How to Earn Money Teaching English in Colombia

Dancers in Cartagena, Colombia

 In early 2012, I decided to head to the beautiful country of Colombia to teach and travel. I had a wonderful experience and had the chance to meet lovely people and see spectacular places.

Lots of people would love to try out teaching in Latin America. However, they are reluctant to make that jump for three main reasons: there's very little information out there, they're worried about safety and they've heard about the very low pay in many Latin countries.

If you want to teach in Latin America, Colombia's a good choice. That's because the country has some of the best pay rates in the region and that there are plenty of jobs to be had. One can stay for as long as they want. For those with an adventurous spirit who are willing to put in hard work, the opportunities are endless. Here, you can meet fellow foreigners who were very successful at starting their own businesses.

Colombia's for the more independent worker. If you need someone to hold your hand, Colombia's not the place for you. However, if you like freedom of movement and opportunity, then Colombia's a good place to get started.

Learn more about my personal experience from my blog post.

What types of jobs are available? What qualifications do I need?

Enjoying Colombia's Coffee Region

Going to the coffee region in Colombia was one of the most memorable parts of my travels in that country. I went there when my mother came to visit me in July 2012. I can't believe it has almost been a year!

We traveled to this part of Colombia after exploring Bogota, the capital city. This was the most challenging leg of our trip, hands down. That's because we ran into a major problem not long after arriving. I'll talk about that later.

 



My mom posing by the shuttle to Salento

In the morning, we got our things ready and took a taxi to the bus terminal in Bogota. We had booked a place to stay in the tiny town of Salento. However, there were no direct buses, so we had to take a bus to Armenia, the closest big city.

The trip took about 9 hours and the ride had impressive views of the mountains in Colombia. It was windy/loopy, however. Headache medicine if useful for those who get dizzy!

From the bus terminal in Armenia, we had to go to the back of the terminal and go outside where we could take a smaller shuttle to Salento. For a few bucks, we could take the shuttle and arrive to Salento in about 40 minutes.





Salento, Quindio, Colombia

The shuttle took us to the main square of the small town. It looked very simple and had a beautiful backdrop of the mountains surrounding it.

Exploring the main square

When we got there, we went to find the hostel since we arrived in the evening. We eventually snapped some photos of the main square and in front of a statue of Simon Bolivar. Looking around, it was very touristy and there were a bunch of shops, restaurants and bars around the main square and along the side streets. You could see plenty of tourists among the locals.

We did just a tad bit of shopping. I knew I would need a pair of sneakers, so I bought one pair of those along with a pair of sunglasses. They sold all of the typical stuff that you'd find in touristy shops in South America, including the clothes, souvenirs, etc.

We didn't interact with many locals, but they were certainly warmer than the people in Bogota.

From the "Love Motel" to the Apartment

Ahh, now I can finally settle in.

First I flew to California, then to Seoul, Korea. The final 13 hour flight was on Singapore Airlines, which I recommend. Comfortable seats, tasty snacks, good meals and a large selection of recent movies and television shows. My flight wasn't full, so I had three seats to myself. It was as good as it was going to get!

In Seoul, it took about 20 minutes for me to find the guy with my name on the sign. He arrived a bit late. The man gave me a bus ticket and the next thing I knew, my big bags were under a bus and we were on our way to Suwon. The teacher I replaced hadn't left yet, which meant I had to stay elsewhere for a few days. Yes, the school took care of that.

Nice sofa! Unfortunately, the lips and the bed were a bit hard

We got off the bus, got into his car and drove to my hotel. It was really what they call a "Love Motel," a common sight in Korea. Most young Koreans live with their parents until they get married. When they date, the logistics of love become tricky. So, a love motel is the perfect place to ... ahem ... really get to know your boyfriend or girlfriend. I know what you're thinking. Be assured that they're not dirty or grimy at all. Or, at least none that I've seen are like that -- and I've stayed in quite a few.

My room came with with a large bed, a sofa made to look like lips, a computer for internet access, and an HD TV with the standard channels plus softcore porn (hardcore porn is banned in Korea). These places always give out bags of goodies which include condoms, douches, perfumes and skin creams. My room also had a message-type bathtub, a shower and a sit-down shower.

My Life in Buenos Aires: A Throwback Post

While I'm getting settled in Korea, let's talk about my very first adventure overseas: Buenos Aires, Argentina!

The famous "El caminito" In the Boca neighborhood

Here is my experience as an exchange student in Buenos Aires, along with pictures!