"solo, would you mind going into details? Sounds like it was just pickpocketing?
Or did you get robbed at your place too?"
Sure. I never got robbed at my place.
I've been to Colombia twice (mostly Bogotá and the Caribbean coast), in 2008 and 2010/2011. First time I was living in Bogotá for 8 months I left my jacket at an internet café, realised it and went back after 5 minutes but it was already gone. Bought a new jacket, left it on a chair at an upper class place (not my type of venue usually) and it was gone when I got back LOL.
Second time I was only in the country for like 10 days. I got off the taxi that had taken me to my hotel. Carried some of my bags into the hotel and then went back to get the rest, by which time the taxi was already gone. Took my ipod and glasses among other things. The hotel called the taxi company who called the driver but of course he said there was no luggage left.
I think there might have been a few more times too but I can't remember. It was frustrating when it happened but now looking back at it it doesn't bother me so much, will just try to learn from it. But I was never robbed at gun-point or anything though there were few times where some gangs approached me and tried to threaten me. Actually this thread is good for me because I need to remind myself of NOT trying to be macho and just give any potential robber whatever they want and just treat them with respect even though they are robbing me, for my own safety. They are often several guys and likely carry weapons but it's not like you see this everywhere all the time (far from it).
I also did some really stupid shit like walking on the séptima (main road in Bogotá) all the way from La Candelaria to where I lived at 4 o'clock in the night without anything serious happening to me though (albeit there were some guys who were kind of stalking me). Highly NOT recommenable. But I was so tired of hearing everyone warning me so I think I just wanted to do something really macho haha. It was kind of therapeutic actually.
I'm going back to Colombia in just a few months myself and will bring my own Macbook though knowing full well that it might get stolen if I don't take precautions. But like I said it can get stolen anywhere in the world. By the way I've also been to Cartagena, the touristy areas there seemed generally safer from robbery risk than most of Bogotá.
All in all, getting robbed is the least of my worries in Colombia.
Or did you get robbed at your place too?"
Sure. I never got robbed at my place.
I've been to Colombia twice (mostly Bogotá and the Caribbean coast), in 2008 and 2010/2011. First time I was living in Bogotá for 8 months I left my jacket at an internet café, realised it and went back after 5 minutes but it was already gone. Bought a new jacket, left it on a chair at an upper class place (not my type of venue usually) and it was gone when I got back LOL.
Second time I was only in the country for like 10 days. I got off the taxi that had taken me to my hotel. Carried some of my bags into the hotel and then went back to get the rest, by which time the taxi was already gone. Took my ipod and glasses among other things. The hotel called the taxi company who called the driver but of course he said there was no luggage left.
I think there might have been a few more times too but I can't remember. It was frustrating when it happened but now looking back at it it doesn't bother me so much, will just try to learn from it. But I was never robbed at gun-point or anything though there were few times where some gangs approached me and tried to threaten me. Actually this thread is good for me because I need to remind myself of NOT trying to be macho and just give any potential robber whatever they want and just treat them with respect even though they are robbing me, for my own safety. They are often several guys and likely carry weapons but it's not like you see this everywhere all the time (far from it).
I also did some really stupid shit like walking on the séptima (main road in Bogotá) all the way from La Candelaria to where I lived at 4 o'clock in the night without anything serious happening to me though (albeit there were some guys who were kind of stalking me). Highly NOT recommenable. But I was so tired of hearing everyone warning me so I think I just wanted to do something really macho haha. It was kind of therapeutic actually.
I'm going back to Colombia in just a few months myself and will bring my own Macbook though knowing full well that it might get stolen if I don't take precautions. But like I said it can get stolen anywhere in the world. By the way I've also been to Cartagena, the touristy areas there seemed generally safer from robbery risk than most of Bogotá.
All in all, getting robbed is the least of my worries in Colombia.