PBH / Colombia / Forums (active) Travelguide Cheap hostels Pictures

My trip to colombia

Just got back from Colombia for a month, it was actually really nice. After reading these forum posts it was actually quite a bit different than I expected. The people were quite friendly in colombia, and I met many many nice people, it was nice to see so many happy people, but I didn't think the general vibe was THAT much more different than the people in the USA. Living in both Miami and Michigan I actually feel I get better service at restaurants here in the states, especially in Miami when I go to the restaurants and they see I speak Spanish.

Another thing, is the women.. it is no different picking up women in Colombia than it is here in the USA. The women don't seem to care too much that you are from the USA. Honestly, they see you as a tourist who is there to get laid =p I saw it a lot, the type of people that come to Colombia and don't pick up and women in their country.. so they come to Colombia and shower the struggling women with money and then claim how smooth they are with the Colombians. If you are there and really looking for a quality girl, you are going to have to put your time in and really get to know them. It is all about what you are looking for but needeless to say, Colombia does have a very high ratio of good looking women =p

I did not feel to be in any grave danger and I spent time in Bogota, Medellin, Bucaramanga and Cartagena and surrounding areas. I never had a problem with taxis, and the only time I ever called a taxi and didn't hail it off the street was when I was leaving a casino in bogota at 3am. I took night busses and public busses and never had a problem. I am not claiming there is no threat, because in bogota there were quite a few people who had stories of being robbed.. it seemed to be only in bogota. You have to be very alert, but in my opinion if you look like you know what you are doing and blend in you will probably be just fine.

I was quite surprised by the cities.. everybody throws their trash on the ground! The cities can look quite dirty at times with trash.. but at the same time they all have their own charm. Outside of the cities, especially in the mountains have such beautiful scenery and views.

In my opinion, Spanish is a must to really get the full experience here. Especially if you are travelling alone. You dont really need it if you are going to just hang out at a hostal and spean english, but if you really want to meet colombians and see what it is like to live there, you should learn spanish to get the best experience.

I think some people paint a picture of Colombia being a place without problems and without worries, and other people paint a picture of the opposite. In my opinion, Colombia is a very nice place, but also has many many problems such as the poverty that you see every day, and constantly having to be alert from scams and other people. But at the same time, I met so many great people that loved showing me the country or people who wanted to practice english with me. I was invited to family parties and taken out to dinner by completely random people. It was an amazing experience and a real eye opener -- you realize how different life can be in other parts and -- at least for me I gained a real respect for my country. I now understand why the immigrants can come to the US for a better life but at the same time still love the country they came from.

Ah, if it makes any difference i'm a 22 year old student.

By miami55 on Jun 29, 2009, 02:00 in Friendly Talkzone.

YOGUI says on Jun 29, 2009, 06:56:

Hey miami55, I'm glad you enjoyed our country, thank you for visiting.

Estoy tan hecho al dolor y el dolor tan hecho a mi, que ya no siento el dolor ni el dolor me siente a mi. :(( :))

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Bill Turley (Moderator) says on Jun 29, 2009, 07:28:

It is nice to read your comments and to understand why so many of us live here

Mr. Bill Somondoco

0 funny, 0 helpful.

excavator59 says on Jun 29, 2009, 07:53:

It does indeed have a charm why do you think none of us want to leave,sure it has it's share of problems but on the whole it's great,glad you enjoyed it just tell the others who bad mouth it that it's not as bad as it's painted.
Are you coming back?.

Life is like a Pubic Hair on a Toilet Seat (Sooner or Later you get Pissed Off)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Paisa/Calena/Luver says on Jun 29, 2009, 08:08:

Need a funny (button) for original posts on here...

"PAY ATTENTION! I wonder if that person knows that when we push the FUNNY button, its because we are reading something outrageous, trying to be cynical, derogatory, sarcastic and/or obnoxious!"

2 funny, 0 helpful.

theflatline says on Jun 29, 2009, 10:09:

I think Colombia charms anyone who visits. People are always pleasantly surprised. And it has improved tremendously over the last 20 years.

One of the hardest lessons I had to get across to my students, the ones that were going to travel to the US, that it was not ok to just throw trash on the ground.

Anyone remember having to use those little sqaures of Cacao for chapped lips if you could not find chapstic?

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Simon says on Jun 29, 2009, 12:31:

"In my opinion, Spanish is a must to really get the full experience here."

Is that so? I wonder if English 'is a must' to really get the full experience of the US, or if Mandarin is a must to get the full experience of China, or French to get the full experience of France.

"-- you realize how different life can be in other parts and -- at least for me I gained a real respect for my country."

Everytime I come back from Colombia, I also gain a real respect for Colombia!

"Just an honest, decent Colombian trying to do the right thing."--Simon

0 funny, 0 helpful.

MitchAlvarez says on Jun 29, 2009, 17:53:

good post....

one comment, you said dirty cities. Medellin is probably one of the cleanest.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

miami55 says on Jun 30, 2009, 14:33:

I had no intention of hanging out with americans =p

Medellin might be one of the cleanest in Colombia but is by no means close to Miami

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ratbag says on Jun 30, 2009, 15:22:

this is probably one of the smartest and accurate reports on here

0 funny, 0 helpful.