When I retrieved my luggage at the Barranquilla, Colombia airport on September 4, 2022, the zipper on one of my backpacks was wide open. It looked a lot less full than the night before, when I’d packed it. But there was no time to go through all three bags to figure out what might be missing. So I stuffed everything inside that had fallen to the floor, zipped it shut, and wheeled it out into the lobby.
I arrived with 32 other Peace Corps volunteer trainees from the US. All of us had willingly agreed to leave home and serve the needs of small communities in Colombia for two years, following three months of intensive training in the country. Peace Corps staff in Colombia greeted us warmly. They were easy to find, since they proudly displayed both the white Peace Corps flag and the vibrant yellow, blue, and red Colombian flag.
As we boarded buses for transport to our orientation site, where we would be sequestered for five days to ensure we weren’t bringing COVID with us, we were filled with anticipation and anxiety. We all wondered, “What have we gotten ourselves into?” We were also exhausted, having met at 1:30 am in the lobby of our hotel in Washington, DC to board buses to the airport for a 5:00 am flight to Miami, then on to Barranquilla.
Two Peace Corps volunteers already living and working in Colombia boarded our buses in Barranquilla to give us small tokens of welcome: a sweet, chewy candy made from guayaba (a local fruit) attached to a hand-written tip for success on post-it notes. Mine said, “Don’t give papaya.”
I already knew this was a dicho (saying) that warned against flaunting expensive stuff, lest it be stolen. And I felt like an idiot for already giving papaya to the travel gods, before I even got out of the airport. Still, I didn’t realize how thoroughly ingrained the concept was in Colombian culture. During the Safety and Security training we received as part of our five-day orientation, we learned the deeper meaning of “No dar papaya.”
Literally translated, “No dar papaya” means “Not to give papaya.” But “No des papaya” (don’t give papaya) is what people really mean. Alberto Maldonado, the head of security for Peace Corps Colombia, explained that, at its most basic, the directive means that you should avoid putting yourself at risk.
Why? Because papaya is a low-hanging fruit. If you dangle it in front of people, it will be taken. In practice, “No dar papaya” means numerous things, many of which go beyond not flaunting expensive stuff. Some examples include:
DON’T
- Carry a Gucci purse or expensive bag, as it means you have lots of money.
- Wear your giant backpack around town, as it is obviously holding all your expensive gear, electronics, and money.
- Wear a fanny pack, because it pegs you as a tourist. which means you have lots of money.
- Sit in the front or back of the bus, because it is easy for thieves to grab your stuff and jump off the bus quickly.
- Walk down dark, empty streets or alleys.
- Take out your phone while walking down the street, because a motorcyclist can grab it as they ride by.
- Take out your phone in crowded places (including buses and markets), because pickpockets are looking to see where people put their phones when they put them away.
- Hang your purse on the back of your chair in a restaurant, as thieves can easily take it without you noticing.
DO
- Sit in the middle of the bus, preferably in an aisle seat.
- Pay attention to your surroundings, and vary your daily route/routine.
- Hand over your cell-phone and money if someone demands it, because you’re not Steven Seagal.
- Wear a cross-body bag with the bag part in front of your body.
- Carry your inexpensive backpack over one shoulder and by your side/around your front, hugging it with one arm.
The good news is that I did not, in fact, give papaya to the travel gods. Nothing was missing from my open backpack: the items had simply settled in transit. I now know the zipper on that backpack will come apart on its own, and I will be sure to always place the zipper closure at the bottom of one side instead of in the center, at the top. I might also use zip ties to hold the zippers together during transit. So, I learned a lesson, and I didn’t lose any papaya in the process.
Since arriving in my host family’s home a few days ago, “No dar papaya” has been the most frequently used expression in our household. Thanks to all the education from folks here in Colombia, I think I may be learning how to do it.
Please note: Any opinions or views expressed in this blog post are mine and mine alone. They do not represent the views of the Peace Corps.