Taking a 3 year old to Colombia

bufalo says on Dec 11, 2006, 17:29:

Have a freaking ball. Aside from living in several countries, including Colombia, we have had no problem with our 3 1/2 year old. Swimming in the Amazon with her on my back, coffee farmin' it here in Armenia, whatever. Don't be afraid to let them get a little dirty like in the Sterile States of America.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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Robert Jorge says on Dec 11, 2006, 19:47:

I don't have kids yet. But, I am engaged to a Colombiana, her family lives in an estrato 2 barrio, and I would have no hesitation of having my future children grow up in that neighborhood. I was only in Colombia 4 months or so, but from what I observed, it is a VERY child friendly country. There are kids running around everywhere, playing like kids used to when I was growing up in the US 35 years ago. I am sure there are people here who have a much better handle on this topic, but in my humble opinion, stay away from obvious risks, and you will give your 3 1/2 year old a great experience. My girl's nephew and niece are both 3 1/2 years old, and when I was down there, we took them with us to stores or around town as a couple. Most people assumed we were married, and that the kid(s) were ours, and we were constantly talked to by strangers about "our kids". The people in my little neck of the woods were as children friendly as any country I have ever been to ... and I am fairly well traveled. Here is a pic of me with my future nephew Juan David, a 3.5 year old Llanero.

BEWARE of gold diggers.

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Azul says on Dec 11, 2006, 20:41:

Thanks bufalo and Robert I appreciate your comments. It is all in the same line as my thinking .... some people just expressed concern because Colombia is "dangerous", especially for a blond haired, blue eyed, extremely gringo 3 yr old. But I have never been all that concerned in the time I have spent there. I speak Spanish (my grammar is bad) and my wife is from 'Quilla, so I think that we will know how to make it a safe and fun trip for him. I think that world travel is something that people don't experience enough of, and if I can expose my son to other cultures he will be better off. Wasn't it Mark Twain who wrote "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness"?

las cosas caen por su propio peso

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scotty says on Dec 11, 2006, 21:26:

It depends I think it all depends on where exactly you are going and what you will be doing. There are things to consider. Colombia can be a dangerous country. I wonder if a kidnapper would just love to steal a gringo child. I guess if you kept the child close to you and did not go to dangerous area's everything would be fine. Personally I would not take a child that young to Colombia. Adults can take care of themselves pretty much, but children i don't know?

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

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Robert Jorge says on Dec 11, 2006, 21:53:

There are kids (and adults) all over the place that are blonde, blue eyed, red headed, etc. in Colombia. Of course people aren't stupid, and they will know you are a gringo, but I can't imagine you would be taking more of a risk in Colombia with your little one than anywhere else. I sure haven't heard of "gringo" toddlers being targeted in Colombia for kidnapping. With your wife being a local, I would think you would be fine. I can't wait to have kids and take them to Colombia. I am too lazy to try and come up with hard stats, but I would wager an Aguila that there has not been one EEUU child kidnapped in Colombia this year. I bet you couldn't say that about France, Spain, and Portugal - 1st world countries - that are the same size as Colombia put together. You certainly couldn't say that about any major city in the US. Have a great time ... I am jealous.

BEWARE of gold diggers.

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scotty says on Dec 12, 2006, 08:25:

why? you havent heard of any gringo kids being kidnapped in Colombia because there arent any there to be kidnapped.

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

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ColombianoGringo says on Dec 12, 2006, 09:39:

My kids have been twice I have two children(6 and 4). My daughter(6) has been twice. My son just went this time for the first time. They actually went with my parents this summer to Medellin and Bogota and had a blast. Both kids speak spanish and look Colombian, but I don't think this is that important.

I would not worry too much. Kids probably have a higher likelyhood of being targeted by a pedophile in the US than a kidnapper in Colombia. At least in Colombia, the kidnappers would be after cash. Even so, I doubt you will run into any problems.

Just make sure you have a notarized letter(in english and spanish) permitting the children to travel to and from Colombia from the childrens' mother. You probably won't need it, but it is wise to have one.

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lockheed says on Dec 12, 2006, 10:32:

HOT WATER My wife took our 15 months old daughter to see her family in Caicedonia Colombia, and all hell brook loose, the para's started fighthing the army, they stormed the town they went around telling everybody "los buenos personas duermen temprano" y "los chicos malos nosotros los hacemos dormir" my wife called me on the phone scared because the baby is a EU passport, and she was afraid for you know what, and she could not get out of the town, finaly things clmed a little and she went to some family I have in Bog. to wait for her flight back. My little girl came back with a bad flu/severe cold,
and fking AVIANCA held her and my sick baby for 2 hours in their ofice at El Dorado because they told her she can't go because her resident permit doesn't look good. Until some one had to translate the permit for AVIANCA on the phone word by word the lady said o sorry have a pleasant flight, I don't think I can write what my wife said to her. Also the AVIANCA lady called her a traitor for leaving Colombia and not returning in so long, and that it's people like her that abandone Colombia is at fault that the country is going bad.
She had to also hear something similar from the the lady at the DAS when she was exiting.

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Azul says on Dec 12, 2006, 10:50:

Hmmm.... I am sorry for the bad time that your wife had Lockheed, I know it is a sensitive and traumatic thing when it is your baby involved. But, there is a big difference in going to Caicedonia and going to Barranquilla. I'm not to worried about the "war" while in the city. And as far as the flu/cold is concerned, it's to bad she got sick but a 15 month old can get sick like that anywhere. And almost everyone has a story involving customs or the airline when they travel, especially when they travel with small children. It's to be expected. And I can understand why your wife was upset with the lady at Avianca, but that is hardly reason for not going. Part of travel is the experience, both good and bad. So as long as you can remain relatively safe, accept the difficulties and chalanges in the persuit of a great experience.

las cosas caen por su propio peso

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Mr. Hollywood says on Dec 12, 2006, 11:48:

Have fun I have little kids and they LOVE Colombia.

The biggest danger, frankly, is the lack of seatbelts and car seats in most Colombian cars. Bring your car seat and a variety of straps to jury rig your own "seatbelt" to hold down the car seat.

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ColombianoGringo says on Dec 12, 2006, 12:13:

Right about seatbelts Taxis in Colombia scare the heck out of me for this reason. All my family's cars have them, but I have yet to see a taxi with seatbelts.

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Azul says on Dec 12, 2006, 16:10:

Taxis The taxis are very scary, for that matter all trafic scares me. My sister in-law was hurt very badly while taking a mototaxi. But with how traffic is Barranquilla, I am amazed that there aren't more accidents than there are. For someone growing up in the US it is quite the sight to see 2 or 3 adults on a mototaxi, especially when one of those adults is holding 2 sleeping babies. I used to think that NY taxis where bad....

las cosas caen por su propio peso

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juanalejo says on Dec 12, 2006, 18:17:

lockheed And you allowed a baby with a flu to travel on a transatlantic flight? That is what I call being irresponsible, I think Avianca acted as bad as you by allowing the baby to travel.

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Miguel says on Dec 12, 2006, 22:43:

Take the kid To Parque Venezuela in Barranquilla; he will love it.

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larumberainglesa says on Dec 13, 2006, 04:28:

Miguel What's at Parque Venezuela? Am going to Cartagena in 2 days with a 6 year old and looking for places to visit.

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Miguel says on Dec 13, 2006, 05:34:

Parque Venezuela in Barranquilla It's a small amusement park for kids; I went there with friends and their children...a 4 year old girl as well as two boys ages 5 and 7.

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Azul says on Dec 13, 2006, 10:36:

Thanks Miguel ...we'll check it out. Any other suggestions as to what a 3 year old would like to do in Barranquilla.

las cosas caen por su propio peso

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Miguel says on Dec 13, 2006, 23:22:

Barranquilla Zoo Is a good attraction for both kids and adults.

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bufalo says on Dec 14, 2006, 05:20:

Take him/her to a beach. Not in BAQ as they really suck, but take a bus somewhere else.

Robert Jorge, 4 months is not long enough to see what goes on in those neighborhoods. No way in the world would I want my children growing up there, especially my daughter. Like you said, there are lots of kids running around - did you happen to notice the ages of the mothers? Knowing a lot of people who grew up in those places, the stories aren't as peachy as to the person just passing through. Low strata kids are taken advantage of all the time. Old guys touching them is common, most girls see nothing past their barrio. Where do most of the prostis come from? The biggest thing in life for them is having a kid, usually before 15. NOT saying this doesn't happen all over, it does, but there it is commonplace.
I do like going to those neighborhoods because I like the kids and all, but it also makes me sad to know what waits for them.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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