Guide to guidebooks galore

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They say there’s a travel book in each of us. A travel book that’s waiting to be written. All of us at some point have been travelers: going the extra mile, and keeping a compendium of our experiences in moleskins and memory.

But very few of us could actually write a travel guide, as it requires not only taking precious time out of one’s life to document an entire country, but also having the patience to go from eco-hostel to five start hotel, looking into rooms and writing down the rates.

Until recently, Colombia was an anecdote for travel editors. A place few ventured to and even fewer were willing to write about. But much has changed since “risk” became a catch-word for this country’s timely self-promotion. Aspiring writers began to set their sights on the glacial peaks of the Cocuy, the backstreets of Cartagena and the graffiti decked walls of downtown Bogotá. Although the Lonely Planet guide is still the bible for all backpackers, increasingly, reference books on Colombia have surfaced detailing everything from where to go, to where to get a root canal.

The City Paper decided it’s time for a review of what’s new when it comes to presenting Colombia in print. So, whether you’re reaching for the ‘Moon’ in a Barnes and Noble, struck by the ‘Brilliance’ of Bogotá’s high altitude, or simply Lure’d here as an expat, this very “must see” place, requires a must read critique.

Colombia (Moon)

In 480 pages, the Moon guide’s first edition of Colombia is a comprehensive work written by author Andrew Dier. The portable, soft cover book is a friendly, insightful and detailed companion when wanting to explore Colombia. Dier spent two years on the Moon guide traveling extensively throughout the countryside and checking in at hotels “to touch the mattress” and visit town rarely mentioned by other guides. As the only author assigned by Moon, Dier’s perspective is up close and personal. His words are precise and he includes very specific details in many categories such Food, Shopping, Accommodations and Getting There and Around. From sleeping in thatched rancherias across La Guajira to riding the giant escalators which connect Medellín’s comunas, Dier seems to have done it all – and in a good cause – to share his knowledge of a country he knows very well. The guide is ideal for both the short stay visitor to the extended adventure traveler. Moon’s Colombia guide is the biggest selling Colombia guide on Amazon.com and if you get your hands on a copy it’s easy to understand why.

Lonely Planet’s Colombia

Authors Kevin Raub, Mike Power and Alex Egerton are behind the Lonely Planet’s 6th edition on Colombia and in 344 pages do what LP is expected to do: offer in-depth information on how to get around, where to stay and what to see. The Lonely Planet guides are always reliable and beautifully presented. The Colombia edition is no different. When studying Colombia, the guide offers all the essentials, such as safety tips and everyday “need to know” facts. The guide is very focused on the popular travel hot spots of Colombia: Cartagena, Cali, Medellin, but looses some when steam writing about the countryside, especially the Eastern plains (Los Llanos) and the villages of the central highlands.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s thorough enough for that trek to Pueblito in Tayrona, but is heavy on Macondo and Medellín. The
detailed maps and visuals are very much a signature of Lonely Planet and for Colombia were well chosen by this experienced team of writers. The facts are all in the 2012 edition, but in three years things can change a lot in this country. A new edition should be released this year.

Michelin Green Guide

One tends to associate Michelin with divine places to eat, restaurants which aspire to star status and chefs who make movie magic cooking for Helen Mirren. A relative newcomer to the guide book circuit on Colombia, the Michelin’s Green Guide is more than a restaurant’s “who’s who,” offering real tips on how to get around this diverse country, separated into specific regions with “must see” pointers and maps.

In 440 pages, and with a detailed index, this green soft cover guide was released in 2011 and now runs the risk that some of the restaurants listed in the big cities have either closed for good or changed name – as is often the case. The fact that Michelin has put stars to Colombia tells you very much about the mood of optimism which exists “out there,” and the fact, at even though one might associate this publishing house with stellar food, the focus of the guide is very much on getting readers out of the kitchen and into the countryside. Even though the guide fits comfortably into your backpack, readers of this guide would appear to be the business professionals, wanting to escape the boardroom for a weekend, and with limited time to blaze the Colombian outback. (Published by Apa Publications)

The Enchanted City

One has to hand it to co-authors Toby De Lys and Tigre Hall for bring- ing out their bilingual guide to Bogotá, under
the title ‘Bogotá! A Bilingual Guide to the Enchanted City.’ Indeed, Bogotá is a brilliant place, perched on a plateau and radiated by plenty of light of the high Andes, and in 484 pages (index included) the authors exude a passion for this city, attempting in
a very subjective language to present their take on Bogotá to outsiders and locals.

The first part of the book presents Bogotá as a world-class business hub with quotes from friends, and with links to websites run by friends. According to these quixotic entrepreners, Bogotá outshines everyone, and I quote: “Bogotá is in the most ideal geographical location in the world. Set in the “center” of the Western Hemisphere, between London and Sydney, New York and Sao Paolo and Cape Town and Beijing.”

The effusive recommendations in the first 120 pages (with constant references to the fabulous time to be had dancing salsa with gringos)  quickly gets redundant and erodes at the editorial credibility of a paperback which was published last year by C.A Press – Penguin.

While the De Lys companies figure prominently in the Business Resources chapter, there are very noticeable omissions, such as not including English language media in the chapter Bogotá Basics. Call it a simple faux pas or lack of journalistic revision, this ‘Enchanted’ guide after a rather jilted start, evolves into a practical manual for exploring the capital, and with a long listing of restaurants in its gastronomy section. There are plenty of useful tips, such a glossary of local idioms, as well as a handy sections for parents on what to do outdoors with the kids. And if you want to practice yoga or find your “inner light,” then Brilliance has it covered.

Living in Bogotá

The format feels cumbersome and not too practical. The black spiral binding of this square, glossy compendium of hands-on information for “ex- pats and locals” seems to be geared to give advertisers their gloss, while keeping the content vaguely predictable. Lure’s team lists the addresses of home maintenance and repair agencies, retail outlets, sports facilities, country clubs, bars and pubs in 224 pages. The Lure guide to Bogotá is visually appealing and clearly strives to be an essential guide when moving to the capital. A capital which for many expats exists, however, only between the Parque Nacional and Usaquén. The Lure guide is ambitious in its advert/editorial layout, but while this may be clever for marketing gurus, it seems to blur the guide’s overall editorial line. (Lure Media, 2014)

Best of Colombia

Recently released by GVPedia, the burgundy hardcover ‘Best of Colombia’ is a smorgasbord of corporate profiling, packaged as a year book and with the objective to give paid sponsors a chance at being in the “Best.” Heavy on the colour photography and chapters which introduce Colombia as “The modern El Dorado” or “The happiest place of earth,” once you get past a formulaic text and smiles on every page, this first volume reference becomes a catalogue of double page “advertorials” promoting brands which are used to seeing themselves in print. The ‘Best of Colombia’ seems to yet fully understand Colombia; or look beyond brands to those who have achieved corporate integrity and social responsibility, without the guidance (and fees) of PR agencies. If the Best of Colombia comes down to an exorbitantly-priced foreign car manufacturer, a U.S real estate company and several oil giants, then we’ve still got a long way to go.

All guides have their pros and cons. Overall, they are all well-designed with eye-catching graphics and cheerful photography. Even though we have left certain guides out of this review, such as Footprint,  VIVA! and NATGEO , they will be time in the months to come to include them in The City Paper.

 

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