Everyone else has said be careful. I’d keep my head on a swivel and stay abreast on your surroundings.
My uncle went to Columbia to work and was shot in the head and set on fire.
You might want to search MS-13 as well. Steer clear.
[quote]Christine wrote:
Really, OP it depends on what you are looking for. Do you speak any Spanish. Some helps, you don’t have to be fluent, but if you can, take a class before you go. Speaking Spanish is really appreciated. I spent some time when I was in Guatemala with a family trying to learn. My
Spanish is horrible, but it helped loads and is sooooo appreciated.
As an American, you will probably run into more problems with European tourists than you will with locals. They (Europeans) will want to talk politics non-stop. But you will have an easier time now that Obama has been elected (whether or not you like him, it will make it easier for you). There are lots of Israeli tourists in Colombia. Honestly, they are much more disliked than Americans, but they (the Israeli tourists) like the Americans because we support them.
As far as food is concerned, don’t be afraid to eat at the roadside carts that they have or on the streets. You can always find something good (and cheep) to eat there.
Buy the fresh fruit off the street vendors. [/quote]
Hey Christine,
First of all thanks for all the good info as well as everyone else that’s given their two cents. While I do understand and speak some very basic spanish (high school), I do have a traveling buddy who was a native there.
It’s funny that you mention being an Americano. Not sure if you can tell from my avatar, but I’m asian. Don’t know if that makes me stand out more or not, excluding factors like how I dress, but I plan to just not show that I’m American since, as you mentioned, it may draw a lot of unwanted attention. I guess if anyone starts asking if I’m American, I’ll just start talking back in mandarin haha
Also thanks for the cart food advice. I was beginning to think I might need a lot of Metabolic Drive bars and protein powder 
Sketchy cart meat FTW!
I know that you mainly went towards Venezuela but anything worth mentioning in Colombia?
Thanksky!
[quote]MaximusB wrote:
Christine, I am glad that you had fun and that nothing overly serious happened. Not trying to sound like a prick. [/quote]
Somebody’s in WWWUUVVVV…
lol just fucking with you 
[quote]G87 wrote:
MaximusB wrote:
things that are oblivious to a tourist.
Actually, it would be:
“Things that you are oblivious to as a tourist.”
As for Columbia, I just associate it with cocaine and Scarface. Shows how ignorant I am :(. [/quote]
Dude, before planning for this trip (which I’m kinda going on a whim) I thought Colombia was on the southern tip of South America…and an island. And yes, the first thing that popped in my head was cocaine and oh-shit-I’ll-probably-get-robbed.
You’re not the only ignorant one 
[quote]LUEshi wrote:
Not necessarily. I spent two years traveling alone around Central and South America.
Lots of nice people. There are thieves to be sure, but not everyone is out to get you.
I did get robbed. Most people who have spent any time have, but it was my fault really. I wasn’t watching my things as closely as I should have (hungover).
My bad, I learned my lesson and moved on.
I’d say Venezuela is the more dangerous. Got robbed there too… while diving. One of the guys on the boat took $20 from my stuff while I was in the water.
But I managed as a single female to come out in one piece.
Nice to see there are some fellow gringos afflicted with wanderlust out there. Two years in Brazil, myself. Although doing it all by your lonesome? Even I’d think twice about that. You must wear your ovaries on the outside.
OP, if you can learn a bit of the language/local lingo before you go, do. Your experience will be that much richer. Other than that, be humble, stay out of trouble and get some. Few places in the world are better for single men on the prowl than Latin America.[/quote] <<< Not single haha but good point on the lingo… damn back to my old spanish textbooks from H.S. …
[quote]JGerman wrote:
Everyone else has said be careful. I’d keep my head on a swivel and stay abreast on your surroundings.
My uncle went to Columbia to work and was shot in the head and set on fire.[/quote]
<<<WTF?! What happened?!?!
[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
In my humble opinion…
1.) Columbia isn’t as dangerous as its made out to be. I should qualify this by saying the places that a tourist would go aren’t as dangerous as you might expect. If you go wandering out in the jungle its a completely different story. Do watch your ass though, especially at night, and be wary of groups of males who want to befriend you and take you to a party. Its not uncommon to get drugged and robbed.
2.) A lot of locals absolutely detest cocaine and anything related to it. In Jamaica if you asked someone at a bar if they had any weed, they’d probably just tell you no. In Columbia, if you ask around for coke, you’re likely to piss someone off. I have no idea if this is something you even care about, just thought I’d mention it.
3.) Chewing coca leaves is frigging disgusting, but coca tea isn’t bad…you get a nice buzz off it. [/quote]
- I’m wary when groups of males who want to befriend me even in the states O______o but kidding aside that’s good to know
2)Good point but not there for drugs haha If anything, it’s good to know so that i’m not being stupid and mouthing off about cocaine in public… probably get my ass shot.
- Hmmm tea you say? It sounds like you’ve traveled extensively. Any similarity to chewing areca nuts?
I have traveled to Venezuela, and Colombia both for extended periods of time. Remember to keep your head on a swivel. If you are taking any trips VIA airplane, carry your owns bags to the ticket counter.
I have had people claiming to be skycaps come up and take my bags thinking I was just some dumb gringo, they will take your bags to the counter, pay your flight taxes and then walk off with your ticket. Then they try to extort money out of you for your ticket.
I also had a ticket agent tell me that I did not have a seat reserved on a flight and that it would cost me an extra 100.00 to get on the plane. He didn’t know I spoke spanish and I heard him tell the other ticket guy he was gonna try to screw me out of some cash. That didn’t go over very well, when he told me it would cost me a 100.00 I asked to speak to the manager, he said she wasn;t there, when I demanded to speak to the manager in Spanish, he tiddled with the computer for a minute and then told me there had beena mistake and he in fact did see that i had a seat reserved for the flight an dit had already been paid for.
I have taken a trip across Vennie by taxi to the Colombian border, then a Suburban picked me and my cologues up, before we could go any further they made us put on bullet proof vests. It happens alot in my line of work, nothing really out of the ordinary.
Just remeber to keeps your eyes open your head up, and don’t bee too flashy,
If you are of oriental decent, you should have too much of a problem, unlike my white pasty ass.
[quote]bullpup wrote:
I have traveled to Venezuela, and Colombia both for extended periods of time. Remember to keep your head on a swivel. If you are taking any trips VIA airplane, carry your owns bags to the ticket counter.
I have had people claiming to be skycaps come up and take my bags thinking I was just some dumb gringo, they will take your bags to the counter, pay your flight taxes and then walk off with your ticket. Then they try to extort money out of you for your ticket.
I also had a ticket agent tell me that I did not have a seat reserved on a flight and that it would cost me an extra 100.00 to get on the plane. He didn’t know I spoke spanish and I heard him tell the other ticket guy he was gonna try to screw me out of some cash. That didn’t go over very well, when he told me it would cost me a 100.00 I asked to speak to the manager, he said she wasn;t there, when I demanded to speak to the manager in Spanish, he tiddled with the computer for a minute and then told me there had beena mistake and he in fact did see that i had a seat reserved for the flight an dit had already been paid for.
I have taken a trip across Vennie by taxi to the Colombian border, then a Suburban picked me and my cologues up, before we could go any further they made us put on bullet proof vests. It happens alot in my line of work, nothing really out of the ordinary.
Just remeber to keeps your eyes open your head up, and don’t bee too flashy,
If you are of oriental decent, you should have too much of a problem, unlike my white pasty ass. [/quote]
Damn… seems like brushing up on my spanish is going to be a major advantage. I’m just wary of being screwed out of money.
In any case, sounds like your line of work is intense lol Mind asking what you do?