Intent on hiking through the South American jungle in order to visit a pre-Columbian lost city, the author and his companion first take time to explore Colombia from the Amazon to the Caribbean as it balances precariously between the hope of a lasting peace and a return to violence and war. As the title suggests, what happens in Colombia may provide lessons for the rest of us as well. An adventurous narrative told with insight and wit, Bullets & Beans (the title refers to an American aid program) will give the reader a sense of the country beyond the headlines.

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