118 SELLING LATIN AMERICA 
the Magdalena River, which is 1060 miles 
long with a swift current, and navigable to 
Honda, a city 600 miles from Barranquilla 
at its mouth. A marine railway, around the 
rapids at Honda, allows small steamers to go 
about 200 miles above this inland port. 
Goods intended for Bogota usually go via rail 
from Puerto Colombia to Barranquilla, a dis 
tance of about sixteen miles, and are then trans 
ferred to the stern wheeler, wood-burning, 
river steamers for all the world like those 
which navigate the Mississippi. A trip from 
Barranquilla or from Cartagena to Bogota 
takes via the Magdalena River from ten to 
fourteen days, according to the stage of water 
in the river and includes steamboat, railway 
and muleback travel. In making this trip the 
traveler is advised to take tinned food and bot 
tled mineral water. 
Travel through Colombia at best is difficult, 
the roads are bad and the hotels miserable. 
Goods intended for Bogota have six trans-ship 
ments from the ocean to their destination—an 
argument for good packing.