Micro-entrepreneurs

The Colombians have a reputation of being business minded and entrepreneurial. Here are some examples of micro-services that are provided in the street:
In Cartagena, men walk around with boiling hot coffee in thermos bottles. For 0,30 USD, you can get a plastic cup with delicious coffee in the street. A small espresso size cup costs half – who needs Starbucks with guys like these?
Women sell candy and chewing gum by the piece from little stalls in the street. I bought two candies for 0,025 USD each.
In all of Colombia, people sell mobile phone minutes. These sellers wear coloured vests with a big poster advertising the price for renting a mobile phone for one minute - prices vary by location. In the busier streets, they tie the phones with long cords to their body, to prevent anyone from running off with one of the phones.
I encounter the most creative micro-service in Medellin. A man with a scale is in the middle of popular Plaza Botero. For 0,60 USD I step on the scale and check my weight for the first time in two months. The man reads the weight for me and happily announces it not only to me, but to everyone else in earshot. Luckily, I'm just within my target weight and embarrassment is avoided.