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I'm glad I could be of help. I told you your panicking was unwarranted, it's strange when I warn of general caution when travelling to Colombia people go into panic stage yet when I do the same for other destinations which are just as dangerous if not more-so people take it in their stride - it's illogical, but then again emotions are illogical.
You need to return to discover the music scene and the theatre scene which is really taking off. Bogota is home to the biggest theatre festival in the world so you should return to check that out.
I understand why people go in to a panic state.
They just don't know any better.
When people think of Colombia at least from where I am from they think of drugs, prostitution, crime, curruption and coffee... oh and Shakira lol. They think it is some homogenous dangerous and beautiful hot tropical mess.
I am happy to stay my peek at Bogota and Cartagena has proven those myths to be in accurate. I had a good time. I think the arts scene ex visual, music and theatre all seem interesting. I likely won't go back any time soon. I need to move on the next country !
I think you were in town for the bullfighting protests right? Did the commotion affect you?
No lol. I did not see, hear or notice anything. Where is the bull ring anyways?
I was in La Candelaria for 3 days, left to Cartagena for 5 days and then back in Bogota for 2 days between Zona Rosa and La Candelaria. Did not hear about it or notice anything.
I did notice there are a lot of gourmet burger places in Bogota in the Zona Rosa and surrouding area.
I spend around 10 days in 2 cities in Colombia so I am my no means an expert on anything relating to Colombia. I have to say that before going any time I mentioned I was going to Colombia to various people ex friends, family, co-workers, my kids teachers, doctor etc ... the number 1 comments were why and be careful. My husband met a few guys that were from Colombia that live here that also expressed the same things .. why Colombia and it is very dangerous so be careful. When coming back to Toronto. The custom's officer asked me directly why we choose to go on vacation in Colombia? My answer was to explore the art, the beaches, music and culture. His response was ... well welcome back .
I think Colombia still has this huge negative reputation and at least from my experiences in both cities I went too I am not feeling that the odds of something bad happening are that much different then travelling in many other places. When in Bogota when I did the Graffiti tour there were lots of tourists. Lots from Germany and a few from Canada, England and the USA. This experience has really reminded me that seeing is believing.
Even for other countries too, when I came back from Perú a couple of people asked me if I had seen drugs or prostitutes there that would be like someone coming back from vacation in the United States and people asking them if they had seen mass shootings or meth. Wtf
I am happy to stay my peek at Bogota and Cartagena has proven those myths to be in accurate. I had a good time. I think the arts scene ex visual, music and theatre all seem interesting. I likely won't go back any time soon. I need to move on the next country !
I hear ya but duuuude; Medellin and the coffee region IS another country! It's night and day compared to Bogota and Cartagena. La Guajira, San Andres, the Amazon, the Pacific coast, the southern Andes, the Savannah; they're all night and day culturally and scenically.
There will be more difference between regions in Colombia than between many countries the only difference being there's not an official national border line drawn on the map. But everything that constitutes a different "country"; culture, music, people, scenery, cities even language in the case of San Andres and La Guajira will be evidently noticeable.
You haven't even scratched the surface. However, I'm glad you have a new found taste for independent travel with a resort/comforts sprinkled here or there even with a young child - not to mention the money you save from agency fees. Hopefully the youngin' didn't get too bored.
Even for other countries too, when I came back from Perú a couple of people asked me if I had seen drugs or prostitutes there that would be like someone coming back from vacation in the United States and people asking them if they had seen mass shootings or meth. Wtf
I agree. This experiences just reminds that in general. You got to see for yourself to really try to understand place.
When people make assumptions about Canada it always makes me laugh because they always assume it is freezing cold and peole are running around playing hockey with the polar bears lol. Just to clairify I have only ever seen a polar bear in the zoo. It gets really cold and also gets very cold - 20 to to +31. Hockey is the most popular but people hear like all sorts of sports ex my city has a hockey (Maple Leaves), baseball (Blue Jays), football (Argos), soccer (Toronto FC) and basket ball (Raptors) team.
I hear ya but duuuude; Medellin and the coffee region IS another country! It's night and day compared to Bogota and Cartagena. La Guajira, San Andres, the Amazon, the Pacific coast, the southern Andes, the Savannah; they're all night and day culturally and scenically.
There will be more difference between regions in Colombia than between many countries the only difference being there's not an official national border line drawn on the map. But everything that constitutes a different "country"; culture, music, people, scenery, cities even language in the case of San Andres and La Guajira will be evidently noticeable.
You haven't even scratched the surface. However, I'm glad you have a new found taste for independent travel with a resort/comforts sprinkled here or there even with a young child - not to mention the money you save from agency fees. Hopefully the youngin' didn't get too bored.
We have done travel without resorts too before. We did Netherlands, Egypt and Italy on our own. I did not even book hotels in advance. That was wild lol. She barely remembers though because she was only 3.
I think she had a good time especially driving strangers crazy lol. As a parent of a really push little kid... it always amazes me why other adults take her seriously. She had like 4 adults at the hotel restaurants standing around trying to figure out what she was asking for. I had to go over tell them to ignore her. She was trying to tell the cook she did not like the way he made her omlete because it was not cooked enough lol. He actually made her another one.... then she wanted a bag to take a snack with her lol.
The Botero Museum was comical. She knew she was not allowed to touch the paintings and was bored so she keep on teasing the security staff by dancing in front of the paintings and pretending like she was going to tocuh stuff until we asked her to stay in the court year because if she damaged anything we where going to leave her there.
She had a good time and made some freinds. I think they swapped users names for this online kids game and musically.
Planning the trip this way helped make it more interesting.
I hear ya but duuuude; Medellin and the coffee region IS another country! It's night and day compared to Bogota and Cartagena. La Guajira, San Andres, the Amazon, the Pacific coast, the southern Andes, the Savannah; they're all night and day culturally and scenically.
There will be more difference between regions in Colombia than between many countries the only difference being there's not an official national border line drawn on the map. But everything that constitutes a different "country"; culture, music, people, scenery, cities even language in the case of San Andres and La Guajira will be evidently noticeable.
You haven't even scratched the surface. However, I'm glad you have a new found taste for independent travel with a resort/comforts sprinkled here or there even with a young child - not to mention the money you save from agency fees. Hopefully the youngin' didn't get too bored.
The thing is any big country is like that.
California is a very different country than NYC, and the only thing in common is the English language. The American South is it's own thing, including the language they speak. It's English, but it's different.
The Interior West is a very different place as well. Big parts of the US have nothing in common in terms of geography, weather, culture, or demographics.
I can say this of many other nations around the world as well. Colombia is not unique in that regards.
I spend around 10 days in 2 cities in Colombia so I am my no means an expert on anything relating to Colombia. I have to say that before going any time I mentioned I was going to Colombia to various people ex friends, family, co-workers, my kids teachers, doctor etc ... the number 1 comments were why and be careful. My husband met a few guys that were from Colombia that live here that also expressed the same things .. why Colombia and it is very dangerous so be careful. When coming back to Toronto. The custom's officer asked me directly why we choose to go on vacation in Colombia? My answer was to explore the art, the beaches, music and culture. His response was ... well welcome back .
I think Colombia still has this huge negative reputation and at least from my experiences in both cities I went too I am not feeling that the odds of something bad happening are that much different then travelling in many other places. When in Bogota when I did the Graffiti tour there were lots of tourists. Lots from Germany and a few from Canada, England and the USA. This experience has really reminded me that seeing is believing.
Immigrants from a place are often not helpful to talk to. Someone who hasn't been to a place in 30 years can't really speak on what's going on now. And say a poor Colombia who remembers poverty in his village or his village being torn apart by violence maybe stuck in the past and not realize your experience as a tourist in the present is going to be very different.
Immigrants from a place are often not helpful to talk to. Someone who hasn't been to a place in 30 years can't really speak on what's going on now. And say a poor Colombia who remembers poverty in his village or his village being torn apart by violence maybe stuck in the past and not realize your experience as a tourist in the present is going to be very different.
I agree. Also a factor is that age and lifestyle of the person giving you the information. Some people even living in a place are just very unaware of what is going on or things to do. Some time just fly under the radar because there is so much going on. For example I typed grafiti in a good search engine and found out there is a location in my own city called grafiti alley lol with lost of street art lol. I have never heard of this place untill today and it is really close by, but in a part of the city I almost never go to.
I can say this of many other nations around the world as well. Colombia is not unique in that regards.
You omit the fact that the US is nearly 9x bigger than Colombia. Show me your list of many other nations that have Amazon, Andes, Pacific, Caribbean, Savannah (akin to the Serengeti), Pine forests, highlands, desert, jungle, perpetual snow/glaciers, coral reefs; each region with its own demographics, city styles and folk music or an equivalent level of diversity in a country of a parallel size. I can only think of a few off the top of my head. I'm not sure where this list of "many other nations" comes from?
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that would be like someone coming back from vacation in the United States and people asking them if they had seen mass shootings or meth. Wtf
