When travelling to Colombia, there are some things you have to keep in mind. Driving can be extremely dangerous and street crime is prominent in the cities, but the thing that shocks most travellers is Colombia’s time schedule.
Colombians are rarely on time. From the bus schedule, to a lunch meeting, to mail delivery, people in Colombia are never in a rush. It’s not a bad thing, its a charming quirk that truly reflects their relaxed & carefree attitude.
However, this can be stressful to travellers coming from places where timing is everything. They are used to everything running on schedule, perfect to the second. These preformed expectations are built up in many of our lives, and we need to accept that not all societies have that same urgency. If people can’t appreciate Colombia’s habits, it can lead to confusion and even hostility towards the Colombian way of life.
You can get used to it, you just need to manage your expectations. Colombia isn’t strict about timeliness, and travellers should respect that, or better yet, join them. While your out of your comfort zone, try to assimilate to the Colombian outlook on timing.
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| Be less like this |
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| And more like this |
Be flexible about when things should happen, and don’t fret when they don’t. Slow down to really enjoy Colombia and all of its traditions. Just be aware that when your tour bus is meeting at 6am to explore the Amazon, don't be surprised if the tour doesn’t begin until 10am.
This clip confirms my point in the first 10 seconds, but watch on to see a stereotypical Colombian character.
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