Bogota Reports

[Coupe66]

Well what do you call taking someone against their will? It is called kidnapping. Happened to a buddy of mine that goes to Colombia all the time. (Not sure if it was day or night. Don't know what difference it would make.) Somehow he was drugged. The police found him lying in the street with no clothes on. He called some people that he is very close to in Barranquilla and they called someone they knew in Bogota to help him out. He did not have any money left or anything. It did not put him off. He still goes to Colombia all the time, but mostly stays in Barranquilla.

I guess the moral is that you can't live life being scared. I have been to Colombia over 100 times and nothing has ever happened to me and I have never seen anything happened to anybody. Maybe that is because I stay in what is considered the worst areas!

Buddy, your posts are so contradictory and all over the place, I just don't know what to think of you anymore. A few pages back you were laughing when somebody said they were worried about being kidnapped in Santa Fe, but now you're trying to rub it in that this kind of things happens. Plus, you're always going on that nothing has ever happened to you (even though you admit to doing really dumb things like going into Santa Fe wearing diamond earrings!) But then at the same time you qualified the reason why yourself, saying it's because you're a black guy from the ghetto so you just blend in and nobody notices you. And therefore not because you behave in a way that doesn't make you a target! So are your posts helping anybody? You do dumb things, but it doesn't mater because nobody notices you anyway ?

[JjBee62]

Thanks for the info, but you still didn't say where this was or what time of the day or night? It would be pretty hard to march you from cashpoint to cashpoint in broad daylight in Chapinero I reckon with other people around. I seem to get the feeling you find this story somewhat amusing ? How old is your friend, are you guys very young? Anyway, I'm not going to let it put me off. And you shouldn't use the term kidnapping if that's not what you meant, otherwise it's just scaremongering. Can you give me a news link to any westerner that's actually been kidnapped in Bogota in recent years?

Around 5 years ago this was a thing in Bogota. How it worked was there would be 2 or more guys working together. 1 was a taxi driver. The taxi driver would pick a good spot to pick up tourists. Once they got a likely victim in the taxi, they would drive to a location where their accomplices were waiting. The guys would jump in the taxi, with a knife or gun and rob the passenger. If the guy had credit cards with him, they would drive around to different ATMs and force him to withdraw cash. They would do this until all the cards were blocked.

I haven't heard of this happening recently.

At the time it was recommended to either have someone call a taxi, or to use a taxi app. That way there's a record of the taxi number.

There are other things that are recommended. Don't carry a wallet. I only carry an ID, my room or apartment key and the cash I need for the day. I typically only carry my ATM card when I'm going to make a withdrawal. The only other thing is my phone. If I'm carrying more than 300 k, I'll split it between 2 pockets.

Learn where the busy streets are. When possible, stay to the busy streets. If someone doesn't look right, avoid them. Even if it means turning around.

[Mr Enternational]

And you shouldn't use the term kidnapping if that's not what you meant, otherwise it's just scaremongering. Can you give me a news link to any westerner that's actually been kidnapped in Bogota in recent years?

Well what do you call taking someone against their will? It is called kidnapping. Happened to a buddy of mine that goes to Colombia all the time. (Not sure if it was day or night. Don't know what difference it would make.) Somehow he was drugged. The police found him lying in the street with no clothes on. He called some people that he is very close to in Barranquilla and they called someone they knew in Bogota to help him out. He did not have any money left or anything. It did not put him off. He still goes to Colombia all the time, but mostly stays in Barranquilla.

I guess the moral is that you can't live life being scared. I have been to Colombia over 100 times and nothing has ever happened to me and I have never seen anything happen to anybody. Maybe that is because I stay in what is considered the worst areas!

I decided to just hit my buddy up and ask. LOL. I guess me and Bango were right. They go to where the money is. No sense in going through all that trouble with poor people.

Me: hey man. when that shit happened to you in bogota was it in the day or night?

Him: At night in a estata 6 neighborhood (Usaquen), a regular restaurant/bar called Luna Bar off calle 116 and cra 18. This was back in 2008

Me: ok

Him: Only had 2 beers, wasnt trolling for chicks, just checking out the scene on the way to Barranquilla for La Guacherna, which happens the wkd prior to carnaval there.

Him: Happened on a Thurs night layover in BOG....couldnt trust Delta to arrive on time, nor immigration to process us in time to catch the last flight to BAQ, so I had to stay in BOG that night. My downfall was going out to what I thought was a safer area than Santa Fe

Me: lol. i always stay downtown next to santa fe.

Him: At the time, I was staying in a cheap hotel near El Campin, since I had an early flight to BAQ

Him: Now I alternate hotels between Chapinero (Abitare 56) and Parque 93 (GHL or Doubletree)

P.S. You are not going to find something like that in the news unless the person wound up dead. Check out the one lately in the Medellin thread about the Turkish university professor that was in town for a conference.

[Coupe66]

Yes, that's exactly what those guys do LOL Look up the movie "Pickpockets" on Netflix. The main casa areas is from calle 63 to calle 71 in Chapinero. I guess what I meant by kidnapping is they take you to an ATM then to another ATM until they drain your bank account. If you're worried about getting mugged then go to the northern casas instead. The trick that those guys played on my friend is that when the 3 guys were walking towards my friend on the same side of the sidewalk, they were spread out to make it look like they weren't together but once they got really close, they all piled up on him. That was a tough situation to avoid because it's not like if you see some suspicious guys walking on your opposite direction, it will be odd to just suddenly turn around and walk back to the direction you were coming from.

Thanks for the info, but you still didn't say where this was or what time of the day or night? It would be pretty hard to march you from cashpoint to cashpoint in broad daylight in Chapinero I reckon with other people around. I seem to get the feeling you find this story somewhat amusing ? How old is your friend, are you guys very young? Anyway, I'm not going to let it put me off. And you shouldn't use the term kidnapping if that's not what you meant, otherwise it's just scaremongering. Can you give me a news link to any westerner that's actually been kidnapped in Bogota in recent years?

[BlueCar]

I was in Santa Fe on Friday Night and out of nowhere a lot of girls started running away because the police raided Atunes. I think they arrested girls who didn't have their papers or proper documentation. Atunes and all the other for the exception of 3 clubs were very empty. We then decided to go to the Primer de Mayo clubs in the South and had a blast.

[BlueCar]

if you are unlucky enough to be attacked, that nobody would bat an eyelid. In any given area in Bogota, are there dodgy guys just hanging around waiting for a victim.

Yes, that's exactly what those guys do LOL Look up the movie "Pickpockets" on Netflix. The main casa areas is from calle 63 to calle 71 in Chapinero. I guess what I meant by kidnapping is they take you to an ATM then to another ATM until they drain your bank account. If you're worried about getting mugged then go to the northern casas instead. The trick that those guys played on my friend is that when the 3 guys were walking towards my friend on the same side of the sidewalk, they were spread out to make it look like they weren't together but once they got really close, they all piled up on him. That was a tough situation to avoid because it's not like if you see some suspicious guys walking on your opposite direction, it will be odd to just suddenly turn around and walk back to the direction you were coming from.

[Coupe66]

Thanks guys for your advice! The only problem is I'm starting my stay at a hotel downtown near Santa Fe, so if I want my first experience of the City to be in the north, I'll have to take the transmilenio or taxi there for the first few days. Parkinsons, that's a great suggestion re. the biking tour, as I'm into cycling anyway. Have already checked it out, I won't let this worry get me down. Anyway, if I don't like Bogota I can go elsewhere. I'm planning on staying a month in Colombia after all. Actually, will be staying in an Airbnb after my hotel, won't want to bring a chica back there. That's why I asked where the daytime motels (with hourly rates) etc are in Chapinero, but nobody answered me on that. Any ideas? By Mezzanine, you mean the chica joint that has been mentioned earlier?

[Parkinsons]

I'm sitting in a nice cafe in a wealthy northern European city, it's 16 C in February, there's a decent red light district 10 minutes walk from where I am, people leave 6000 Euro bicycles in the street here at night without worrying they will be stolen. So am I sensible to fly half way around the world just to get laid, with all this uncertainty about Bogota. It's stressful enough planning a trip for a month to a country you've never been before, and going solo, without reading about kidnappings!

Just chill, you are worrying too much. I've stayed a few blocks from Santa Fe and walked freely. I also stayed in Chapinero as well and walked around at nigjt and went casa-hopping during the day time.

Here's a suggestion: on your first day join a walking group or a bicycle group (plenty of them, just Google) do some tourist stuff until you get comfortable. Then start with the "safer" option like the mezzanine massages, then day casa in Chapinero, then work your way up to Santa Fe,. Don't forget too, if you had a good session with, say, a mezzanine girl, arrange for her to overnight with you at your hotel (not sue if you booked Airbnb; I always prefer hotels with a front desk to hold girls' ID). You are getting a known level of service and most likely cheaper than the preparagos.

I had a lot of fun in Bogota, definitely in Santa Fe. I even prefer Bogota over Medellin. Stop worrying, stay calm and enjoy your time.

[JHappyDog]

After weeks of asking questions and getting replies, I am really confused about what kind of city Bogota is. I get all kinds of contradictory advice. On the one extreme there is Mr Enternational telling me to chill out and stop worrying, to Bluecar saying they would have kidnapped his friend if they knew he was American!?

If worried stay and play in the north. Based on Routards advice I did that. Parque 93 area seemed safe, busy and with a few American brands. Met many friendly people as well has a few monger options within walking distance or short taxi ride. Yes, you pay more but, still decent. Generally stick to daytime if walking. Mezzanine is a great option but, don't just walk into the first door and pick the first lady.

You can go into multiple doors and look for your type and negotiate. There are strip clubs at night and as mentioned you can venture down to Chapinaro day clubs.

Check the travel schedule section maybe you can hookup with a wingman to open up more options. No matter where you are, you still have to be alert and on the lookout. (that goes for any destination).

In the daytime I always felt safe and at night just became more aware.

[WindAngel]

Is this report serious?

You want an absolute answer but there is not one. You need to view it as a probability. It is unsafe in terms of higher probability.

[Coupe66]

He was visiting the area with the casas and he wasn't dressed fancy at all. He had Adidas sweatpants on with a hat and a jacket. He actually looks like a native Colombian. I advise that you guys don't carry your debit card with you as there is a thing called "la vuelta millionaria" where they take you to an ATM and then to another ATM and take your money out until your balance is $0. If they thought he was American in that very second, he might have been kidnapped but they probably found out he was American when they looked at his ID in his wallet later.

Is this report serious? I thought kidnappings happened in the Farc controlled areas in the past. Can somebody please give me an actual example of a tourist having been kidnapped in recent years in Bogota, otherwise I wish people would stop writing inflammatory things like this. Maybe I should stop reading this blog, at least until I get there! From my research, the casas in Chapinero are spread out, so what do you mean by the Casa area ? And was this is daylight or at night ?

After weeks of asking questions and getting replies, I am really confused about what kind of city Bogota is. I get all kinds of contradictory advice. On the one extreme there is Mr Enternational telling me to chill out and stop worrying, to Bluecar saying they would have kidnapped his friend if they knew he was American!?

This is supposed to be a vacation after all. A couple of months ago after first seeing the chicas available on prepagados there, I was really excited about coming. Now, 4 days before my flight, all I'm thinking about is all the things I have to worry about the place, and the chicas are far in the background of my mind, not how it should be! Researching the place so much, making sure you look and act just like the locals is bad enough, but having to worry about being kidnapped is something else! (If that is a reality?)

I am getting the impression that Bogota is the most dangerous of the well known cities in Colombia, and if you are unlucky enough to be attacked, that nobody would bat an eyelid. In any given area in Bogota, are there dodgy guys just hanging around waiting for a victim, it seems so!? I don't think a city can be considered even relatively safe or normal by Western standards anyway, if you have to avoid wearing the wrong type of shirt, shoes etc and not be able to take a mobile, bank cards or a visible watch with you in daylight without having a reasonable possibility of getting mugged for them. Blue Car says don't carry bank cards with you, but if you're staying at an Airbnb with no safe, then how can you keep your important items safe?

I'm sitting in a nice cafe in a wealthy northern European city, it's 16 C in February, there's a decent red light district 10 minutes walk from where I am, people leave 6000 Euro bicycles in the street here at night without worrying they will be stolen. So am I sensible to fly half way around the world just to get laid, with all this uncertainty about Bogota. It's stressful enough planning a trip for a month to a country you've never been before, and going solo, without reading about kidnappings!

[Mr Enternational]

This. Whenever I have travelled SEA I took USD and followed same modus operandi as yours. But people on this forum say using ATMs give better exchange rates. So maybe there is a point for using ATMs.

That is because exchanges in Southeast Asia give fairer rates than other places. Best to use ATM in other countries, besides maybe Peru where you can exchange with people on the street. Although it is said they are about to do away with that.

[KilledSoul]

When it comes to money in traveling abroad, estimate, and always bring everything you need with you. Change a little over in the airport, and the rest on the street. When you go out, take only what you need from the stash. I've done it this way for years, and never had to dick around with ATMs or banks.

This. Whenever I have travelled SEA I took USD and followed same modus operandi as yours. But people on this forum say using ATMs give better exchange rates. So maybe there is a point for using ATMs.

[BlueCar]

Please provide some more details, ie in what part of Chapinero? Its quite a big place. At what time of the day or night did this happen? How was he dressed, very touristy? Was he standing out too much?

He was visiting the area with the casas and he wasn't dressed fancy at all. He had Adidas sweatpants on with a hat and a jacket. He actually looks like a native Colombian. I advise that you guys don't carry your debit card with you as there is a thing called "la vuelta millionaria" where they take you to an ATM and then to another ATM and take your money out until your balance is $0. If they thought he was American in that very second, he might have been kidnapped but they probably found out he was American when they looked at his ID in his wallet later.

[Woodman09]

Exactly. Try mongering in the poorest latin American country, nicuragua. Not good.

Most Central American countries have a bias against Americans, Mexico too. They are propagandized against the US.

Colombia is one of the best for Americans to visit as they like Americans and are our best friend in Latin America. George Bush saved Colombia and they are grateful.