Why Are Colombians So Basic?

With the use of Facebook and Instagram becoming more and more popular in Colombia, it seems like Colombians have no idea how to use it to post relevant and interesting content. They don't know about the American concept of "being basic", so they end up posting things that Americans would otherwise consider basic - like things that are considered "basic" in the USA such as Starbucks coffee and UGG boots.

Colombians tryna show off on Instagram... with fruit. ( -_-)

Not that this is a bad thing, it just means that there is a cultural gap between what makes American vs. Colombians look cool to their followers. For example, Colombians take pride in the little things in life while Americans are more grandiose about the things they post - everything is bigger and better than the last person.

Because of this, you find Colombians posting photos of the most irrelevant things that Americans would not care about such as:

1. A piece of chocolate or candy (why? do other people not have the exclusive privilege of buying $0.10 candy?)

Wow, candy... so impressive. Not!

2. Food from home and basic snacks like its the most delicious thing they have ever eating (fruit snacks are not exciting)

What is so special about chicken and french fries that it needs to be on IG?!?

3. Gifts from other people that suck (the gifts suck, so what is the point?)

What is this?!

4. Taking pictures of the one expensive thing they bought, like the rich.

It's just water, hun.

La Calera - Drinking & Eating On Top of a Mountain

Going out to eat in Colombia is not only about the food. It also includes a unique cultural experience. Because of this, some of the best places to experience Colombia combine great food with a fun atmosphere. Whether you start with a dinner that transforms into an all­-night party or have breakfast with a view of the city, Bogota has a variety of dining experiences that are perfect for every type of traveler.

Try a one of these while you are there.

Brunch in La Calera 

For those who want to try Colombian coffee over brunch, the best places to go are the roadside restaurants on the way to La Calera. La Calera is a town in the mountains 15 minutes outside of Bogota, but locals go there for afternoon drives to see the amazing views of the city over a hot breakfast or lunch. There you will see couples or families enjoying a typical sunny day in Bogota while getting a quick bite to eat on the way to their next destination.



Along the road to La Calera, expect to find several places to get a traditional Colombian breakfast that includes huevos pericos (Colombian scrambled eggs), bread, juice, coffee or hot chocolate. Meanwhile, street food is perfect for an afternoon snack such as mazorca (grilled corn on the cobb) and empanadas. If it is a cold day, warm up with a canelazo. This hot and alcoholic drink is a mix of aguardiente, aguapanela, and cinnamon. Any of these meals are a great way to take in the views during a relaxing weekend.

This is your view while brunching in La Calera.

Colombian Street Food: Raw Hot Dogs & Other Weird Snacks

Colombian street food is a mix of tradicional and non-traditional snacks. For example, the typical hot dog may seem like a tradicional snack, but Colombians have add a different twist to it that make give them a local spin. There are two ways to eat hot dogs here:

• Raw Hot Dogs
  I did not know it was ok to eat hot dogs raw until I moved to Bogota. Apparently, hot dogs and other forms of raw meat are perfect to eat alone. They even come individually packed in easy to carry sizes, which are designed to be convenient as an on-the-road snack. It may be surprising for some to be on a bus and see someone pull out a pack of raw sliced ham and take a big bite out of it as if it were a full meal. Other common situations where you would see this is while on roadtrips where there are limited choices for food. Since your only stop for miles may be a gas station, there is an opportunity to buy a raw packag of hot dogs and snack on them for the rest of the ride home. It is a weird snack, but the raw hot dogs are really good!

• Street Hot Dogs
  The street version of the hot dog is very special to Colombians. Even while living in the U.S., I saw places that specialized in Colombian hot dogs and Colombians would serve them this way while at BBQs and community events. The Colombian hot dog is good, but it comes with a lot of extra ingrediants that you may not be used to. These extra ingrediants include:
• 4 different types of sauces (ketchup, mustard, salsa rosada AKA pink sauce AKA ketchup & mayonaise, and tartar sauce?!?!?!?),
• potatoe chip crumbs (for extra crunch),
• quales egg
• cooked onions
• pineapple