“”One of the best ways to avoid a mugging or danger is to look unworthy of it.” – Old Sean
Hopping Hemispheres
Hello from South America.
I’ve spent the past week south of the equator getting acquainted the the fantastic country of Colombia. However, living in this region has been sticky. Being close to the equator often results in mugginess my body hasn’t adjusted to yet.
So I’m essentially a very pale, damp blob-person traveling around a country with my usual heavy assortment of gear, plus a few extra odds and ends.
It’s gone surprisingly well, considering how poorly planned this was in general.
Arrival
During my first night visiting Bogotá, I landed and managed to nab an Uber to take me to a friend’s sister’s home nearby a university.
It was dark and misty and my local contacts had warned me constantly that I should avoid too much wandering in less-than-stellar conditions. Bogotá is apparently rift with crime, and I received warning several times a day.
My favorite idiom I’ve learned here is “Don’t give away the papaya,” which in a blunter, English format means “Don’t make yourself an easy target.” Nobody wants to be a plucking pigeon.
Not even pigeons.
Despite staying on the swivel for criminal activity, I thought Bogotá was pretty great. Most of my appreciation stemmed from food, since I didn’t wander much. I got to enjoy traditional Colombian hot chocolate, numerous tamales and bread-rice rings, which are my new favorite snack food.
Bogotá itself is an enormous urban sprawl with numerous impoverished areas dotted by richer pockets. The buildings are often patched and mountains loom in several directions, soft rain almost constantly falling or on its way in.
Due to the financial crisis in Venezuela, hundreds of economic refugees exist everywhere, offering educated skillsets for drudgery jobs, giving fairly compelling speeches on busses and working general odd jobs.
Supercity Lodging
I was fortunate to have a place to live while visiting Bogotá. Though initially, I was left wandering around at night during dangerous hours before I managed to find a public WIFI hotspot letting my friends know I was in town.
There was a girl named Eli and her roommates were the ones letting me stay in their apartment. They tried to make heads or tails of my awkward, absolute butchering of the Spanish language. During my stay, I managed to stutter out enough phrases that my vocabulary (not my grammar) has radically improved.
Also while visiting, they tried to teach me various traditional dances, immediately falling over laughing as I failed. Dancing isn’t in my blood.
That sums up my first four days in the Colombia capital. Soon, I’ll be heading towards my main destination, Restrepo, a small town just north of Villavicencio.
So until then,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written May 8th 2019
Read more about visiting Bogotá and seeing the world by checking out the Leftfade Trails Destination Info
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Merino Wool Travel Buff
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