Tween rappers from Santa Fe, Bogota rapped for bicycle tourists about the challenges they face from violence, drugs and crime in their community.
During a pleasant ride with Bogota Bike Tours in the country’s capital, you may come across rap group “Chinches de la Humildad” in the Central Cemetery (especially if you happen to have a flat tire). The young boys, ages 11 and 12, live near the cemetery in the rough, Santa Fe neighborhood; a poor working-class barrio in downtown Bogota known as “la Zona de Tolerancia.” When they see bikers come through, they give free hip-hop shows about respect and non-violence. They are impressive and usually go home with a few pesos in their pockets.
Mike Ceaser of Bogota Bike Tours said of the children, “hopefully they’ll find opportunity in art or other positive areas, rather than getting caught up in crime, as happens to so many young men from the Santa Fe neighborhood.”
Bogota Bike Tours offers a complete bike tour of the Colombia’s capitol. You’ll get up-close and personal in a fun, active way. The guides are bilingual and take you on a ride through plazas, parks, markets and historical monuments. You’ll also learn a bit about the nation’s politics and troubled history.