Colombia Things To Do?

[evdog]

Colombia is awesome, one of the coolest places I’ve visited. However, we just spent time in the jungle and beaches of the Caribbean coast. Not really beach people but it was amazing although admittedly sweltering hot in that area.

....

Cocaine definitely has a presence, or maybe they target younger backpacker types. Folks from down under in particular seemed thrilled about being in a country with high quality and relatively low cost drugs. Not my scene.

Most of my time was in Cartagena and Santa Marta areas. Easy places to get stuck. All the backpackers (seemed these were the only international tourists) were either doing a clockwise circuit or CCW around the country, so you'd run into the same people everywhere since we all stayed at one of the top three places in the Lonely planet shoestring guide. Made for good parties and lots of people to do things with.

The hotel in Santa Marta organized tours to Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City) which was a six day trek into the mountains and back. This was detox for the Brits and Aussies who were all doing their round the world tours and had come down through Central America together in a blur of drugs and booze. Couldn't bring any on the trek so it served as a detox for them. Part of the tour was an optional visit to a cocaine factory in the jungle. We were there between production runs but the farmer had everything there to show us all the steps, and gave us the paste sample which was the product that ultimately left his factory for further processing elsewhere. A few of us did some napkin math and concluded the farmer made more off the tours than he did selling the actual product. When we got back to Santa Marta there was a huge party (re-tox). Both locals and backpackers complained about the quality of both cocaine and coffee available locally. I'm not into either, but apparently the good stuff is all shipped out and the locals get whatever is left over. Last stop in Santa Marta area was the beaches in Parque nacional Tayrona for a few days. Dirt cheap and beautiful beaches, sleeping in hammocks. Took a bus over to Cartagena after that. Lots of cool historic sites and a really nice old town and modern section there. Had to try Mcdonalds to see how it compared to home. There were some different items but generally the same. Interesting thing was in a country where few people spoke english, all the staff in McDs there spoke it far as I could tell.

[skiballs]

The guy I’m in bis with has a brewery in Medellin. Girlfriends daughter and husband are moving there this winter, he’s native to Columbia.
I’m probably going down there for a few weeks this winter.

When are you going?


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[mcski]

Bumping the thread as my genZ daughter has a trip there next week.

Any Intel on staying close to the airport in Bogata. She gets there at 7pm - too late for a connection to Santa Marta so needs to stay over night and catch a flt on Sunday

[neufox47]

I’d say pick any international hotel in the area and see Bogota if there’s time. Other than the traffic I thought Bogota was really safe.


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[The Reverend Floater]

Bumping the thread as my genZ daughter has a trip there next week.

Any Intel on staying close to the airport in Bogata. She gets there at 7pm - too late for a connection to Santa Marta so needs to stay over night and catch a flt on Sunday

Does your daughter have room in her carry-on for a 4"x2"x6" brick shaped package on her return? Asking for a friend.

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[Foggy_Goggles]

Leaving on Friday for a 2 week trip.

Anyone has any experience with Verizon there? I don't mind paying the $100/month or $10/day is is works. How is the coverage for data?

[rideit]

I bought minutes there from a Claro vendor (they are everywhere). Waaay cheaper than the ATT per day rates.

[alpinevibes]

Leaving on Friday for a 2 week trip.

Anyone has any experience with Verizon there? I don't mind paying the $100/month or $10/day is is works. How is the coverage for data?

Colombia's great, have fun. Verizon has sharing agreements for international plans, so as long as you're in an area with a local tower you should be good. I remember being in a jungle hut outside Tayrona National Park down there and a guy was running his wifi off of a cell hotspot thing and I was able to call United a deal with flight issues. Not only was I surprised by the coverage in a semi-rural area but also the hotspot capability was pretty slick (circa 10 years ago).

[Woodsy]

careful, hookers and blow are more powerful there

[rideit]

Good info in here. (I had no problems with Claro)

https://www.twoticketsanywhere.com/s...d-in-colombia/

Upshot: $8.00 a month unlimited data.

[SB]

As are the drug cartels.

I am sure you will be fine.

It not like they have communist insurrectionists there.

[mud]

careful, hookers and blow are more powerful there

Even the State Department said stay away from the hoors.
https://co.usembassy.gov/security-al...-applications/

[rideit]

Or the Tinderz