Colombians don't hate Gringos

Trust me, people don't hate you...

Here is the thing, Colombia is not a country build on immigration. People here are not used to see many foreigners just walking around, when you visit Colombia you can notice that. It is starting to change now, tourism and business opportunities are rising and more foreigners are coming.

One thing I am grateful for the decision to open my Twitter account BowTiedColombia is the possibility to connect with great people all around the globe, with the main purpose to find in Colombia a place that can mix the possibility to make money and have an enjoyable life.

Colombia is a beautiful place, full of opportunities and economic potential. That’s why I am always happy to see foreigners coming to set up business and push the economy. I understand how big of a deal is to have people coming to spend their money, it moves the economy here.

But we are a third world country and sometimes with a third world mentality.

People here are not used to see too many foreigners, and that’s a problem. They don’t see the potential of people coming here and having a good experience, some people are just stupid and want to take advantage of it.

Check this stories: you are a tourist going to Cartagena trying to enjoy vacation, you want to enjoy good food and good service. You eat and when you go pay you get a bill of $100 dollars for each plate you ate. Madness.

People do this and not only because you are foreigner. They have done it to Colombians too.

That’s why you need to come prepared. Some people here are just too stupid to comprehend the real value of good service, they see a costumer and sometimes they just want to hustle you for some extra dollars. They are stupid, they just don’t know they are shooting themselves in their foot.

It reminds me of the current situation in Medellin: a lot of foreigners are starting to go there because they can work from abroad, so they decide to come to Medellin because the quality of life, prices, weather, or any other reason that they believe to escape US.

And here lies the problem. Criminal target them because they are an easy target, they come from a mentality that you can still trust people. But be wary, you always have to be street smart in Colombia, there’s people trying to rob you and take advantage of you. They target foreigners because they are an easy target and they have money.

But they also target Colombians. Is not that people here hate foreigners, is just the way the criminal minds works.

If you see some news, foreigners are victims of robbery by scopolamine. It is sad that scopolamine still happening because is extremely dangerous and can be fatal, but is not like it just started just when gringos start to come to Colombia. It happened before.

Here is my advice to you. Don’t take it personal, always be cautious when going out and change your mind a bit.

• Always ask for the price before buying something

• Never trust people so blindly, specially from the internet

• Always ask locals you trust for advice

• Know beforehand where are the dangerous places of the city you are staying

A lot of this information I think is better to be completely honest and prepare you. Some people will tell you to come and enjoy, but won’t tell you the real way to live here.

Trust me, if you are 20% more suspicious and more street smart, you will enjoy your stay here. Sadly there’s always people trying to hustle and see in foreigners an easy target, they dont hate you, they just want easy money.

If you are interested to know more about about how people can rob you here and the ways to avoid it, check this guide it can help you to know what exactly to do in order to avoid any headaches.