禁漫天堂

Hi everyone, I'm a content writer for Expat Magazine, and we're currently seeking testimonials for an upcoming article. If you are (or have ever been) an expat in a major Colombian city, what aspects of life there surprised you the most? Whether it鈥檚 the city's urban planning, traffic levels and parking spaces, public transport and use of technology, variety of caf茅s and restaurants, museums and art scene, green spaces/parks, how cosmopolitan (or not) the city felt, or anything else. Thank you in advance for sharing your experience with us, and we wish you a wonderful holiday season. - @Ameerah Arjanee

Are you only interested in hearing about infrastructure and systems, or the culture itself?

@ChineduOpara

Both infrastructure and culture, just any aspect that surprised you.

Moto drivers are loco.Watch out crossing the street

@ChineduOpara
Both infrastructure and culture, just any aspect that surprised you. - @Ameerah Arjanee

I live in Barranquilla, on the north coast. I've been "accused" or being overly negative and depressing when talking about my experiences here. So, for sake of keeping things balanced, I'll mention one negative surprise, AND two positive surprises.

馃憥馃従 I was surprised at just how bland the food is 馃槙

馃憤馃従 I was surprised at how inexpensive manual labor is 馃��

馃憤馃従 I was pleasantly surprised at how many pharmacies exist all over the place 馃彞

Disclaimer: The country is quite regionalized, so some aspects of one region might not overlap 100% with the culture in other regions. For example, I heard that the cuisine a bit south of Cali - in and around Pasto - is a bit more interesting and flavorful. Maybe someone else in this forum can confirm...