We're number five!

Simon says on May 2, 2007, 22:23:

Cool but... Wait a second...doesn't Mexico also have more kidnappings now than Colombia?

So we should be number six!

"You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do."---Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Rubito says on May 2, 2007, 22:25:

I think Mexico AND Brazil top it ---Violence is the price of freedom.---

---Violence is the price of freedom.---

Simon says on May 2, 2007, 22:28:

OK, number 7 then.
OK, number 7 then.

"You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do."---Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

goin_south says on May 2, 2007, 22:32:

simon, I think you're in a free- fall.

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

goin_south says on May 2, 2007, 22:33:

what number do you WANT to B?

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

scotty says on May 2, 2007, 22:48:

seven aint bad, thats a good number i think it used to once upon a time be number 1. its still number 1 in coffee and emeralds and beautiful women right?

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

Robert Jorge says on May 2, 2007, 23:00:

I can't remember the source, but I also heard Mexico took over the kidnapping title a couple of years ago. I can understand Iraq being up there, but Nepal? What's up with that.

Simon says on May 2, 2007, 23:01:

Right again, Mr. Scott!
Right again, Mr. Scott!

"You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do."---Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

scotty says on May 3, 2007, 00:35:

Simon and RJ I think you guys are right i also read somewhere cant remember where that mexico had moved way up the scale in kidnappings. We hear less stories about Colombian kidnappings these days.

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

kalder says on May 3, 2007, 00:47:

Robert- kidnapping in Nepal is down to Maoist insurgents. Evil bastards.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

Barranquilla_Bob says on May 3, 2007, 00:54:

Colombians Living Under Siege
by Martin Kaste

All Things Considered, · The citizens of Valledupar, Colombia, live two hours from beautiful mountains, Caribbean beaches and clear-water rivers. But it's a huge risk to visit any of these places. In fact, it's dangerous to go more than five minutes in any direction. If you don't run into the paramilitaries, you'll run into the guerillas. And if they think there's any chance you or your family have money (or if you're American or work for the government), they'll kidnap you. So people in this hot, dusty town have become used to staying home, watching TV and generally being cooped up. NPR's Martin Kaste brings us a portrait of life under siege.


Related NPR Stories
Expanded coverage ( this story is a lie,they wont kidnap here,
as here en Valle we welcome gringos.Come to the home of Vallenato music and the home Jorge 40 and Simon Trinidad and the Palancas de familia Araujo. its all the home of the best drinking water in all of Colombia.)

Rikito says on May 3, 2007, 07:17:

I wonder where the US ranks in guns My Colombian wife and I were laughing at some gringo friends last night. They were so critical of Colombia and all of the crime that goes on. So I posed her a question:

Where would you rather live? In a counrty that has many kidnappings in mostly rural areas, each year or in a country that had 40 murders each day from handguns? Her immediate response was,"who has that many muders? Russia or China?" I told her that the US has an average 40 murders each day. That's over 14,600 per year (14,640 in leap year)

For me...in 50 days, I will relocate to Colombia

It is not life that matters, but the journey.

Tinto (Moderator) says on May 3, 2007, 07:22:

Number three in coffee (for sure) and number two or three in emeralds (I think).



The women...well, others can argue about that.

webmanco says on May 3, 2007, 07:27:

I guess they count the fake kidnappins as well, as the guy who auto-kidnapped himself. A 20 years old guy who wanted to raise some money go to Cartagena with his girlfriend, instead now he is facing 3 years in prison.

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

elmodefoque says on May 3, 2007, 07:29:

lucky 7 is good!
lucky 7 is good!

frankdeboca says on May 3, 2007, 08:49:

Crime? Here? Tell me it aint so... You mean a culture founded in violence and ethnic cleansing, and a culture with only 26 years of peace in the last 2 centuries would also have violence now in the streets? Really? jajajajaja

Born a gringo and proud of it, but when people speak of violence they never seem to take into the equation just how violent our culture is here. I firmly believe that in any area you choose we are an incredibly violent culture. Shootings, rapes, murders, kidnappings for deportation to other countries, car-jackings, racial, gang, societal, religious... on and on. You name it... we got it here.

As I said in another posting... don't throw stones when you live in a glass house. We need to clean up our own stuff before we start judging other cultures. Just travel with caution and do your due diligence... hell, you wouldn't travel to Miami or NYC or Philly without first taking precautions... why drop your guard because your in a foreign country?

I laugh when I see a tourist bitching about being robbed when he is sitting on the plane in his shorts, hawaain shirt, black socks and sandals, and a years wages in gold jewelry... gee, could you be more of a target... anywhere? JAJAJAJA

~The key to immortality is to first live a life worth remembering...

~The key to immortality is to first live a life worth remembering...

Simon says on May 3, 2007, 09:28:

"number two or three in emeralds (I think)."


Wrong dude! Colombia is number one in emeralds!

"You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do."---Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Man Tequila says on May 3, 2007, 09:32:

You never hear about kidnappings in Nepal or Congo.

Frankdeboca reminds me of someone. Probably just jamais vu, jaja.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

Simon says on May 3, 2007, 10:43:

It's not the quantity, it's the quality. From Wikipedia:

"Colombian emeralds are generally the most prized due to their transparency and fire."

"The characteristics of Colombian emeralds set the highest standards of quality."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emeralds

It seems Colombia produces the best quality emeralds, just like in coffee.

"You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do."---Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Barranquilla_Bob says on May 3, 2007, 11:05:

Tinto has a good point The diamond is the real deal.
The movies and crime novels all use diamond thiefs
and diamond scandals.
how much money did the boold diamond movie make vs the
romancing the stone make.
Buy emeralds for the love of a pretty gemstone and buy
diamonds as a investment tool....
A rich person with tinto type knowledge could make money
here in the changes of Colombias market,as he would know
when to dump the peso and hold the dolar,and when to rent
a apartement here,and when to buy a apartment here.
Tinto please take some of your vast knowledge of investment
and write a guide for the economics of visiting and living
in Colombia...I say this in sincere,and not in jest,as I have
read lots of your post and they all seemed to have been backed
up by proven figures and proven examples of market trend..
tinto where to you see the Colomboa peso vs. U.S. dollar
exhange rate this time next year?

Wastelandlive says on May 3, 2007, 13:34:

Tinto has a good point, naturally. But he excludes from his list of fine coffees the mac-daddy of all beans, that which comes straight from the weasels ass.

Now here's an entrepreneurial idea: no reason Colombia couldn't import some of these little bastards.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=qw1160029085554S312

Wasteland

scotty says on May 3, 2007, 18:17:

Tinto well i dont know what Colombia's ranking is on coffee but i can tell you i used to sell espresso to businesses and in my personal opinion people seemed to enjoy a cup of Colombian coffee over others. as for emeralds again i dont have any stats but i do recall reading an article on the internet about 3 years ago where they were talking about Colombia and all its exports, mentioning flowers, bananas, fruit, coffee, etc. They said in the article that Colombia exported more emeralds than any country in the world.
As for the women, they are number one, maybe with Brazil in close second.

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

scotty says on May 3, 2007, 18:25:

Tinto Yes Kona and Blue Mountain are good coffees as is Brazillian and Costa Rica produces a good coffee. However, most people will tell you theres something about Colombian coffee that has a certain smoothness to it that people prefer over other coffees.
Coffee is like most other things people have their own idea of what is good and isnt.
Whats better McDonalds or Burger King, Ford or Toyota, Cali or Medellin?

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

Man Tequila says on May 3, 2007, 18:32:

Colombian coffee is my favourite. Since you ask, Burger King, Toyota and Medellín ;)

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)