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How do Colombians deal with danger?
How do Colombians deal with the ever present danger and the horror stories?
Medellin is a fairly modern city. It’s surrounded by hills, there are some nice big skyscrapers, if you like that kind of thing, and a metro crosses the city 30 feet in the air. It looks modern.
I was walking past one of the more uglier buildings yesterday, and noticed it had been bombed. ‘Darn’, I said to myself, in Spanish, and I’m quite proud of that by the way, but I digress: by the time I got home I had forgotten all about it and started making lunch.
A few days later I was checking an online travel board and noticed that the paranoia about travel in Colombia, which had been getting worse over the last few months, had reached new heights. People were warning other people to cancel any travel plans, and by reading the descriptions it looked as if Colombia was engaged in a civil war (Editor: it is) and you would have to a) have some explicit suicidal tendencies or b) be a full blown wacko to even consider visiting Colombia as a tourist.
‘Mmm..’, I thought. ‘Something fishy here.’
I thought some more about it, and went for a cup of coffee. Having finished that, I thought some more and concluded I felt pretty safe living here, so what was going on with all this fear?
A lot of people feel safe living in Colombia.
When I just got here, about 10 months ago, I used to ask people about the safety situation. I felt a bit worried. Example: I was talking to a girl when she started giving me an account of all her family members who had been murdered/kidnapped/mugged/and so on. I was pretty shocked by that, but it turns out Medellin was roaring in the 80s (remember Pablo Escobar?) and it quieted down after the Escobar cartel got dismantled.
Soon, I stopped asking people for stories like this. Everybody had one, one even more gruesome than the other. The stories didn’t interest me anymore.
A few months later, I was walking past the same building that was to be bombed, and felt pretty good.
The paranoia I had about the streetpeople was dissolving, they just didn’t look as treatening anymore as they did at first. I realised they weren’t all thieves and muggers trying to hurt me personally, but just people living on the street trying to get by.
Then I saw a man being stabbed by another streetperson, and I was very shocked. Again. Because a) it’s not nice seeing someone being stabbed and b) there were many people on the streets and they were all ignoring it.
So I went home, and told my friends about it. I told them about it in great detail actually, I felt like I needed to get it off my chest. I told them what had happened, how I was feeling before it happened, while it was happening and afterwards, and some more stuff that was all related with the fact I just saw someone being stabbed.
They didn’t react as I expected.
Actually, I didn’t walk home that night, I took a taxi. So before telling my friends I told the taxidriver, who was pretty unimpressed with my story, but I figured taxidrivers are just like that. When I told my friends, they were interested, for a few minutes, and that was it. They weren't particulay interested or sympathetic, as people in Belgium would have been with a story like that.
So I realised I had a story too now, it was one of the millions, and really nothing special.
By the next day I had kind of forgotten about it and didn’t even mention it to my friends in Belgium until weeks later. Life goes on, I guess. People adapt.
Most Colombians seem to have one of two reactions to the amount of violence here.
They will either turn paranoia and hide in their homes, or they’ll go on with their lives. They seem to feel things just happen. Not that it’s normal that entire villages are burnt by the guerilla or busloads of people get kidnapped, but there’s not much you, the governement or anyone can do about it, so let’s not think about it too much.
Today I feel pretty safe living here, and most foreigners seem to feel the same.
So when I see the amount of paranoia that people have about visiting Colombia, I just can’t connect that with the reality I experience every day. But when I watch the news and hear about the amount of bad things happening, I can’t connect that with my daily life either.
Go figure.
By Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) on Nov 11, 2000, 10:12 in Friendly Talkzone.
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:13: You are so right By Ursula 2002-04-05 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:14: I'm coming to Medellin By David, david.palacio at usa.net 2002-04-07 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:15: Journalist who visited Colombia By Michael 2002-04-22 I visited Colombia a few months ago with a collegue.I think my experience may have been a little different because I was there as a journalist and so may have got better treatment in some cases. For instance, I went to San Vicente and did some work with the FARC and wasn't kidnapped or anything, which may or may not have happened anyway. But I was impressed by the friendliness of the people who didn't know who I was. Some even warned me about my camera on the street, and even warned me and my friend I was with when we almost wandered into the "Cartucho" in Bogota. Still, my friend got a small digital camera stolen from his pocket as we danced in a club in the city. To me it's is like many other places I've been to, including Miami, where I live. You should keep your wits about you, don't flash your wealth, and try not to use the toilet away from "home". I try to get back to my apartment, hotel, etc. Having said that, I think the air is an important issue in Bogota. The altitude alone is daunting. I had to rest occasionally walking DOWN hill! But the pollution is amazing. The day before I left, the "taxistas" held a strike to protest a copmpulsory day of rest. The mayor, I believe, commanded taxi drivers to not drive a day (to be determined by a rotating schedual) because or their large contribution to Bogota's terrible air pollution. It is quite bad, and I would recommend anyone with lung problems - asthsma, etc. - approach the city with caution. But also, there is a great deal of unrest there. If you have a taste for it, fine, but understand that it is more dangerous than many other places, but a great place nonetheless, maybe because of that. The contrast of experiences can be exhilerating. One day I covered a protest by hospital workers who hadn't been payed in a number of years. Molotov cocktails and large shot from slings were flying yet the police showed a lot of restraint. I spent hours on the roff of the clinic building watching this. It was very exciting. Then another day I saw a Botero exhibit there that was fantastic and hung out in a tiny instrument shop just playing guitars and listening to the owners kids play. I think the key to appreciating Colombia is understanding that whatever goodness you find is there in spite of the problems. Don't say "Hey look it's really OK.", But understand that people are surviving there, by wit and luck and so are you when you visit. Their government is under seige and their lives are in danger. They have lived in a state of war for 50 years with no end in sight. Still they work and party and hope because they are desensitized. I respect their tough lives. They are inheritors of the great contradictory influence of the conquistadors. Blood, fantasy, catholicism, racism, exploitation, struggle, and of course they have to live in the shadow of the US and the drug war. I will return there soon to see my friends and to check up on the process soon. I had a great time but I will not take it lightly. Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:16: Travel By Jan Petter, jpj at tiscali.no 2002-12-04 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:16: Medellin is definitely one of the world's greatest places to liv By Jonathan 2003-05-26 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 2, 2003, 16:04: Well I have to agree with you that Medellin is a wonderful city - I have been there three times now to visit my wife and I love it. BUT...I have never met anyone there who spoke English even passably. My Spanish, as bad as it is, is better than the English of any Colombian I have ever met (except for those resident in the United States). As far as I can tell, they really have little interest in English or North American music or culture. Which is fine by me. Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 4, 2003, 18:03: about medicine. Hi there i am thinking of going to cali colombia to see a very special lady friend and was wondering about the medical facilities. you see i have epilepsy and have to take medicine. i would love to move down ther but that isnot in the cards right now. I hope you can help me in some way, thanks Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 16, 2003, 08:51: Sam I have been living in Bogota for the last 7 months. I have not had any real trouble although I have witnessed a robbery adn heard of many. I walk everywhere at night and at day but I live in a strata 6. I have traveled at night to Central Bogota and had no problem although I avoided the side streets. This weekend I visited the south of Bogota and survived, it is not pretty but neither is it the wild west. Some neighborhoods if you go to YOU WILL NOT BE COMMING BACK so you have to be carefull. I know many people who have family members who have been killed, kidnapped and brutally assaulted so those who say it is so safe and their is nothing too the travel warnings are complete fools in my opinion and have not spent enough time her to give an opinion. (Maybe this is true for me too?) Several weeks ago their was an attempt to get some grenades into a very popular restaurant in Santa Rosa which had a large number of Americans in it. My advice if you come here and I look as gringo as possible is to avoid places popular with tourists, gringo's and the like. I have traveled and lived in many countries and personally I have had more trouble in some of the others than here, so far. The pan handling is a problem though and get's old as they don't understand the word NO if you are a gringo. Fifty Colombians will pass by without a word spoken to them. Gringo comes buy and it is open season. If you are not "street smart" DON"T COME HERE. The street knows everything and if you show weakness you are going to have a problem sooner or later my friend in whatever strata you are in. I do enjoy it here though and plan to spend some time here while adhering to a low profile. For me it is worth the risk but you have to decide this for yourself but you cannot just ignore the risk, this is stupid. Good Luck! Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 17, 2003, 07:30: Medical care in Colombia is excellent. There are several medicine schools in the country with a long tradition. Doctors are caring and the treatment is more personalized than in the United States. You can also find the latest equipments in several medical facilities. The best part of it is that doctors use them. not technicians like in the United States. You can make questions and get answers, the doctors will see you for more than 15 minutes and run all necessary tests. If you are going to be in Cali I strongly recommend La Clinica Fundacion Valle del Lili. Here is their web site. http://www.clinicalili.org/. Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 22, 2003, 08:37: Travelling to Colombie Hi Peter, Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 7, 2004, 08:54: going to medellin best place to meet women? Hi iam going to colombia medellin to buy some clothes at the factories but iam also going for fun....want to know the best place to meet the prettiest ,craziest women. Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Terry says on Feb 21, 2005, 13:13: To anonymous Feint heart never won fair lady.
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jchristine says on Apr 14, 2005, 13:37: questions Hi can you answer some questions about your experiences in Colombia?
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coordinadora says on Jun 16, 2005, 14:26: How we make it I'm a colombian and have lived in Bogotá almost all my life. For us colombians, not taking gruesome stories too seriously is almost a way of life. It might strike you as odd when you first encounter it, but it is a way of maintaining sanity!!! Unfortunately, everyone seems to have a horrible story to tell, so we try not to focus on that. We try to survive and be happy with what we've got.
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Braveheart says on Mar 4, 2006, 06:44: I am going to live in bogota I am planning to live in bogota for 3 months in the summer to learn spanish and to do volenteer work. until recently i havent heard bad storys. Im not scared of loosing persanol posessions or getting mugged as i have been robbed many times in my own country. The only thing which scares me is the thot of being kidnapped. Can some tell me of the good areas in bogota which would be most sutible for someone from the UK to live in?
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lalablu3 says on May 15, 2006, 14:56: dont worry Kidnappings are usually the work of Las FARC, who are so not present in Bogota, being that it is a big city. Its in the country side that you should even worry about it. If your not even worried about being mugged, you should be totally fine. Just use your common sense. Bogota is ALOT nicer than it used to be. The "cartucho" doesnt exists anymore and there are all kinds of renovations going on ie: el Transmilenio (look for the green or red buses) ♥ Laura 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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richbuthappy says on Oct 8, 2006, 13:45: safety in the countryside I have yet to visit Colombia but from reading this site and others i get the message that it is a quite safe place, but only if you stick to the big cities. But that would mean Colombia is for visitors who are incurable urbanites, not for normal people like me who are happiest enjoying the country life. Who can tell me about living in the countryside?
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chester says on Dec 23, 2006, 15:19: safe in the countryside? no, for gringos.
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