Is Colombia safe for backpackers? Two 23 year old blonde girls specifically.

I have lived in the islands and S.Am. for over 10 years. While I can say I have never witnessed exactly what you described ($5 is about 230 pesos - extremely beneath what I think anyone would first offer a traveling gringo), I admit there is a LOT of trafficking here. Not just locals and island girls, but eastern Europeans too. Men bring them here with promises of jobs and take their passports... same old story.

But...

The culture here is adjusted, over centuries, to get from the gringos. I don't mean this in a bad way altogether. Many mothers in the islands and S. Am. teach their daughters that the best thing they can do in life is to find a rich older gringo and marry him. Not specifically to take advantage of him, but because without a doubt it is the best course of action for them to get away from the barrio if they want to.

I laugh at all these CNN bullshit snippets showing how some group somewhere is "empowering" women in the 3rd world. Like they just need to attend the CIA school and they will be a CEO.

Colombia? Country ruled by drugcartels and were 100's are kidnapped by Farc? lol no its not a safe country for western people.

Depends how hot they are. Fat slobs? No problem

Female family member who is from Colombia says ABSOLUTELY DON'T DO IT! She is wondering if perhaps this thread is a late April's Fool Day joke.

Yep I wish it was a joke but it's exactly how I've described. I'm still pretty shocked no one tried to stop them, especially the parents who fancy themselves as being pretty clued up. I just hope they get back ok.

Call it whatever you like
Giving gun to groids and taking then away from whites is a jewish concept

I hope they return safely, with a greater respect for non-liberal policies...

There are lots of places here in the US I would have little problem seeing two such females safely backpacking.

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the thread title...

Deaths of Kris Kremers (21) and Lisanne Froon (22)

"Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon were two Dutch students who disappeared on April 1, 2014, while hiking in Panama. After an intensive search, portions of their bodies were found a few months later although how they died could not be determined. The circumstances and aftermath of their disappearance have resulted in much speculation about the cause of death."

[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)] | [link to www.thedailybeast.com]

Any update on your friends making it back in 1 piece?

Nowhere in the world is safe for stupid pretty ladies.. make sure you tell them the permanent good bye

I went sex touring there in my 20s. No its not a safe place unless you know your way around and know where to avoid. Also you should know at least enough spanish to get by. I wouldn't recommend them going. Kidnappings are common there. There is safe places but even there you don't want to let your guard down.

2 words..Drug cartels

I'll second that. Chile is an awesome place to visit! It's beautiful, the people are friendly, and everything is reasonably priced. However things might be a bit difficult because they just had record rains (they had like 2-4 years of rainfall in 48 hours).... in a desert..so there were mudslides, roads washed out, etc.

You hear about Earthquakes there, but their modern buildings are some of the safest in the world. They have a LOT of experience building to protect against earthquakes.

No. I have cousins who lived there in the 80's and 90's and even though their father was just a CEO at the dairy- they had to go everywhere with bodyguards who were armed with M-16's or somesuch. And they weren't even blonde or attractive.

What's in Columbia that isn't in America?

The Appalachian Trail...

The Columbian Mountains...


The horrible things that could happen are beyond reason...Their large reptiles and unusual large rodents are extremely gross and hungry...

Not to mention humans that eat people.

Colombia is liaring. Either they are gonna get rape by one or more porch monkey. Or they are gonna get kidnap by Isis, drug cartels or get put into sex slavery by human traffickers. If they get capture by Isis or drug cartels they will take them as hostages and want a ransom by their families. You got Isis sleeper cells in South America and in Mexico.

Kind of a slight difference in the Appalachian trail since you can legally carry a firearm. MAkes all the difference.

Tbh. I wouldn't want to visit Israel or anywhere in the middle east. I wouldn't even want to visit Europe. But Europe is better than Colombia. Colombia is infested with drug cartels.

I kept meaning to update the thread but always forgot. They did make it back ok incredibly. I found out the family were horrified when they found out she (my girlfriend's friend) was going but she was adamant and the other girl was even more determined.

When they were there they didn't go out clubbing which I think must've saved them cos that's where you can get in the shit. My girlfriend said neither of them are drinkers or into partying so they didn't get involved in that scene. I think it's still a bit of a miracle but a happy ending in this case.

If they are super aware and plan thoroughly there is a chance they won't be gang raped and or murdered.

Plenty of perfectly nice countries in South America. Colombia isn't one of them. For anyone. But especially not them.

sehr gut alles clar mit die Madchen von Ostereich.

Ganz genau danke!

Better pack a few rape whistles a some day after pills in their backpacks.

Was ihr beide schreibt macht keinen Sinn.

Tell them to dye their hair dark before they go.

Even in relatively civilized countries like Greece blondes attract too much of the wrong sort of attention.

Fich dich du wichser du.