Colombia : One of NY Times Top 31 Places to Visit in 2010

Turns out I am not the only one discovering the gorgeous land of Colombia in 2009. Writers for the New York Times spent time researching 31 new places to visit in 2010, and turns out Colombia made the list! Hooray! After living here for awhile now I feel that I appreciate Colombia for the true country it is, without all the stereotypes of drugs and cartels we hear about in the American media. This was amplified in the last few weeks when I watched Allison experience this first-hand. She came to visit with a completely open mind, and she dove right into the culture of Colombia. As a result, I think she left feeling some understanding of my life here and Colombia in general.

What other hidden gems are out there to visit in 2010? You can read the whole article here, including the references to Colombia (#26). The writers call Colombia "Latin America’s next affordable hot spot" and I couldn't agree more. In fact, I think Colombia's days as a country "off the beaten path" are most definitely numbered.

Some other interesting spots on the list?

• #2 - Patagonia Wine Country (Argentina) - I really hope I go here in 2010!!
• #4 - Mysore - Never heard of it before but the sentence "Yogis seeking transcontinental bliss head these days to Mysore, the City of Palaces, in southern India." seems enticing...
• #9 - Antarctica - The article claims this may be the last year that Antarctica is open to mass tourism. I wasn't even aware it ever was open to mass tourism, but if you are one of those people who's life list includes "visit all 7 continents", apparently this is your year to go to Antarctica.
• #11 - Los Angeles - I also hope to visit here in 2010! I have never been to California, but with two great friends moving out to the OC this fall, I am anxious to go visit them and this massive state.
• #18 - Bahia (Brazil) - With all that hype about Argentina, it's easy to forget about Brazil, but in all reality I am just as eager to visit here too.
• #22 - South Africa - As the article reminds you, South Africa is hosting the soccer World Cup this summer, so their tourism industry has taken a big & quick step up as of late. This country seems like a magical combination of old and new, history and culture, safari and city.

Now if only teachers made enough money to allow me to visit all 31 places in 2010...