10 not-so-awesome things to know before your Colombian adventure

October 2, 2011 at 8:03 PM | Posted in Faces Abroad, Globetrotter | 1 Comment

Beautiful Playa Blanca on Isla Baru; A definite positive but the relentless vendors weren't

Don’t get me wrong, besides the bad there was a lot of good during my Colombia travels; these were the most glaring negatives and frankly, most surprising. Preparation is best when venturing into new territory and I wasn’t, but hopefully you will be after reading.

You will be stared at — relentlessly

Whether you’re an attractive traveler, a person of color in cities with a majority white population, a suspected rich foreigner or just a foreigner, be prepared to be a specimen. As one Bogotaon said, Colombians are obsessed with foreigners, whether that’s a good or bad thing, they will stare at you until you figure it out.

You will be harassed within an inch of insanity

If you are suspected of being the aforementioned, along with staring comes the harassment. Forget it if you are heard speaking English, the rich foreigner is immediately ascribed to you and anyone selling something will never stop. Particularly in Cartagena. We tried many methods to decline, politely declining, ignoring, firm refusal, acting deranged and not one was to any avail. Our refusals were met with 5- to 10-minute pitch lines, curse-outs and stalking.

Continue reading on Examiner.com 10 not-so-awesome things to know before your Colombian adventure – New York International Travel | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-new-york/9-not-so-awesome-things-to-know-before-your-colombian-adventure#ixzz1ZekRYLLF

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