Since there is almost never toilet paper stocked in public restrooms, or you have to pay for it, I have taken to keeping some in my purse.
8. Okay, last one about toilet paper, I promise. You cannot flush toilet paper here; it has to go in a wastebin. The sewage systems are not as strong as ours in the U.S., so every bathroom has a little trash can in it for the paper waste. I personally find it gross, and I haven’t gotten used to it.
9. It is bad luck to put your purse or items on the ground. I am super accustomed to just dropping all my stuff wherever I am when I need to do something like open a door or use my hands for something else, but every time I do, Colombians rush to pick up my things and hold them for me or place my bags on a nearby hook. It’s a very endearing experience.
10. There are no free refills here. I really appreciate this as someone who used to drink way too much soda. It kind of blows my mind to think of the Big Gulps from the gas station and giant styrofoam cups of sugary beverages so many Americans consume every day. It does get a little frustrating when refills of water cost more, though.
11. For me, mail delivery hasn't worked here. I don’t have a mailbox, and I can’t trust the mail system to deliver anything. Nothing anyone has sent me from the U.S. has ever made it to me, even when I gave them the address of someone who does have a mailbox. And when I wanted to send postcards, I had to use a contact at the U.S. Embassy. I paid for just one envelope addressed to my mother, which cost $10 (USD) alone. In that envelope were the 13 other postcards I wanted to send, with names and addresses so my mom could add postage in the U.S. and send them herself.
