(I may have posted this question earlier, can't recall??)

Gentlemen,

I am 23, Asian, speak Spanish flawlessly, in tune with Latin culture, and have hobbied in SP, BA, and CR.

I don't buy into US propaganda that COL is a land of constant kidnappings, murders, etc., but I have been told by various people that COL might be a "riskier" destination for Asians given the our limited presence there.

Are there any Asian and/or non-Asian hobbyists in COL or with experience that can dispell or confirm this? Do Asians stand out more than Caucasians in COL and is this necessarily a bad thing?

All comments are appreciated!

Read Merlin's trip reports to Columbia. One of our finest Asian mongers . Seems he does pretty well there.

KM, Oh yeah, forgot that I may be of that persuasion :-)

Hurdle1, your ancestral extraction is a non-issue in Colombia. Although there are very few Asians in Colombia and you may be somewhat of a novelty, Colombia itself is diverse and ethnicities intermingle fairly well. I found Colombians to be some of the most open-minded and hospitable people I've come across anywhere. And with you're cultural appreciation, youth and Spanish skills, you are guaranteed a great time.

As for safety, neither I nor any of my travel buddies (who look gringo but are not as gringo as myself), have ever had a true safety concern in almost a dozen trips to Colombia. Just don't bump into drunk Colombians wearing gold chains at the bars while going to the bathroom :-) IMO, just stay away from the boonies, take the plane to different cities, and avoid the bad parts of town and you'll be ok.

Other fellow mongers Japanese,other asian, Indian do not appear to have any problem

have fun