| Americans avoid Colombia for good reasons. A virtual | | | | occur in the countryside. While this can make |
| civil war has been waged for nearly 40 years. Rates | | | | inter-city travel risky at times, residents inside major |
| of crime and violence are among the world's highest. | | | | cities like Bogota, Cali, and Medellin feel little impact |
| And then there's the "drug problem." Why would | | | | and live quite normally. Adjusting to power failures, |
| anyone consider coming here to teach English?"I | | | | phone or water outages, and rainy season flooding is |
| came because a friend who was working in Cali liked | | | | more of a nuisance than life-threatening. Larger cities |
| it here and recommended it," says Glenn Yates, a | | | | are reasonably well policed and usually safe, if you're |
| teacher now in his second year at a bilingual school. | | | | careful.Drugs? Most illicit production is for export, so, |
| Tired of Canada's frigid winters, he fled to a land of | | | | except for warring drug factions in the coca-growing |
| year-round warm weather and an even warmer | | | | areas, there's not much everyday impact. During |
| welcome.Colin Jacobs, weary of gloomy days and | | | | major holidays the government steps up military |
| drizzle, found his way to teaching English in Cali from | | | | patrols of principal highways and vacation resort |
| his native England more than 20 years ago and hasn't | | | | areas to insure protection and safer travel for |
| left since. "I don't think I could live in London again," | | | | vacationers.Quality of LifeCali, with two million |
| he says. "After adjusting to the near-perfect | | | | residents, is known as the "Salsa capital of the |
| weather, the food, and the easy-going lifestyle here, | | | | world," rivaling Cuba. The two largest shopping malls |
| I'm not really keen to go back. I'm spoiled for life."So | | | | house multi-cinema complexes featuring first-run U.S. |
| am I. Hundreds of varieties of flowers perfume the | | | | films in English with Spanish subtitles. English |
| air, even in winter. Pantries abound with exotic fruits | | | | publications are readily available at bookstores and |
| like Guayaba and Carambolo. The year-long growing | | | | newsstands. Material in English can be borrowed free |
| season allows papayas to reach nearly the size of | | | | from the Universidad Santiago de Cali and for a $3 |
| watermelons; mangoes can weigh up to two pounds | | | | annual fee from the Centro Cultural Colombo |
| each. Colombia's strong, black coffee, considered the | | | | Americano. The Municipal Theatre, Tertulia Arts |
| world's richest, is served everywhere.But Is It | | | | Complex, and Jorge Isaacs Theatre offer regular |
| Safe?There are problems, yes, but not of | | | | productions in Spanish. |
| "run-screaming-to-the-hills" intensity. Most conflicts | | | | |