Colombia

Colombia
Information
Language:	Spanish
Capital:	Bogota
Population:	44,065,000
Currency:	Columbian peso( COP )
Hitchability:	?
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Colombia is a country in South America. Yet it's not an easy country to hitchhike, it is not as bad as they say. There is a lot of paranoia about the security situation in the country. And some areas are outright dangerous due to fights between government and FARC rebels. However, the conflict is very predictable and usually limited to certain areas in the countryside. Check with your foreign ministry or recent guidebook.

Like anywhere in Latin America, the biggest danger is to be robbed, which may happen if you travel alone. Bus transport is decent and reasonably priced, although not as cheap as in neighbouring countries like Bolivia.

To cross from Colombia to Panama you ve got to overcome the Darien Gap. You can do that by booking a five day trip with a private sailing charter from Cartagena, although it's often not cheaper than a flight. Moreover, you might get in trouble if one of your fellow travelers decided to smuggle some cocaine out of the country.

Cities

• Bogota (Capital city)
• Cartagena
• Medellín
• Cali
• Barranquilla
• Cartagena
• Bucaramanga
• Santa Marta

Experiences

In the spring of 2008 me and a Colombian female friend went for some hikes in the countryside around Bogotá. We went to the village of Guatavita, where a 7 km dirtroad leads up to the 'Laguna Sagrada'. On the way a milk truck picked us up. A great experience, standing on the back of a truck driving up a bumpy road, the wind in our hair. On the way back we easily scored a ride back to Bogotá, in a car with a bank employee who liked talking about football. The dirtroads in the countryside are not busy, but everbody seems willing to pick you up. Same experience in Puente Nacional late one evening, where we got a ride from a farmer for a few pesos. --Leimac 21:50, 25 September 2008 (CEST)

This article is a stub. This means that the information available to us is obviously insufficient. In these places little information is available or the description is severely outdated. If you have been there, whether hitchhiking, for travel or as part of an organized tour − be sure to extend this article!