Took me 3 months to figure out a SIM card situation in Medellin

I landed in Medellin thinking I'd just grab a local SIM at the airport. Big mistake. The Claro store there wanted my passport AND a Colombian friend's ID to register. Didn't have either. So I spent 3 days hopping between tiny phone shops in El Poblado. One guy tried to sell me a prepaid card that only worked for 7 days. Another shop had a 30-day plan but the activation required a text in Spanish I couldn't translate. Finally found a Tigo kiosk near Provenza that let me use my hotel address. The whole process took 4 hours spread over a week. Has anyone else wasted a bunch of time on this? What's your trick for getting connected fast in a new country?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean1191mo ago

Dude that "activation required a text in Spanish I couldn't translate" part hit way too close to home. I spent like two weeks in Bangkok with a dead SIM cause I couldn't figure out the Thai registration prompts. Ended up paying some dude at a mall kiosk $5 to just do it for me.

cora_jenkins1mo ago

Take it to a mall cell shop next time, that's the real pro move. Those kiosk guys will sort you out for cheap, they deal with tourists all day. You probably paid the going rate, $5 is nothing for two weeks of hassle saved. Only thing I'd point out is that Thai registration thing is actually mandatory now, they started cracking down on unregistered SIMs a couple years back. So you weren't just being dumb, the system really does lock you out if you can't read the prompts.