What struck you about Colombia?

Lots of Motos almost "struck" me many times crossing the street..so watch out crossing streets

As far as moving to my home country, would never move back there, and if I  did take some of the customs back to Canada,  (for example coloquial phrases translated literally) I would probably have SJWS yelling at me and trying to put me in front of a  Human Rights Tribunal..or would be put in jail and have my drivers liscense suspended for driving with "undue care and attention", or warned by somone I was "intruding on their space"  or  a "dirty old man" or some type of "pervert" because I was too "friendly"..or told to "turn that stupid music down, we dont want to listen to it" etc., etc.

When I first went to live in Colombia many years ago, I lived in a smaller country town.  I was surprised with how people drank, in particular campesinos would go to the pool halls to drink beer most of the night and they would leave all the empty bottles on the table until the table was completely filled with them.  I suppose it was a way of keeping a tab, but it still was surprising to me.

What surprised me the most was the Level of control the government exercises over financial transactions and the huge cost and difficulty this entails for foreigner say in the purchase of real estate. At the same time these entries provide little to no safeguards to protect the public from unscrupulous actors during those transactions.  You would think they would channel some of the extra costs to clean up the real estate market. It's really like the Wild Wild West - anything goes.
Just a sampling: No reasonable controls on real estate agents. They can do what ever they want. This is explained in detail elsewhere on the web.
No escrow so buyers must wire the funds from overseas directly to the seller accounts in Colombia with no real assurance they won't be scammed in the process.
The first time I was told this by a agent, I objected “that's insane “ Realtor simply said that's how it is done here. Only serves the scammers and their friends in high places.
In many countries banks and mortgage companies must provide detailed estimates, in advance regarding the traditional costs of all aspects of a real estate transaction in so the public isn't taken advantage of by unscrupulous actors. Not in Colombia. You pay the government more per transaction and get much less in the way of protection.

Sorry this isn't a cute little antidote but this was the biggest surprise to me. people need to know the realities of Colombia good and bad. it is truly a wonderful place but it's best to be forewarned and prepared. Thank you

Rent forget buying.

The list will be long. I can assure you it's not easy.
I have been here altogether for 1 1/2 years old with breaks in between. I am currently near Medellin coasting through Airbnb places because I can't find accommodations for long term because I am extranjero(foreign ) and you a need to have a job to get an apartment. At least this is one answer that I got from an owner. Yes dammit. I can't find a place long term. These are my observations and everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

1. Can't rent a place , coasting through various Airbnb places just to find out that maybe something that I like , I will strike a deal with an owner
2. People don't answer, return emails, return phone calls without even acknowledging. Just simple answer like go and kiss my ass would do.
3. Maniana or never. This is how you accomplish the things here. So don't get your hopes up that just because is on the internet doesn't mean that exists.
4. They always said on Wall Street “patience is a virtue”. Well , you will need it here. If you operate like me. Maybe I need to slow down here. Take a deep breath. I need to learn these things - slow down because you will be on the first plane back to where you came from.
5. Two pockets and a 100 manos ( hands) in my pocket. And it starts with my wife and soon to be ex. Can't wait to get divorced from that ........
Let's just leave this at that. I could write a book about her and title it “ How to *** somebody's life”. So yes Spanish is recommended as they will try to take advantage of you as soon as you land. Starting with taxi driver and restaurants and stores and etc. You have to pick your battles
Because could be very frustrating and you just need to let it go.
I will find more time , I will write more.
Ciao

Weinmannp wrote:

I can't find accommodations for long term because I am extranjero (foreign ) and you a need to have a job to get an apartment. At least this is one answer that I got from an owner. Yes dammit....

They always said on Wall Street “patience is a virtue”.... Maybe I need to slow down here. Take a deep breath. I need to learn these things - slow down because you will be on the first plane back to where you came from.

Holy cow, Mr. Weinmann!

You need to take your own advice and slow down .. or you are headed for an 'infarto de miocardio'.

This is South America we're dealing with.  Expats who can't abide the 'mañana' attitude will be frustrated at almost every turn.

You talked to one landlord who said a foreigner can't rent an apartment without a job .. and you throw up your hands?!

You know better.  You don't collapse from what one landlord tells you.  These things are solvable, most commonly by making an advance payment on the rent.

The advice that Laker gave member windboater on this thread .. to rent, not buy .. is the wise move in your case, too.  Even if getting a rental seems difficult, do not go the purchase route.  If you are frustrated trying to rent, you would be creating a recipe for disaster as a first-time South America homeowner. 

cccmedia

An Expat who can speak passable Spanish is more likely to ease into the rhythms of Colombia .. and less likely to get frustrated by communication failures and the sense that 100 hands are seeking their way into two pockets.

More likely to negotiate an extended lease on an apartment .. and then negotiate/deal with el casero and any problems encountered with the apartment.

Most Expats who arrive in Medellín are gone within a few years.  So nobody is saying that Expatting is easy.  Patience.

Getting good in Spanish opens you to more friends and acquaintances .. and shows the locals you're making a good faith effort to communicate with them.  Respect.

cccmedia

Cheryl wrote:

We would like you to share with expats-to-be what you discovered once you arrived in Colombia...

What were the things that surprised you the most after your arrival?

Surprising in Medellín... How green El Poblado is .. and how the distinctive buildings -- so many of them with red-brick facades -- combine with the incredible green spaces, green ivy and trees to make the sector so visually special and attractive to Expats.

Surprising in Bogotá... How chilly the big city is .. compared to the springlike weather of other large Andean cities of Colombia.

Surprising in Ipiales, Nariño... How this high-elevation city on the border with Ecuador has been so overlooked in the Expat gestalt.  With excellent restaurants, a casino, public swimming pools and the wonderful Gran Plaza shopping mall .. this place is a hidden gem in southern Colombia.

cccmedia

The biggest surprise.

The biggest of all surprises occurred on the Panamericana highway about a half an hour south of Popayán, my destination for my first day of driving from Ecuador into Colombia.  The incident involved a couple of malditos I encountered while driving my late-model Chevy car northbound on the highway.

I had awoken that morning at my hotel in Tulcán, Ecuador, south of the Colombia border with hopes of making it to Popáyan by dusk.  But there would be a series of issues that delayed me .. and I wound up driving in Colombia on a rainy night.

First, a car of unknown origin was blocking my Chevy's would-be exit from the hotel's tiny parking lot.  The car's driver was not around and I reported the problem to the hotel front desk, deciding to have an early lunch at a restaurant off the nearby plaza while the driver was being located.

After I ate, I was able to drive out of the lot .. and get on the Panamericana heading north with no apparent issues.

Rainy weather made it slow going in puddle-riddled municipalities and especially on the curvy mountainous stretches, my Chevy trailing many trucks that can manage only slow speeds on the tedious, upsloping, no-passing portions of the route.

It was already dark when I stopped to eat dinner at a rustic little settlement not connected with a metropolis or even a village of any size.  The cocinera and some shirtless men watched me eat a simple meal while they asked the Gringo about his plans. 

I told them I planned to spend the night in Popayán.  They could see I was traveling alone.  Eager to get back on the road, I said goodbye and resumed driving north on the Panamericana.

Several rainy hours later as I approached the Popayán area, I heard strange sounds coming from the back of my car.

I was being attacked from behind .. by two stone throwers riding on motorcycles....

The stones kept hitting my rear windshield and some spots below it as I sped up in a vain attempt to outrun the moto boys.

The rain let up but the wet roads appeared to be my undoing on a rare straightaway as I drove faster than is safe for motoring on a slick highway.

Suddenly, I lost control of the car and it spun around 360 degrees.  A crash into the adjoining hillside seemed certain.  But then I got lucky.

A restraining feature on the hilly side of the highway -- not a railing, but the way the highway's edge had been constructed -- pushed me back onto the road, and I was able to stop the car without impact.  No other vehicles were around at nearly midnight.  The cobardes had fled the scene, no doubt thinking my 360 was going to cause me more harm than they wanted to answer for.

The rear windshield had been totally destroyed by their rocks.  A couple of dents were visible in the car's trunk cover.  But otherwise, there was no damage to the vehicle.  I had not been physically injured....

I drove the final half-hour into Popayán, registered at the hotel I had booked, and reported the crime to the police, who showed up with a patrol car.  The rear windshield was replaced a few days later at a local taller de parabrisas .. and I eventually completed my journey to Medellín without further incident.

---

I have occasionally wondered whether I might have inadvertently contributed to my predicament that first rainy night by disclosing that my destination was Popayán.

Is it possible that the cook or the shirtless men or their cousins might have tipped off confederates south of Popayán that a Gringo, traveling alone in a gold-colored Chevrolet with Ecuador license plates, was headed their way....

Of course, I will never know for sure if that's what happened.  But if I was ever in that kind of a situation again, I would not disclose my true destination.

----

Another moral to the story .. Don't drive intercity in Colombia at night with the exception of the Coffee Zone.

When I made the long drive back to Ecuador months later, I made a point of arranging the drive for daylight-hours only .. with extra time to spare in case of delays.

cccmedia

Another option to find a place is to live in a hotel, there are a lot of small economical hotels that you can live in for as long as you want.  Plus they will have WiFi, a dining room, cleaning services etc. that you may not find in all AirBnB's.

Offered six months in advance rent and she still did not agreed.
Yes I have hit 50 agents,minimum, gringos in Elretiro, gringos in Guarne. Still waiting. Walked to offices and etc. I am not giving up as I have to live here because my wife kidnapped my 4 year old son from USA. I love my son so I will be living  here. It's just not the same thing like in the USA. I will abstain from buying anything here. Apt or house. I prefer to buy it investment property either in England or USA collect rent and rent here. That's just my advice.

When I moved here 5 years ago I was about as well prepared as any gringo could be but I'm still having difficulties figuring things out and so are the Colombians. I'd lived in Maimi for 33 years and spoke Spanish every day all that time. The weather and the vegetation are similar, the beat and pulse of a Latin city was VERY similar to what I was used to. I don't plan to quit Medellin but I do have certain, eh, comments.
If you should get involved in a problem, a complication of some kind it could take you years to get free of it. I don't drive. I take taxis because if one is behind the wheel in an accident it's the same never ending hassle. NEVER lend anybody money. You will lose both your money and your friend. As soon as I retired out of Miami to Mexico aquaintenances started asking me for money after they'd had time to figure me out. It has never stopped. Miami is one Latin city where that only happened to me a few times but I still didn't fall for it.  I don't have any local bank account or local credit card. I use my US debit card at the ATM's and pay all my bills at Gana or Baloto. They give me a receipt and I never throw it away. I'm asked for my cedula # for the most routine and mundane little purchases. My urge is to tell them it's none of their g.d. business what my cedula # is. D'oh!  Don't expect anybody to be on time for an appointment because they won't. If they show up at all it might be an hour or two later and they they won't understand why you're making such a big deal out of it. Stay flexible and stay off the grid. It's hard for me but I'm retired so things don't bother me as much as if I were out there husstling for a living and trying to be efficient.
I could unload on my own country too but we won't go into all that. Why ruin a wonderful day? Like I say, I'm delighted to stay right where I am in Medellin.

I have lived in and visited Colombia numerous times over the last 58 years and am married to a Colombian for 56 years.  I have never had anyone ask me to loan them money in all those years.  Every store asks for the Cedula, I just tell them I don't have one.

On my first day in Medellin my taxi driver asked me about my finances and how much money I got every month from Social Security. GTFO. I was a customer at a local Medellin restaurant and became friendly with the owner. His wife was asking me impertinent questions about my finances so I tried to be a bit evasive. Some few weeks later the owner and his wife asked me for a loan of a few million pesos. Later I was told by people who knew them that they were notorious for borrowing money and not paying it back. They went out of business.
A couple of months ago I invited a married couple from the neighborhood to lunch. Shortly after that the wife asked me if I could help out with their son's college tuition.
The doorman in my building asked me for a loan. 
My friend was invited out to dinner by his wife's family on his birthday. When the bill came they expected him to pay and were angry when he wouldn't. This was in Mexico. 
In my opinion these things are wildly inappropriate.

geoffrey9012 wrote:

I moved here 5 years ago...
Stay flexible and stay off the grid. I'm delighted to stay right where I am in Medellin.

Geoffrey, welcome to the Colombia forums of expat.com ...

Besides what you mentioned in your fascinating post, how do you 'stay off the grid' in Medellín?

cccmedia

Thanks for your kind words cccmedia. To my way of thinking staying off the grid means avoiding complications that arise from involvement with entities whose data bases are not properly merged and whos customer service is inadequate. Take the case of TIGO UNE for example. The internet works okay and the cellular signal is fine. The problems arise when I have to deal with the company for something else such as a change of some sort to my account.
I took a taxi four times to their office in Los Molinos before I was allowed in the door. Each time there was a line of at least 100 people out in the hall. Those who came to pay their bill or buy a phone were ushered right in but anybody like me was made to wait. Well, I waited for 25 minutes and in that time one person was allowed in. Fuggeddaboutit. On the 4th trip I got in and made a change to my account. I had previously referred my gringo buddy to them and he signed up for an amount 30k less than I had been paying for the previous for years. 30k x 48 months is 1.4 million COP. He lives in the same estrato and has exactly the same bells & whistles as me so gimmee a break. The young lady agreed and lowered my rate to match his. Case closed...but wait. The changes never kicked in so I had to revisit the issue yet again. Tiresome. Based on my experience here it wouldn't help to change companies. That's just the way it is. Often the right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing.
But I got scalded and so I endeavor as much as possible to steer clear of entanglements bound up with the fundamentals of customer service. Why in Gawd's name would TIGO let a situation arise where they had a hundred or more people lined up out the door all the while flooding my in-boxes with blather about how wonderful their company is and wouldn't I like to let them leverage me for even more money? I don't wanna hear it. Just open a few more customer service centers and let people in who have a problem to solve.
I'd say don't get me started but it's too late now. D'oh!

I agree with you about TIGO UNE we tried to cancel their service today both online and by phone but neither worked.  Finally went to their office here in Pereira and after waiting for an hour and a half finally got it done.

Few years ago I was watching a series of “Breaking Bad” and there is an episode where the old guy involved in cartels tells another guy “ Don't ever trust a man from South American”.
You will learn pretty quick here
I never thought about it until I got here.
No integrity and class. Pfeww class? They don't know what it means and they don't care. I am just giving my two cents to any civilized person who wants to invest or be tied up with any Colombian woman. RUN AS FAR AS YOU CAN!!!!.
My book is coming shortly.

Weinmannp - after reading all your rants it seems to me you are the one who needs to run as far away and as fast as possible.

I first settled in Barranquilla back in 2013. My first apartment was in incredibly noisy Soledad. Just 6 months there and I moved midway into B'quilla, in a much quierter neighborhood. A year or so there then I moved to the north-central area of the city and lived in 3 different apartments over 5 or so years. Then I lived in Puerto Colombia for a year or so (in Pradomar), then in Salgar (my favorite of the greater Barranquilla area).

My reflections on costenos - they are not the friendliest of the Colombians. They are a Jekyl and Hyde type people. In the streets they're friendly and helpful, but when one of them gets behind the wheel of a vehicle watch out! They turn into the rudest people you don't want to meet.

After about 6 1/2 years in the B'quilla area I relocated to Armenia, Quindio. Armenia is a wonderful small city. I would still be there except I found it to be too cold for my liking.

I then relocated to Cartago, which is where I am right now. Cartago has what I find to be the best climate, but the city is not pretty like so many others in Colombia. It is the oldest, or one of the oldest, cities in the country, apparently. It was founded in 1540. Is Cartago my final destination? Nope. I'm going to explore more small cities and pueblos, six months here, there, wherever, and some day I'll pick one to settle in.

Comparing the people here in the Cafetera region to the Costenos - well, people here are friendly, always. They drive more like one would expect, unlike the Costenos who drive like morons. People here are polite, actually polite, not Costenos. Here people who drive do not have one hand sitting on the horn button like the Costenos.

In regards to some of the comments about people asking for money, sure, why are you surprised? They see you, a gringo, which automatically means you have money to spare. Look at the movies and TV shows that they see from North America. What other opinion are they going to have about us? Oh, yeah, that we're all rude-ass jerks, but that belief is pretty much universal, outside the US.

I met a gringo in Salgar, he lived there for a few months. Mommy and Daddy paid for everything for him. He somehow became known to the locals as a rich guy and he had problems. Even the local police would stop him and fine him 50 or more mil for whatever reason they could think of, at least once a month, every month he lived there.  I told him to stop broadcasting that he has money, but he just wanted to have fun. He was an idiot, and got what he deserved.

I'm retired now and living well. Coming up on eight years in Colombia and I've never had any problems of any kind with anyone. (And I'm still not legal.) I've learned conversational Spanish from the people I meet and use it, as bad as it is, every day.

Living here is not difficult if you adapt to the Latin American lifestyle. If all you do is complain about everything then, by god, go back to where you came from and let the rest of us live in peace.

When I arrived in Colombia I guess I was kind of surprised at the number of people who contrived to get money out of me because I never saw that sort of crafty and amateurishly obvious maneuvering in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Honduras or amongst the Cubans. But the premise of this thread as posed by Cheryl specifically asks these questions:
"What were the things that surprised you the most after your arrival?

Are there any practices that are particularly out of step with your culture of origin? If so, what are they?

What do you think about them?

Did you get used to these and adopt some of these traditions or norms?"

There are always sarcastic and self-righteous people on forums who are spoiling for a dust up. I'm 75 and have lived more than half my life in Spanish speaking cities. if I was unable to adapt to the big picture I would have left a long time ago. If all you do is complain about people who complain then go back to where you came from. If you're adamant about staying take two chocolate chip cookies and call your doctor in the morning.

I am not here because I want to be. I am here because of my son. Colombia has beautiful parts and cheap living but I prefer to be somewhere where integrity and respect is met to my expectations.
Btw  one day in Chia,  a neighbor that started talking to me asked for 50 mil. I gave it  to him and he never paid back. It was $17 usd . It's about principle.
I was raised in Eastern Europe and during communism. Even when poor, integrity and respect was drilled into my head by my mother.
These people are crafty.

ChipW wrote:

I met a gringo in Salgar, he lived there for a few months. Mommy and Daddy paid for everything for him. He somehow became known to the locals as a rich guy and he had problems. Even the local police would stop him and fine him 50 or more mil for whatever reason they could think of, at least once a month, every month he lived there.  I told him to stop broadcasting that he has money, but he just wanted to have fun. He was an idiot, and got what he deserved.

Even if the cops charged him double that amount or 100,000 COP, that's currently $27 US, chump change for a trust fund baby.

--

Two cops in Medellín asked me for a "propina" after telling me how to drive back to my hotel.  I thanked them, laughed it off .. and drove away.

cccmedia

The aforementioned (and endorsed) Cartago in the department Valle de Cauca is only a 31-mile drive from Chip's previous city of Armenia, Quindío.  Both are Coffee Zone cities.

However, Cartago is 2,000 feet lower in elevation.

Ipso facto, it's warmer than Armenia.

I like Armenia too .. and visited several times for a month or more.  For me the weather there is ideal, just slightly less warm than Medellín, at about 5,100 feet elevation.

cccmedia

ChipW wrote:

I then relocated to Cartago, which is where I am right now...

I'm retired now and living well. Coming up on eight years in Colombia and I've never had any problems of any kind with anyone. (And I'm still not legal.)

Chip's a good story-teller.

So perhaps he can enlighten us further about "I'm still not legal."

How is that possible?

How do you handle the inevitable encounter with 'la policía' when they ask for your cédula or passport, without a 'propina' involved?

Why have you decided to be an illegal?

cccmedia

I tried for a marriage visa years ago, but the young immingrations guy in Bogota denied it and refused to give a reason for denial. I tried for a work visa twice. The first one the company decided, at the last minute, to cancel it. And the second one was, hell, I don't even remember any more, it's not important anyway.

As for what do I do when the police ask me for a cedula? That's never happened. I was on one of the buses riding from Puerto Colombia into B'quilla and the bus was stopped by the police. They came onboard and asked all the men for IDs. I said I didn't have one, the cop looked at me, gave me a friendly nod, and moved on to the next guy. That had happened 2 times over the years in that area.

I've met and talked to many police in the years in B'quilla, and had a neighbor who was a cop and he knew I wasn't legal. Never has anyone other than grocery store  clerks asked me for a cedula and I just tell them No. I have a friend in B'quilla who works in the immagrations office in B'quilla, Hernan, and I have an aquaintance there, Jimmy, and they both know my situation, and they both couldn't care less. It's never been a problem.

I find and rent apartments with no problems. I bought a washing machine, brand new, from SAO, no problem. Of course, Bancolombia will allow extranjeros to open an account without a cedula. I have a RUT. The only time this has been an "issue" was getting internet access, so my Colombian girlfriend signed up for that for me.

I'm 61 years old, retired, writing a book, and living a quiet life with my girlfriend of around 20 years younger than me. I don't complain, I don't fight the culture. I mind my own business and make friends easily even with my bad Spanish.

I never decided to live illegally, it just turned out that way. But, now that I am officially retired this year I will be able to start the process of getting a pensioner visa, and I will have Hernan at the immigrations office B'quilla to help me get the exit and entry stamps without me leaving the country (he did this for me previously with no problems). We've already talked about doing it again.

Have I just been lucky? I don't believe in luck. Life is what we make of it.

ChipW wrote:

Of course, Bancolombia will allow extranjeros to open an account without a cedula.

Good stuff, Chip.

1. You mentioned having a RUT, which I understand is required to file a tax return.  In your experience, has it helped you at all to have a RUT so far?

2. Was that a typo .. or did you really mean to say that Bancolombia allows foreigners to open an account without a cédula?

cccmedia

I was also surprised that you are living in Colombia illegally.  Personally I would not want to be living here illegally, if you get discovered the penalties could be severe.

cccmedia wrote:

1. You mentioned having a RUT, which I understand is required to file a tax return.  In your experience, has it helped you at all to have a RUT so far?

I have used it a couple times when asked for a cedula, no problem.

cccmedia wrote:

2. Was that a typo .. or did you really mean to say that Bancolombia allows foreigners to open an account without a cédula?
cccmedia

Yes, they will, it has something to do with an agreement between them and the US. I saw the whole thing written somewhere but don't remember where, some website has all the details.