mariachis

william_andrew_channell says on Apr 6, 2005, 05:38:

Hmmm...I don't know whether Hmmm...
I don't know whether to congratulate you or slap you in the back of the head for being stupid.
Let me rephrase that, I'm not calling you stupid, but just try not to do stupid things. Everything can look safe and nice, but in one split second, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, you can get seriously screwed up. And walking around downtown at 3 am and in the druggie areas is not really the best place and the best time to do sight-seeing of Bogota. Just try to be more careful. I know exactly what you feel like; you hear so much bad stuff about Bogota that you imagine something 100 times worse and when you actually see it and see that you don't get mugged or kidnapped in the first five minutes, you start to get too confident and feel too safe and secure of yourself. Then, life has a funny way of knocking you down and showing you that you need to be more careful.

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carter says on Apr 6, 2005, 08:50:

Downtown Bogota Glad to hear you`re enjoying yourself Vanman although 3am in druggie town isn't the safest place in the world no matter who your with.

If you just meant downtown Candelaria at 3am then thats okay if you´re in a group and you stick to well lit main streets. Still a higher chance of a mugging though.

William you´re right about people relaxing once they arrive in Colombia and find out its not as dangerous as people say. Thats one thing I disagree with a lot of people on this website about, they go to extremes on how dangerous the whole country is. After reading posts on this site some gringo travels from Venezuala through Pampalona, San Gil and Barichara thinks that all warnings were exagerated that the place is as safe as Zurich, next thing you know they are hiking through the Darien Gap.

Parts of Colombia are dangerous and we should do i best to educate people on where and when to visit certain areas. If people write exagerated posts I think it makes things more dangerous for travellers. Some guy gets told that the Bucaramanga bus to Bogota is very dangrous and when he realises its not and 100´s travel it each day he might not take the advice that hiking around Guarija is dangerous.

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VanMan says on Apr 6, 2005, 09:32:

i agree No I was worried and cautious. but we weere in a large group of people. i know it wasnt the smartest thing to do and the other people mostly live in the area as students (couple were family friends). But after picking uop the bana-something musicians and started walking away from the druggie areas it was much better. we were mostly around the student housing areas. I lways had my eye out and we werent drunk out of our mind. its being in any big ass city, ie chicago, nyc...at night (if you dont count the farc situation) and going to the not so nice areas.if you read my posts i still dont consider colombia to be disneylandish. thats after being here for almost a month. i dont like obogta as much as medellin and small towns ... well the government and businesses are too intertwined for my taste.

though, i have to say i've been to south bogota many times and northern medellin a few times and though i was always on heightened alert watching everyone around me and my people....

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VanMan says on Apr 6, 2005, 09:39:

dont recommend though I dont recommend 'tourists' do the things that i've done and gone to the places that i have gone. i know some places it doesnt mater who you go with, but i went with people i trust and enough of them (and who a person trust well that is a choice everyone has to make), i really enjoyed seeing the places that i haev seen. i consider my self pretty 'streeet smart' if you like and well physically can usually take care of my self, but i dont go fighting people with guns.

so yes it hink colombia is a dangerous place, a veryt dangerous place, especailly if one doesnt know spanish and the good and bad areas.

so idont recommend to anyone to do what i did. i would never goto the rural parts of colombia and i would never take a bus on non heavy miliarized roads. i stick to the cities and most of my time is spent in the nicer parts of the cities.

so use your head and make your own decisions aas to where and what not to do or go.But if you plan to take risks like the above people said...you may get bitten and bitten harsh.

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carter says on Apr 6, 2005, 09:42:

Sth Bogota
This area where most of the students live is where I lived a couple of years back and I would walk home most nights at 3am and never get robbed. Its safe to say I was lucky, but also once you´re there for a while you know which streets are dangerous and my uni friends in the area taught me the longer safe route over the quick, run if anyone approaches route.

No one here as ever said Colombia is disneyland its just an argument that is used against those who recommend it as being safe enough to visit.

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william_andrew_channell says on Apr 6, 2005, 14:32:

Talking about South Bogota, I don't know why everybody bashes it so much. I agree with carter. There are some nice neighborhoods in the south and a lot of it is generally safe. I would say that the Candelaria is more dangerous than the majority of the south, but all the foreigners love to go there (La Candelaria) but then have some illogical fear of the south. Go figure.

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WidowerfromCanada says on Apr 6, 2005, 16:22:

Mariachi Band - No Comment.

JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA

Love is like a butterfly , if you chase it you will not catch it but you can hope the butterfly of love lands on your shoulder.

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dwmte says on Apr 6, 2005, 17:08:

yeah, jeff... when i saw the thread and you the last poster, i just had to peek and see what you had to say. ha ha

i could just picture you musing..thinking...
well, let's see...what about mariachis...she'ld love mariachis...

sorry, brother, couldn't resist.

ds

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WidowerfromCanada says on Apr 6, 2005, 19:12:

I was trying to save somebody from making my mistake. Looks like I am going to go down to Colombia at the end of June. I am thinking Cali or Cartahegna.

Jeff

Love is like a butterfly , if you chase it you will not catch it but you can hope the butterfly of love lands on your shoulder.

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Crazy4Cali says on Apr 6, 2005, 19:39:

Cali or Cartagena? Cali is cool y tiene muchas chicas, but for R&R, I'd suggest Cartagena. But that's just this gringo talkin'.

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VanMan says on Apr 7, 2005, 23:19:

urbanite
well for me...I love cities and I really do prefer mde and bogota. I didnt like viyao as much...things move way too slowly there for my taste. Plus in mde you can drive to rionegro and feel like you're in the country (though its a bit more expensive).

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VanMan says on Apr 7, 2005, 23:21:

vallaneto band actually they were a vallaneto(sp) band and not mariachis dressed up in those black outfits. Two nites in a row of that after getting drink with some friends is too funny.

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