My Honest Thoughts on Safety After 2 Years in Medellin, Colombia

Summary

This video addresses common misconceptions about safety in Medellín, Colombia, based on the speaker's two-year experience. It emphasizes the importance of personal awareness and avoiding 'victim behavior' to prevent crime. The speaker shares three real-life cautionary tales to illustrate safety pitfalls, such as flaunting valuables, venturing into unfamiliar areas alone, and visiting popular spots during low traffic hours. The summary concludes with reassuring statistics, highlighting the rarity of incidents among international tourists.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker has been living in Colombia for two years without major safety issues, emphasizing that personal experience and awareness are key to navigating safety concerns.
• 🏞 The speaker suggests that looking less like a tourist can help avoid unwanted attention, but also stresses that appearance alone is not a guarantee of safety.
• 🛡 There is a prevalent 'victim blaming' culture in Colombia, where individuals are often held responsible for their own safety, highlighting the importance of self-protection.
• 🌍 The speaker has traveled to many countries and lived in Central America, which has given them insight into safety concerns and how to be vigilant.
• 🤔 Criminals in Colombia are strategic, targeting those who appear to have the most to gain from, reinforcing the idea that not appearing as an easy target is crucial.
• 🚫 The speaker warns against three common behaviors that lead to trouble: working with valuables in public, visiting unknown areas alone, and going to safe places during low-light or quiet times.
• 💡 Awareness and education on local dangers are the speaker's main recommendations for staying safe, rather than relying on external help.
• 📉 Despite the sensationalism around safety in Colombia, the actual number of foreigner fatalities is very low compared to the number of tourists, indicating that most safety issues can be avoided with proper caution.
• 🏥 The speaker recounts tragic stories to illustrate the consequences of ignoring safety advice, such as going to a popular hike during unsafe hours.
• 📚 Researching the places you plan to visit and heeding local advice are emphasized as essential steps in ensuring personal safety.
• 🌟 The speaker concludes by encouraging viewers to be educated and cautious, assuring that with the right approach, the likelihood of encountering safety issues is minimal.

Q & A

What is the main issue the speaker addresses in the video?

The main issue the speaker addresses is the perception of safety in Colombia, particularly in Medellín, and how it is often sensationalized, while sharing personal experiences and advice on how to stay safe.

How long has the speaker been living in Colombia?

The speaker has been living in Colombia for two years.

What is the speaker's background that might contribute to their safety experience in Colombia?

The speaker has traveled to about 40 countries and previously lived in Central America for two years, giving them experience in safety awareness and understanding of potential risks.

What is the first realization the speaker shares about safety in Colombia?

The speaker's first realization is that their appearance helps them avoid safety issues, as they do not look like a typical tourist, which can make them less of a target for criminals.

What is the 'No papaya' culture the speaker refers to in Colombia?

The 'No papaya' culture refers to the victim-blaming attitude where people are advised not to be easy targets for crime, implying that individuals are responsible for their own safety.

What is the speaker's stance on the responsibility of personal safety?

The speaker believes that the responsibility for personal safety lies with the individual, emphasizing the importance of being aware of one's surroundings and not relying on external factors for protection.

What are the three real-life examples the speaker gives to illustrate unsafe behaviors?

The three examples are: 1) Using a laptop openly in a busy, accessible location, making one an easy target for theft. 2) Visiting an unsafe area without local knowledge or guidance. 3) Going to a usually safe place during low-light or quiet hours when there are fewer people around.

Why did the speaker mention the Sweet Georgia Cafe incident?

The speaker mentioned the Sweet Georgia Cafe incident to illustrate the danger of using electronic devices openly in a place with easy access for criminals, leading to a robbery where everyone lost their belongings.

What is the significance of the story about the tourist who went to the Bello neighborhood?

The story about the tourist who went to the Bello neighborhood highlights the importance of heeding local advice and not venturing into dangerous areas without proper knowledge or company, as it led to the tourist being stabbed and robbed.

What is the key takeaway from the story of the tourist who was attacked during a hike for sunrise?

The key takeaway from the story is the importance of not going to even seemingly safe places during times when they are not well-trafficked or well-lit, as it can lead to dangerous situations, as it did for the tourist who was fatally attacked.

How does the speaker summarize the safety situation for tourists in Medellín based on the number of incidents?

The speaker summarizes that the safety situation for tourists in Medellín is generally good, as evidenced by the low number of incidents relative to the number of tourists, but emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and awareness to avoid becoming a victim.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Personal Experience on Safety in Colombia

The speaker shares their insights on safety in Colombia, particularly in Medellín, after living there for two years. They address the common sensationalism around safety issues and emphasize their personal lack of negative experiences, attributing this to their travel experience and awareness. The speaker also mentions the importance of not appearing as a tourist to avoid unwanted attention and gives examples of how their appearance contrasts with that of their friends, leading to different experiences in terms of harassment.

05:02

🛡️ Avoiding Victim Blaming and Being Vigilant

The speaker discusses the prevalent victim-blaming culture in Colombia, especially in Medellín, and the local phrase 'No papaya,' which means not to be an easy target. They highlight the importance of personal responsibility for one's safety, rather than relying on external protection. The speaker also shares observations on how criminals select their targets based on the potential return on investment and the risks involved, stressing the need to avoid displaying wealth or being inattentive to one's surroundings.

10:02

🚫 Three Real-Life Stories of Safety Missteps

The speaker recounts three real-life stories to illustrate common safety mistakes made by tourists in Colombia. The first story involves a robbery at a cafe due to tourists working with laptops in a vulnerable outdoor location. The second story tells of a tourist who ignored local advice and ventured into a dangerous neighborhood, resulting in a stabbing and robbery. The third story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of visiting popular but risky places during low-light hours or when they are not busy, as exemplified by a tragic incident involving a tourist who was attacked and killed while hiking for a sunrise view.

15:02

📈 Statistical Perspective on Safety and Final Thoughts

To provide context and alleviate potential fears, the speaker presents statistics showing that the number of foreigner fatalities in Medellín is extremely low compared to the total number of international tourists. They argue that most incidents involve drugging and robbery, often resulting from tourists taking unnecessary risks. The speaker concludes by encouraging viewers to educate themselves about the local culture and potential dangers, emphasizing that being informed and cautious will significantly reduce the likelihood of encountering safety issues.

Keywords

💡Safety

Safety refers to the state of being protected from harm or danger. In the context of the video, it highlights the importance of personal security while traveling, especially in a foreign country like Colombia. The speaker emphasizes that understanding and being aware of one's surroundings are crucial for avoiding potential risks, as seen in the video's focus on avoiding being an 'easy target' and the victim-blaming culture.

💡Victim Blaming

Victim blaming is the practice of holding a victim, rather than the perpetrator, responsible for the harm that befell them. The video discusses how this culture exists in Colombia, particularly in Medellín, where individuals are often asked what they did to provoke a crime rather than focusing on the criminal's actions. This concept is used to stress the importance of personal responsibility for one's safety.

💡Awareness

Awareness, in this context, pertains to being conscious of and vigilant about one's environment and potential dangers. The video script repeatedly mentions the need for travelers to be aware of their surroundings and the local culture to prevent becoming victims of crime. It is a key component of the video's message on personal safety.

💡Criminals

Criminals are individuals who commit crimes or illegal activities. The script discusses the behavior of criminals in Colombia, noting that they are opportunistic and look for 'easy targets' to maximize their gains. Understanding the tactics of criminals helps travelers to avoid falling prey to their schemes.

💡Tourist

A tourist is a person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure. The video script uses the term to describe individuals who may unknowingly put themselves at risk due to their appearance or behavior. It contrasts the experiences of tourists with those who are more assimilated or cautious.

💡No Papaya

No Papaya is a Colombian phrase mentioned in the script, which translates to 'don't be an easy target.' It encapsulates the local advice to avoid behaviors or appearances that might attract criminal attention. The phrase is used to illustrate the cultural mindset regarding personal safety.

💡Digital Nomads

Digital nomads are individuals who use technology to earn a living while traveling or working remotely. The video script mentions them as a specific group that comes to Colombia and highlights the risks they face, especially when working in public places that are easily accessible to criminals.

💡Eduction

In the video, 'education' refers to the knowledge and understanding of the local environment, culture, and potential dangers. It is used to emphasize the importance of being informed about the places one visits to avoid becoming a victim of crime. The speaker suggests that most safety issues could be avoided with proper education.

💡Risk-Taking

Risk-taking in the script refers to the act of engaging in potentially dangerous activities despite being aware of the risks involved. The video discusses how some individuals may knowingly put themselves in harm's way, often due to a lack of understanding or an adrenaline-seeking mentality.

💡Statistical Perspective

The video provides a statistical perspective to put the risks in context, mentioning that out of 1.4 million international tourists in Medellín, only 25 foreigners lost their lives. This is used to reassure viewers that with proper awareness and precautions, the likelihood of becoming a victim is very low.

💡Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity is the ability to understand and respect the customs, practices, and social norms of a different culture. The video script touches on the importance of being culturally sensitive when traveling, as it can help in avoiding misunderstandings and dangerous situations.

Highlights

The speaker addresses common safety concerns for travelers in Colombia, particularly in Medellín, aiming to provide an honest perspective based on personal experience.

Having lived in Colombia for two years without major safety issues, the speaker attributes their experience to not appearing as a typical tourist.

The speaker's background of traveling to 40 countries and living in Central America has equipped them with awareness for safety concerns.

The realization that looking less like a tourist can significantly reduce harassment and unwanted attention in Medellín.

The existence of a victim-blaming culture in Colombia, with a local phrase 'No papaya' emphasizing not being an easy target.

The importance of personal responsibility for safety and being aware of one's surroundings to avoid becoming a victim of crime.

Criminals in Colombia are strategic, targeting individuals who appear to have the most valuable possessions on display.

The speaker's observation that most safety issues could be avoided with proper awareness and education about local dangers.

Three real-life examples are given to illustrate common mistakes leading to safety incidents in Colombia.

Story of a robbery at a cafe due to patrons being too visible and vulnerable while working outside.

The danger of visiting unfamiliar places without local guidance, as illustrated by a tourist getting stabbed and robbed.

The risks of visiting even seemingly safe places during low-light or quiet times, such as hiking for sunrise.

A tragic story of a tourist attacked and killed while hiking alone for sunrise, emphasizing the importance of timing and company.

Despite the risks, Medellín saw a low number of incidents among international tourists, suggesting that being informed and cautious can significantly reduce danger.

The speaker encourages viewers to educate themselves about the local culture and potential dangers before traveling.

The video concludes with a reminder that most safety issues are avoidable with proper preparation and awareness.

Transcripts

good day welcome back today I'm going to

be addressing a big issue for a lot of

people that are coming to Colombia and

especially medine there's a lot of

videos out there on safety related

things and sensationalizing safety fear

gets clicks fear gets views I've been

here for 2 years now so I just want to

make this video to explain my honest

thoughts on safety from the good to the

bad to what's truth to what's lies so

you can really have a proper opinion

from someone who's lived here and seen

all the stories and you know been part

of it I personally in the two years that

I've been here luckily haven't had any

issues with safety but that being said

I'm also not a fresh traveler so it's

not like I'm from Australia I'd only

ever visited barley and then I came

straight to medine as my first

destination no I have been to about 40

countries around the world and before I

came to Colombia I actually lived in

Central America so Mexico Nicaragua

Costa Rica uh Guatemala for about two

years in total so I already knew about

the safety concerns and how to be aware

and what to look out for maybe that's

also a reason why I haven't really had

any safety problems so first I'm going

to talk about realizations what I

realized after two years of being here

and on the topic of safety and at the

end I'm going to give you three real

life examples of things that you should

never ever do I see people doing this

over and over and over and these three

things always lead to trouble I'm going

to tell you three real life stories of

when this happened and also how to avoid

them to make sure that this doesn't

happen to you as well first realization

is that the way that I look really

really helps me avoid a lot of the

safety issues because I don't look like

a tourist they might think hey this

guy's obviously not Colombian but he

could be some other type of Latino they

don't see me immediately and think

dollar sign when I first got to menene I

came with two of my mates from Seattle

Washington 6'4 and 6'2 um white guys

blue eyes um well-built guys so they

stick out anywhere right so whenever I

was walking with them they would get

hassled harassed everyone would be like

hey buy this buy this hey where are you

from blah blah blah and then I noticed

um when I walk by myself no one asked me

anything if you walk along kajas which

is like one of the most busiest uh

streets here in the tourist area of el

po there's a lot of people begging and

trying to sell things and whatever uh

none of those people ever bother me can

count on one hand and remove

two fingers for the amount of times that

people have actually hassled me to buy

something or they've asked me where I'm

from or whatever they more or less just

leave me alone and I think that's really

because how I look if you are white if

you look evidently like a foreigner you

might experience some more troubles with

people harassing you than if you look

like me or if you look Latino but don't

worry I still have many friends here who

who are you know obviously fair skinned

they look like complete Gringos and they

haven't had any safety issues as well

and the main reason for that is because

they're aware of the the dangers and

that's the next thing I'm going to talk

about the second realization that I have

here is that there's a big big big

victim blaming culture here in Colombia

and especially here in medin they have a

phrase called No papaya and what that

basically means is uh don't be an easy

target right don't give people a reason

to do crime on you I guess it's a poorly

spoken sentence but you know what I mean

don't be stupid basically so I've seen

so many times someone gets robbed and

they're like oh what was he wearing was

he wearing gold chains was he showing

jewelry was he wearing an Apple Watch

there's a lot of victim blaming that

goes on here and I think that stems from

the fact that the country was dangerous

for so long you know going back to the

'90s and Pablo Escobar and all those

kind of things that it almost became a

cultural thing that you have to protect

yourself at the end of the day if

anything happens to you the only person

you can blame is yourself I almost liken

it to this very harsh um example but it

was something going around in the 90s

before everyone realized this was a

stupid argument um do you remember when

it was like oh this woman got raped and

then in court uh they would ask what was

she wearing it was that kind of victim

blaming culture that um you saw in those

kind of cases that's still a thing here

what was he wearing what was he doing

what did he do to put himself in this

situation to become a victim of crime

there's no way around that that's just

how it is here so my honest realization

is that the only person that can protect

you is you you need to be aware of what

the dangers are and that's what I'm

going to cover a bit later in this video

but don't expect the police to come

running and save you don't expect uh you

know any type of repercussion or

ramifications if you become a victim of

crime at that point it's too late so

it's really really important to be aware

and to be uh Vigilant to stop this from

happening to you the next thing that I

notice is that criminals are just going

around and Willy nearly robbing

everybody I mean at the end of the day

it's a business for them right and

they're looking for maximum Roi return

on investment so they're investing their

time and furthermore they're investing a

lot of risk so every time they rob

someone that's a risk they might get

caught right so they're not just going

and trying to rob every tourist what

they do is they normally ride around on

bikes there's one guy riding the bike

and the guy in the back who's kind of

like the lookout and what he will do is

he'll look around and see like oh what's

this guy wearing what's that guy doing

does he have Apple watch is he wearing

gold chain is he wearing Gucci head to

toe and they'll kind of see from you

know first impressions who is going to

net them the biggest gain so that's why

it's so important not to be an easy

target don't show off that you have a

lot of things to um give away don't show

off that you have a lot of money don't

be randomly walking around unaware of

your surroundings talking on the phone

like flailing it around trust me people

are watching you they're going to be

aware that okay that's an easy target

let's take advantage of of it so the

next realization that I had is that the

sooner you realize that safety is an

onus on you the more likelihood you have

of staying safe right don't come here

and um you know complain about oh safety

and this happened and that happened when

uh it was ultimately as I said victim

blaming ultimately it's going to be your

fault okay and that being said what I've

seen from two years here from Facebook

forums to real life stories to videos on

YouTube to everything is that

99% of safety issues and people who are

victims of crime they could have avoided

these crimes very easily if they were

aware and if they were educated right

and I don't mean educated like going to

Harvard I mean educated on the dangers

of Colombia if you're watching this

video you've already taken the first

step and I don't think really um you're

going to have many issues with safety

because the first step is actually doing

some study on the places you're going to

what do I need to look out for is this

place safe what should I do what

shouldn't I do if you're watching this

video that's already you know Miles

Ahead than some other people who just

randomly go and do whatever they feel

like it and then complain later that

they got drugged or they got robbed or

whatever so since you're watching this

video Let's accept that 99% of things

can be avoided um obviously there's 1%

of where you're just in the wrong place

at the wrong time that's probably the

same thing as most places in the world

you're bad luck that day something might

happen to you wherever you are but 99%

of things I truly believe can be avoided

and I'm going to give you three stories

right now which really highlight that

okay so let's start with Story number

one there's a lot of digital Nomads that

come here right I think most of people

who come to Colombia uh they work online

so they'll go to a cafe or a co-work get

their laptop out have a coffee and

that'll be their work day that's fine

and many people do that what's not fine

is doing it in a place that's Road

facing where there's easy access for

entry and exit why you're asking right

now well imagine this you're on a busy

Main Street and remember I told you that

these guys come on bikes and you're oh

got going to do a bit of work today take

my laptop out you sit it on the patio uh

you're enjoying the the beautiful

sunshine you're taking a call zoom and

then boom some guys's right next to you

with a gun this actually happened right

I believe it was in early 2002 there's a

cafe called Sweet Georgia Cafe in leles

and they have a big patio right next to

you know an easy access Street and there

was a lot of people that day working

from their laptop a couple of guys came

on their bikes one guy got off and he

said hey everybody give me all your

laptops give me all your stuff that day

everybody lost their stuff just because

they made the mistake of believing hey

this is California this is you know San

Diego I can be outside on the patio and

uh working and showing the whole world

that I have this laptop and all this

expensive gear so that's the first thing

that you never never never should do do

not be outside showing the whole world

that you have stuff and this goes back

to what I said don't be an easy target

okay so that's a true story now let's

get to number two number two is this is

very common sense but as the old saying

goes common sense is sometimes not so

common and that is don't go to places

you don't know by yourself some of you

looking at me now like okay what kind of

[ __ ] advice is this who in their

right mind would ever go to medine and

just go to a random Place well I'm about

to tell you my uh massuse physio SLG

good M of mine cados he was telling me

Story one day he said one of his clients

client was from the US I believe

somewhere client goes hey cardos what do

you know about this Bellow place what

the f Bellow and he's like yeah you know

this place to the north of medene b l

K's like oh okay be beel okay if you

guys don't know it's this is kind of a

hot area kind of a dangerous place right

I've had many people who have told me

never go there unless you go with a

local I even have friends who live in

the nice part of this um neighborhood

beour and they said they only stick to

their own pocket and they never leave

they've never even visited the other

parts of this town because it's heavy

with uh gang presence and uh it's just

not a safe place for most people so back

to my story calos his client goes yeah

be yeah that's the one I've heard heard

about it it's pretty cool like uh I can

go there I can visit what's going on and

kados goes hey let me give you one piece

of advice unless you know someone who

lives there who can show you around and

make sure you're okay never ever go

there me being a Colombian even I don't

go there so you

I don't really see any point I don't see

what you're going to gain from going

there so I would say avoid it but if you

really want to go make sure you know

someone who has who lives there grown up

there who knows the people of that area

so KLOS thinks nothing about it he

finishes his session with this guy goes

home the next day he gets a uh photo

this guy his client sitting in the

hospital bed and he's like oh [ __ ] kados

I shouldn't have gone there and kados

like what happened the client says yeah

so I decided to go with a couple of my

mates also from the US just to go check

it out and uh we actually got stabbed

and robbed they stole all our stuff and

they stabbed us and uh now that's why

I'm in hospital as I said common sense

sometimes not so common don't make

stupid mistakes like this this is not

victim blaming this is just stupidity

straight up stupidity who the hell would

do this in a random country anywhere in

the world let alone somewhere in meding

Colombia where obviously it's been known

that there's dangerous places there's

gangs there's still drugs why this [ __ ]

doesn't make any sense to me but I guess

that's my lesson in this this is never

ever go anywhere that you don't know is

safe always research the areas before

you go and listen to the locals like if

this guy just listened to Carlos instead

of being a hero about it he wouldn't

have had any issues instead he ended up

uh in a hospital bed so don't let that

happen to you as well now let's move to

number three on the things that you

never ever ever should do ever in Median

Columbia and probably nowhere else in

the world as well this is also one of

the Common Sense things never go to even

safe place

when it's low light or it's a very quiet

time and there's no one else there so

there's some places in the city where at

sometimes are completely safe for

example El Centro El Centro is downtown

if any of you guys don't know about that

during the day completely safe you can

walk around I've been a few times to

restaurants shopping whatever it's cool

but at nighttime I know even some locals

that never go there because the

nighttime it completely changes okay but

maybe that might be an obvious place but

one place that's not so obvious is maybe

the most popular hike in all of medine

first crues or the hill of the three

crosses it's a great hike my girlfriend

actually this is her favorite place in

the whole of the city her favorite thing

to do is to go to this place on a

Saturday um or a Sunday and hike up so

it's very safe but a lot of the time I

see um foreigners trying to go up there

for sunset or sunrise or something and

that is a big no no let me tell you why

by explaining a story that happened less

than 6 months ago very sad and tragic

story actually there was a guy a tourist

who was here and he wanted to go up this

hike and he wanted to see Sunrise

because obviously once you get up this

hill there's a great view so I'm sure

that Sunrise would look really really

nice from there he went up at sunrise I

think he went up like maybe 500 a.m.

maybe 4 a.m. very early right if you

guys don't know this thes cruus area the

hike backs on to one of the most

dangerous neighborhoods in the city so

uh often people are getting robbed there

people are getting attacked there and

unfortunately at this point that's what

happened to this guy as well a group of

guys actually attacked him they tried to

Rob his stuff assaulted him and actually

threw him off the top of the hill into a

Ravine and uh it was there that uh he

suffered very bad injuries he was taken

to hospital where unfortunately he

passed away as sad as that is that's one

thing that I see happening a lot not as

far as as dying or people losing their

lives but a lot of time people um fall

victims of this because they just just

don't check yes I know the psych is good

but should I be going up there alone

when it's very dark I see still see this

being talked about a lot in the hiking

group there's actually a hiking group of

people that go to that spot and it's

always uh foreigners asking like hey

does anyone go up at like 8 p.m. anyone

want to go up at like 400 a.m. let's

catch the sunrise and then obviously

it's Colombians responding with like hey

don't do that that's very stupid and

very uh dangerous you should go only

when it's highly trafficked highly busy

and and there's good light you know so

that's a third one always do your

research because places that can be safe

at some times are very dangerous at

other points after hearing these stories

you might be a little bit worried you

might be a little bit scared but I'm

just telling you this so that you're

educated so nothing happens to you but

to put all this in context right in

20122 medine Saw

1.4 million International tourists okay

in that same period 25 foreigners lost

their lives in medene so if you do those

numbers 25 out of 1.4 million it's a

very very low figure and I would even go

a step further by saying that I

guarantee you probably 95% of those 25

were drugged and robbed cases and a lot

of these drugged and robbed cases that I

see as well is guys just taking

unnecessary risks they know that people

get drugged and robbed but I'm not sure

if they like the exhilaration of like

hey I might sleep with a girl or I might

die maybe they do it for the um the

adrenaline I'm not sure but uh

risk-taking and lack of education and

Desperation is really going to end up in

a bad way here but yeah that being said

you watching this video probably going

to be part of the you know

99.995 that nothing ever happens to you

in the city because you've taken the

first step you understand that hey I'm

going to a new place I need to

understand what happens there the

culture of that place the um potential

dangers so well done on that and uh

Happy travels