Yesterday I wrote about my arrival from Bogota to Cali and my impressions of the hostel where I spent my first nights.
I deliberately omitted one story that I wasn’t sure I want to share. Because I believe it was a misunderstanding and I always want to say good things or look for explanations instead of complaining. In the end, I decided to write about it, just as an example of what you can expect at times without making a great deal out of it.
I took a bus from Bogota to Cali. The ride lasted a little more than twelve hours. It is a huge amount of time so I wanted to make a use out of it and, as a consequence, I bought a ticket for a night ride. I didn’t sleep well, as always. I mean I never sleep on buses/trains/planes, no matter how long the journey is or how tired I am. And I can easily use the term “never” because I have countless super long day and night rides in all of those means of transportation. 😅
I didn’t feel well the previous day so, still being in Bogota, I decided that I will take a taxi from the bus station to my hostel, instead of public transport. I was arriving early in the morning and I would have to change buses. With my 20 kilos backpack, sleepless night and a fever… Anyway, I read on the hostel’s webpage how much I should pay for a ride so I won’t be ripped off.
(On a side note: Some of you may already know my travelling style – I backpack on a budget! It means that I do not use taxis unless it is really necessary. Back then I was on the road for almost 6 weeks and I only used it once, in Panama because there were no night buses available. And I shared that taxi in order to cut the expense!)
After arriving at Cali’s bus station I did what locals did – I stood in a queue. There were people who were organising and taking care of that line so that no one is cheating, I was impressed. 🙂 I was thinking of finding someone who would like to share a taxi to the city centre but I only saw families with babies around me. Anyway, here I was, already inside the car. The driver wasn’t too friendly. But let’s be frank, it was early in the morning, I wasn’t too talkative either. 😉
When we arrived in front of the hostel he said the price. It was double that I should pay according to (recent!) information provided by the hostel web page. Surprised and a bit irritated (remember, I was feeling sick, didn’t sleep during the night ride in an uncomfortable bus) I responded that I will not pay that much money simply because I knew what the regular price should be (and I said that amount). I could tell that he got stunned and confused for a second. I guess he decided to change his strategy because he said that I am a rich girl from a rich country so how can I argue with him.
I got upset. I understand perfectly that a taxi driver in Colombia has less money than me. But here’s the thing. We, the travellers/tourists from the West, should not use stereotypes and “single story” all Latin people. But that should work both ways, right? What does this taxi driver know about me, my background or my financial status? Not all travellers have wealthy parents who sponsor their extravagant ideas! From my perspective and experience a lot of travellers are people who work super hard and are saving every penny for the sake of making their dreams come true.
Additionally, there are countries where you earn good money and to their citizens Latin America is cheap. But there are countries like Poland. From my perspective, the prices here were not high, but they weren’t particularly low either. As a consequence, if I wanted to travel for a longer period of time I needed to watch my expenses really carefully, simple as that. I didn’t use taxis, I wasn’t eating in restaurants, I was sleeping in dorms with other 7-9 people or was using locals’ hospitality. If this dedication allows me to travel, so be it! No complaining, we are all grown-ups here, we make choices. Moreover, when I am in a “poorer” country I buy locally, from street vendors and I always pay a little more. There are ways in which you can contribute and support local communities with your money. But! This kind of generalisation and the willingness to deceive is something I will not accept and be fine with.
I gave him the amount that I knew was fair (the highest in the price range). And I asked him to show me his taxi license so I can report the situation. He got furious instantly. He started to shout, offended me, left the car, took my bag and thrown it on the street.
A man who was sitting in a café run to help me and we both just saw this taxi driving away. After explaining the situation I heard what I was expecting - that the taxi driver was trying to deceive me. And that in fact I already paid a lot more than I should pay if the guy was honest.
So here it is, my little story of how nasty some people may be. Lessons learned? First of all, to be prepared and know what to expect in terms of prices and conditions. Additionally, to be assertive and don't take other people’s bad behaviour personally. Do you have similar experiences?
Thank you for being here with me. I hope until next time!
Pura Vida and enjoy your journey! 💛
More about me here: You can travel without being wealthy aka a girl from a "struggling" family chasing her dreams!
Some of my recent stories from South America:
Boldspirit and the death road - la ruta de la muerte - Bolivia # 1 and # 2
BoldspiritTravels on a budget: Climbing Monserrate - the mountain overlooking Bogota in Colombia [Solo backpacking on a budget in Latin America]