Chinedu Opara

Relocation – 19b – Long-Distance Bus Travel #2

Having had a surprisingly good experience with my first long distance bus trip in Colombia, I decided to take another one. This time, between Medellin and Palmira, a small town just outside of Cali.

As you probably already know, there are at least two reasonable/logical ways to make this trip: Either:

  • Take a 55-minute uncomfortable-but-quick domestic flight ✈ from MDE to CLO for upwards of $75 (considering I had 1 checked baggage), or…
  • Take a 8.5-hour very comfortable-but-long bus ride 🚌 for $19-$21 per person.

Due to my tight budget and luggage – 1 carry-on and 1 full-size luggage – I opted for the bus.

The estimate of 7.5 hours doesn’t include breaks, so it’s really more like 8.5 hours.

Buying Tickets

Since I already had experience with this process, I simply got back on the computer and navigated to PinBus.com. That’s when I saw that only two bus lines traveled between my origin and destination: Expreso Palmira and Empresa Arauca, and only the latter fit my schedule. I followed my travel partner’s advice to avoid the service charges and just buy my “preferential de lujo – Super Estelar” ticket directly from Empresa Arauca’s website.

This time, I didn’t by Trip Insurance. My total was 80,000 COP ($25 as of that day’s exchange rates). I got the payment confirmations and e-ticket via email 🎫✔👍🏾

Just page 1 of 3 – page 2 showed the price, and page 3 showed some repeated information and the seat number

Funny enough, the ticket looked like it was from PinBus.com 🤷🏾‍♂️ I suppose if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Getting to the Bus Terminal

Uber prices in Medellin are markedly and consistently higher than in Barranquilla, but I had to bite the bullet and take Uber anyway because of my luggage.

Terminal del Sur is located next to a little airstrip.

I got to Terminal del Sur with plenty of time to spare. Fortunately, there weren’t too many people in line. I didn’t even have to “check in”… the lady at the service desk said that when ready, I could go directly to the boarding area and show the staff my phone to board the bus.

Just like other full-service Bus Terminals in the cities of Colombia, Terminal del Sur has multiple waiting areas, and many slightly overpriced shops, vendors/assistants jockeying for your attention, and bathrooms for 1,500 COP per use.

I had time to use the bathroom, then buy (and eat) a fruit bowl snack. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, I hadn’t packed any snacks for the long trip, and I was getting hungry.

After sharing a tearful goodbye with my lady, I got into the waiting area and shortly thereafter boarded the bus without any trouble.

The Bus Amenities

The Empresa Arauca but interior and amenities were not as plentiful as those of the Brasilia bus, but still more than adequate 😀👇🏾 For you convenience, I’ve crossed out the ones that were available on Brasilia but NOT Empresa Arauca.

The Empresa Arauca Super Estelar bus has:

  • Air-conditioning
  • Free WiFi
  • Overhead baggage racks
  • A toilet (for #1 only)
  • Mood lighting

Each seat has:

  • Blackout curtains (window seats only, obviously)
  • Trash bags hanging off the side (aisle seats only, obviously)
  • Power outlets for device charging (1 shared between each pair of seats) 🔌
  • Overhead adjustable lights and fans (just like on planes) 💡
  • A TV screen behind every headrest 📺 (but they do have 1 fold-down screen per column of seats… so 2 screens)
  • A cup holder 🥤
  • Plenty of leg room 🦵
  • Adjustable arm rests
  • Cushioned seats that recline. Not as far as the Brasilia bus, but far enough to count.

Aside from occasional random loud chatting (kids), random noises from outside, and the ever-present engine thrum, the ride was fairly quiet. Everyone was respectful, using their headphones to listen to their media. There were no funky odors within the enclosed space 😁

The Missing Luggage Tag

I screwed up by somehow losing one of my orange luggage tags, probably at our 45-minute rest stop.

When we arrived at Palmira’s makeshift/temporary bus “terminal” – really just a parking lot with a few shops, a restaurant, and a temporarily non-functional toilet – the bus driver started offloading suitcases and demanding luggage tags.

That’s when I realized I had somehow misplaced or lost one of my little orange luggage tags! 😨

Panicked, I frantically explained to him – in pretty bad Spanish 😅 that I had lost it, but that the suitcase was DEFINITELY mine. I pointed at the matching combination locks (on my big suitcase that he already gave me, and on the small one still inside).

Hot tip 💡 Put keep your luggage tag in a secure location on your body when you travel.

Although at first, he seemed adamant, refusing to give me the suitcase until I showed him the tag. But after my semi-nonsensical panicked babbling (LOL), I suppose that he saw I was a foreigner and felt bad for me. He let me open the suitcase with my code and identify a few items of in the suitcase. These few moments of certainty seemed to be enough, and he grudgingly gave me my small suitcase.

This reminder is timeless: It’s advisable to LEARN some SPANISH. Cuz lord knows if I hadn’t begged the bus driver – albeit in bad Spanish – to allow me to prove that the small suitcase was mine, I highly doubt I’d have gotten my luggage back! 😆

Last Word

The luggage tag scare was my only “hiccup”. So, in addition to those in the previous article, here are additional hot tips for such trips:

  • LEARN SPANISH!
  • Use combination locks on your luggage
  • Secure your luggage tags on your person, do NOT lose them!

All in all, this 2nd long-distance bus ride was just as good as the first. I wonder what my 3rd one will be!

¡Que tengas viajes seguros!! 🙋🏾‍♂️

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