29.09.
The scheduled flight to Bogota is at 11:40. Fortunately, the taxi is at the hostel earlier than ordered, fortunately there is no traffic and I’m at the airport before 9:30. I wanted to check-in. The lady asks me if I have an onward ticket or when I will fly back to Austria. I show her my helmet and tell her that I’m traveling by motorcycle. No, that is not acceptable. The entry requirements say, I need to have an exit or onward ticket. I’m pretty annoyed pretty fast and talk harsh with her. She offers me to buy a ticket. I asked her how much it costs. More than 700 USD. I’m about to ask her if she is crazy. She remains stubborn. I ask for Internet or a travel agency. Internet is slow, there are not travel agencies. I have 1 hour to solve the problem. In short: I was not able to buy a cross-border bus ticket or a flight ticket. I try it again at the check-in and just hope I would get to another check-in counter. I’m lucky. The other lady asks me how long I will stay in Colombia and if I have an onward ticket. I say I’ll stay a week in Colombia and then I will take the bus to Ecuador. She looks at me, like she is not very sure, but she checked me in.
Well I am on the plane. I’m curious what difficulties I will have to expect in Bogota.
No problem at all. At the passport control again the usual questions: How long are you staying? Reason for traveling, business or vacation?
I: Transit. I’ll stay a week in Colombia, then I move on to Ecuador.
He, friendly: What? Only a week? You have to stay longer!
I got the stamp in the passport and could go.
Thank you for reading, Jürgen.
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