"Los minutos"

Like elsewhere, in Colombia you have phone boxes (see picture at the very background). Like elsewhere, phone boxes are in decline because of the extensive use of mobile phones. Unlike elsewhere, In Colombia you have a mobile phonebox. "Los Minutos" is someone sitting in the middle of the road with a few mobile phones available for those who needs to make a quick call. That's simple enough. A good idea in fact, if you do not own a mobile phone. However, it is very likely that those people using los minutos actually have their own mobile phone. And that's because it is actually cheaper than calling from your own phone, it's only 200 pesos per minute (about 7 cents of 1 Euro).

All Colombians, at least in urban areas, have a mobile phone. I have also seen people with 2. However, if you see someone on the phone while walking or shopping or working you can bet they are receiving and not calling out.

Remember, in Colombia people make calls at "los minutos". The fact that's officially illegal is another story...