grape-growing region of central Colombia. We found ourselves a very comfortable room near the main plaza for $6.

Accommodations in Colombia vary from the basic to the luxurious. We paid a low of $4 for a night in a roadside hotel - Paris Hilton probably wouldn't have spent the night there, but it was clean and even had a balcony over the Cauca River.

We paid $28 to stay at a "resort," complete with a nice pool, several bars, a dance floor and meals delivered poolside. The typical "menu of the day" consists of a hot soup followed by rice with some type of meat - usually chicken. We paid between $3 and $13 for the two of us to eat. In La Victoria, we ate dinner at a pizzeria, where the owners were extremely friendly and accommodating. As with most locals we encountered, they asked if we knew anyone in Colombia and why we were there. When we responded we just came to see their country, they became even warmer. "Viva Colombia!" I said as I departed. A quick "Viva America!" was their reply.

The next day we found ourselves in the coffee-growing area of the country. Coffee still remains one of countries most important exports, and Colombians enjoy coffee as much as anyone. The area was stunning: steep hills with brilliant green coffee farms, broken up by bananas, coconuts and other plants that most certainly wouldn't grow in Nevada.

On one of our last days in Colombia, we ventured to Medellin. The paisas, as the locals call themselves, are very proud of their city, particularly the metro - the country's only subway system.

During our entire stay in Colombia, the only other "gringo" we encountered was in Medellin - a New Yorker visiting the country with his Colombian wife. The metro also includes a gondola that departs from one of the stations up into the poor neighborhoods above the city. Even in the poorest parts of the city, the people remained optimistic and friendly.

When we returned to the Cali airport for our flight home, our attitude toward Colombia had changed significantly. We had learned a lesson on prejudices. We felt no fear whatsoever meandering about the airport, in fact I felt much safer than in many parts of the United States.

The people of this magical place definitely stole the show. The last person I saw as I boarded the plane was an elderly gentleman cleaning the floors. I told him how his country was the most enchanting I've ever visited.

He broke into an enormous smile and responded, "really?"

"Without a doubt," I replied. As with all Colombians, he politely sent me on my way.

I'm already planning my return.

• Sean Lehmann is a six-year Carson City resident. He and his wife, Michelle, have two children, 3 and 1, and enjoy world travel.