This is the main problem I experienced in this country. Most touristy areas seem so faux & lack the kinds of color & texture that excites me. This means I've got to just drop my guard & simply wander without direction or plan in order to get to the level of awareness I seek. Unfortunately, you can't do this safely in any of the larger cities I visited. Before you know it, you're in very dangerous barrios without a clear idea of how to get back to the safe areas. I think even the most liberal Colombian will admit this is very unwise & particularly dangerous.

I spoke with a Colombian physician who I met at the airport. She defended her country with the explanation I heard time & time again, ie. that every city has dangerous areas. She used her new home city of San Francisco, CA as an example claiming parts of Oakland are just as dangerous as the most dangerous Colombian barrios. I countered that it's different because the dangerous areas in the U.S. tend to be consolidated. That as long as you don't go walking around in the Bronx at midnight in NYC, you're not likely going to run into any problems. No so in the Colombian cities. You've got to know where all the pockets of dangerous areas are & constantly adjust your route so that you're not going through them. This makes the prospect of a "wandering" foreigner a dangerous one indeed.

I also told her that I didn't know if any of the most intimidating street folks in Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, etc. would actually do anything to harm anyone. I thought perhaps I'm overreacting & they'd merely ask for money & leave me in peace. That maybe they're just hungry, but to me they looked awfully desperate with nothing to lose. She stopped me and said, "No, you're very wise to be concerned. They would indeed shove a nice into your stomach if no one is looking. It's just as dangerous as you perceive for a foreigner. That's why I always tell my friends not to come here alone… to come here with me since I'm Colombian & know the safe places to go."

The first day back in Bogota I wondered over the highway beyond a large church I saw. The light was very nice & the architecture looked inviting. When I got closer, I saw large black military-grade vehicles & swat police in protective gear. It looked like they were sweeping the area & pulling dangerous looking people out of warehouses. I stopped & asked one of the policemen if it was safe for me to pass by. They told it that it wasn't & that I should immediately head back to the commercial area I'd just come from. I really wanted to see what the fuss was about so I asked them if it was ok to just walk a couple blocks further & then turn back. They said that maybe 1 block would be ok, but no more & to not lose eye contact with the police. They said after that one block there were no more police to help me.

I'd like to say there was no problem walking in the area & that the paranoia was unjustified. However, I only made it half a block before I decided I'd best take the police advice & meander back into areas that are heavily patrolled. The people that swarmed up to me even as the police stood by made me certain that doubling back was in my best interest.
Would I go back to Colombia? Of course! But I'm not in any hurry. I think if I'm ever passing through this country again, I'll likely stick to the smaller towns in the mountains. The natural beauty & diversity is stunning. And, feeling free enough to wander without fear is paramount. Although a certain level of fear can make you intensely alert, it also can become so distracting that making images is the furthest thing from your mind. Still, the beauty, diversity, and the attitude of Colombians will call me back to the country at some point, I'm certain.

In the 22 countries I've traveled in to date, Colombians have to be the most genuinely friendly people I've ever encountered. And, it's not a fake, obligatory kindness. You feel that these people really do care for you and about you. This is what makes the feeling that you might also get jumped so baffling. How you could feel this way in a country with such wonderfully beautiful people? The answer is in a comment the Colombian physician said to me, "My people are & can be very great, but they can also be very, very bad."

This concludes this adventure. I hope you've enjoyed riding along & look forward to you joining me for the next adventure. If you haven't done so already, please consider subscribing to my list for updates on art shows, adventures, etc.