By Roadjunky, Posted Oct 31, 2006
Sections: Guide to Colombia Colombia Basics Transport The People Travel in Colombia Romance and Dating Money and Work Health and Safety Kidnapping Accommodation Bogota Medellin The Caribbean Coast Colombia Resources
Population:40 million
Languages spoken: Spanish. There are also many indigenous tongues out in the wilds.
Race: Mostly white in the inland cities and then more African blood on the coast. Also mixed indigenous ethnicity here or there.
Economy: It should be a rich country with enormous natural resources and smart, educated people but the civil war has crippled the country for half a century, while the US rubs its hands together getting cheap fuel. The result is that it’s a cheap country to travel in and a very hard place to make a living.
_Government:_Democratic. Corrupt as hell. Colombia is currently in a 50 year old civil war against two rebel factions and a bunch of murderous para-militaries.
And of course who knows more than the CIA about Colombia
Visas and Overstays
When you arrive they’ll give you 2-3 months stay and after that you can extend for a month at a time to a maximum of 6 months. They may put you through hell to do it though. Go to the local DAS office and ask what they want from you. It may be easier on the coast than in Medellin.
If you overstay you have to pay a certain amount for each day that you stayed up to a maximum of a few hundred dollars. It’s all a big scam.
When to Travel in Colombia
Colombia is so close to the equator that it’s pretty damn warm most of the time, except in Bogota which is so high up that it can get cool and dry when there’s bad weather.
There’s very litte in the way of tourism or backpackers in the country but those that there are tend to come in the winter months.
The day I arrived in Panama City I met some guys organizing a boat expedition to the Colombian North Coast- the only sane way into Colombia without flying. They were ...
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