Sydney girl flirting with danger

poulet says on Sep 17, 2004, 17:31:

hey, lol, that was dangerous
where was this? I go to Los Andes and didn't see any of this.

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carla says on Sep 17, 2004, 18:34:

wow Sounds like a lovely day before the danger. But I understand what you mean about the danger being a bit exhilirating. Do you plan on living in Colombia or are you just staying a little while?

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litost says on Sep 17, 2004, 19:04:

El Chorro de Quevedo? Did that happen in this place:

http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/node/view/3177

I would walk through that place at least twice a day for 5 years while I studied in the Externado, and nothing ever happened to me personally, although everyone was always careful to not hang around until very late or flash around expensive stuff. What was always most annoying to me were the guys asking for money who could be very intimidating at times, it never actually got dangerous but I can imagine that for a girl (on top of it all a foreigner) it must be scarier.

Oh well, I'm glad nothing bad happened and it doesn't discourage you to keep on discovering the city!

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sydneygirl says on Sep 18, 2004, 08:59:

reply to where was it It was at Chorro De Quevedo a very cute little square with a tiny fountain in the middle that doesnt work and lots of little cobbled streets coming from different directions to this point.

To answer am I living in Colombia, yes until the end of March next year.

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sydneygirl says on Sep 18, 2004, 09:04:

nice pic, litost Nice picture and that is exactly where it was. We went to that little pub cafe place next to the color one and had beers and coffees on a different occasion and it was great.
Juan my Novio said that he used to hang out there with his friends years ago before he left to go to australia and there were always "tale tellers" who would stand on a table and tell stories.
Sounds like it was fun.
p.s im not discouraged. thanks :)

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webmanco says on Sep 18, 2004, 15:25:

What would of happened? Although El Choro Quevedo might be of "danger" I do know also that there usually are "Bachilleres" or police guys. I would doubt someone will come with a gun on a day light and on a place that is usually crowded, anyway you weren't the one to find out. I wouldn't had pay too much attention to the savor, it is a weird history anyway.

Was it crowded? was it daylight?? Did you really see someone behind the guy?. I would say the guy got into a fight for warning you up.

Sorry but I think you got pananoid or this could be a make up.

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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Bquilla says on Sep 20, 2004, 05:05:

Random House publishing might buy your story...but I won't.

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Dan says on Sep 20, 2004, 07:48:

sydney girl... Sounds like you were walking around in La Candelaría. That´s a very nice area. I recognize the discription of the figures on the building. I buy emeralds from a shop few blocks away. My girlfriend has taken me there a few times to go to a small cafe near the open square with the figures on the building. I'd like to know how the pictures come out. It's a beautiful place to sit and relax, the area is also very quiet.

God Bless America!

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sydneygirl says on Sep 21, 2004, 08:24:

sure ill post the best ones Hi Dan,
Im getting the pictures developed today and will pick them up in the next few days. So once I work out how to make them internet friendly on this "Spanish speaking" computer. ill have them up for you.

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sydneygirl says on Sep 21, 2004, 08:25:

To Bquiia might answer you.....but i won´t

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Mr. Hollywood says on Sep 21, 2004, 08:47:

A different perspective Sydneygirl, please don't take this as an attack but I think you've been conned by your boyfriend on this. That story just doesn't hold water. I walk around Colombia with nice cameras all the time (video and still). It's no big deal. I suspect the guy who came up to you and said, "Nice camera" was doing so because he though your camera was nice, not because he was up to anything nasty. He's probably a photographer too and appreciates nice gear. If he was going to rob you he would have just grabbed it and run. And nobody, even in Colombia, gives a 10 minute warning that they're going to go get a gun and return. It's just not credible.

Keep going out and exploring. Have fun. And tell your boyfriend that you don't buy his "Killing Pablo" version of Bogotá.

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Dan says on Sep 21, 2004, 09:12:

Hollywood I'm sure that there are a few situations that could be true. With my work, I keep being told of so many warnings that would normally scare people off from even visiting this beautiful country, it's just the nature of my work. You can't just discount one act of kindness of a stranger. Most people would say "oh well, tough luck" but the one that goes out of their way to help a stranger, I beleive is worth listening to.

God Bless America!

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Mr. Hollywood says on Sep 21, 2004, 09:28:

clarification Dan, just to be clear, Sydneygirl doesn't speak Spanish. Her boyfriend has basically kept her at home for 4 months because of HIS perception that she's going to be instantly victimized the minute she ventures out. Then, they venture out once and immediately this happens, only the conversation is filtered THROUGH her boyfriend and perfectly fits his paradigm of her as victim waiting to happen.

I ain't buying it.

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Bquilla says on Sep 21, 2004, 09:36:

I was not looking for an answer Sydneygirls post are just too colorful. Being kept under house arrest by her "man" due to the fact that she and her camera would be in grave danger if they venture out. On her first outting, in the nick of time the scooter comes to life and they speed away from the boogie man to safety? Come on. Seems to me that you want excitement/danger in your life and are making Colombia your springboard. You want danger head to Iraq.

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caslug says on Sep 21, 2004, 12:31:

Who are we to judge... Com'on guys this isn't the US presidential elections, where we're trying to discredit someone's story. Especially when we can't prove it one way or another. Beside, as long as SHE believes it happen, that's all that matters. Her adrendalien was up, so in her mind, she was in danger. I bet her boyfriend and her probably had a great "comforting" session when they got back to his house. Nothing like a little danger(or perceived) to to get the libido up. ;-)

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heat says on Sep 21, 2004, 12:39:

sydneygirl, i'm sorry but your story does put your novio in somewhat of a suspicious light. we obviously were not there so cannot say for sure what may have occurred however it is suspect. the guy probably was admiring your nice camera, as you did hear him say those words. my guess is that he said the same thing to your novio "nice camera" and your novio, being the over-protected boyfriend that he sounds like, took it as a threat of theft. He then may have embellished it to you with the bit about the gun in his attempt to prove to you how unsafe it is to walk around there in Bogota. being that your novio is colombian i'm not sure why he feels so hell bent on keeping you afraid and locked up in the house. that couldn't be fun and seems like it would make you just want to go back to syndney if that was really the case.

My feeling regarding safety and theft is that it occurs everywhere in the world. I have been mugged in san francisco and portland, oregon. both times in very "safe" neighborhoods. my friends mother was just mugged in barcelona. stuff like that happens ALL over the world. and it happens in colombia too but you can't just sit in your house and not live your life. i'm glad to hear that you are not letting fear run your life.

with regards to your boyfriend, he looks like a very nice fellow, and i'm sure he cares for you, however from what you have told us, i'm not sure he is all that trustworthy.

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Bquilla says on Sep 21, 2004, 12:52:

Colombia could do without the bad press especially if it is fabricated...which I believe to be the case in this situation. The world already has this preconcived notion about Colombia before travelling to the country. Once there they realize all these "stories" are just that(for the most part). Why invent excitement for the sake of a good story.

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caslug says on Sep 21, 2004, 13:05:

Better safe than sorry I guess... I doesn't really matter if the danger was real or perceived, heck MAYBE her boyfriend DID overact, but it is better to err on the side of caution. I was in NYC during 9/11 and the next night as my girlfriend and I were in our hotel, hotel security suddenly told everyone to evacucate because of bomb threat in the area. I wasn't thinking anything beyond grabbing my GF and running down the stairs(18 floors) and 10 blocks. In turn out to be a false alarm, BUT during the "scary moments" the sense of danger was REAL.

It was probably like that for Sydney Girl, she'll never know if there was real danger or not, but that's not the point. She FELT she was in danger and DID the RIGHT THING, so knocking her story because WE(POSTERS) might be more streetsmart than her in not fair. We weren't there and she doesn't have our streetsmart, she went with her instints, which is right thing to do. If another incident happens again, I would tell her to follow her instincts-if it tells her stay, stay, if it tells her run, run.

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heat says on Sep 21, 2004, 18:43:

i agree w/you caslug. we can't really say for sure what happened. i certainly don't think sydneygirl is making it up. i just am questioning her boyfriend. there are parts to the story that don't seem quite right especially in light of her previous posts. yes it is totally better to err on the side of caution so i think they were smart to leave the scene asap. but i guess the story just validates all those stereotypes one has that colombia is a terribly unsafe, crime ridden country. before i left to cartagena this past august i posted a question on a local travel board about colombia and one guy came back and told me that FOR SURE i was going to get robbed if i went there. it's very typical of what most americans believe about colombia.

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sydneygirl says on Sep 21, 2004, 21:02:

Thanks to all for you "Colorful" Replys Thanks to all friendly replys and even those of you who think I made my story up.

You can all think what you need to think. Just to Clarify I was not saying that I thought Colombia is a bad place to come to, I was just sharing the event of my day with you all.

Thinking about your advice on my boyfriend making up the "gun" story maybe it happened like that, I guess ill never know. What I do know is that since I started reading the posts on this site and writing one or two of my own, my novio has taken me out to do the things that im interested in a lot more.

I actually read him a lot of what you guys say....but to save the peace I don´t think ill read him these recent posts. Today we were driving past the National University and he pointed it out and i had my camera in the car, so I asked if we could go and have a look. His cousin was there too and he wanted to see it as well so we parked the car and crossed the footbrigde to the main gates and checked it out.

It was pretty and had a really nice laid back atmosphere compaired to the hussell and bussell of Centro for example. I got shots of students playing chess, Big black and white portraits on the buildings and the goats, sheep and horses....a really nice day....nothing dodgy happened. Sorry to those of you who think im a drama queen.

Tommorow we are going to gaze at the stars in the auditorium.... again my request....so see you guys, your comments have broadened my horizons! As for my Man perhaps playing a trick on me if it happened like that, i think ill forgive him....In our short 1-1/2 year realtionship he has been a pretty amazing friend and partner and lover. Hes seen me in hospital looking like s##t. Then at another time he came to watch a group photographic slide show I did on "kings Cross" in Sydney. It was my first big show with some famous photographers and none of my family went....but he did. SO.....what can I say...I trust him....my Colombian Man.

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