Hacking Colombia: Busetas

You can’t miss them: throngs of diminutive buses zipping around streets at breakneck speeds competing for passengers. This is public transportation, Colombia style! When it rains, which in some parts of Colombia can be several times a day, taxis all but disappear […]

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Hacking Colombia: Taxis & Uber

Taxis are very affordable in Colombia. You could go from one end of the city to the other, say in Medellín, for under $10 US. You’re likely to spend $2 to $5 on most trips. Taxi rates are usually set by the city […]

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Hacking Colombia: Lotteries

There are a lot of lotteries in Colombia. Cities, states (departamentos as they call them here) and charities have their lottery tickets selling throughout the country. Thus, you could be in Medellín and buy tickets for the Medellín, Bogotá, Boyacá, Manizales and […]

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Hacking Colombia: Tipping

If you’re a native Colombian, you might not tip in most situations, or you tip minimally. This is absolutely normal and I would not dare criticize anybody here for their tipping as it’s the way of the land. Foreigners, be they tourists […]

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Hacking Colombia: Intercity Travel

Distances are magnified in Colombia due to terrain. The most populated part of the country is in the Andes mountains and while views are breathtaking, traveling between cities can get tricky. You have two options to travel within Colombia: by road or […]

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Hacking Colombia: At the Store

Even if you think you know Spanish well, some expressions you’ll hear whilst shopping in Colombia might leave you confused, as happened to me early on. Quiere cancelar (tu compra)?: That’s the one that really threw me for a loop. They don’t […]

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