Mocoa, Colombia - Polarsteps

Nov. 5, 2022 - Mocoa, Colombia, population 57,000 and founded in September 1563. I was in Mocoa for 2 nights and enjoyed the visit. It's a nice little pueblo in a small valley at about 600 meters (about 1968 feet) elevation. When I first arrived in town I also received a message from a friend in Barranquilla telling me to be careful because Mocoa is in a "Red Zone". Here in Colombia, there are red zones - areas where any of the various narcotrafico groups/illegal armed groups/guerrilla groups are located. So, when I was out exploring the town I went by the police station and spoke to two officers and they told me the town is fine, the armed groups are all out in the mountain jungles and don't come into the towns. I also spoke to the hostess at the hotel and she told me basically the same thing. And again, I spoke to a man I met when out walking and he, too, said the same thing. So, nothing to worry about walking around in town. It turned out that I was there on a festival weekend. On Sunday there was a big fair and one horse race. The hotel I stayed at, Hotel Inga Real, was kitty-corner to the main plaza. When I made my reservations I specified a room as far to the back away from the street as possible. They gave me a room in the middle of the third floor so there was only one other room between the street and me. It was a bit on the noisy side until the town quieted down for the night. The room was certainly large enough and had a nice bathroom and hot water. I always ask about hot water before making reservations because here in Colombia many hotels do not have hot water, especially along the Caribbean coast, where the water is typically sufficiently warm without it being heated.