So, 1 Got Stabbed Inward Colombia
Posted: 4/2/2019 | Apr 2nd, 2019
Editor’s Note: I wavered on writing nigh this for a long fourth dimension since I didn’t desire to set people off on Republic of Colombia or perpetuate the myth that danger lurks around every corner. As yous tin enjoin from my posts here, here, here, as well as here, I actually dearest the country. I hateful it’s awesome. (And in that location volition live plenty to a greater extent than spider web log posts nigh how nifty it is.) But I spider web log nigh all my experiences – expert or bad – as well as this storey is a expert lesson on go safety, the importance of ever next local advice, as well as what happens when yous halt doing so.
“Are yous OK?”
“Here. Have a seat.”
“Do yous demand some water?”
A growing crowd had gathered around me, all offering assist inward i shape or another.
“No, no, no, I think I’ll live OK,” I said waving them off. “I’m but a piffling stunned.”
My arm as well as dorsum throbbed piece I tried to find my composure. “I’m going to live actually sore inward the morning,” I thought.
“Come, come, come. We insist,” said i girl. She led me dorsum onto the sidewalk where a security guard gave me his chair. I sat down.
“What’s your name? Here’s some water. Is in that location anyone nosotros tin call?”
“I’ll live fine. I’ll live fine,” I kept replying.
My arm throbbed. “Getting punched sucks,” I said to myself.
Regaining my composure, I piece of cake took off the jacket I was wearing. I was every bit good sore for whatever quick movements anyways. I needed to view how bad the bruises were.
As I did so, gasps arose from the crowd.
My left arm as well as shoulder were dripping amongst blood. My shirt was soaked through.
“Shit,” I said every bit I realized what had happened. “I think I but got stabbed.”
There’s a perception that Republic of Colombia is unsafe, that despite the heyday of the drug wars beingness over, danger lurks around most corners as well as yous receive got to live actually careful here.
It’s non a completely unwarranted perception. Petty offense is rattling common. The 52-year civil state of war killed 220,000 people — although thankfully this release has drastically dropped since the 2016 peace agreement.
While yous are unlikely to live blown up, randomly shot, kidnapped, or ransomed yesteryear guerrillas, yous are rattling probable to teach pickpocketed or mugged. There were over 200,000 armed robberies inward Republic of Colombia terminal year. While vehement crimes receive got been on the decline, petty offense as well as robbery has been on the upswing.
Before I went to Colombia, I’d heard countless stories of petty theft. While there, I heard fifty-fifty more. H5N1 friend of mine had been robbed 3 times, the terminal fourth dimension at gunpoint piece on his vogue to run across me for dinner. Locals as well as expats alike told me the same thing: the rumors of petty theft are true, but if yous maintain your wits nigh you, follow the rules, as well as don’t flash your valuables, you’ll live OK.
There’s fifty-fifty a local facial expression nigh it: “No dar papaya” (Don’t give papaya). Essentially, it agency that yous shouldn’t receive got something “sweet” out inward the opened upwardly (a phone, computer, watch, etc.) that would construct yous a target. Keep your valuables hidden, don’t wander around places yous shouldn’t at night, don’t flash coin around, avoid coming out of nightlife spots lone at night, etc. Simply put: Don’t set yourself inward a topographic point where people tin receive got payoff of you.
I heeded such advice. I didn’t wearable headphones inward public. I didn’t receive got my telephone out unless I was inward a grouping or a restaurant, or completely certain no i else was around. I took but plenty coin for the twenty-four hours amongst me when I left my hostel. I warned friends nigh wearing flashy jewelry or watches when they visited.
But, the longer yous are somewhere, the to a greater extent than yous teach complacent.
When yous view locals on their phones inward crowded areas, tourists toting thousand-dollar cameras, as well as kids wearing Airpods as well as Apple Watches, yous commence to think, “OK, during the day, it’s non hence bad.”
The to a greater extent than zip happens to you, the to a greater extent than indifferent yous get.
Suddenly, yous footstep out of a cafe amongst your telephone out without fifty-fifty thinking nigh it.
In your hands is papaya.
And somebody wants to receive got it.
It was nigh sunset. I was on a busy street inward La Candelaria, the primary tourist surface area of Bogotá. The cafe I had been at was closing, hence it was fourth dimension to observe somewhere new. I decided to caput to a hostel to goal some operate as well as receive got payoff of happy hour.
I’d been inward Bogotá for a few days now, enjoying a metropolis most people write off. There was a charm to it. Even inward the tourist hotspot of La Candelaria, it didn’t experience every bit gringofied every bit Medellín. It felt the most authentic of all the big Colombian cities I had visited. I was loving it.
I exited the cafe amongst my telephone out, finishing a text message. It had slipped my head to set it away. It was nevertheless calorie-free outside, in that location were crowds around, as well as lots of security. After nearly half dozen weeks inward Colombia, I had grown complacent inward situations similar this.
“What’s actually going to happen? I’ll live fine.”
Three steps out of the door, I felt somebody brush upwardly against me. At first, I idea it was somebody running yesteryear me until I chop-chop realized that a guy was trying to receive got my telephone out of my hand.
Fight or flying gear upwardly inward — as well as I fought.
“Get the f0ck off me!” I shouted every bit I wrestled amongst him, keeping an Fe travelling pocket on my phone. I tried pushing him away.
“Help, help, help!” I yelled into the air.
I recall distinctly the confused seem on his human face upwardly every bit if he had expected an piece of cake mark. That the telephone would sideslip out of my mitt as well as he’d live gone earlier anyone could grab him.
Without a word, he started punching my left arm, as well as I continued to resist.
“Get off me! Help, help!”
We tussled inward the street.
I kicked, I screamed, I blocked his punches.
The commotion caused people to run toward us.
Unable to dislodge the telephone from my hand, the mugger turned as well as ran.
After people helped me sit down downwardly as well as the adrenaline wore off, I got lightheaded. My ears rang. I had problem focusing for a few moments.
Blood was dripping through my soaked shirt.
“Fuck,” I said looking at my arm as well as shoulder.
I tried to compose myself.
Having grown upwardly surrounded yesteryear doctors as well as nurses, I ran through a quick “how bad is this” checklist inward my mind.
I made a fist. I could experience my fingers. I could displace my arm. “OK, I likely don’t receive got nervus or musculus damage.”
I could breathe as well as was non coughing upwardly blood. “Ok, I likely don’t receive got a punctured lung.”
I could nevertheless walk as well as experience my toes.
My light-headedness dissipated.
“OK, there’s likely non every bit good much major damage,” I thought.
Words I didn’t empathize were spoken inward Spanish. H5N1 medico arrived as well as helped construct clean as well as set pressure level on my wounds. H5N1 immature adult woman inward the crowd who spoke English linguistic communication took my telephone as well as voice-texted my alone friend inward Bogotá to allow her know the situation.
As an ambulance would receive got every bit good long, the police, who numbered nigh a dozen yesteryear now, loaded me onto the dorsum of a truck as well as took me to a hospital, stopping traffic on the vogue similar I was an honored dignitary.
Using Google Translate to communicate, the law checked me inward at the hospital. They took downwardly every bit much data every bit they could, showed me a motion painting of the assailant (yes, that’s him!), as well as called my friend to update her nigh where I was.
As I waited to live seen yesteryear the doctors, the possessor of my hostel showed up. After having taken my address, the cops had phoned upwardly the hostel to allow them know what happened as well as she had rushed down.
The infirmary staff saw me quickly. (I suspect beingness a stabbed gringo got me quicker attention.)
We went into i of the examination rooms. My shirt came off, they cleaned my arm as well as back, as well as assessed the damage.
I had 5 wounds: ii on my left arm, ii on my shoulder, as well as i on my back, modest cuts that broke the skin, amongst ii looking similar they got into the muscle. If the knife had been longer, I would receive got been inward serious trouble: i cutting was right on my neckband as well as some other specially closed to my spine.
When yous think of the term “stabbing,” yous think of a long blade, a unmarried deep cutting into the abdomen or back. You motion painting somebody amongst a protruding knife beingness rolled into the infirmary on a stretcher.
That was non the representative for me. I had been, to a greater extent than colloquially correct, knifed.
Badly knifed.
But but knifed.
There was no blade protruding from my gut or back. There would live no surgery. No deep lacerations.
The wounds wouldn’t require whatever to a greater extent than than antibiotics, stitches, as well as fourth dimension to heal. H5N1 lot of time. (How much time? This happened at the terminate of Jan as well as it took ii months for the bruising to teach down.)
I was stitched up, taken for an X-ray to construct certain I didn’t receive got a punctured lung, as well as required to sit down around for some other half dozen hours every bit they did a follow-up. My friend as well as hostel possessor stayed a bit.
During that time, I booked a flying home. While my wounds weren’t severe as well as I could receive got stayed inward Bogotá, I didn’t desire to conduct chances it. The infirmary refused to give me antibiotics and, beingness a piffling suspicious of their stitching job, I wanted to teach checked out dorsum domicile piece everything was nevertheless fresh. When I was leaving the hospital, I fifty-fifty had to inquire them to encompass my wounds. They were going to leave of absence them exposed.
It’s amend to live condom than sorry.
Looking back, would I receive got done anything differently?
It’s piece of cake to say, “Why didn’t yous but give him your phone?”
But it’s non every bit if he led amongst a weapon. Had he done so, I plainly would receive got surrendered the phone. This kid (and it turned out he was but a kid of nigh 17) but tried to grab it from my hand, as well as anyone’s natural instinct would live to trace back.
If somebody stole your purse, took your figurer piece yous were using it, or tried to grab your watch, your initial, fundamental reaction wouldn’t be, “Oh well!” It would be, “Hey, give me dorsum my stuff!”
And if that materials were nevertheless attached to your hand, you’d trace back, yell for help, as well as promise the mugger would teach away. Especially when it’s nevertheless daytime as well as in that location are crowds around. You can’t ever assume a mugger has a weapon.
Based on the data I had at the time, I don’t think I would receive got done anything differently. Nature but gear upwardly in.
Things could receive got been a lot worse: The knife could receive got been longer. He could receive got had a gun. I could receive got turned the incorrect way, as well as that modest blade could receive got hitting a major artery or my neck. The knife was hence modest that I didn’t fifty-fifty experience it during the attack. H5N1 longer blade mightiness receive got caused me to recoil to a greater extent than as well as driblet my phone. I don’t know. If he had been a amend mugger, he would receive got kept running frontwards as well as I wouldn’t receive got been able to grab upwardly every bit the frontwards motility made the telephone leave of absence my hand.
The permutations are endless.
This was also but a affair of beingness unlucky. H5N1 incorrect fourth dimension as well as incorrect identify situation. This could receive got happened to me anywhere. You tin live inward the incorrect identify as well as the incorrect fourth dimension inward a i K 1000 places as well as inward a i K 1000 situations.
Life is risk. You’re non inward command of what happens to yous the 2nd yous walk out the door. You think yous are. You think yous receive got a grip on the province of affairs — but hence yous walk out of a café as well as teach knifed. You teach inward a auto that crashes or a helicopter that goes down, consume nutrient that hospitalizes you, or, despite your best wellness efforts, driblet dead from a pump attack.
Anything tin go on to yous at whatever time.
We construct plans every bit if nosotros are inward control.
But we’re non inward command of anything.
All nosotros tin produce is command our reaction as well as responses.
I actually similar Bogotá. I actually similar Colombia. The nutrient was delicious as well as the scenery breathtaking. Throughout my see there, people were inquisitive, friendly, as well as happy.
And when this happened, I marveled at all the people who helped me, who stayed amongst me until the law came, the many law officers who assisted me inward numerous ways, the doctors who attended to me, the hostel possessor who became my translator, as well as my friend who drove an hr to live amongst me.
Everyone apologized. Everyone knew this was what Republic of Colombia is known for. They wanted to allow me know this was non Colombia. I think they felt worse nigh the assail than I did.
But this experience reminded me of why yous can’t teach complacent. I gave papaya. I shouldn’t receive got had my telephone out. When I left the cafe, I should receive got set it away. It didn’t affair the fourth dimension of day. That’s the dominion inward Colombia. Keep your valuables hidden. Especially inward Bogota, which does receive got a higher charge per unit of measurement of petty offense than elsewhere inward the country. I didn’t follow the advice.
And I got unlucky because of it. I’d been having my telephone out every bit good oftentimes and, amongst each non-incident, I grew to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than relaxed. I kept dropping my guard downwardly more.
What happened was unlucky but it didn’t demand to go on if I had followed the rules.
This is why people ever warned me to live careful.
Because yous never know. You’re fine until yous aren’t.
That said, you’re nevertheless unlikely to receive got a problem. All those incidences I talked about? All involved people breaking the ironclad “No Dar Papaya” dominion as well as either having something valuable our or walking lone tardily at dark inward areas they shouldn’t have. Don’t intermission the rule! This could receive got happened to me anywhere inward the earth where I didn’t follow the security rules you’re supposed to that assist yous minimize risk.
But, also know, if yous produce teach into trouble, Colombians volition assist yous out. From my hostel possessor to the cops to the people who sat amongst me when it happened to the random guy inward the infirmary who gave me chocolate, it turns out, yous tin ever depend on the kindness of strangers. They made a harrowing experience a lot easier to bargain with.
I’m non going to allow this freak incident alter my persuasion of such an amazing country. I’d teach dorsum to Republic of Colombia the same vogue I’d teach inward a auto later on a auto accident. In fact, I was terribly upset to leave. I was having an amazing time. I nevertheless dearest Bogota. I nevertheless receive got plans to teach dorsum to Colombia. I receive got to a greater extent than positive things to write nigh this.
Learn from my mistake. Not alone for when yous see Republic of Colombia but when yous go inward general.
You can’t teach complacent. You can’t halt next the rules.
And nevertheless teach to Colombia!
I’ll view yous there.
A twain of other points:
While the doctors were prissy as well as the stitching turned out to live great, I wouldn’t teach to a populace infirmary inward Republic of Colombia again. That was non a fun experience. It wasn’t super clean, they had patients inward the hallways, they didn’t give me antibiotics or hurting medicine or encompass my wounds, as well as they wanted to shipping me domicile without a shirt (thanks to my hostel possessor for bringing me an extra!). There were but some basic things I was shocked they overlooked.
This is a rigid representative for travel insurance! I’ve ever said go insurance is for unknowns because the yesteryear is non prologue. In my twelve years of travel, I was never mugged — until I was. Then, needing medical attention as well as a last-minute flying home, I was glad I had insurance. I needed it bad. It could receive got been a lot worse than a $70 infirmary neb as well as a flying dorsum home, too: if I had required surgical physical care for or had to live admitted to the hospital, that neb would receive got been a lot more. Don’t leave of absence domicile without go insurance. You never, ever know when yous mightiness demand it, as well as you’ll live glad yous had it!
Here are some articles on go insurance:
- Why You Should Get Travel Insurance When You Travel
- How to Buy the Best Insurance inward 2019
- World Nomads Travel Insurance Review
- 10 Common Travel Insurance Questions Answered
They did grab the kid who tried to mug me. There’s security everywhere inward Bogotá. He made it i block earlier they caught him. My hostel possessor tells me he is nevertheless inward jail. He was alone 17 too. I experience bad for him. There’s a lot of poverty inward Bogotá. There’s a rattling stark income separate there. Assuming he’s non some middle-class punk, I tin empathize the weather condition that led him to rob me. I promise his hereafter gets brighter.
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Photo credit: Pedro Szekely
Sumber https://www.nomadicmatt.com
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