I'm getting ready to go home. Generally in these last few days I find myself disengaging from this place. I feel this trip has served its purpose. This morning I had breakfast early and left in a hurry so as not to run into the Canadian father and son act from Alberta. When I meet other Canadians abroad and it is clear that we are at opposite ends of the spectrum the last thing I want is to get swallowed up in any political arguments and he, the father anyway, seems very strong in his opinions and his willingness to propogate them. There were two red flags yesterday. When I mentioned with positive intent that immigration is helping to evolve and develop our culture he replied that yes, soon we (that is, white people) will be a minority I sensed a racist and possible white supremist, so I kind of shut up. Then he talked about young Somali immigrants committing crimes and becoming terrorists and that maybe human rights shouldn't be so important, so I just kept my mouth shut and went along to avoid conflict (did I mention he used to be in the military?) I did mention that all the Asian immigrants I know of in Vancouver seem to be decent law abiding people and left it there.
This city is one of the most architecturally uninspiring places I have ever visited. Most of the heritage architecture, some of which is quite beautiful, is in the Candelaria district which for several reasons I am not able to get to. Everything else, almost, is made of the same brown bricks. Very plain, box-like structures. You would think that they would try to paint some of them.
Bogota has many beautiful parks.
I have not had the opportunity to visit the really poor areas, which are many and sprawling. The well-to-do neighbourhoods are generally clean, safe, and well landscaped.
The population is growing fast as more and more people come in from the countryside and small towns looking for work. Many create their own work and the sidewalks are often crowded with beverage, food, snack, book, craft and trinket and umbrella vendors. Then there are the itinerant shoe shine guys, or the luceros, often aggressive, old guys selling lottery tickets, waving them in your face, and of course there are beggars, often old men or old women and young mothers with babies. Especially women seem to love fashion, the higher the heels the better.
I have been told that Bogota is becoming the major high tech and pharmaceutical centre in South America.
The public transit system leaves much to be desired. Besides the Transmilenio there are four or five different coloured buses that appear all to belong to competing companies. Most of them belch out black clouds of diesel smoke which is great for air pollution. In Bogota everyone wants to own their own car. They feel powerful behind a steering wheel and invariably behave like selfish jerks.
This is a very competitive city where free enterprise is king. Colombia boasts a strong and rising economy. I don't know what is available here regarding social services and programs and mental health services but they appear to be very scant. Here we have another darling of the World Bank where everything will be hunky dory so long as they value generating wealth over human beings. They really have it backwards. Even if it means going into debt nothing is so important as investing in the wellbeing of the people. The economy will follow. And yes, I do know this from personal experience.
I would really like to see a growth in mental health services in Colombia. This country is traumatized, by history, by endemic corruption, and by violence. This has really become I think a culture of violence. It is great to see Bogota rise out of this and move forward but they have to invest more in the mental health and wellbeing of the people, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, even if it means having to rob Peter to pay Paul. They can also borrow from Mary.
People here really need to wake out of their apathy.
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