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Colombia postal service

I want to send a Christmas package to some impoverished children that lived near me when I was living in Ethiopia this past year, but people have been telling me not to bother because: A) it's extremely expensive, even to just send a letter, and B) the likelihood of the children receiving my package is very slim. I know that the rates will be high because it's going to Ethiopia and obviously that's not a common place to send things to from Colombia, but I'm really worried that they will not receive the package (even in Ethiopia, which is a million times more underdeveloped than Colombia, the postal service is quite reliable and your package seems to always arrive with everything in it that was sent to you). I know that sending it express will cost way too much, so would I just be wasting my time and money sending it by normal mail?

By cdunn77 on Nov 12, 2005, 16:45 in Friendly Talkzone.

Mr. Hollywood says on Nov 12, 2005, 18:46:

Yes Might as well just throw it into the river and hope it washes up on the shores of Ethiopia.

A better bet might be to send it to the US or Canada with someone going there who will mail it from there.

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Gator says on Nov 12, 2005, 20:41:

Colombia postal service... SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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maraca says on Nov 13, 2005, 06:40:

Use DHL DHL, FEDEX or IBC (which I think is less expensive) or any of those courriers, otherwise the package will certainly not arrive.

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nicvel says on Nov 13, 2005, 12:52:

Via Cuba Hello!

There is a reliable way to sending things to Africa from Colombia: The Cuban Embassy or Cubana de Aviación offices.

I had much trouble sending things for friends in Liberia and Togo, mucho of it where clothings, kind of office supplies and Colombian candies and similar stuff.

My friends worked with UN and MSF, none of wich oganizations where of much help. Then somenoen pinpointed me to the Cuban agency for thirld wolrd solidarity or something similar you can find in their Bogotá embassy.

In such way i was able to send my fiends their goods, much of wich was for their personal use, not really for solidarity.

It is not cheap, but is very reliable.

I hope you ahve luck with it.

Saludos!

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