Last year, when we shared our Colombia travel plans with family back home, one of them jokingly remarked, “Why do you both keep traveling to drug inflicted countries?” I don’t blame him. Such is the perception about Colombia, not only in India, but in most parts of the world. When you think of Colombia, pictures of drug cartels, gun violence and murders may fill your mind. These pictures can be very vivid if you have watched the series Narcos on Netflix. However, after having traveled to Colombia, we can assure you that Colombia is so much more than what you know about it from Netflix. We did not just enjoy the natural beauty or the historical importance of Colombia. What got etched in our memory are the people of Colombia.
Should we go to Colombia? Is it safe?
Given the general negative perceptions, we too had our doubts about choosing this country as a holiday destination. But we were also aware that Colombia is still rising from the ashes of its old reputation of being a dangerous country. Therefore, during the research period of our travel planning, we decided to consume the positive stories more, while definitely not ignoring the words of caution.
Our research about Colombia gave us more hope than despair.
Colombia travel was definitely on!
Memorable interactions with people of Colombia
Of course, we were not naive to ignore the realities of threat, as with any unfamiliar destination. So we armed ourselves with extra vigilance and caution, and landed in Colombia. We had no clue of how our interactions would be with the people of Colombia in the days to come. We just knew that we had to blend in the crowd, we could not let our guards down or we could not invite any unwanted attention from people.
To our surprise, through the length of our trip, we have fortunately had only very positive interactions with the people of Colombia. However dangerous Colombia is considered to be, not everyone is a criminal. On the contrary, the people of Colombia are extremely warm and helpful, a trademark characteristic of the Latin American populace.
All of our encounters with the people of Colombia were very pleasant. Everyone we met was jovial and friendly. But some behaviors are worth remembering even more fondly, particularly when you least expect it. Like when you expect something bad to happen, but instead you are greeted by an amiable conduct. Or when people go out of their ways to make life easier for you.
Let us tell you stories of some of those memorable interactions with the people of Colombia during our travel in this misunderstood country.
People of Cartagena – Uber driver
The situation – Our struggle with getting a cab
This was our first day in Colombia. At the time, we knew nothing about the general vibe of the place. We arrived at Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena and booked an Uber for our hotel. Like in Costa Rica, Uber is not a completely legal mode of passenger transport in Colombia. It operates in a somewhat grey area, but passengers use it because it is safe. So the Uber pick up point is usually a little away from the airport arrival.
We stood on the pavement by a narrow street, waiting for our Uber to arrive. After multiple cancellations, one driver finally accepted the booking. But he agreed to do the ride on the condition of cash payment only, in local currency. By this time, we had already been stranded on the street for almost half an hour. Luggage in our hand, we were a complete giveaway to passerby that we were tourists in Colombia. Whatever happened to blending in the crowd! So we agreed to the driver’s condition of payment in cash.
The challenge – Got cash?
Here comes the fun part. We had no cash on us! Not any Colombian pesos. We had saved the task of currency conversion or cash withdrawal for when we reach the town. Such smart travelers! So, we told our driver that he would need to make a stop at either an ATM where we could withdraw pesos or at a money exchange shop where we could exchange our dollars for pesos. He confirmed that we could get that done near to the area of our hotel.
Our hotel was in the old town area. As with most colonial towns, the streets in Old Town Cartagena were extremely narrow. Many of them were one-way and many others were closed for vehicular movement. Our hotel happened to be on one such street where vehicles were not allowed. This was one of the classic puzzles where Google Maps or Waze can fail miserably.
So, our driver now had three puzzles to crack, all at the same time, with interdependent layers. Find a drop off point nearest to the hotel that required minimal walking for us with the luggage. Find an ATM or a money exchange center before reaching the hotel. Determine the optimum route to avoid getting stuck at one-way streets. It was challenging for the driver to solve this optimization problem with ease. This being our first day in Cartagena, we were of no help either.
Why memorable? – Modesty amidst challenges
We sat silently on the backseat of the cab, anxious about when we can finally lay our bums on the hotel bed in peace. The driver did not speak much. We thought his blood must be boiling for this seemingly unending ride. We did not dare to ask. Before we knew it, we had already been circling within the perimeters of the Old Town for a while, often coming very close to the hotel.
Finally, when all the pieces of the puzzle could be put together, we were dropped at one end of the alley that housed the hotel we had booked. Funnily though, before ending the trip on his Uber app, the driver forgot to change the payment method from card to cash. The card on file was automatically charged. We were a bit baffled at this and did not know what reaction to expect.
The Uber driver just smiled a sigh at his momentary mistake! Before parting ways, he apologized to us that it had been such a long journey from the airport to the hotel.
People of Cartagena – Street food vendor woman at Trinidad Plaza
The situation – Vibrant night scene
One of the best things to do in Cartagena is to grab dinner at Trinidad Plaza. The plaza is an open community space adjacent to the church, that comes alive in the evenings with a feria like atmosphere. Several street vendors sell delicious snacks and savories, and other beverages, including beer. Groups of local performers stop by for live performances to earn quick tips. In the evenings, Trinidad Plaza is thronged by locals and tourists alike.
We loved the vibe of the place so much that we visited there every night of our stay in Cartagena. Although secretly, between you and me, the real reason of our daily visit to Trinidad Plaza was the to-die-for delicious street food, which health experts may term as junk food.
The challenge – Are we following safety guidelines of Colombia travel?
One evening, we returned to Cartagena from our overnight trip to Rosario Islands. Since it was already late in the evening, we decided to stop by Trinidad Plaza on the way to our hotel. So we still had our backpacks on our backs. And the husband had his sunglasses tucked in his beach shirt. This implied we were violating at multiple levels the unwritten rules of “how to travel safely in Colombia”.
As the locals say, “No dar papaya”, which loosely implies “Do not put yourself in a position of drawing unwanted attention”.
But that evening, we stood out as tourists in a crowd. We were flashing belongings that could attract unwanted attention. Since both of us were completely focused on the menu, we did not even realize the threats we could have been inviting upon us.
Why memorable? – People looking out for each other, even strangers
There was a beautiful old woman at the food cart we had stopped by. She and her family run the business. All the family members, irrespective of age and gender, work together as a super efficient team. Providing menu, taking orders, preparing food, serving food and beverage, handling payment – all were done by different members of the family. Just watching them work is also an entertainment.
When we were about to place our orders with the woman, she alerted us that we should be more careful with our stance in such crowded public places. She advised us to transfer our backpacks from our backs to our fronts, so that the backpacks remain in our hand grips and within our sights. She also advised Indranil to put his sunglasses back in his backpack. We followed her advice and enjoyed our meals peacefully.
Someone, who was no more than a stranger to us in Colombia, reminded us how to travel safely in Colombia. People of Colombia are protective of foreigners.
(At the time of writing this during quarantine, I wonder what this family would be doing now. Do they have enough rainy day funds?)
People of Medellin – Police and Bus driver
The situation – Medellin to Parque Arvi by public transport
About 40 km from the main city of Medellin, lies Parque Arvi. It is an ecological nature park and archaeological site. You can reach Parque Arvi by road. But to avoid Medellin city traffic, the best way of getting there is to take the metro, the last stretch of which includes cable car rides.
Poblado is a popular area for tourists and expats to stay in Medellin. Our hotel was nearer to the Aguacatala metro station, one stop before the Poblado metro station. From Aguacatala or Poblado, you need to take the A line metro (blue line in the map below) till Acevado. Once you get down at Acevado metro station, you are left with two cable car rides. One from Acevado to Santo Domingo, then from Santo Domingo to Arvi.
The original route:
- Aguacatala/Poblado -> Acevado – by metro
- Acevado -> Santo Domingo – by cable car #1
- Santo Domingo -> Parque Arvi – by cable car #2
Sounds like a breeze, right? We anyway like to do our trips DIY, and we thoroughly enjoyed navigating Medellin’s public transport system (which includes cable cars!) completely on our own.
The challenge – Alteration of routes due to maintenance work
But, on the day of our visit, the cable car route between Acevado and Santo Domingo was closed due to maintenance work. The only cable car ride till Arvi is from Santo Domingo. And there are no other metro lines or cable car lines that connect to Arvi from Santo Domingo. See the red box on the map above?
The easiest alternative would have been taking the road route. But we wanted to get an aerial view of the city of Medellin tucked in the lap of mountains. So the cable car ride was non-negotiable for us. Talk about stubborn travel plans, whatever happened to flexibility! <face palm> We needed to get to Santo Domingo by some means so that we can take the cable car to Parque Arvi. Thus, we needed to figure out a way to make this happen.
The challenge
- Aguacatala/Poblado -> Acevado – by metro
- Acevado -> Santo Domingo – by cable car #1 [closed for maintenance]
- Santo Domingo -> Parque Arvi – by cable car #2 [How to reach Santo Domingo?]
Why memorable?
At the Aguacatala metro station, we requested for tickets to Acevado with final destination as Parque Arvi. Handing over the necessary ride passes, the person on the other side of the ticketing window explained us the situation and suggested alternatives. In Spanish. In Colombian Spanish. And we could only speak broken Spanish (Costa Rican Spanish) at the time. We followed him but needed validation of our understanding in English. We just wanted to make sure that we do not get lost in the city.
Memory 1 – Police officers showing the way
Stepping aside from the ticket counter, we started looking for someone from whom we could get our translation validation. At this moment, two police officers approached us, asking if we needed any help. Of course, we did! From these two gentlemen, we got the required confirmation about our forthcoming commute.
We had to take the metro from Aguacatala till Tricentenario metro station. From right outside the Tricentenario metro station, we needed to board a bus that would go till Santo Domingo cable car station. From there, we could take the much desired cable car ride to Parque Arvi.
The alternative route we had to follow:
- Aguacatala/Poblado -> Tricentenario – by metro
- Tricentenario -> Santo Domingo – by bus
- Santo Domingo -> Parque Arvi – by cable car
Memory 2 – Bus driver’s kindness
As instructed, we boarded the bus outside the Tricentenario metro station. The driver asked for payment and we were immediately ready to hand over the required amount of Colombian pesos. We had learnt our lesson by then. But no, even Colombian pesos would not suffice in this case. Apparently, we should have had a metro bus ride pass to be able to board on that bus.
Having no clue of where or how we should have gotten those, gloom started to engulf our merry faces. Preparing to get evicted from the bus even before boarding, we conveyed to the driver that we didn’t have any such bus ride pass and that we needed to go to Santo Domingo for the cable car to Parque Arvi. The driver looked away for a second, and then smiled and hand gestured to us with an expression of “Come on, get in already!”
We reached Parque Arvi at the end of a beautiful cable car ride from Santo Domingo.
So, not just one, but multiple people of Colombia actually helped us accomplish this journey from Medellin to Parque Arvi.
People of Medellin – Fellow passengers on bus
The situation – Return journey from Parque Arvi to Medellin city
The day was not over yet. We also needed to make the return trip from Parque Arvi to Medellin. We just had to reverse the onward journey. Now our route would be – Parque Arvi to Santo Domingo by cable car, Santo Domingo to Tricentenario metro station by bus, and then Tricentenario metro station to Aguacatala metro station by metro. Or so we thought!
The challenge – Alteration of known route
At the end of the cable car ride back from Parque Arvi to Santo Domingo, no bus was to be found waiting outside the cable car station. Trying to figure out the modes of transport to the Tricentenario metro station, we walked a bit to what seemed like a bus stop. We waited under the afternoon sun by the street in this small town on the outskirts of Medellin city center, looking completely perplexed. Finally, a bus arrived. This bus did not look like the ones that are part of the metro network, but instead a local bus.
We asked the driver if it would go to Tricentenario metro station. Negative.
Why memorable?
The driver and some other passengers asked in return what was our final destination on the metro route. They confirmed that we could board the bus and be dropped near the metro station named Hospital. From there we could take the metro on the A line to Aguacatala. So we boarded the bus and settled on a couple seat by the window.
Memory 1 – The elderly gentleman’s guidance
An elderly gentleman seated on the seat to our left started explaining to us, in Spanish, that we need not worry about the route or the ride. Although this bus would not go towards Tricentenario metro station, the Hospital metro station is the perfect place for us to get dropped. The bus stop is very close to the metro station and the remaining metro ride would be shorter compared to the one from Tricentenario.
We had not sought any clarification from this man. It seemed that he just wanted to give us some assurance. May be we looked like two lost souls in a bus full of local Colombian people. The man also handled the bus fare payment for us, voluntarily. He took the pesos from us, gave it to the driver and returned the change to us, and confirmed that the driver had charged us the correct fare. Before disembarking the bus at his stop, he reminded us again where we needed to get down and wished us a good day.
Memory 2 – Community culture of helping others
Now that this gentleman had alighted the bus, we thought we needed to be more alert about following our bus route. That was not the case though. The other passengers in the bus had actually listened to our previous conversations with the old gentleman. It seemed like everyone in the bus felt responsible to guide us through the length of our bus ride. At regular intervals, someone or the other kept informing us about till where we had reached and how many stops to go before our stop.
Memory 3 – Not all those who stare steal
We were closing in on our destination, the Hospital metro station. By then, the bus got really crowded. There were new passengers on board. Since voice messages from across the bus could no longer be audible, Indranil took out his phone and we started tracking the route to our destination on Google Maps. Can we really deny our dependency on Google Maps, particularly in unexplored avenues?
One of the new passengers on board was a young woman standing next to Indranil’s seat. We had a hunch that she was continuously peeking at his handheld device. He held the phone tighter and we continued to track the map. After a while, the young woman told us, “You have to get down at the next stop.” Completely taken aback, we looked in her eyes inquisitively. She smiled and replied, “I saw you were checking the map on your phone. So I figured that you do not know the exact place where you had to get down. Next stop is yours.” We felt guilty of our suspicion about her motives earlier, but also felt happy inside about all the goodness that people still have in them.
Final thoughts
It is a mammoth task to erase a bad reputation that stuck so bad and so hard. True, bloodshed that painted the pages of Colombia’s recent history are still fresh in people’s memory.
Nevertheless, the people of Colombia are trying to move past that phase. The people of Colombia are trying to rise beyond that stigma. From our personal experiences, we can tell that not all people of Colombia need to be judged on the basis of their country’s infamous past. The people of Colombia are simple humans in flesh and blood, with big aspirations of a better future. Just like you and me. The people of Colombia are giving themselves a chance. As external spectators from the rest of the world, let us at least try to believe in that chance.
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Very interesting read. So heartening to read stories about people doing random acts of kindness.
Thank you.
This is such a great post to see the true people of Columbia. We also have learned to carry cash when traveling internationally. Not everyone is as dependent on plastic like we are in America. LOL!
Thank you.
Seriously, most of the time I don’t even remember to withdraw cash because I do not really need it for anything important. 😛
Such an interesting writeup. The interaction with local people is such an important part of travel. It helps us understand them and their daily life so up close, isn’t it? Totally loved reading about the people of Columbia through your lenses.
Thank you Neha. Absolutely, traveling helps us know closely people from otherwise faraway lands and learn about their culture too. This is definitely among the greatest benefits of travel.
I have found that many of the people of the 3rd world countries and “dangerous” countries, are just as warm and friendly, if not more so, than the people in North America where I am from. There is also just as much crime and violence as at home (especially in the United States). The people are the main reason that I love to travel!
I’m guilty of harboring outdated stereotypes about Colombia. The more I read accounts like this, the more interested I am in visiting them myself and moving past any lingering (unnecessary) fears.
Thank you for the candid confession Sage. We know that feeling, and that’s exactly why we wrote this post. We hope that this article can encourage more people to break their stereotyped perception about Colombia, and we hope that more people feel comfortable about traveling to Colombia (when it is normal to travel again in the post pandemic world).
I think travel always shows that there are people willing to help you no matter what country you are in. Yes people take advantage of travellers but the majority of people are wonderful – the news just doesn’t report them.
So true Anna. “The news just doesn’t report them” – these wise words are true for so much good around the world.
Thank you for take us through your trip to Colombia. I enjoyed how you explain what would or did go wayward but how everything worked out in the end.
Thank you Kiara.
I found the people in Colombia very friendly and helpful. It’s very sad that there is still this stigma from the dark years – which were like thirty years ago. Colombia definitely deserves a better reputation. I hope to be able to go back anywhen soon.
Totally! We are on the same page Renata.
One of the main things that I’ve learned through travel is that there are more good people in this world than bad. I love how the locals help out the tourists. The best way to get tips, especially safety, is by inter acting with the locals.
Exactly. People often go out of their ways to help visitors.