EXPERTROUND-UP

Weighing in onlife in

Colombia...

openmindedtraveler.com

I asked this question: WHAT IS THE BESTSECRET TO KNOW

WHEN LIVING,WORKING, ORTRAVELING IN

COLOMBIA?

The co-author of Colombia A Comedy of Errors, a best-sellerin Colombia, and was one of the editors behind the essay collectionWas Gabo an Irishman? She is a British journalist and writerwho has lived in Colombia for six years and keeps a diary of herexperiences at BananaSkinFlipFlops.com.

VICKIKELLAWAY

The secret to surviving in Colombia is patience. Ofcourse, that isn't an issue when you're passing

through. Colombia is beautiful, what does it matter ifthe bus is late or the waiter dawdles with your beer?

The patience I'm talking about relates to work.Colombia has been through a lot so it's no wonder a bit

of mistrust lingers in the air. It can take a while toprove yourself. I've seen foreigners frustrated, evenfail, because despite their talents and experience,

they weren't getting the opportunities they deserved.My advice is work hard, do your thing and prove

you're in for the long haul. It's worth it.

Journalist-Author-Hotelier-Guide in Colombia

"Be flexible, todo esposible, nada es seguro!"

RICHARDMCCOLL

Barry Max Wills is an Australian Brit who lives in Colombia, where he and his partnergrow coffee. Barry has been writing his Letters From Colombia since 2002, and todaythey are enjoyed by several hundred subscribers on four continents. Since December2014 the letters have been attracting a wider audience atLettersFromColombia.com,and in response to demands from readers are currently being developed into a book.

The secret to getting the most from your time in Colombia is toadjust your expectations with regard to what you probably take forgranted: Punctuality [never], Predictability [rarely], Promiscuity[frequently], and Passion [always]. What you expect to happen willnot happen when you expect, and might not happen at all, butsomething else will and it will be even better. To be in Colombia isto feel alive, and you can’t do much better than that.

BARRY MAXWILLS

As an expat living in Colombia, where the currency is highly volatile and with atough year ahead, the secret to living well in this country without having to teachEnglish is to earn in U.S Dollars. Whether this means working on an expat salaryor freelancing, it ensures a better quality of life than earning what will most likelybe a measly salary in Colombian Pesos at a local company.

Colombia is a chaotic and developing country. I can definitely understand how itcan be a love or hate relationship. But if you want to start on the right foot, the keyto happy living is patience. Patience when things take longer than expected, whenpeople don't follow through, etc. It's Colombia, so relax!

JADELONGELINwww.bogotastic.com

A Dutch travel photographerportraying the beauty of Colombiafetzeweerstra.com

"The best secret to enjoy Colombia isto come without any prejudices. Letyourself be overwhelmed by thebeauty of this country, its people, itsculture, the food and the verydiverse landscapes. And you willdiscover a new paradise that youwouldn´t have imagined before.

FETZEWEERSTRA

Editor of SeeColombia.travel/blog

I don't think there's any great 'secret' totraveling in Colombia, but the best way youcan prepare for a visit here is to read asmuch as you can about traveling in thecountry, beyond just the Lonely Planet Top20. Colombia has some incredible, barely-visited places that are hardly mentioned bytraditional sources - Guainia, Casanare,Cordoba, Putumayo...just a fewdepartments that hardly receive anyinternational visitors at all, and have someremarkable things to offer - none of my'Top 10' moments in Colombia have takenplace in the traditional tourist hotspots.Following on from that, my top tip forduring your stay would be to try to learn afew phrases in Spanish, so you can asklocals for their recommendations: I havediscovered some stunning places just bychatting to people in 'tiendas' and listeningto their tips for their town or region. Thelocals always know best...and you mighteven get a beer or two out of it!

CHRISBELL

Editor Team of http://michaelandgraciela.com/blog/

Michael: The best advice forbeing in Colombia is a twist ofthe saying from the Wizard ofOz - Just remember you are notin Kansas anymore. For me thatmeans that just because youhave seen one part there is morethat is different. For instance, donot think that the entire countryis like Cartagena. Colombia hasmountain cities higher thanDenver Colorado in the USA, there are flatlands like theLlanos, there are CaribbeanIslands and it has coasts on boththe Atlantic and Pacific. Rathermeaning what you see at onetime is not all there is toColombia.Graciela: I agree with myhusband but add that to reallyenjoy the country you shouldblend in, keep an open mindand don't compare Colombianto your country.

MICHAEL &GRACIELA

Writer, Author, Journalist, Bloggersarepa.combuildyourbestblog.com

One suggestion I'd make is to try and avoidmaking comparisons. In Colombia, things work alittle differently: buses don't necessarily run ontime, lining up at the grocery store can benightmarish and punctuality is optional. But Ifound the less I compared things in Colombia tolife back home, the more likely it was that I'dappreciate my surroundings for what they were inthe moment. Before I moved to Colombia I read abook by Lynette Chiang called The HandsomestMan in Cuba: An Escapade and in it she recountsher experiences travelling through Cuba by bike.One quote that has always stuck with me, and thatI recalled many times while living in Colombia,was this piece of advice she receives from a friend,"Try to resist making comparisons; it dilutes theexperience." And it absolutely does. Instead ofcomparing lifestyle, culture and even theenvironment - how the mountains look, what thebeaches are like - suspend the desire to makecomparisons and enjoy it for what it is.

SARAHDUNCAN