Hi Everyone!
As a tour guide in both Medellín and also New York City, I have compiled a list I think you will find useful during your trip to Medellín Colombia.
If you are interested in joining my tour, you can reserve your spot here!
Transportation
Metro System
At the moment, Medellín is the only city in Colombia with a rapid transit system. The Metro is a very important part of the culture and a great source of pride for Paisas. I highly recommend using the metro to engage and mix in with locals. But before you do that, there are some rules you should adhere to before hoping along.
- No eating or drinking allowed on the Metro. This may be a bit confusing since you will find food kiosks and some stations may even have vending machines, but you’ll notice that they are placed before the turnstile.
- No large packages are allowed on board. If you are traveling with luggage and plan on taking public transportation from the airport in Rionegro to your accommodation in Medellín, you are only going to get half way. Take the buses available at the airport and then hail a cab to your final destination.
Car Etiquette
No slamming car doors or trunks in Medellín. These cars are usually the driver’s primary source of income and are handled with lots of care since repairs can be expensive. Slamming can also be interpreted as a form of microagression suggesting you are unhappy with the services.
Hygiene
Maintaining good hygiene is a way to show consideration for others and seen as basic courtesy.
- Maintain personal care practices like brushing your teeth, smelling fresh, and well dressed.
- Burping is considered extremely rude. Please excuse yourself if you are sharing space with others if you find yourself in the need.
- Medellín is a very clean city. Please hold on to your trash until you find the appropriate recipient.
Trust
Building trust is very important to Paisas. There are several ways to go about it.
- Always greet them before engaging them. ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? It goes a long way!
- Paisas are big on offerings. They may offer you a cup of coffee, a shot of aguardiente, or a snack. Rejecting them may be interpreted as a sign of mistrust.
Tipping Culture
Tipping culture is present in Colombia. Although its not mandatory in most restaurants, they are greatly appreciated. They call it a service fee. The customary amount is 10% of the total bill.
Pablo Escobar & Narco Tourism
Contrary to what Hollywood makes you believe, this kind of tourism in not welcomed in Medellín.
The number of casualties that arose due to the inner city violence in the 80s and 90s is difficult to calcualate, but its safe to say that they are in the thousands. Each of the people who met their death as a result from the violence have loved ones who still mourn them. If we take that into consideration, the number of people affected by the violence are in the hundred thousands or even millions if we consider Colombians all around the world.
If you look you will find tours that cater to people curious about this horrific time period. Some of them are even sold on the perspective of the victims. However, there is a very telling thing about these tours that lets you know how Paisas feel about this: they are only held in English. They get really upset when guides tell these stories.
Safety
If your travel plans are a long list of things your mother told you not to do, Colombia is not the place you want to try them out.
- Dating Apps are not the best place to meet people.
- Read the room. If you are walking down the street and you don’t see anyone with their cellphones out, you should probably follow.
- Looking at your phone while you wait for a light change to cross the street is also not a great idea.
- Colombia is not the place you want to show off your purchasing power. Valuables should stay in a safe place either at your hotel room or back home.
Critiquing Culture through a Foreign Lens
It’s really important to remember our role as guests when we travel. It is natural to filter everything we come acorss through our experiences, habits, and comfort zone but ss guests we don’t decide what is right or wrong based on how we do things at home.
When we visit our friend’s house, we don’t walk in observing how the laundry is folded or how dishes are washed. The same should apply to travel.
We are walking into a country’s rhythm and that rhythm is not auditioning for approval.
The Colonial Dimension to Travel
Travel is really important because it contributes to the spread of culture, gives us access to different points of view, and it helps us grown as individuals. But there is a colonial dimension to tourism, especially in developing countries, that is often not spoken about.
A lof of it comes from entitlement. Sometimes it’s intentional, but a lot of the time it is unconscious.
For the most part, tourists have a larger purchasing power than locals. This allows access to more choices and mobility, but access does not translate to ownership.
Yes! Tourism is a big part of the ecoonomy, and that matters. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t limits or that everything is up for consumption just because you paid for a flight.
Social Media
There’s also a performative side to travel. Sometimes when we experience something new, our instict is to turn it into content. Sometimes with a sense of over-excitement with the purpose of it going viral. I know that we are all after the likes, views, and clout, and sometimes the excitement can be genuine, but its worth pausing to remember that what feels new to us is often someone else’s everyday life and culture.
I hope you find these tips helpful!
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions!
