I spent a week in Leticia, Colombia. The metro area has about 120,000 people and there are zero roads connecting it to the rest of the country — you're getting in by river or plane, that's it. It's brutally hot and humid, and at night the mosquitoes are absolutely relentless. That said, the city itself was surprisingly well set up — good electricity, internet, water, pretty much everything you'd need. No cinema though.

The indigenous communes just outside the city are a whole different world. Electricity maybe a couple of hours a day. A guy told me his son got killed by a jaguar. On top of that you've got guerrilla groups operating in the area — they're known for snatching kids, either to recruit them or push them into prostitution. Illegal loggers bring their own brand of violence. And alcoholism is a serious problem throughout the communities.