Ok - another safety question

Gator says on Feb 25, 2007, 07:44:

No Problem That hotel is in an area called La Candelaria and the route is not particularly dangerous. At the airport just make sure the cab you take has a telephone number like 222222, 444444,777777 on the side. These are legitimate taxis and do NOT share the cab.

I, personally, would not wander about that area after dark by myself.
BY the way-you picked a GREAT hotel to stay in and that area is considered THE historic center of Bogotá. There are a TON of places of interest. Do NOT miss the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) which is downtown and an easy walk.

Enjoy a GREAT city(I live here)
"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 25, 2007, 12:13:

La Candelaria Having lived here for a year, I can say that the security situation in La Candelaria continues to improve. Four years ago, I was nervous walking around here alone in the daytime, but these days I have no qualms about wandering around alone at night. Your mileage may vary.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Portena says on Feb 25, 2007, 12:33:

The hotel is going to send a driver, so I won't have to go the taxi route. So what I'm really wondering is if their is a fairly safe route (should the driver wish to take that route and reduce risk of problems - I think I recall a statement here about paras stopping cars and robbing people at night...)or are you pretty much stuck having to take a rather risky route whether you want to or not?

By the way goosekirk if you are the photographer goosekirk, I think your photos of Colombia are fantastic!

Thanks all,

Portena

I feel better! I can smile at it now, I feel better. Ohhhh, better! Gnarls Barkley

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 25, 2007, 14:23:

Yes and No Yup, I'm that goosekirk, and thanks...

Nope, you really don't need to worry at all about the route from the airport to the hotel. My guess is the driver will take Calle 26 (Avenida El Dorado) for about 45 minutes, then turn right down Carrera 10 or 13, left at Calle 19, then right at Carrera 4 and down to the hotel. Nothing to worry about whatsoever.

I've been here a long time, and your risk of getting robbed out of a car in Bogota is low enough to forget about it. Might as well worry about getting hit by lightning or slipping in the shower. This is Bogota, not Caracas.

Like Gator says, the hotel is fantastic, and you should have a great time. If you want someone to show you around the neighborhood, I'll play tour guide for an afternoon one day (I'm such a sucker for a compliment).

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 25, 2007, 15:46:

Safe until it's not Right, the odds of being robbed out of the car are a little higher... so take all the energy you spend on worrying about getting hit by lightning and add a few percentage points of worry on top of that, and you'll be at exactly the right anxiety level.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Portena says on Feb 25, 2007, 16:24:

Jeeez Read my spider story Don Gringo.

Thanks, Goosekirk, for offering to show me around. I'm still firming up my plans, but if you can give me an email (is goosekirk at gmail.com current?) maybe we can meet for a cup of coffee and a tour - if that will fit with your schedule.

I feel better! I can smile at it now, I feel better. Ohhhh, better! Gnarls Barkley

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Dan says on Feb 25, 2007, 19:21:

You will be in a nice area. Take the advice about the Museo del Oro. I've been there twice and there is some pretty good shopping nearby for souveniers. Enjoy your trip. I wish I was there again now.

God Bless America!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goin_south says on Feb 25, 2007, 20:22:

That is an outrageous collection of photos of Bogota you have on your website, goosekirk!!!

'what does it mean, when one of you (colombians) tell another: YOU WERE NOT/ARE NOT. 'COLOMBIAN ENOUGH'?? jejeje..a mixture, I think, of stupidity mixed with a false sense of arrogance.. How 'colombian' do you have to be? to be 'colombian enough

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gomezman5 says on Feb 25, 2007, 21:10:

Don Gringo is 100% correct The Central area is not safe at night...Period!!! No exceptions. I don't give a damn where you go. If you think DonGringo and I are wrong, ask one of the policeman that work there during the day. You will not find one that will tell you it's safe at night.

Look, I'm going to be honest with you. It is not "safe" per se during the day. Police are kind of useless. If you tell them that your wallet was stollen by a bunch of young thieves, they will just stand there and shrug their shoulders or at best, put a half hearted effort into trying to locate the thieves because they know there are so many of them, and they are so good at just "disapearing" that the chances of finding them is next to nothing.

So when I say it is safe during the day, I mean to say it is much safer than it is at night. But given the fact that you are a tourist, and you carry a lot of valuables, you still should not be walking anywhere, at anytime in the central with your wallet in your back pants pocket. There is a very good chance you will lose it. I would like to tell you that you should just stay out of the bad areas, but in the central, anywhere is a bad area when the thieves are scoping out easy targets.

You are a tourist. Thieves know it because tourists walk like toursist and they are easy targets. You will be targeted if you look too touristy. It's in your walk, your talk, your clothes, your appearance. Thieves may be thieves, but they are not dumb. So.......heads up. No wallets!! Photo copy pertinent documents. No originals. (You should do that anyway).

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Portena says on Feb 25, 2007, 21:11:

So if I arrive at 8:30 pm when can I reasonably expect to be on my way? I can certainly stay at another hotel for one night if there is a significant safety issue. How about leaving the Hotel Opera at 5:00 am to catch a plane? Are all the criminales finally asleep by then or do I also have to be concerned about safety heading back to the airport so early??

Hi, Dan! Hope everything's working out ok.

I feel better! I can smile at it now, I feel better. Ohhhh, better! Gnarls Barkley

0 funny, 0 helpful.

adrimm says on Feb 25, 2007, 21:22:

Portena Naw no worries about the route.. just have fun spotting the driver in the crowd of people waiting outside of arrivals. imho it's far easier to catch a cab oneself than wade into the crush of "waiters".

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goin_south says on Feb 25, 2007, 21:35:

asking for an honest evaluation, G5 (((It's in your walk, your talk, your clothes, your appearance.)))

I wear old, scuffed, worn-out dirt-brown hushpuppies on de feet. tattered an torn wrangler jeans on de legs. weathered earth-tone T's on de trunk. I hate jewelry; don't even wear a watch; my ol weddin ring is at the bottom of the Atchafalaya Basin. (jus my cell phone... in my own personal cell-phone holder... NO a la fotos de poco...lol) I have a good tan, cause I went every day to planet beach for the month before headin to Bogota. I've got three days beard growth (cause she said she liked the Clint Eastwood look - well, you're right; I'm no clint eastwood.) I shuffle along, aimlessly, muy despacio, as if I've nowhere to go. I KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT.... and use sign language. con mi colombiana, abrazo en abrazo.
She's got my wallet, my passaporte, and she is my personal cell-phone holder....todos en su bolsa.

Whadaya think? Will I be okay?

'what does it mean, when one of you (colombians) tell another: YOU WERE NOT/ARE NOT. 'COLOMBIAN ENOUGH'?? jejeje..a mixture, I think, of stupidity mixed with a false sense of arrogance.. How 'colombian' do you have to be? to be 'colombian enough

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 25, 2007, 23:34:

Yup That email address is still correct.

And yeah, DonGringo is right, it should be only 15-20 minutes for that by car (I'm so used to taking the bus, cheap bastard that I am).

And Don, of course there are many areas of centro that I would avoid, especially at night. And of course, anyone would be well-advised to be "very careful" in general. Duh. I get the feeling, though, that Portena isn't going to get hammered and go wandering into the zona tolerencia looking for tranvestite hookers. Neither is she likely to wander off into Las Cruces looking for a nice coffee shop. Probably, she's not going out clubbing in Egipto. Do we need to cover anything else? OK, fine, Calle 17 between Carrera 4 and 5 is not your friend at night - take Calle 18 instead. If you're going to walk from Macarena to Candelaria at night, take Carrera 5 and walk around the university. Avoid the mall on Carrera 7 around Calle 24 at night. Etc etc etc...

Unlike your Colombian friends, I actually do walk around downtown alone at night, and I'm gringo, so according to your theory I should be even more of a target than them. So I think I can reasonably tell Portena that paras are NOT going to stop her car and kidnap her on the corner of 19 and 10, and it should hardly sound like I'm being a pollyana.

Wait a minute... GiB - is that you?!?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 25, 2007, 23:59:

oh, wait Are we talking about "safe" like you have to be worried about stray bullets, bombs, RPGs, kidnappings, stabbings, randoms acts of violence and bodily harm?

Or are we talking about "safe" as in someone might steal your wallet?

If you're worried about someone stealing your wallet, then don't carry a wallet. Stick a few small bills in your pocket, carry larger bills and your cell phone in your sock, or even better, a leg wallet worn on the calf. If someone mugs you, give over the small bills in your pocket. If they're professional, they'll go through your pockets anyway, so you won't really have a choice. With just the slightest bit of planning the most you'll lose is a few bucks, and very few crackheads are so stab-happy that they'll gut you for no reason.

It's not "safe" "per se" anywhere. Wasn't there a gang of muggers working Rosales recently? And it seems to me I hear about as many muggings in the late afternoon as I do at night. Why do you feel so authoritive on the topic of downtown safety, G5? Been living down here recently, or are you still armchair quarterbacking from the US?

Bottom line - with some common sense, basic planning, and assuming you don't get all freaked out in case someone does steal a few bucks off you, there's no reason to get paranoid.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 26, 2007, 00:12:

Portena, There is no significant safety issue at the hotel you're staying at. The hotel is sending a car to pick you up, and it drops you off at the hotel. When you leave, a car takes you from the hotel. No matter what vague scary handwaving Don and G5 cook up, the fact is this: nothing is going to happen to you between the lobby of the Hotel Opera and the airport, no matter what time you're arriving or leaving. And that is Period!!! No exceptions. Once you're here for a bit, you'll see that it's a non-issue.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Portena says on Feb 26, 2007, 05:01:

I appreciate everyone's advice even though it's a bit confusing to put it all together. That's true, Goosekirk, I didn't include the following in my itinerary: getting hammered and wandering into the zona tolerencia looking for tranvestite hookers (I'm happily married) or wandering off into Las Cruces looking for a nice coffee shop or going out clubbing in Egipto. :)

I just wanted to get a cafe con leche in a quaint little coffee shop in La Candaleria, take in the colonial architecture, and buy a souvenir at the Gold Musuem. And even if we can't work out a meeting, Goosekirk, I'm definitely buying one of your posters.

I'll hold off on the adventure travel until my next trip...

I feel better! I can smile at it now, I feel better. Ohhhh, better! Gnarls Barkley

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Portena says on Feb 26, 2007, 05:03:

By the way I'm a gal not a guy. :)

I feel better! I can smile at it now, I feel better. Ohhhh, better! Gnarls Barkley

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Feb 26, 2007, 05:12:

leave FEAR at home Portena you are not going to be kidnapped on your way from and to the airport, neither you will be getting into a "Paseo Millonario", I undestand you are concerned about your safety, you will be fine.

Central could be dangerous (at anytime) if you walk by yourself and show off, mobile phones, cameras jelwery etc, but it will be even more dangerous if you come and walk with fear on every breath you take. Fear that it is instigate by some comments on this website.

As I stated before, when you pack your suitcase, leave FEAR at home.

FYI, near La Candelaria and Museo del Oro, there are many emerald sellers carring little envelopes with gems worth from USD 1000, up to USD 10.000 dollars or more, same thing goes for money exchange people. They go building to building showing the gems both to locals and many foreigners as well.

Chorro Quevedo

Plaza

De la Candelaria hacia el centro

Juan Valdez

Plazoleta del Rosario

San Victorino

(I really hate it when women get their panties all bunched up their butt, they can get so cranky!) Poor butt happy

0 funny, 0 helpful.

southern151 says on Feb 26, 2007, 06:05:

Hey Feliz... Where did you pitch it in the Atchafalaya? I was fishing there a while back and may have a present for you! LMAO!!! I know you'd love to have it back. Just kiddin bro!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Peter (Moderator) says on Feb 26, 2007, 06:52:

Portena,
taking a taxi or a Portena,
taking a taxi or a car from the airport to your hotel is *perfectly* safe.

No need to worry about it at all. La Candelaria during the day is safe, just don't have a big wallet sticking out of your back pocket, but you knew that already, doing that at the Eiffel tower in Paris will get you robbed too ;)

Walking around in La Candelaria after 11 is something I wouldn't recommend to my mom, because she'd freak out if a beggar approached her.

Poor but snappy

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Feb 26, 2007, 08:33:

Look when you come from the airport you will be driving a major road and the total trip is less than 30 minutes. The easy way is to call the hotel at 336.2066 and the hotel will send a car.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 26, 2007, 08:43:

Portena One piece of info that's been missing is what kind of place you live, meaning what you're used to? To a person coming from small-town Indiana, Bogotá might seem like the freakin' wild west. To someone who lives in a major global city like London or New York or Mexico City, they're not going to bat an eye.

To answer your question directly, you don't have to worry about ANYONE stopping and robbing the Hotel De La Opera car on the 20 minute drive from the airport, which is on a well-lit 4 lane highway for most the that drive and the rest is on surface streets near the presidential palace.

When you get to Bogota you'll veer right exiting the airport terminal and see a huge cluster of people waiting for their friends and family to arrive. They are not all there to kidnap you, I promise. Stay calm and look for the person holding a sign with your hotel name or your name on it. It can be a little daunting the first time given all the bad hype about Colombia but it's the way things work.

I'll look forward to hearing your experiences

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 26, 2007, 08:59:

Huh? "What you are saying is very close to what I hear on here that Bogota is no more dangerous than any North American city."

Don't know why you'd read that into my post, since that's not even close to what I said.

But the places where people get robbed on the way from the airport are Medellin and Caracas, not Bogota. Never once have I heard of a car getting stopped and robbed on that route.

The only way I would worry about getting robbed leaving the airport would be getting into the wrong taxi, which isn't an issue for Portena.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 26, 2007, 13:32:

And what I don't agree with is when people go on like this: 'What I don't agree with is people who say shit like central is perfectly safe.'

Having re-read this thread again, I don't see where anyone has said that, or would say that. The closest is where I said 'I have no qualms about walking around [La Candelaria] at night, your mileage may vary,' which, to me, is not to say that all of downtown is perfectly safe for any old tourist who turns up. I'm saying, *I* have no qualms about walking around, but I'm used to it. That is to say, it's not quite the warzone many on here, and many Colombians who live in the north, would have people believe, because I can walk around and feel perfectly at home, and 99 nights out of 100, I have no problems whatsoever, and even the 1 out of 100 is not very terrifying (again, to me).

I've already forgotten more first-hand accounts of foreign tourists getting robbed in La Candelaria than most people, especially your Colombian friends, have ever heard. I know quite well how it does and doesn't work. I would never tell anyone, let alone someone just off the plane, that it's 'perfectly safe' at any hour. I wouldn't say anywhere on earth is 'perfectly safe.' I would say, don't walk around with a big SLR around your neck, or big jewelry, keep an eye around you at all times, keep a few small bills in your pocket and the rest hidden just in case you do get robbed (all of this, I think, is plain common-sense advice applicable in any big city anywhere in the world) - and then don't worry about it. There's nothing PARTICULARLY dangerous about the areas of Bogota that a tourist goes to.

Around La Candelaria, yes, it's not recommendable to walk south of the palace, or above carrera 1, or very far west of the gold museum (although as far as 10 or Caracas isn't that bad), or into Germania north of Av. Jimenez... but NO TOURIST HAS ANY REASON TO GO TO THOSE AREAS ANYWAY. For anyone who's ever been outside West Bumfuck, Iowa, it's pretty obvious when you see those areas that you shouldn't be there. It doesn't take super-special street smarts or people on some message board to figure that out. What people want to know is, when I go to my 5-star hotel downtown in the historic district, how is the safety there? They don't especially need us to tell them that walking into the ghetto isn't safe.

Although I should point out that I, and several tourists I personally know, have walked into all of those areas more than once and still haven't caught a stray bullet in the chest or been kidnapped or had to dodge RPGs. I have walked into particular streets and it's been extremely obvious that I didn't belong there and was being sized up, but I was always able to leave quickly and without incident. I also know other people who've gone into those areas with cameras out and handbags dangling and had them stolen pretty quickly (but politely, I might add). So is that 'safe?' I say no, but neither is it 'dangerous' in the sense that someone might grab you off the street and lop your head off, or a car bomb might go off, or someone might just gun you down in the street for looking too much like a gringo.

What I hate is how foreigners imagine the most terrible things about Bogota, and while I wouldn't say it's all totally unfounded (and CHRIST I hate having to oh-so-carefully qualify any statement around here), it's way off the mark of reality. They come here quaking with fear, but they'll fly into Caracas without a second thought. They don't know what to expect and no one's telling them, and then they come on here and people try to assuage their fears, reassure them that they're not entering Baghdad, and then every single time there's this same goddamn stupid argument that breaks out. Nobody can say anything without someone jumping in and claiming some extreme point, and then it's hardly ever someone saying 'my personal experience is...' - usually, it's 'my Colombian friends tell me...' (everyone who lives here and thinks that's a reliable source of information, raise your hand) or in certain cases 'I'm just pulling this out of my ass...'

The whole point is: foreigners coming here the first time tend to imagine that there are PARTICULAR dangers in Bogota, and there simply aren't.

And then people on PBH will argue back and forth for 800 posts about whether it's 'perfectly safe' or 'totally a warzone' and completely miss the point.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 26, 2007, 13:53:

Nicely said Couldn't agree more.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 26, 2007, 13:55:

MAP Yeah, Don, a map is a good idea. I actually made one for the Platypus Hotel:

http://www.platypusbogota.com/bogotamap.pdf

This map has La Candelaria to Usaquen, and a blowup of the La Candelaria area. It covers most of where your average tourist or gringo would spend their time: Parque 93, Rosales, Zona Rosa, Macarena, etc. Notice that on the inset map, staying within those boundaries would keep the tourist out of Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Egipto and Germania, and therefore out of the 'dangerous' areas.

It would be possible to do a color version and grade different streets according to perceived safety... for example, I still hate Calle 17 between 4 and 5 at night, and 15 between 3 and 4... but there's no point in doing this because it all changes so fast. The past year has seen tremendous changes downtown, and these changes seem to be accelerating.

I just took a walk into Germania last week, looking at a property there. Figured with that huge new building going up and prices in La Candelaria rising, that area should be starting to gentrify. Well... it's most definitely NOT. Maybe on the edges it's starting, but the interior is still the same old Germania. But I'll go back and look again in six months. Who knows.

Anyway... if you could build a database of street crime and link it into a GIS system and keep it updated, you might have something... except that a whole lot of street crime goes unreported.

The only thing for it, I think, is to keep tourists out of the obviously bad neighborhoods and teach them basic precautions that are as applicable in La Candelaria, day or night, as they are in Usaquen.

Matter of fact, I'm sitting here playing with a souvenir right now - a wooden stake sharpened to a rough point that a friend took off a would-be mugger... on Calle 85 between 11 and 15. When it comes to street crime, location ain't everything.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Feb 26, 2007, 14:42:

DG(GIB) For God's sake, lighten up. No presten atención a loque este hombre dice es solo un ave de mal aguero.

"I figure the only reason anyone would come here knowing the rep Colombia has is if someone told them it was total bull and their is absolutely nothing to worry about." Tell the truth. Do you really believe this?

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Portena says on Feb 26, 2007, 16:46:

Wow! Lots of posts and helpful information I really do appreciate all thoughtful responses to my post. I realize there is room to disagree based on different experiences living in Bogota.

I think the idea of a map as proposed by DG would be a good idea. And I'm glad people are telling me what neighborhoods to avoid and DG is explaining which way is west (away from the mountains so I won't have to bring a compass). ;) I do get turned around sometimes with directions.

It's all good to know because despite a good proportion of Mediterranean/Latin genetics, I got the recessive blonde genes.
My sister could easily melt into the crowd anywhere in South America, but not me - except perhaps in Argentina (in Bariloche there is a blonde, northern Italian influence as well as German).

I have lived and traveled all over the United States including Washington DC, Atlanta, San Diego, Miami, Jacksonville, Chicago, Dallas, etc, etc... Have also been to a few cities and provinces in South America. Have never had any problems probably because I do try to get a good reading on the area I'm going to and potential dangers.

Didn't want to set off any arguements, but this is a site with a lot of intelligent and strongly opinionated types - so that's the way it goes. :)

So, are there any quaint coffee shops in La Candaleria or good coffee shops/cafes in general?

I feel better! I can smile at it now, I feel better. Ohhhh, better! Gnarls Barkley

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 26, 2007, 17:35:

Coffee shops One of my favorite coffee shops in La Candelaria is easy to find - Avenida Jimenez with Carrera 4. It's called Hibrido, and it's got a mannequin on the second floor balcony. Coffee's nothing special, but it's a comfy place to hang out. Others, well, you'll have to wander about and find 'em for yourself!

I recommend downloading the map I linked to earlier: http://www.platypusbogota.com/bogotamap.pdf

I made it so I can't claim to be unbiased, but I think it's the best map available for tourists. Stick to what's on that map, and you won't end up anyplace dumb.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goin_south says on Feb 26, 2007, 17:38:

All this help!! And, Portena,.... without a photo! your lucky day!

Portena...
thought you were a chic, but then I keep trying to change elchantajista's name to ..chantajistO! knowing or, well... thinking he is a guy. He won't show his face, so... maybe I'm wrong and he's a cross-dressor type. (Things get a lil crazy, I guess, when you have to stay 100 miles out for 45 days in a row!) No se.

Southern151...
melt and press that ring into a couple spinners for better luck fishing in those muddy waters. You should have a saucaleit or two by now.

Gomezman5 must jus be sitting there shakin his head in disbelief.

'what does it mean, when one of you (colombians) tell another: YOU WERE NOT/ARE NOT. 'COLOMBIAN ENOUGH'?? jejeje..a mixture, I think, of stupidity mixed with a false sense of arrogance.. How 'colombian' do you have to be? to be 'colombian enough

0 funny, 0 helpful.

goosekirk says on Feb 26, 2007, 17:50:

DG Of course, I wouldn't say WALKING down 19 past decima is safe at night... but passing through in a hotel car? C'mon. I'll stand by the lightning statement, which was directed at the odds of being held up and robbed in a car on the way from the airport, which I believe was Portena's concern. And I don't think anyone is going to glance out the window and figure, hey, this looks like a swell place for a midnight stroll. People ain't that dumb. Well, in general. I hope. Anyway, I think that's the source of confusion here - I was talking specifically about the safety of arriving to her hotel in a car from the airport, not overall safety.

Everything else, yeah, we probably agree on.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Feb 26, 2007, 20:10:

Your Bull Shit
will not work on me, DG

No presten atención a loque este hombre dice es solo un ave de mal aguero.


"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 26, 2007, 20:14:

Cafes There's a great french bakery and cafe in La Candelaria. Someone here please help me out with the address.

Just as a point of reference, I once hailed a cab out of JFK in New York. As we were approaching the Triboro bridge the cabbie was talking on his phone in Russian, then on the bridge, he tried to fake that he was suddenly ill and asked me if he could just drop us at the first exit on the Harlem side of the bridge instead of driving us all the way to our destination on the Upper West Side.

I told him in no uncertain terms that he was taking us all the way to our destination and he suddenly had a miracle recovery from his illness and drove us there. Oh, and he did have to make a little phone call right after.

Now, I'm not 100% sure that he was setting us up to get robbed, maybe he was just anxious to get back to the airport and cop another fare, but I have a pretty good hunch that if we'd let the fucker drop us off there in Harlem with all of our bags, one of his cronies would have been along quickly to seperate us from our stuff and money.

So it does happen in the US.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Tinto (Moderator) says on Feb 26, 2007, 20:37:

You should have let that scene play out Just think, YOU could have been the inspiration for "Bonfire of the Vanities" instead of Sherman McCoy.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 26, 2007, 20:58:

Yeah, but Bonfire of the Vanities preceeded me there by a lot of years. This was only about 5 years ago.

Oh, did I mention that the cabbie smelled like he had pissed his pants? That was almost enough to make me get out of the cab ON the triboro bridge.

Gotta love New York.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

salgood411 says on Feb 27, 2007, 08:15:

WELL HERE IS A GOOD ONE My sister in-law who lives and works in Bogota, and drives the roads daily to commute, was robbed less than two weeks ago on the way home. A gunman forced his way into the car, ordered her to drive around and took all of her belongings then droppped her off. She did manage to pursuade him to let her keep her wedding ring which he surprisingly agreed to let her keep. "WOW" We are not talking about the average Joe here. She is Colombian and a very intelligent woman. She is quite a bright person who lives in an upscale area of Bogota and is also familiar with the city. Bottom line is that it pays to be alert and aware of your surroundings under all circumstances ar all times. The good part...She was not harmed.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

traveler803 says on Feb 27, 2007, 16:35:

Cafe y comida excelente Portena.....just around the corner from Hotel de La Opera and across the street is a small but nice restaurant...Andersons.....has great food, friendly service from a young gringo and his Colombian wife. You'll enjoy yourself and they will be more than happy to answer all your questions about La Candalaria...they actually live and work there. They've been a great help to me and I've eaten there several times there during my recent trips to Bogota.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 27, 2007, 17:02:

Salgood Where was that robbery?

I know someone who had something similar happen up on Circunvalar at night about a year ago. That seems to be where the bad car robberies happen.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Portena says on Feb 27, 2007, 17:05:

Ok Traveler thanks for the tip. I'll have to check it out then. Colombian food? Or other?

I feel better! I can smile at it now, I feel better. Ohhhh, better! Gnarls Barkley

0 funny, 0 helpful.

traveler803 says on Feb 28, 2007, 12:33:

Restaurante Portena....theres a nice little restaurant right around the corner from Hotel de La Opera...open for lunch M-S and I believe for dinner on Friday nights...Andersons....on the other side of the street from the hotel..carrere 6 between 10th and 11th. It is owned by a young gringo and his colombian wife...great food...excellent wine selection and very friendly service. They live ...and obviously work...in the La Candalaria and can answer a lot of your questions. I've seen locals and foriegners there...great place to eat and hang out. Have a great time in Bogota...I enjoy myself there more and more each time I'm there.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

traveler803 says on Feb 28, 2007, 12:41:

Andersons Sorry for the "repeat" Portena...posted the second time before checking the second page to see the first post in....
The food at Andersons is norte americano...steaks, free range chicken, excellent chilean salmon, very good wine (even an excellent California white when I was there last) and a banana fosters dessert everyone really liked...I was there last about three weeks ago. Check it out...hope you enjoy it as much as I do and hope you enjoy Bogota.
The folks at Andersons will be able to answer a lot of your questions about La Candelaria, safety precautions, etc. Have fun!!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Feb 28, 2007, 19:35:

DG is absolutely correct in the above post. Mrs. Gator NEVER wears jewelry when we are in the car-ours, taxi, etc. and the purse stays on the floor. I wear my watch on my right wrist and the doors stay locked and the windows up.

We have had friends, relatives and neighbors robbed in their cars. I NEVER drive in a middle lane and always leave at least 10/15 feet between my car and the one in front just in case I need to accelerate and out of there.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Feb 28, 2007, 19:41:

DG is absolutely correct in the above post. Mrs. Gator NEVER wears jewelry when we are in the car-ours, taxi, etc. and the purse stays on the floor. I wear my watch on my right wrist and the doors stay locked and the windows up.

We have had friends, relatives and neighbors robbed in their cars. I NEVER drive in a middle lane and always leave at least 10/15 feet between my car and the one in front just in case I need to accelerate out of there. I will, however, disagree in the statement it is not that uncommon.

My attitude: There is an element of risk just in being alive. What the hell, ten thousand years ago you could have strolled down to the river and a bear jumps out and eats you. In the USA I have been in areas in Miami, Atlanta, NYC, et.al. where the pucker factor was so high you could not pull a needle out of my ass with a John Deer tractor.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Portena says on Feb 28, 2007, 19:48:

Gator you are funny! Maybe you shouldn't have been hanging out in those areas! Reminds me of when my sister was driving me and some friends through one of the worst looking areas of Atlanta at 1:00 am with her gas light blinking (indicating we were almost out of gas - of course). I wasn't too happy with her that night.

I feel better! I can smile at it now, I feel better. Ohhhh, better! Gnarls Barkley

0 funny, 0 helpful.