adrimm has left 2294 comments

adrimm comments on hostles and 3 small children

How old are the children? I think Platypus is a good shot - A few of well-behaved little'uns would probably have been popular with the group of travellers that was at staying there while I was there. If he thinks it may not work out, German will probably have some good sugestions of where it might.

adrimm comments on

This is not a dating site.

adrimm comments on I Am So Happy For The Metro Cable (Line J)

Nope... I looks like it may be a French (originally french) multinational called Poma. their website: http://www.poma.net/english/index.html And a 2004 newsletter showing the inaugration of a cable line in *2004*.. Are they alphabetical.. would the 2004 line have been "Line A"? http://www.poma.net/english/actualite/info/info12/info12.pdf

adrimm comments on I want to Learn How to Cook Sushi

mmmm sushi..... sorry have no clue, but I know what I am having for lunch tommorow.

adrimm comments on Safety of Cartagena-Medellin and Medellin-Pereira buses?

Too true Gator.

adrimm comments on Safety of Cartagena-Medellin and Medellin-Pereira buses?

First, despite what i say below Colombias overland bus industry is very well developed (millions of passengers, lots of companies).. and road conditions have improved over the years (guard rails, etc). Now, I don't know these two particultar roads, but from my experience elsewhere in Colombia I think that if you already consider mountain highways in North America dangerous Colombian mountain highways may quite dangerous to you. Many drivers, especially of the smaller buses and vans, are also risk-takers (chicken when they can). But as windy as the roads are, and foolish as some drivers are there still don't seem to be as many accidents as I would expect.. which tells me that there really are some good drivers out there. Buses these days seem to be equiped with a digital read-out in the passenger cabin showing the speed. If the bus goes faster than 80 km per hour a beeping alarm is heard. If you are saftey-conscious I'd stick exclusively with the biggest bus company, and avoid the minibuses and vans like a plague. The coaches simply can't take the high grades and curves at as high velocity, and they are very comfortable to ride in. http://www.copetran.com.co/index3.php?idioma=1

adrimm comments on 1000 Tombs Discovered in Bogota (Natl Geo article)

I'm wandering around to see what I can find online - the associated press has a video: http://www.aptnvideo.net/pages/browse/player/player_script.jsp;jsessionid=4061BE11C49BDF5BF5EDB99C0A972614?item=89758

adrimm comments on Malaria Pills for Leticia - where can I pick some up in Medellin?

I didn;t take any Malaria pills - but I was there less than a week. The Colombia Malaria map that my doctor had indicated that although it is Malaria climate, Leticia has low incidence, and is low-risk.

adrimm comments on Buying a Colombian SIM card etc.

I bought one from Comcel, I needed a local address (my cousin) and official ID (passport). Took about 25 mins.

adrimm comments on Dubai World eyes investment possibilities in Colombia

I'd venture to say that many are indirectly invested in Colombia via multinationals operating there. I can think of several Canadian mining companies opertating in Colombia.

adrimm comments on My trip to Chiclayo and I am now a Novio..I got sick and thank you PBH members..

Cold winters are one more excuse to curl up in front of a fire after a fun day outdoors. Tobogganing, ice-skating, snow angels, skiing, snow-shoeing.. all good hearty fun.

adrimm comments on Dubai World eyes investment possibilities in Colombia

Very interesting. Good for the economic interests in Colombia to be diversified.

adrimm comments on Updated the rules

Thanks for the update Peter!

adrimm comments on leticia to bogota

what situation? I was there in November it was awesome. I flew with Satena.. Aerorepublica still flies there - the flights are only about 1 hour apart. Some competition is great. One of the girls where I stayed in town (Letica - Los Delfines) had just come up from Manaus and I accompanied her on her fare-search. I don't remember what she ended up paying for her one-way, but the best price was from the airline counter at the airport in Leticia. Poco - you can't walk to Peru from Leticia, you have to go across the river to a little native town called Santa Rosa. You can walk to Tabatinga (Brasil). You can spend the day circling between Santa Rosa, Tabatinga & Letica and nothing extra is required. The local communities are quite close - people flip from portuguese to spanish radio, events in one community are advertised in the other two and people come to them. Papers are not checked for either trip since they are all end-of-line trips (each community is only accessible by river boat or plane). . Before moving further into any of the three countries from one of the others, it is on the traveller to seek out where they get an exit stamp and an entry stamp, because it is at the airport or the river boats where they *do* check papers. Also foreigners flying out of Leticia to Bogota (even if they flew in from Bogota) need a DAS stamp on their boarding pass (not passport). The DAS office has an irregular lunch schedule so it can be very inconvenient.

adrimm comments on Movie About Colombia's Beginings

I'll bet that Caracol or RCN probably have historical telenovelas or films..

adrimm comments on Spanish Spoken Here??

*la* problema.......methinks it is *el* problema El problema is that there is no translation, only for the the attempted "pit" part. Let's reverse it, and say it was a bag in Spanish "with English" translation. It would read: Dulce con semilla/with bone *****Ciruelas Secas Grandes (or something like it)***** Ciruelas secas

adrimm comments on Camping in Colombia

Thanks all.. (real answers woohoo) I suppose if I had to choose I'd pick the wild camping at a decent elevation over the "tour company & piped showers" with huts. I actually like communing with nature in peace- as long as there aren't too many bugs around. Sharing a popular place with screaming kids and manicured gardens isn't my thing. Damn.. I really can't afford to go again soon but I *really* really want to!

adrimm comments on what monthly rent can I expect to pay in Bogota?

I suppose to each their own, but I stayed in a hostel in Bogota for a few days a couple of years back and had a blast. I even triend to scheme a way to justify staying there again this past trip (I have relatives in Bogota), but there just wasn't time. Some of the hostels have boards advertising, rooms, shared home, & apartment rentals too, so maybe do the hostel thing for a few days until you can get your bearings and find an alternative. I think that piezas are still pretty common. My uncle rents one out at his place (not Bogota)... it's the sort of situation where one becomes very grateful that the # of bathrooms in an apartment or house in Colombia often matches the # if bedrooms.

adrimm comments on Camping in Colombia

Yeah thanks guys. I know there are mountaineering & outdoorsy Colombians out there, but clearly few of them frequent sites like this.

adrimm comments on University disturbances: 4 Police Officers Burnt in Neiva

Anyone (not just students) should be allowed to protest, but protesting must be done peacefully. There is actually a little group fof people in my community who protest something different every 2 weeks. From April to October, at 9 am on odd Saturdays they can be found marching up one of the streets in downtown with banners, signs and tambourines. Same people but they change different causes, every two weeks. It's great.

adrimm comments on University disturbances: 4 Police Officers Burnt in Neiva

Of course protests should be allowed, but violence should be punished severely. All involved should have the discipline to keep it violence-free. That said I suppose that when people start getting in each other's face it can be challenging to maintain the hands-off.

adrimm comments on Camping near Bogotá

I have a fuzzy memory of seeing what looked like a European campervan / Class B RV on this last trip... don't ask me where though.

adrimm comments on University disturbances: 4 Police Officers Burnt in Neiva

I think it happens in cycles. My mother says that there were alot of violent demonstrations at La Nacional in the 60s. She recalls one incident where acid was dumped on police officers, blinding them permanently. On this last trip, chatting with one of my cousins she mentioned that "the students" did X and Y.. had a lot of control over campus, and not always in constructive ways. She was mentioning that student housing was an issue and that the residences on many campuses were practically unlivable becuase many students trashed them. I suggested deposits and she said the students would riot over being required to give a deposit for their housing!! (?!!) .. IMHO, permanently & intentionally injuring someone is criminal. The universities there need to get a tighter grip. Those students should be expelled and blacklisted from all universities for a few years.

adrimm comments on Camping near Bogotá

Cool.. What is camping in Colombia like? Can you find real bush-camping sorts of places with lots of forest & private, well treed camp spots with outhouses & river-bathing.... or does it tend to be more manicured & landscaped "wilderness" sites scattered on fields, with bath-house showers and flush toilets nearby?

adrimm comments on A few Bogota photos:

Nice photos - thank you for sharing! I love the little boy on the training wheels.

adrimm comments on Seeking Kind Advise - Bogota Bed and Breakfast

Best wishes brasi, let us know how it goes. It is always interesting to hear people's first-time impressions of Bogota.

adrimm comments on "Mí Tío" - now in postproduction/film in Salento

I can attest to Bufalo's american roots, citizen of the world that I feel he is, the accent gives origins away. I'm sure he heard mine too. It's weird to suddenly hear one when one is chatting IRL.... when I read people I can't layer on accents at all until after meeting them.

adrimm comments on Spotty-grainy photo of one of the Tiger Paw Hostel rooms but...

Medellin, and he even has a google map link on the website!

adrimm comments on What do you think is the best schedule for Ciclovia in Bogotá and elsewhere??

http://www.examiner.com/a-663447~No_cars_on_Sunday__Maybe.html http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=egbad http://www.cyclovia.org/ (Australia)

adrimm comments on What do you think is the best schedule for Ciclovia in Bogotá and elsewhere??

Ciclovia is one of the best things that Bogota has going for it.. I can't emphasize how much that enriches the quality of life for everyone... Bogota has managed alot of things that other cities haven't and wish they could, this is one of them. If anything the should set up secure bike parking around restaurants on sundays so people can bike to the restaurant then bike home. Ciclovia es de las mejores cosas que ofrece Bogota. No puedo espressar a lo que hace ciclovia para mejorar la calidad de vida para todos los ciuadnos de Bogota. Ademas, Bogota es una ciudad que a logrado cosas que otras ciudades no han podido, pero les gustaria y esta es una. Deberian es hacer parquederos los domingos cerca a el commercia para que todos pueden ir en bici a almorzar tranquillos que la bicicleta no se les vaya a desaparecer.

adrimm comments on "Mí Tío" - now in postproduction/film in Salento

Cool.. I was wondering if this was it. I'm so glad that you are making it. Geez I have one of the schedule books sitting right here, I wish I could just give it to you!!! Things to remember the double digit routes are the ones that skip stations & go fastest, look by colours and then the stations. http://www.transmilenio.gov.co/nuevapagina/index.asp?id=430

adrimm comments on Spotty-grainy photo of one of the Tiger Paw Hostel rooms but...

Looks fabulous Brian... I could crawl into oneof those beds this minute. Love the paw-print pillow.

adrimm comments on "Mí Tío" - now in postproduction/film in Salento

Aurgh... no.... it is soo slow. weekends and evenings when schedules permit with my friend but it is inching along. I've also had to develop some graphics and digital models so that has been time-consuming too (my computer is crapping out so I have to use my work computer which is *such* a drag nothing worse than staying another hour when you've already been there 7 or 8). I am pleased to say that although I was really daunted at first it's not so bad now and I am starting to get excited. edit: I confess that first morning in Bogota I was tempted to stay in bed and forget the whole thing.. but I am so glad I didn't becuase despite the long hours it was a really fun & postive experience for me.... with more to come.

adrimm comments on Bogotá, Capital mundial del Libro, Book fair, Japan is the invited country.

Very cool webmanco. I have yet to go the the book fair in Bogota but hopefully one of my future trips will coincide.

adrimm comments on TRIP REPORT..........MEDELLIN TO VENEZUELA.........

If Cucuta were indeed the safest part of Colombia, then all those nice girls wouldn't be nearly as interested in foreigners as they appear to be. Cucuta (and increasingly the outskirts of Bucaramanga) is one of the regions that has been hard-hit by lots of displazadors.. and in Cucuta there is the double economic whammy of the changes in the Venezuelan economy. Watch yourself leaving the ATMs. Aide from that sound like you had a good ride, the scenery through the high parts is stunning.. right before you get the first toll on the plateaus it reminds me of the stony cool hills in Ireland or something

adrimm comments on "Mí Tío" - now in postproduction/film in Salento

OMG.. but you don't have any weight to lose!! Take care of yourself man. Best wishes, where are you these days? Still in Col? Where will this be released?

adrimm comments on Are You A True Colombian?

First, I can't say that despite a lot of reading, other than knowing she is a kind, compassionate and very intelligent person I can't say that I know Kat super well (this is the internet)...BUT given her experience and obvious comfort with another language and culture I do NOT think that Kat could be the same quintessential colombian woman as a quintessential colombian woman who has never lived abroad. As Kat thinks that I probably have a similar perspective to that of her children I suspect that she is probably like my mother, initially pure Colombian, but from absorbing, understanding, & even adopting culture and values of her new land is now unique blend of Colombian + other. In addition to seeing Colombia through the lens of a Colombian, I am sure (as my mother does), evaluates certain aspects of Colombia very differently to what a quintessential Colombian might. .

adrimm comments on Seeking Kind Advise - Bogota Bed and Breakfast

From what I read in the OP this person is planning to stay in Colombia for a year or so, and needs a decent hotel/apartment/location to crash for the first few weeks while they familiarise themselves with the city and manage to rent or lease an apartment. The question was to vet a couple of locations (probably from the same website) for the first few weeks... and if their intention was to advertise, well, a couple of us agree that even the better of the two is in bland & sterile area.

adrimm comments on Are You A True Colombian?

Bufalo... very true and insightful. I had some Colombianism in my life growing up (primarily the Spanish & primera communion bride-dress no food, no quinecanera), but I don't identify as Colombian... Similarly to RJ I identify as the child of an immigrant, in my case a Colombian immigrant. My mother is still immensly proud to be Colombian, but acknowledges that in culture, values, and expectations she now caught somewhere in the middle between both cultures. No longer quite Colombian, but still always a foreigner in Canada. Exiles/expat is interesting becuase you can have parents that are exiles/expats, while their child born & raised whereever they are is not an exile/expat... until the parents take the child to their own homeland.

adrimm comments on Are You A True Colombian?

What is a Colombian born/raised* in exile? I'd put anyone with Colombian heritage into the category of whatever their homeland actually is plus with *some* Colombianism.. the amount ranging based on factors like if parents integrated with new community, or stayed within the Colombian communtiy of whereever they landed. * raised includes your living memory. So if one were born in Colombian and moved elsewhere before late toddlerhood then you where raised elsewhere.

adrimm comments on Seeking Kind Advise - Bogota Bed and Breakfast

For your first few weeks: Simply for location, I'd choose the Salitre location over Modelia, especially if you will be going into more central parts of the city more frequently. Salitre is closer to the central parts of town and considered very nice in Colombia. Personally I find it a bit sterile and bland compared to more established parts of the city. The mall is nice enough, but it's a mall with all limitations that malls have (vs lively shopping streets & store fronts). The only other shops are mostly along 22B. Also you'll be cabbing it or taking the busetas to get around from there.. They haven't installed TransMilenio in the area yet. For your main location, I'd actually suggest not going too far North. I would;t go any further than Calle 90 or so.. actually I like Chapinero and would probably land closer to Calle 63. There are locations around central Cra 7, especially just east up the slope, that are very nice and far more convenient for living everyday life. Once you arrive I'd hire a Taxi to take you on drive weaving up and down between just shy of the Circunvalar and Avenida Caracas from about Calle 50 to Calle 90.

adrimm comments on Mom and dad stores cheaper than big supermarkets. La tienda de la esquina

That's great. I hope Colombia never starts to subsidize factory farms, so that the local mom & pop places can stay competitive with the mass-scale supermercados.

adrimm comments on Understanding the weather.

Yup.. and there is a thread for almost every region of the world, plus forums for international chat (where as usual, discussons can be difficult because the word that means one thing to people in one area means several somethings slightly different to people elsewhere). Aside from that, the continental and country fourms are a fun thing for armchair travellers to get a taste of what cities elsewhere look like. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/

adrimm comments on

The texture of the bread in Colombia is different, it tears differently. I wonder why.. if someone has a recipe it will be interesteing to compare how it differs to a few recipes I have here. I think that traditional english cuisine, with about 25% more meat and made from organic and natural ingredients, would go over reasonably well many parts of the Colombia.. but the more formal meal (ie proper roast dinner) maybe viewed as overly simplistic since each dish is largely only one item, rather than a mixture. Stews, meat pies, pasties, open sandwiches, bangers & mash would do well.

adrimm comments on Understanding the weather.

Pick a region & city & go: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=243507

adrimm comments on Some recent Avianca announcements

Guayaquil is supposed to be quite nice.. a friend of mine was there last summer and really enjoyed it.

adrimm comments on

don't feed the trolls!

adrimm comments on

Don't feed the trolls

adrimm comments on blogs about Colombia

Indian 20-something girl's year-long experience living in Colombia: http://naaz.nomadlife.org/past/2005_04_01_archive.aspx

adrimm comments on Going to Leticia and need help!

A promo video from the National Park (hand-held) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJe_tj4DdIs