Colombia

When Americans think of Colombia they think of drugs, drug lords and more drugs.  At one time this was very true but the days of Pablo Escobar have long come and gone.  The current president of Colombia was actually the Chief of Police that led the charge to take Pablo down.

Now Colombia is a striving country with at least two major cities, Medellin and Bogota and both of them are looking EXTREMELY attractive to me.

Here's what International Living magazine has to say about Colombia..."Once you've been here, you'll know of a country where you can live a dignified lifestyle on a Social Security check...and a luxury lifestyle on just a bit more".
To me, that's a pretty powerfull statement; I wonder if Colombia can live up.
ILM goes on to say, "What's more, Colombia boasts beautiful areas where the cost of living is the lowest you'll find anywhere in South America" and "Colombia can offer you a sophisticated, modern urban scene...".

Bogota; "...The best areas lying to the north and east of Centro...Other popular zones here are Usaquen, Rosales, and El Chico".  "As you move south you'll eventually leave the upscale cafe culture behind and instead find a lively and inviting Latino feel, with salsa music and swaying ballads playing, lively nightlife and down-home mom-and-pop restaurants..."

Medellin; "Medellin sits at the perfect 5,000 feet above sea level, which explains the ideal climate withdays that are plesantly warm, and nights were agreeably cool.  The city is bustling, modern, and has everything from large shopping malls to mom-and-pop stores.  You can get almost anything you can back home".  "...it boasts clean, residential neighborhoods.." and "expats gravitate towards El Poblado, the sector known for its shady parks, trendy restaurants, sidewalk cafes, great shopping...".

Here are some fast facts:
- Its slightly less than twice the size of Texas.
- The capitol is Bogota
-Spanish is the official language

Important stats:
Population = 44,725,543
Internet Users = 22.538 million
Cell Phone Users = 42.16 million

Out of all the places that interest me, here's how Colombia rates (ratings are 1-7, 1 being the best and 7 being the worst):

4 Overall
7  in Cost of Living
4 in Entertainment
3 in Economy
2 in Environment
5 in Freedom
2 in Health Care
1 in Infrastructure
7 in Risk and Safety
2 in Climate

I also went on to rate each of the countries in the way they felt about homosexuals. Heres what I found out about Colombia.

1. Legal - Same Sex Sexual Act
2. Legal - Same Sex unions
3. Unknown - Same Sex Marriage
4. Illegal - Same Sex Adoptions
5. Legal - Gays In The Military
6. Laws about discrimination against homosexuals.