Since the peace accords the Colombian people want to give to their country a new image: now 6 millions of tourists are coming every year. Robinson Urrea Franco is a guide in an coffee plantations area and explains to tourists of Bogota the life in the countryside. In Salento Marino Toro shows the famous Quindío wax trees (the national tree of Colombia) to the tourists. Doña Leonor Pardo Rodriguez has created a garden for hummingbirds, Braulio Ramirez is promoting an ornithologic tourism, visiting forests and observing birds with his visitors: Carlos Mario, a forest ranger is protecting a wildlife sanctuary (many bird species are endangered by the deforestation) and is also observing birds with his visitors.
Now some words about cycling, a popular sport in Colombia: in Bogota young men are climbing to the Alto de Patios and in Medellin young men are training in the velodrome: Efraim Dominguez, a world champion of road cycling is observing them.
About economy we meet Daniel Piedrahitas, an agronomist who has promoted the producction of Hydrangea for export, a successful story. Now about 130.000 persons are producing flowers, Alirio Ramirez (Gardens of San Nicolas) who produces Chrysanthemums has 400 employees and exports his flowers to United States.
Then we have this interesting story of the "Comuna trece", a very dangerous neighborhood in the time of the drug trade: now Johnny Franco manages with his mother a restaurant; Esteban who has painted many walls of the neighborhood is also guide for the visitors and is proud of the first open-air escalator of Colombia. Angelica Ramos works with young men and women teaching theater, other people help the young boys and girls of the neighborhood to become rescuers.
In Cartagena we see how Johana Bahamon tries to give a second chance to detained women who learn cooking and serving in the prison-restaurant. Now some words about the Colombian women who work and are also family mothers: they care very much for their image (hairdresser, fashion and also plastic surgery).
Sophie has made very nice encounters: Valérie (the visit of Cartagena), José Angel Zpata and his wife Blanca Rosa (the flower farm of Santa Elena, the "Bandeja paisa" and the priest blessing cars and buses), Raphaël and the mini coffee shop,the visit of Medellin (Botero statues), Nacho , the brilliant bas-relief painter in Guatapé and Marino Toro ( the moment in the Valley of Cocora when they see the wax palms, share a piece of pork rind and later plant a young palm.
I enjoyed very much the kindness of the Colombian men and women.