Last week I met Bob Arno the king of pick pockets in Cartagena. This guy did pick pocket shows in Las Vegas, travelled around the world to hunt and meet the best pick pockets and even did a movie about it for National Geografic [URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia2b54srRZM.[/URL] God knows why he picked me out of the crowd to ask me how is pick pocket scene in Colombia. A very nice chat with the guy, but I didn't tell him we had similar hobby, as I also travel around the world to meet people with underground activities and report about it! LOL! The guy is world expert in pick pocket, but bottom line is that it's not that much that there are good pick pockets but that there a good victims.
Here I will open another chapter that has usually sparked endless passionate discussions: safety in Colombia. Colombia's bad reputation is due to an unusual history when between 1990 and 2000 Colombia had to face a double war against the most powerful drug cartel of history and the world's oldest communist guerilla. As Police and Army couldn't handle the situation, rich people start to defend themselves with armed security, but very soon these paramilitary groups started to use the same terrorist methods and became just another illegal armed group in a complex situation where it became impossible to understand who was killing who. Colombia was officially the most dangerous country in the world. Medellin alone had to face 500 murders a month. Since crime has fallen with a spectacular rate of 80% in that city.
Colombia is now 12th most dangerous country. Is it relevant? Yes and no. Yes, it shows that even if Pablo Escobar is dead and that the war against FARC is over, crime is still a major concern in Colombia. However, in that very same list, Bahamas turns out to be even more dangerous than Colombia and no one will treat you as a fool to dare to go on holidays to the Bahamas. There is a lot of emotional when it comes to perception of safety.
The main figure to measure crime is the rate of intentional homicides a year and turns out that most countries on the top of that list are from Latin America. Salvador was the most dangerous country in the world in 2011. In 2012, the 2 major drug gangs made peace and the crime rate dropped with 50% Actually, most crimes in Latin America are drug and gang related, which does not affect to average tourist. Canadians are much smarter people and Canadian authorities issued for their travelling citizens a classification of countries with homicide rates among visitors. Suddenly, Latin American countries disappear from the top of the list and most dangerous countries for visitors are mainly African and Middle Eastern countries. Countries such as Belgium and France are even more dangerous for visitors than Colombia. Bare facts.
Here is my point: in Africa, for being a white tourist you can't hide yourself in the crowd and you will be the main target for criminals. In Middle East, you are a target for fanatics just for being Christian or Jewish. In Latin America, you are not a target unless you mess with drugs of course. In 2013, a gringo was victim of a "'paseo milionario' in Bogota. A 'Paseo milionario" is basically a short term kidnap where they will use your credit card to take as much cash as they can from your account. The guy resisted and got killed. Too bad, turned out he was accidentally a DEA agent. The criminals got coughed, were extradited to USA and will most probably die in prison. Most crimes in Colombia remain unpunished, but when it comes to foreigners, Police will do all what is possible to find the criminals. Bottom line: criminals have no reason to target foreigners; it's an unnecessary risk to take. Foreigners that get involved in crime or kidnap in Colombia is very seldom despite that a lot of foreigners put themselves in very stupid situations. The Bronx used to be the most dangerous neighborhood of Bogota, an outlaw territory left to homeless, drug addicts and criminals. When Police decided recently to clean the Bronx, they discovered a torture room and even an alligator for the bodies to disappear. Guess what? A stupid Dutch tourist coming from a country where he can get safely and legally drugs found no better idea than going to buy drugs in the Bronx, the most dangerous neighborhood of the country that has the highest narco related death toll on earth. How stupid must someone be to do such a thing? He got kidnapped and could miraculously escape from his raptors after a couple of days. If you are looking for trouble, you will find it.
I am living now for 2 years in Colombia, I have travelled everywhere around, in any neighbor of the major cities and to the most remote rural area. I never ever felt a threat, although most people I know in Colombia have been victim at least once o petty crime. I have been travelling continuously for 40 years among 80 different countries, for my job or as a tourist. I have visited most of countries on the top of the list of most dangerous countries. I have never been victim of theft or crime. The worst that happened to me was a stolen camera in Cuba back in 2004. Yes, I guess I was victim of socialist propaganda claiming that Cuba is the safest country in the world.
Bottom line: statistics are not relevant, what is relevant is how you watch your back.
Here is my point: don't spoil your stay in Colombia with paranoid feelings, just take the usual precautions. When people tell me what happened to them, usually I realize that I couldn't have happened to me as I would never have acted like that. And I am not paranoid, it's just a behavior pattern I even don't think about, I guess I learned it from all my traveling.
Most of the time, people ask to take usual precautions but don't explain which they are. Here is the most important part, and these precautions are not only for Colombia, they are for any destination.
It all starts before you even arrive at your destination. When you have planned your trip, do the necessary homework. It's important to be able to orientate yourself. Check on a map the airport, the major places where you have to go and the major landmarks of the city. Check currency conversion rate, distance from airport to hotel and price of taxi.
Choice of hotel is also important. Check where are the usual Hilton, Intercontinental Sofitel and so on in the city, this is the neighborhood where you need to stay. I however don't recommend these hotels as they are over exposed. People targeting tourists are waiting just in front of these hotels; you can't just walk out of these hotels, you always need a taxi. Another problem is that usually these hotels are not chica friendly. I recommend low profile hotels, not necessary expensive, just enough standard to have safety boxes in the rooms. I usually book on Expedia or similar sites to be sure that the hotels are registered somewhere.
Try to travel as light as possible. I always have a bag with toiletry on cabin allowed sizes ready for travelling, I grab the exact quantity of necessary clothes and pack it in a cabin baggage (55 x40 x23 cm) with combination lock so that I don't need to check in baggage. It saves time at departure and arrival and avoids the risk of lost baggage. I leave anything home that I won't need during the travel. No jewelry, no watch, no keys except those of my apartment. I empty my wallet from everything inside except cash money, credit card and presentation cards if I am on business. I have always a copy of my passport and a digital copy available in my email in case of loss.
The main trouble actually is the laptop and cellphone as it is mandatory for business. Nowadays, it's the most risky valuable, not for the value of it but for the personal data stored in it. A cellphone is very easy to steal as you bring it everywhere. I strongly advice using cellphone only for what is designed for: phone calls, internet search, pictures, GPS. Don't use it to store files with personal data. There are all kind of digital methods to protect data in a laptop.
The most vulnerable moment during the trip is at arrival at airport: you have all your belongings with you and arrive in a place where you have never been before. First thing is to go to a local ATM or change money to have cash for the taxi. In most airports it is possible to do it before leaving the customs area which is much safer of course. Check the address of your hotel as you will need it for your taxi.
When leaving the customs area, here is where people targeting arriving tourists are waiting. Don't even look at them or answer them. Never ever accept a taxi ride in that area. In smaller airports it might be more informal, but in international airports, taxis have to queue and can't get out of their taxi to hail for tourists. Don't talk to anyone, don't ask for help, walk as if you know the place and go to the taxi pick up zone to get your taxi. It's a requisite for any international airport to shave signs to the taxi pick up. Most important is to get as soon as possible to your hotel and put all your belongings safe.
Once in your hotel room, put your valuable in the safe. At all time, go out of with only copy of your passport and necessary cash for the day. Ask at hotel desk the closest ATM and get cash only during daytime. During day time you might need your cellphone for professional reasons, during nighttime leave it in the safe. Your laptop has to stay all time in your hotel room locked in your luggage except for professional meetings.
Don't dress as a tourist; wear always long pants or blue jean, shirts with neutral colors, no sun glasses, jewelry, watch or obvious camera. Don't wear a wallet; just keep the cash money in your front pocket. Pay everything by cash; there are too many scams with credit cards from tourists.
When living in a country, you can't go on doing it; you need to have credit card and ID at all time. I therefore have a wallet in my back pocket with anything that can be stolen: cash money, presentation cards. My credit cards and ID are in a flat discrete wallet in my front pocket. You can buy those wallets that can be worn under your pant or your shirt. Trouble is that when you will need to pay, it becomes obvious to everybody where you are hiding your valuable.
Never use public transport, in most cities it's the most vulnerable place for petty crime. Just use a cab for any transport. Best is not to hail in the street, always ask hotel or where you are to call one, on that way taxi is registered.
When walking in the street, walk as if you know where you are going, don't stop to search where you are. If you need to check a map, go and sit somewhere having a coffee or a drink. Never ever let someone walking behind you, just walk slowly to let him pass. Keep distance to other people, avoid too crowded places as well as desert places. Keep an eye to other people, be alert and spot suspect behavior.
Here is the part you will probably not like: never ever dink alcohol when alone in a foreign country. You need to stay alert. Alcohol is only in private area when you are with people you know.
Another rule you won't like: don't talk to strange dudes. Strangers are people you cannot identify again if anything happens. It's OK if you have their identity or people you know have it, if you know where they work, live or if you have their car number.
Don't hang out and drink with dudes you even don't know. Unless you are gay, why would you do it by the way? If you want to socialize and have fun, then hang out with girls. Some girls might also try to get advantage of a tourist for money, but at least it's a win win situation.
A word about chicas you bring back in your hotel room. Key is again to be able to identify her if anything happens. Luckily, hotels in Latin America will always request copy of ID from any guest entering the room. Sex motels are therefore dangerous, as ID is not requested. Once entering the room put all valuables in safety box, especially if you intend to sleep with her. Don't give her any personal data that might help her to find you again once in your homeland. If you plan to date chicas during your stay, you definitively need to do it through a local cellphone, not your personal one.
All these rules seem overreacting. They are not. Just learn to live with it at all time and enjoy your stay.
