Columbia safety

It's funny as each week we get sent a travel update from my work. It includes which places have current safety warnings against them due to a varying number of reasons…it’s funny because Australia appears on this list more then Columbia!
Also I know that a player had a knife pulled on them in Hobart, during the 2000 Worlds (Hobart of all places) so things can happen anywhere.

If you go to Columbia (which we hope everyone does) you just need to use your common sense and stay away from certain areas and situations.

I am one Australian that can’t wait to get to Columbia and plan on doing some travel afterward.

According to the Official Aus warning there are a couple of handfuls of cities you shouldn't go to. Medellin in not one of those and the Aus website says except Medellin. And those cities are what makes the warning a high caution, not a ban. There were years the US said don't go at all. They don't say that anymore which to me says a lot because they tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to travelling abroad. A lot has changed since the 90's. Even more so in the past 3-4 years.

And as far as fielding the best team possible, we have never done that. Came close once many years ago. If you choose not to go hopefully Aus has people that will step up and play.

__________________
And the countdown begins... Ay, ay ay ay, ay ay ay ay ay ay ay ay ay.. Colombia!

I wrote this sometime ago and sent it to a e-mail list in the USA. A few people said it was helpful in calming their parent's concerns. Hopefully it helps somebody else. I am an Argentinian living in the US and went there last March with my American girlfriend and my parents.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I just (March 09) came back from a vacation in Colombia and thought I should write to the list in case people are afraid of going there. Colombia felt and is very safe, at least the parts where I travelled through. I spent a week there, splitting time between Cartagena and Santa Marta (Taganga - Parque Tayrona). The place is beautiful, and things are cheap. Cartagena is very expensive, relative to the rest of the country, but still about half the price or less than prices in the US, depending on what you are buying and where. You are expected to haggle the prices especially for the taxis and street vendors that will chase you around wherever you go and not let you go until you buy something, and when you buy something more will come because you are a buyer. It comes with it being a huge tourist attraction. They are all trying to make as much profit from you as they can. So they will push you, but if you are firm, they will accept "defeat". I have not visited Medellin but I've heard that the city where worlds is going to take place is a lot more city-like than the coastal places that I visited. And it probably has the advantages and disadvantages of a large city with good and bad areas.
I felt safe all the time through the travels. On the 4 hour drive from Cartagena to Santa Marta (took a little bus for ~$35) we saw 2 or 3 military post on the road where they do traffic control. Not a lot of military power display, just a couple soldiers with big guns. That is the only evidence I got that there might be something not 100% safe. For sure I felt safer than in Durban, where we would be stopped by random people on the streets that would warn us not to walk on the street because it was dangerous or like the time when we were by the beach at sunset and a golf cart with 2 security guards approached us (a few players from the Argentina team) and told us that they were leaving and they were not patrolling anymore, so we should leave the beach before we got mugged or killed. Nothing happend in South Africa, and nothing happened in Colombia, but I felt safer in Colombia, you could not feel tension or concern qhen people talked to you, you DID NOT see security cameras, barbed wired and electric fences anywhere.
I was in Cartagena for my cousin's wedding, He married a girl from there so a lot of my family flew in from Argentina. My other cousins brought their babies (a few month old). They stayed in Cartagena in an all inclusive hotel, because it was more practical for them. Then they travelled around just a little, but mostly did some organized tours. A Cartagena city tour and a boat trip to Isla del Rosario. I was there with my parents and my american girlfriend and her canadian friend. We did not blend in at all (our friend was a girl about a foot and half taller than the tallest Colombians) , and where immediately spotted as tourist by the street vendors. We walked through the some fruit markets, took regular city busses, talked to very friendly people and had lots of fun. We rented an appartment overlooking the ocean and took either taxis or regular busses for transportation to the city. In Parque Tayrona we refused to use guides that were supposed to be essential, but the trails were very well marked, another example on how they try to get as much money out of the tourist.

I am sure that with a much larger group of people there are other concerns, but from my experience I would not hesitate to go there again. The weather is great, the people are fun and the food is delicious!

Oh, and I've heard they are pretty good at playing hockey also.

This is the first safety concern that I have heard from any Australian player where they are talking about not attending, We will be there with a full strength team, and as our teams have not been selected yet people may have to not concern themselves at all.

GH
President
Australian Underwater Federation

__________________
WAA The best in Underwater Sports

Hi,

From NZ official point (past Chairman of UWHNZ 2006- March 2009) of view in 2008, I personally reviewed the risk aspect of attending the Colombia event.

As the NZ Men’s Team had been in camp 2 days before myself and the NZ Women’s team arrived the team reviewed the proposal and provided feedback from the Men's Team on the Colombia bid was great.

Between the meeting of the countries in regards to rules etc and the vote on the next worlds venue we had a few days.

Professionally, I undertake civil engineering (water) projects in various locations that pose a personal risk generally in New Zealand but often overseas. This includes 7 months in Aceh Indonesia on an AUSAid contract for the Tsunami relief reconstruction. This included design and construction of Schools in Conflict Areas including an assault of my site engineer by Mobile Police because we didn't pay the right person. (Other sites Dubai, Doha, Niger, Santiago, Jakarta, Manila 2003-2009)

Through my company, I contacted our travel risk management advisors for assistance. During this time a few emails and phone calls were made to NZ MFA and the UWHNZ travel agent as well. The discussion and advice UWHNZ the risk was the risk was no greater than Auckland or Sydney or any other international city (actually less than Durban). Ie some areas you should go and others are just fine. This was evident in Vancouver after worlds in 2002 when our rental car was broken into and bags including one passport was stolen.

The issue with Colombia and travel risk is no different to other cities around the world. It’s a personal risk and you must monitor the situation. The best guide to risk is seeing if you can arrange travel insurance? If you know a friendly actuary have a discussion.

The biggest issue is actually about getting all UWH teams attending one event in 2010 and sorting out the plan forward. If the sport is to progress this challenge needs to be resolved.

__________________
Tristan Reynard
Tournament Director
CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission
www.cmasuwh.org
www.cmaswebsite.com

Hey Berserker, I just want to add a personal experience so people get to know from other people and not from a web page.
My wife and kids are Aussies too, we are now living in Colombia for about two years, and my wife works as a english teacher, she has a lot of foreign work mates (english, french,US, europeans, etc) and some times when we get together we talk about their experiences and all I can hear is what a great time they are having, and how different it really is from what they expected before they came here....they had the same concerns that you have and found it totally different.
anyway, I am not part of the organisation but I will do my best to help regarding this issue. find ways to make people feel safe, have a guide person all the time, or even as Jason Miezis once said to me, hire an arm guard....hee,hee, but if that makes people feel safer I am sure something could be arranged.
we´ll be waiting for all of you and I am sure Medellin 2010 will be best worlds in History!!!!!

thanks chuby. you rules

Estamos todos halando para el mismo lado....Colombia!!!!!

this is another interesting link about colombia safety and a very interesting links about turism in colombia, including medellin and antioquia
Colombia: Portal Oficial de Turismo
and remember, "Colombia: the only risk is wanting to stay" ( YouTube - Colombia, the only risk is wanting to stay. Video country. www.colombia.travel )

I hope to be there (I will), to witness probably the best organised and prepared tournament UWH community had ever seen. No doubt, WAA's politicians will take the credit where none is due (and take no blame if something bad happens, just like CMAS would do), becouse its really all about dedication of the people like semejia8 and friends, that makes this magic come true. Love of sports, and dedication to one's nation. World tournaments are celebration of the honour at all the folks making this happen. Thats what competition sports should be all about, not prestige or money. Thats why we do, what we do!

I belive Columbia is as safe as the rest of countries, specially if these hockey players say its so!