Bogota, Colombia
Bogota, Columbia
Did I feel safe in Bogota? I’ve been asked that question often.
My quick answer is yes. I did see a lot of security, though. And I’m told that the drug trade is still very active in certain parts of the country. Also, we were checked.
Security guards checked our trunk in the paid parking lot at the local bank….Looking for bombs, maybe
Bogotá has made dramatic improvements in reducing violent crime over the past few decades—thanks mainly to policies like the “Comunidad Segura” initiative . The Guardian+1WorldAtlas+2Numbeo+2NumbeoRedditX (formerly Twitter)+1Wikipedia.
Although homicide rates now fall below those of some U.S. cities like Washington, D.C., Bogotá continues to struggle with non-violent crimes, particularly street-level incidents.
In terms of sheer numbers, Latin American peers such as Mexico City, Lima, and Brasília are still notably safer in homicide terms—but Bogotá is far from the most dangerous among regional capitals.
For travelers and residents alike, safety often comes down to being aware of the neighborhood, the time of day, and taking standard precautions.
60-second confidence challenge: A practice run to the airport
Practice an airport run, as if you were going somewhere, but don’t actually go anywhere. The airport dry run is excellent for someone who has not traveled on a plane in some time, and there are many of us. Bring an empty suitcase, drive to the parking area where you might keep your car, and pretend you’re going on the flight. It will make your confidence soar for the next trip you take. If you don’t want to go there, you can simply imagine doing it and go through all the steps you need to take, including checking in the day before. In all, I visited the Bogota airport four times, so I was familiar with it. Know your airport.
If you like today’s Confidence Challenge, Chapter ??? of my book dives deeper into public transportation and how to build confidence using it—link in description.”
See Book A for addressing this challenge.
Find it on the website at 5StepsToSoloTravel.com or on Amazon. It’s a several-part series.
Destination Deep‑Dive
Today’s special destination is Bogota, Colombia.
Bogota was the first stop on my 90-day around-the-world trip.
The best airfare I could get was from Chicago, so that's where I started. You might wanna fly there from Miami. If it's closer, here are a few things that I did on my visit to Bogota. I really enjoyed the gold museum, the Museo de Oro. It was well guarded. It's actually free for those who are over 60 years of age, and I think it was worth about an hour of my time. I liked it.
One of the other things I enjoyed was the funicular to Montserrat. Monserrat is officially called Gondola Teleferica de Monserat. There was a religious theme to this visit to the city's high point, and the views were spectacular from 2600 feet above sea level.
I had the chance to explore the downtown area with a friend of mine, who is also my driver, Elisabeth. We found the store called La Puerta Falsa (the false door, literally). It was a store with a wide selection of sweets, located right near the center of town, and it has been there since 1918. We also saw the Paloquemao farmers' market.
In Bogotá, one of the things I really enjoyed was the Botanical Gardens, Jardin Botánico. My new friend Maria and I found a tour and joined it. Even though it was raining, we found shelter in a hut with our tour guide. We learned a great deal about the culture and history, including the traditions of the native people. The themes were about dances, astronomy, food, and culture.
Traffic was slow, very slow on the city streets in Bogota. Their public transportation consists of the red bus, which costs one dollar no matter the distance. They have special lanes for driving on these red buses. I took several taxis and had a friend-of-a-friend driver for a couple of the days that I was there.
How are they addressing the traffic in Bogota? You can only drive your cars on certain days. The license plate color shows which day you drive the vehicle. My driver had two cars so she could drive every day.
Some people ride bikes. Here’s what I saw:
A bike repair shop in the median of a busy street in Bogota
Entrepreneurship: A Downtown Bogota Bicycle repair service in the middle of the busy boulevard, where bikers ride. Fix your flat, or straighten the frame? Adjust the seat? Many bikers require service, including repairs for flat tires and broken gears. I also saw and heard cows mooing in town, as they needed to be milked. That was pretty cool.
Smart Move and Slip-up pairings
Not a banana. A platano
Know what the fruits and vegetables are before you purchase them. I did not know that plantains are not bananas. That was a slip-up for me, so I can laugh at myself for that. I thought I was buying a banana, but it turned out to be a plantain, a common mistake for many travelers.
Monica and I both laughed at my error. She cooked the plantains, and they were delicious.
