I keep writing about Cartagena de Indias, more than a month after my return. The city, or rather, what is seen of it is a gem. Splendid flourished because it was the main port of departure of the riches of South America to Spain. But his wealth was dried at once in the early nineteenth century with the independence of Colombia. And it was the slowdown that saved their beauty suddenly had no money to "modernize" the city, which was preserved almost intact as it was in colonial times. Elsewhere if they could instead replace the old houses by more modern housing and lost all the charm of way for future generations. colonial zone of Cartagena is small, can be covered whole few hours. All around lie the suburbs of San Diego and Gethsemane and the peninsula of Boca Grande, where large hotels are stacked. These are the areas where tourism is moved and where security is almost complete, something much appreciated in a country like Colombia where unfortunately there are still high levels of violence. But is a bubble very small compared to the total size of the city, whose metropolitan area has a population of 1,245,000 inhabitants. Beyond the city walls are spread dozens of neighborhoods, most of which are not very recommended for visitors. In some more remote, does not fit or the police: only the Army.
The blame for the insecurity is, of course, misery, but not just because 've seen a lot more in India and nobody raised his hand to steal and one block. India's resignation and talked for almost three years and will probably speak again in a few days, but today talk about poverty without more . Puesfijate that after watching some miserable villages around Cartagena is me thinking about evidence. Why do almost all countries found within the tropics are overdue and the developed nations are in the temperate zones of the planet?
ruled out the explanation of the race. Now governs the most developed country in the world an African American, and evidence that a black, white or Indian are genetically almost identical. Nor do I believe it is due to colonization, but even if it did we would have to ask why the northern countries had more force to subjugate the south. I think the climate has had far more influence in this phenomenon than any other variable. First, because 35 degrees and extreme humidity as they have in Cartagena fancy much less work than in a cool environment. But especially in a hot country because we need much less to live. You do not need a house of solid walls, or a cupboard stocked with warm clothes, or eat in excess to accumulate calories. The men who roamed the cold areas, however, had to develop out of necessity much more productive cultures.
The argument probably simplistic I know, is reversible. There are more poor in the tropics but in the end are less miserable than those living in rich countries. He said Camus in a quote that I have not found, but that guarantees a good memory of my mother, the beggars in Algiers gave much less pain than those of Paris. There could sleep almost satin dress with four rags, eating a fish caught by themselves on the beach ... In Paris, however, cold, and the society he has helped shape, makes the homeless in people much more vulnerable.
I will not make poverty a compliment but I assure you I would not mind returning to the tropics with none of the luxuries I enjoyed on my last trip. Sleeping in a hammock, eating at neighborhood restaurants and kill the day with those little pleasures that are still free, take a bath in the sea, sunbathing, strolling, sitting on a bench and people-watching and playing in chess squares. For some days, only a few days, it seems to me a whole planazo.
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