All my Colombia photos are online in the #allineverywhere archive.
Welcome to Colombia
New Horizons for Live Poker Colombia’s Poker scene is developing quickly and it looks like it’s emerging as one of the bigger players to come in Latin America. One of the reasons for this is a Poker-friendly regulation offering promoters the possibility to get and exploit their license allowing them to operate legally outside casinos - a bit like the situation in Europe with Ireland for instance where major Poker events are regularly held in convention hotels or resorts. The Circuito Nacional de Poker (CNP) have always been into offering special experiences beside their Spanish Poker stops with occasional stops in Bulgaria, Romania, Morocco or on cruise ships but the idea of a whole Latin American Poker Tour was something bigger that took a long time to think and talk about, Jaime Sanchez, leader of the CNP project, explains. Once the idea had matured and after months of development and promotion, CNP are now operating in Colombia as the Circuito Latino de Poker with a first stop held at the Wyndham Hotel Bogota in early October. The hotel features a casino, Reis Casino, but it merely is a promotion partner and, since it has no regular live Poker offer nor experienced staff, all CNP games were run outside the casino premises in the hotel’s meeting center under the supervision of the CNP team. The festival as such was not a big success though. The buy-ins were expensive for Colombian standards and some important local promoters turned their back to the event, some tried to boycott it or, at least, did not participate to its promotion. This protectionism is a pity as such but understandable since nobody likes to share market shares with a newcomer in town. The execution, coordination and management of the event was good nevertheless. The atmosphere was great and the CNP streaming of the final day was the first one ever with cards up in Colombia. Nobody had ever deployed so many means for a live Poker event in the country which brought a lot of media and player attention. The stream together with the photo und video documentation provided show what actually could become a Colombian live Poker standard in the future. Jaime Sanchez, heading the CNP project, is very clear about the fact that he’s not coming as a Poker war lord aiming to mess up the existing local scene. It’s quite the contrary. He claims that the door is open for any local partner who wants to join the new CLP caravan. As a matter of fact, beside his own team (head floors, streaming team, promo crew) that I was part of as a PokerFirma correspondent, Jaime solicited the assistance of local promoters, dealers and assistant floors. The players’ feedback was usually great and everybody seemed to want more by the end of the event. Comments about how nice the tournament structures kept coming back since these are noticeably better than what Colombia has to offer usually these days. New plans are already in the making in Colombia with a cash game festival to come together with the New York casino in Bogota and projects to bring the CLP tournament series to Medellin and Cartagena. What is more, festivals are in preparation in other Latin American countries like Chile, Peru, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Changes for the Colombian Poker scene CNP is not going to revolutionise Poker in Colombia. It’s merely aiming to find a place in this market, not necessarily to dominate it. The CNP tournaments usually come with no guarantee. The added value is about creating friendly communities of likeminded players who respect the game and enjoy competing in comfortable environments and, if possible, away from the gambling in casinos. Another ingredient is offering the best possible structures and professional media exposure to document it. The CNP motto ‘De jugadores para jugadores’ (‘From players for players’) says it all. Cash Games: Omaha is the name of the game I was told PLO was big in Colombia but I had no clue to what extend. Cash games were running every day at the CLP festival but there were plenty of days without NL Hold’em games. I’ve played some PLO dealer’s choice, the daily bread, featuring seven hands of PLO4 in more than 10 hours. I quickly figured out that I would not be making many new friends if I kept choosing the 4-card variant too often so we ended up playing almost only PLO5 or PLO6 formats … with straddles, Mississippi bets and double-board bomb pots. The whole thing! I did ok at the tables, obviously swinging loads but the most profitable aspect I got was actually a safety advice from Christian, a local PLO shark that I happened to beat in a big PLO6 setup for 250bb each. The day after, we were discussing hands and I was also explaining him my plans to visit the Barrio Los Puentes, a zone where inhabitants painted their houses in bright colors that I had spotted with my 400mm lens from my top floor hotel balcony one morning while shooting the sunrise over Bogota. He’s face changed and he told me very seriously not to do so. Coming from a guy who lost an average Colombian monthly wage to me in one single hand, I figured his intentions were genuinely nice. If he had intended to harm me in any way for revenge or so, he would have maybe let me go in what happens to be one of the poorest areas of the city and hoped I would get robbed :-) I was told again later on by another local, I should skip this zone with my camera. So I did. Turns out the area looks beautiful from afar but is actually a pretty rough and poor zone I would probably have had problems navigating without an experienced guide. Next time maybe. In the meanwhile, I got the aerial shot. Fear is not the path to Colombia Yes, this is a long article. I am aware of it and I know how much some of my audience dislikes to read. Yet, it was my very first time in Colombia and I got so many new impressions that I have no idea how I could write something short about such an incredible place. Also, I got A LOT of very stupid reactions or jokes in messages and personal comments about ‘playing Poker with drug lords’ and ‘beating the chicanos’. They are not narcos or gang members. It’s what they look like. It’s called genetics. Some minds obviously got a bit distorted by the media and the gringo film industry over the decades. This Poker trip report includes tips on mobility, culture, weather or safety but is also meant to making a small contribution to restoring Colombia’s reputation. Something amazing happens to me every time I travel: I become deeply and genuinely innocently curious, a feeling I only vaguely remember from childhood. Colombia is the kind of country that feeds that curiosity very well. Bogota is the very first place I have visited in all of South America. As the capital of a country tormented by violence for decades, the 8 to 10-million mega city in the mountains is rough, chaotic and requires some time to get used to. Traffic is bad to start with. Actually, traffic is very bad, out of hand bad. Surprisingly, Bogota has no metro, a fact that makes the streets the only way to convey the millions of people commuting every day. The TransMilenio and Urbano bus networks don’t even operate that bad on their dedicated lanes everywhere. It’s the city’s whole road and urban infrastructure itself that seems to be failing to cope with the immense flow. Metro plans are in the making but we’re probably at least a decade away from their realisations. Ride share apps work ok (although illegally I was told) and taxis are a very common and cheap way to get around all of Bogota. But these ain’t magic vehicles and whatever you decide to ride, you’ll have to face the traffic issues. Patience is the key – we’ve learned it from Poker. Having spent a lot of time off the classic tourist and Poker routes in remote places in the far east of Europe and in northern Africa, I’m used to rough but I would have expected latinos to be more gentle. They are not. The merengue and bachata music is merrier but the general atmosphere is tense. Poverty and unemployment are obvious problems and the presence of heavily armed police and military in the streets add up to the stress level in my opinion. Personally, the sight of a human openly carrying war weapons in public never calms me. No matter what badge or flag they are wearing on their uniform. That said, the Bogota charm started to kick in rapidly thanks to one of my local assistants, Iliana, who started off with taking me up to Monserrate. Everything in life is a matter of perspective and the enlightenment came to me in this sanctuary overlooking the whole city at 3100m altitude with the city sitting 500m deeper on an immense plateau in the middle of the Andes. I did not have a vision of the Black Virgin of Monserrate or such but I realised how much of an amazing trip this was about to become. I must confess I have prepared my journey very poorly. I’m spoilt. I travel non stop. Everywhere. I take it for granted. I shouldn’t. Every new place deserves its fair share of preparation and research. I had not done my homework prior to coming to Colombia. This is another reason why I decided to make this report such a long and extensive piece of travel documentation – so my readers out there don’t make the same stupid mistake of coming unprepared to this place full of cultural magic and deeply caring people. One just needs to start to scratch the surface in the right place. The green hills, the numerous gardens, the picturesque cobbled streets, the mind-bending museums, the flourishing street art and the clash between colonial architecture and modern design in cohabitation with the nearby slums and popular areas around the center, all mixed together, make the unique cocktail of smells, sounds and feelings Bogota triggers within its visitors. With millions people living on the Bogota plateau, there are many aspects to factor in when strolling around. The whole country goes through a complicated process of restoring its reputation and tourism credibility. My Spanish is kinda bad but good enough to be able to talk to random strangers in the streets or in shops. They were all unanimous in the essence of their message: ‘Bienvenido a Colombia! We are happy you came to visit.’ I was told that the situation is much better now than it used to be two or even one decade ago and that the violence induced by drug-related criminals is not easy to make undone. So, is Bogota safe? My short answer is ‘yes’. At no point I felt in danger. I clearly was occasionally observed and attracted some attention because of my physical appearance or photo shooting moves but I never felt threatened. I want to point out here that I got my photo bag stolen twice in my traveling and reporting career, once in Brussels and once in Vegas, twice in the good old western world. Enough said but I’m not trying to sell Colombia as heaven on Earth either. Follow your heart but take your brain with you Basic common sense rules apply here like everywhere else. We, the gringos (as the locals call the rich whites from the western capitalist world), are the wealthiest people on the planet. Everybody knows and some of us don’t even realise how much we show it off just by being ourselves but with basic rules of common sense, things should go pretty smooth. To start with, don’t wear your best Italian brand shirt when going out for some exploration and avoid jewels or carelessly pulling out your 1000-Eur phone in the streets. These guys might own nothing of all this but they are well aware of their existence and their price tags. Also, it makes sense not to wander away too far from recognised tourist spots if you are worried. All cities on our planet have this area you better avoid. These areas are surprisingly close to the tourist and business center in Bogota and you might be surprised about what you will find on the other side of a street corner or behind a fancy building sometimes. Very rich and very poor live closely together here, one taking advantage of the other in their manner. I’ve also been told the classic advices of not walking alone in dark remote areas at night and to generally prefer taxis to walking when traveling a greater distance in order to avoid the wealth variance there can be from one street or block to another. Wearing the backpack on the front and avoiding open pockets containing valuables are other classic travel precautions but they are nothing specific to Colombia. Kidnappings of gringos are not a thing anymore. At least not in urban areas. I have a simple rule of mine. I never stop. Firstly, it makes it difficult for dishonest people to interact with me. Secondly, if people should be observing or following me, it’s easier to spot them more quickly than if I’m being watched while chilling light-headed on a terrace with my belongings on the table. All these suggestions are good ones to travel basically everywhere but we are in a classic ‘do as I say, not as I do’ setup here. I did walk more than 30km alone, partially carrying an expensive camera, in various areas of Bogota at various times - because I wanted the photos. And since it’s tough to motivate the general Poker population 1) to walk for more than 100m 2) to exit the comfort of the WiFi zone of the hotel, I did most of it on my own. Just, don’t tell my mum please. What I suggest to do in Bogota I don’t think I have a lot to add to most tourist guides you’ll find online. Bogota might be enormous but it still has a walkable city center with many places to explore within a 30-min walking radius. The first two days were kinda ok but the weather has been very bad during my whole stay so walking around was not an option every day. Luckily, I hit a majestic meteorological one outer three days before leaving allowing me to spend the whole day strolling Bogota over 16km in total and resulting in one of my coolest street photography documentation ever. One of the places that struck me most is the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum). I usually prefer spending time outside but thanks to the copious amounts of rain, I gave it a try and it turns out, it’s maybe the best museum I’ve ever been to. Tens of thousands of pre-Hispanic gold items retrace Colombia’s early culture in a carefully organised scenography for an entrance fee of 4000 COP (less than 1 Eur). Another very particular thing about Bogota, is the fact that it’s home to a very active and elaborate graffiti and street art scene. There is hardly a wall, building, tunnel or bridge without spray can decoration wherever you look. There are dedicated tours if you want to dig deeper into the subject or if you are already a connoisseur but it’s also easy to enjoy the pieces of art on your own since they are virtually everywhere. As already mentioned in the beginning if you do one thing and one thing only in Bogota, climb Monserrate and get the best view on the city. There are also cable cars and funiculars if the 500-meter altitude hike scares you off but anyway, it’s a must if you ask me. ‘La Candelaria’ also features many colorful houses beside cobbled streets, bars and modern buildings. It’s very close to the center an in a much posher style than Los Puentes featuring some of the colonial buildings of downtown and the ‘Chorro de Quevedo’, the starting point of modern hispanic Bogota, a fountain signifying the purported spot where the conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada established the first foundations of the city in 1538. ‘Plaza de Bolivar’ is probably the worst Bogota has to offer in terms of industrial scale tourism with helium balloons and hotdogs being sold at all its corners and in between but the square is still incredible and worth at least a visit. While you’re there, you might as well walk 10 minutes down the street and visit the Palaciao Nariño, the official home and work place of Colombia’s president. It’s also gorgeous … and very representative for the harsh class war going. A few streets further south, people live on the sidewalks. Plaza de Bolivar is what serves as the Bogota main square with the primary cathedral in town, the capitol and the ‘Palacio de Justicia’, the newest building on the square rebuilt after Colombian armed forces and the police stormed and destroyed it in early November 1985 during an attack against the M-19 guerrilla group that had taken over the building and was holding the Colombian Supreme Court hostage with the goal to hold a trial against President Betancur with the intention of forcing the government to rule out an extradition treaty with the United States and leaving about 100 people dead including most attackers, twelve magistrates and numerous collateral victims. The Bogota Post published a series of dramatic photos of the event in a 30-year commemoration article in 2015. Food, drinks and Entertainment Fruit and veggies grow locally and mostly naturally. One can easily tell by the size, taste and freshness of the products. I have eaten the biggest and most tasty avocados and papayas of my life in Colombia. They grow in tropical rain forest regions and their cultivation is responsible for quite some deforestation. No matter how enjoyable they are, this leaves a little bit of a bitter taste in the end. Water is mostly drinkable but comes with a horribly strong taste of chlorine which can easily ruin an excellent coffee or tea and is clearly noticeable in raw washed fruit and vegetables. Of course, there is also a luxury shopping and nightlife in Bogota’s elite ghettos where people do the superficial white man thing. The rich and beautiful regroup together with mostly expats and tourists to consume at international franchises wearing trendy clothes. One of the most hyped areas is the ‘Zona Rosa’. I spent onne night there with fellow Poker players and we had a lot of fun in the Clandestino club that has absolutely nothing to do with what its name suggests. It’s basically the super fancy rooftop disco of the Luckia Casino. A great night of partying but we did not meat many locals. It seems super obvious but do drink coffee in Colombia. I’ve learned quite a few things about coffee in Bogota, most importantly that we mess it up the way we drink it in the west. The milk, the chocolate and all sorts sweet industrial additions we all got used to make no sense in traditional coffee terms. Not over brewing and adding simple ingredients like cinnamon for instance does the trick. ‘Tinto’ the cheap street coffee is everywhere but there are also plenty of dedicated coffee shops that will serve you delicate highest quality coffee. One additionnal thing I really enjoyed doing, is walking the numerous gardens of Bogota. It rains a lot throughout the year so the vegetation in the parks and botanic gardens tends to be incredibly lush and they offer a peaceful alternative to the buzzing streets. One last thing to take into consideration and that I had not anticipated (remember how poorly prepared I was), is the altitude. We are talking about altitudes that beat most of the alpine regions and it tends to be seriously cold up there so it’s a good idea to pack accordingly. All in all, visiting Colombia was a very exciting experience and I don’t see how I will not be going back if I get another opportunity. If someone else is considering a trip for one of the next Circuito Latino de Poker stops, I’ll be glad to share advice and personal experiences. What’s more, you can always visit my Poker & travel blog WWW.THE-ROUNDER.NET for more Poker trips content.
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HOME BLOG PHOTOS & COVERAGES POKER TRIPS ART & PRINTS CONTACT & INFO You can get in touch or just stay tuned under the following social media links: Facebook - Instagram - Twitter If you enjoy what you see and read, go get more! I curate all recent relevant #allineverywhere content of the BLOG and occasionally from other sources via my Scoop.it account. A photo archive is available via the PHOTOS & COVERAGES section and you might also be interested in checking the social media updates via the links above. There's an ART & PRINTS section too and you can plan your next winning streak via the POKER TRIPS page. For those who care, I use #pokersolidarity and #allin4ukraine on social media platforms and there is a SOLIDARITY section regrouping my blog posts about how the community following this website tries to be useful for those in need. Wish to support us by assisting us to build our network, by helping to spread the word, by donating equipment, time or some spare money? Then beam yourself to the CONTACT & INFO section. Damiano Nigro
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