Culture, rather than cocaine, attracts media attention...

Some of the most positive news coverage about Colombia that I've seen, the NYT provides an excellent coverage of this Colombian city that I fell in love with this past year. After countless discussions revolving around how much influence media have on the perception that "outsiders" have of a country, I get goosebumps when I stumble across positive news that is being spread about Colombia. It's a small step, but a step in the right direction nonetheless.

But Medellín’s transformation may be most apparent at night. During the cocaine days, those who ventured onto the city’s lifeless, grid-like streets after hours encountered a Wild West showdown of trigger-happy capos. Now, cafes and bars spill onto the sidewalks, lending a festive and carefree vibe to the balmy evenings. Sprawling nightclubs draw thousands with thumping Latin music that keeps the young crowd dancing until dawn.

On a recent Thursday night at the popular Mango’s (Carrera 42 No. 67A-151; 57-4-277-6123), a ranch-style disco with cowboy memorabilia and waiters dressed to match, an eagerly anticipated three-day weekend was about to turn into a four-day party. A cluster of young clubgoers ordered rum-and-coke cocktails as the rhythms of reggaetón and vallenato shook the foggy dance floor.

It was 3 a.m. but you couldn’t tell by the crowd’s infectious energy. They were clearly in it for the long haul, as if making up for lost time.