Fun and entertainment Colombia
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Practical information : Going out Colombia
Timetable
Colombia is a musical and festive country, where bars and clubs are always full. The beginning of the week is quieter of course, but there is plenty of fun to be had every night in the big cities. The rumba really starts on Thursday, until Saturday night. The terraces of the cafes and tiendas (local grocery stores where alcohol is sold) are very popular after work or university. There are no set hours, but bars generally close late, until midnight or even 2am. Discotheques open from 9pm and close at 3am or even 5am. Shows (theater, dance, etc.) take place around 8 or 9 pm.
Budget & Tips
The night out is often the main expense of young mochileros (backpackers)! But if you stay reasonable, you can have a good night out for the equivalent of 20-30 euros maximum, between the entrance fees and the drinks. The cover (paid entrance) in the dancing bars and clubs is around 20 000 $ (5 euros), a little more in the trendy places. A local beer in a bar costs around $5-10,000, a little more if it is craft. A cocktail starts at $12,000 in a cheap beach bar, up to $30-50,000 in a cocktail bar (watch out for happy hours!).
To be booked
Reservations are not necessary, except for certain festive places on weekends (Andrés D.C. in Bogotá, for example), or to attend shows by international artists, on the occasion of music, dance, theater festivals, etc.
Night transport
After dark, especially when leaving a bar or nightclub late, it is preferable to travel by cab for safety reasons. To avoid the famous "millionaire's walk", avoid hailing a cab on the street and especially do not get in if there is already a passenger on board. Book the service by phone, or call a VTC like Uber. The exits of bars and discotheques are risky places for this kind of kidnapping to empty your bank account.
Age restrictions
The consumption of alcohol is allowed from 18 years old. Youthful-looking people should bring an identity document (a photocopy is sufficient) to prove their age at the entrance to bars and clubs. Since 2017, the consumption of alcohol in public spaces (parks, village squares, etc.) is prohibited. Another regulation concerning alcohol, in Bogotá, the sale of alcohol is prohibited every day of the year in supermarkets and grocery stores before 10am, a measure to fight against alcoholism.
Ley Seca ("Dry Law"). The sale and consumption of alcohol is also prohibited on certain special dates. Usually from 6 pm onwards on the eve of an election, a religious holiday, the day of an important soccer match, a political demonstration... In some cities, the Ley Seca is instituted on Mother's Day(Día de la Madre) to prevent family reunions from turning into dramas due to alcohol abuse..
What's very local
Colombians always make an effort to dress up when going out. If you don't have your usual wardrobe, at least avoid going out in shorts and flip-flops (except for bars in seaside villages and in places where there are almost only tourists).
Chiva rumbera. This night out is very popular in the big cities, like Bogotá or Cartagena. These are the old buses that you see in the countryside, but here they are converted into mobile discos. The chiva rumbera travels around the city, music blasting, while alcoholic drinks are served. You dance on board, but you also make stops to spend a few minutes in partner bars, before ending up in front of a discotheque where the passengers will continue the fiesta. Expect to pay around $50,000 per person, including alcohol. Ask at your hostel if you are tempted.
Smokers
Cigarettes can be bought individually from street vendors who set up shop in front of bars and clubs at night. However, it is strictly forbidden to smoke inside these establishments.
Tourist traps
Don't buy drugs, for your health, because drugs finance the armed conflict and the mafias, because the prison sentences are heavy, but also because the dealers are often in cahoots with the police who will then come and take the drugs back from you and ask you for money to forget about the case and not take you to the police station..
Beware also of scopolamine (burundanga ), quite common in the clubs of the Zona Rosa in Bogotá, or in the Poblado in Medellín. Known locally as "the kiss of sleep", "zombie powder" or "devil's breath", it is known in France as the "rapist's drug". Based on plants from the solanaceae family, such as datura, scopolamine contains a powerful alkaloid that makes you lose all willpower, makes you passive and without any memory of what happened. It is imperative that you seek medical attention if you fall victim to it. Criminals usually mix it with a drink, or a solid substance (gum, candy, cigarette...), or put the powder on a piece of paper, and blow it on the victim who inhales it without realizing it. It is a fast-acting drug: 2 minutes after swallowing or inhaling it, the victim starts to suffer from mental disorders. It has no particular smell, color or taste. Impossible to detect and the tricks are various and varied. So what to do? Be aware that these gangs work in groups, usually in nightclubs, with pretty women as bait. Therefore, do not accept drinks, cigarettes or gum from a stranger. Go out preferably in a group and do not leave your glass unattended. Also be careful in cabs, if the driver pulls out a handkerchief in your direction. A tip recommended by Colombians if you feel that you are a victim of burundanga: fake a fainting spell or convulsions so that the thief panics and runs away, and seek help immediately.