andresumana has left 44 comments

andresumana comments on Last few hostel rooms being auctioned off for peak season in Sta Marta

hey patrick i just uploaded the info of your hostel in http://www.colombia4you.com take a look and if you have some kind of correction just tellme
c u there

andresumana comments on Last few hostel rooms being auctioned off for peak season in Sta Marta

hey patrick i just uploaded the info of your hostel in http://www.colombia4you.com take a look and if you have some kind of correction just tellme
c u there

andresumana comments on Dr. Nicolas Amastha Amastha feedback

There is a vast offer of all kind of treatments here in Colombia But is better that you find the finest doctors available
this is the link http://www.cirugiaplastica.org.co/ of the Colombian society of plastic surgery its in spansih

my uncle is one of the foundators, so if you need any help pls contactme, in the futre wi will open a special part in our page to this medical-touristic issue
another link: http://www.susmedicos.com/cirujanos_plasticos_colombia.htm

http://www.colombia4you.com



http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Dr. Andres Mejia, Fernando Vega, Dr. Juan Camillo Norena in Bogota! PLEASE HELP

antoher link http://www.susmedicos.com/cirujanos_plasticos_colombia.htm
this are the certified doctors of plastic surgery maybe you can find them there


http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Dr. Andres Mejia, Fernando Vega, Dr. Juan Camillo Norena in Bogota! PLEASE HELP

There is a vast offer of all kind of treatments here in Colombia But is better that you find the finest doctors available
this is the link http://www.cirugiaplastica.org.co/ of the Colombian society of plastic surgery its in spansih

my uncle is one of the foundators, so if you need any help pls contactme, in the futre wi will open a special part in our page to this medical-touristic issue

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Travel guide and book

if you can change some blog rules for that reports it will be great and also add a pdf converter to the core
we have the same goals i hope we can join efforts in this touristic promotion

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on looking for writers about Colombian travel and living info for a new guide and emagazine

Upssss yea its http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Ciudad Perdida

Tks for sharing it i was traying to send you an email but in your profile is not possible to send you emails. i just dont like to apear like a spam guy.
i realy enjoyied your report, now im new in PHB cuz im trying to find athmospheres where the colombia issue is the main reason, why? i just finished a website that is meant for all those writers who want to share their expeirence or their living here.
so if you want to publish it in a e-magazine just tell me and if you want we can add some pictures and videos too

cheers,

Andres
http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on US Citizen comtemplating marrying a Colombiana and moving to Bogota

If you marry her it will be easy for you to get the working visa, there is a section in this webpage that you can read about it or you can find information in this link
http://www.consuladodecolombia.com/visas%20conyuge.htm is in spanish
i read that it takes 3 days to study your case

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Planning on budget-retirement in Bogota

I think for you is better to hire a lawyer for all the legal stuff you need, because you are away and is dificult to trust in companys and more the ones that are on the net. i dont know the good ones but i will make a search and ask your questions. thats a matter that is important for my website too.
i hope you can make it and that your husband feel nice here

the granparents of my doughter made the same, the live very nice with their belgian pension, they can afford traveling a lot and luxuries like golf club.

the aguardiente and asado sounds great!

cheers,

Andres

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Planning on budget-retirement in Bogota

Maybe my bills are too high i have my office in my apartment so 3 or 4 computers plus a notebook are always ON and i really like long hot wather showers. but those prices are what i have to pay. i think she is planning a retirement so i think she is thinking into bring her family, i didnt talk about rentals because i dont know the prices.
and of course there is the marvelous "ejecutivo" that only cost $3500.oo but that is mostly for people who work or is to lazy for cooking and they have no intention into spend to much money in the lounch (like me some times). the prices that i put for fast food are like big restaurants chains cuz you can find a hotdog or an hamburger in the streets between $2500.oo to $5000.oo

"On another note, you eat seafood dinners every day and they're delivered?"
one of good think about bogota are the "domicilios" you can ask whatever you want by phone and its delivered 5 minutes later most of the time no charge just a tip that usaly is like $400 or $500, all the barrios haves their own shop called "cigarreria" you can buy there from vegetables, food packs, drinks, bread, cigars to Writeble CD and things the kids need to make their homeworks done thats funny but is true. they manage to have all the things that you need most there is also a "drogueria" drugstore that delivers anythig you need too, also the bread store delivers to you. i think thats nice my sister lives in Italy and she always say that it will be great to have all those services there.


http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on US Citizen comtemplating marrying a Colombiana and moving to Bogota

I live here quite well If you get out of this country becuse you didnt find success that doesnt mean anything, i know lot of people that desides to stay in the country or decides to move here because they find more oportunities than in their own contry full of competence. Come to bogota, have a look, see what kind of living you can make here, not comparing ur income in USD with COP, Look what that money you could earn can buy, and i know you will find that is a reliable option. why colombians who left and have money are comming back from the states???, cuz the live so much better here than there. there is more oportunites for investment and as i say there is so much to do?

gomezman "you like being poor? (By American standaards)" i have my own apartment, a country side house, my own car, i can travel 1 - 2 year to europe and more to the states. thats a "colombian standard" for a succesfull professional worker - so if you are so unsatisfied with your past here, stay there but dont advice others that their are going to be poor cuz that is just simply funny.

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Beautiful country, yes. Beautiful people, ?

When i see some one doing that in trasmilenio i aproach them and say "amigo, ¡eso de vivir en la cuidad debe ser dificil! no? ¿eso de vivir rodeado de gente, de carros y de buses? ¿eso de hacer fila y tener paciencia le debe costar trabajo? of course with a big smile and talkig with a volume others can hear. all the people laught and the usally get colored try to find some words but they put reverse and do the line

translation "hey pal, living in the city must be hard for you! dont you think? living surrounded by people, by cars, by buses? making lines and have the patcience must be very hard for you?

thats they way i doit and im not beeing afraid into getting shooted

and im talking about Bogota, every day you will see the people taking efforts in to make it a civic place to live.

we need a lot to do but we are doing it

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on US Citizen comtemplating marrying a Colombiana and moving to Bogota

Theres a lot of things to do with your career here The media in colombia is gorwing fast and it needs people like you that brings technical knowledge

For sure you will find a teaching job in any private univesity that teach comunication sciences, advertising, media production and related ones.

Also you can find a job in the advertising bussines or in the TV production.
the city has also musical studios where you can serach

Bogota is a big city, and if your GF haves conections it will be easy for you to find something. the argentina experience you had can be an insight for what is to live in a big and cosmopolitan city in South america, but the economical situation is diferent here from BA a few years ago that city was rebulding itself from a huge economical depression. so i know that would be dificult to find some job back then. now i think BA is better.
Bogota haves a lot of developing going on and there is so much to do so i know you will be ok.

Bienvenido


http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Planning on budget-retirement in Bogota

If he is planning living here is becuase he already have been searching, if he is a retired person for sure his pension will do more here than there.
ill try to give you some budget of estrato 4

A new aprtment can be arround $160.000.000.oo COP 120mt2 aprox
A 2 hand apartment can be arround $ 70.000.000.oo COP 120mt2 aprox

Public services

energy $ 140.000.oo COP month
Water $ 250.000.oo COP 2 month
gas $ 20.000.oo month
Phone TV and internet cable $ 154.000.oo for 512kbs and basic cable tv no premium packs
Administracion apartamento (dot know the therm in english) depend of the numer of the apartments that share the cuote but i think it can be around $ 120.000.oo to $250.000.oo
Food in exito or carrefour for 4 can be around $ 500.000.oo
A fast food meal around $7.000.oo to $ 15.000.oo per person
A restaurant meal (not fancy) $12.000.oo to $20.000.oo per person
A nice restaurant meal $ 20.000.oo to $ 60.000.oo per person
A basic car (new) 1.400cc 90-100bhp around $ 30.000.000.oo - $37.000.000.oo 40-60 Kms per galon
A used car 1400cc $ 15.000.oo to $26.000.000.oo
Gas $5.665,22 pesos per galon (3,78 litres).
Public Praking slot between $ 800.oo to $ 2500.oo depending on the zone you are is usuall to find max $ 8000 per day in the expensive park lots

If you have some more question just ask

those prices are for Bogota
i hope it can be usefull

Andres

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on algun colombiano en italia?

La mitad de mi generacion en mi Familia esta en Italia Mi hermana y dos primos hermanos viven actualmente en italia, cada uno se fue en diferentes periodos para hacer su vida profesional alli, Como muchos han dicho no hubo alfombras rojas ni mucho menos, pero ellos se adaptaron bien y cada uno hizo su vida y viven bien, mi hermana vive en torino, es casada con un cantante de opera tambien Colombiano, tienen dos hijas preciosas y debido a la carrera de el es dificil pensar que viviran en Colombia, de todas maneras ellos progresan dia a dia, tienen su carro y acaban de comprar su apartamento, estan integrados en la vida torinense y tienen buenos amigos. Mis 2 primos viven en Roma, son diseñadores, trabajan mucho pero ven los resultados de su trabajo y cada dia veo que es para ellos mas dificil volver que quedarse. obviamente extrañan a su pais y a su familia, tendran quejas de la burocracia y de algunas cosas
pero eso es normal.

por mi lado yo quiero irme a vivir alli se que no va ser dificil ya tengo la experiencia de ellos y ademas he tenido la oportunidad de visitarlos y quedarme un buen tiempo. estoy seguro que en Italia hay gente increible y abierta de corazon, los he conocido y me han ayudado a buscar posibilidades. las generealizaciones no sirven para nada y creo que es injusto hacerlas cuando nosotros somos generalizados muchas veces por ser colombianos.

Mientras tus actos y tu comportamiento sean buenos no tienes por que estar pendiente de que piensan otros. Mi familia ha salido adelante y es exitosa, a muchos les dara envidia pero es solo eso simplemente envidia.

A todos los que viven en italia un saludo muy grande, desde la distancia los acompaño y espero que encuentren el exito.

Andres

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Beautiful country, yes. Beautiful people, ?

"Are they afraid of being shot for standing up for their rights" that kind of aproches are so out of place!!
may i will get shoot easily from another citizen in the US where have a gun is not a big deal.

one of the things i have noticed in all the travel forums i read, is that "the great people of colombia" is a characteristic and the impression is always positive.

"That was just one observation of well over 100 that I’ve seen this year" in every big city in the world you will find 100 examples in a day, Paris, NYC, LA, London.
But if you are in Bogota that is the Bigest and the Coldest it will be more easy to find some one who helpyou and who whant to talk with you.

I live in Bogota, im single and one of the things that i enjoy more is that i can go outside, and start a conversation with out a problem with some one of my age, I lived in italy for a wile and i thought them were going be the same y was wrong.

If you are looking for the contry of the huggy bears this is not the place and i doubt you wont find it either


http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on

the last one is my website nothing to do with that =S

andresumana comments on

I found them here if you want to take a look http://www.nationmaster.com/red/country/co-colombia/mil-military&all=1

http://www.nationmaster.com/red/country/ve-venezuela/mil-military&all=1

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on visita a santa marta

Try this link 50 min of santa marta
i find this hotel amazing maybe it can be what you are looking foor

http://www.koralia.com/html_eng/index.html

Accommodation includes all meals.

Standard Room...................US $75 (+ 10% Tax) per person per night
Suites..................................US $85 (+ 10% Tax) per person per night
Camping..............................US $40 (+ 10% Tax) per person per night


visit http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Distance and driving

Medellin - Monteria 392kms Monteria - Cartagena 150kms
the begining of the road is not in the best shape and is all mountain so the distance speed can be like 40 - 60kms when you hit the plane it will be more easy and fast

I think is like a 7-9 hour travel, i take that road long time ago but i read recently some post in LP that talk about the conditions of the road

cheers

Andres

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Hotels in La Candelaria?

Try Abadia Colonial http://www.abadiacolonial.com/
i stayed there, the owner is an italian who felt in love of la candelaria, he bought 2 old houses and refurbished very well,

the hotel is very beautifull, romantic and is in the heart of la candelaria

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Guide to Providencia

Great guide peter I lived in San Andres when i was a boy, so i know the island changed a lot and i didnt visted anymore.

If you can, try to put some pictures it will be more intresting (i love pictures lol!)

cheers

Andres

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on New moderator

Congrats Desi Is nice to find people from outside ready to give their time into a blog like this that need a lot of effort to contain and also to let it flow keeping the balance that makes it so particular and intresting.

I know you will doit great.

Buena suerte

Andres

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Want Furnished Apartment Cartagena March 2007

I think it will be more Higher if your plan is going to the touristic areas to live Bocagrande, Laguito, Manga, or the old city.
i know they are a lot of rentals in the city for the touristc seasson so you can find those now to much more expensive for mading a budget but if you are going in feb the prices will be more cheaper and if you sign a contract maybe they respect the cheaper charges cuz is better to have a continous rental than a seasson rental.

Im not from cartagena but i think thats the way it is
Im going to be in cartagena this seasson and im going to research about the prices and talk with some owners cuz i just finished a clasified section in my webpage

maybe i can help you wile im there


http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on

what would happene if gringos stopped going to europe 50yrs ago? -for arthur-

have a toughth on that?, the world maybe so diferent that maybe now you will be asking why they dindt went overseas

If they come to the contry bringing economy and bringing develompent

welcome all the intrested ones


http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on

Colombia is a pain in the a** for Chavez plans too Colombia is the bigest country in population in the north of the continent and the diference is huge compared to Venezuela´s population (facts that matter in the case of a war), also the economy of the 2 countrys are very diferent
Colombia has built its own not centering it into the oil money, Venezuela has been mading this for decades. Venezuela needs the Colombian exports to feed them selfs an of course colombian industry need that money. so the relationship is very important for both in therms of economics.

In therms of military capability Colombia has a 152.000 armed personal and venezuela has 56.000, becuase the military conflict in COL the army personal haves much more combat experience and i thik more skills.

For Chaves the close relationship that COl has with the US goverment and the amount of aids that recives from them, must be a metter of concern, what will do their 50 brand new MIGs if an US aircraft carrier comes to backup Colombia? i think Chaves and Venezuela doesnt have the enough power to even think going into a war.

Thats why we will contiue to hear his crazy words and he will continue to unstabilize the colombian conflicts with the actual methods he is using giving shelter to the terrorist groups and supporting the weapon trafic into the country.

So Colombia is the pain in the ass for Chavez cuz with out this actual balance he will have a more open continent to export his revolution (that doesnt has anything with the thoughts of Boliviar cuz in the first place we wasnt a comunist)

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Will Medellin be dead around Christmas(Dec 16 -25)?

Medellin is a very tourstic place i think the place will be great this days also you can travel to manizales to the feria, that is an awsome party every where


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andresumana comments on defy the odds

"guerrillas" corrected Any other inteligent and enlighting thing you want to add Desi?

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andresumana comments on Scarface - new DVD Edition

Bolvians started to produce Cocaine Thats a history fact
is you want i can enlight you with that

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on homeless

"First place, the FARC is a Colombian problem and must in the final analysis be resolved by Colombians. North Americans are willing to assist but cannot assume the responsibility of your people and your government.

Second point I will like to make is that we would lose all of our friends in Colombia if we landed American troops there and commenced full scale attacks against FARC.

Also, much of the American Left perceive the problem as a civil war and thus we should stay out of the conflict entirely. The US government would find itself in the midst of a huge domestic crisis"

when i was talking about chile, argentina and central america, i was talking about the Regan age, where CIA where involved into eliminate all the "comunist treat" in latin america aparently they dindt so much in that time where the movment was begining in Colombian lands.

But we have to remember that USA invaded panama not so long ago and the intention was to pull out Noriega the president of their goverment.
if you put it that way you have to think about that
US invaded afganistan to fight the taliban
and taliban was an Afganistan problem.
Sadam was a problem of Irak.


FARC and paramilitary movments are a problem for the United States, they are supporting the drug production, and i think thats a weapon of social destruction and as i sayd before all those dollars that bussines produce are comnig here and are buying corruption, bullets and bringing violence to Colombia.

I know the US goverment is providing ways to help the Colombian armed forces to fight them, and is a proove that they are making progress in that area.

But were times were diferent and Uribe wasnt there making the war machine works, and all those groups were growning and hesitaiting the civilians, in my opinion most of us beleave things were going downhill, a lot of people decide to migrate to US and Europe.

So when the drug money is related in the problem of Colombian conflict everything is connected, from the companys who produce Weapons and quimics, the other goverments in wish the trafic networks are (weapons and durg trafic), the other nations in wish those groups find shelter, is not an easy thing to say or admit. But the problem is big, is continental and it seems it need a lot more to do. it has been done a lot of damage to the people of Colombia and to the american society as well. this isnt a Comunist fight any more too, they are just a bounch of propaganda afected drugdealers who want to take control (how does that sound?). And is time all those implicated take responsability of their actions.

More money?, and armed intervetion? i dont know realy but at least a more clarified envoirment where the american society can know the hole situation (a media responsability)

And with the paramilitary yea i forgot to talk about them you are right but my post was getting soo long (Lol!)

"you did leave a major player which are the paramilitaries. while they were more organixed during the 90's they actually have been a part of colombian history since independence."

If you think in the end simon bolivar was a "guerrilla" or something like that but he give us our independency cuz he won the war "the history is made by the ones who won". Ok so we had our indepence from Spain, we didnt had any more the spanish army and all the burocratic engine any more. for decades we didnt have a formal army so for many owners of the land (independency heroes)they had to gater people who cud make some kind of public order, and for many years that was the way thins were, of course the Colombian goverment and its institution ware groing but it wasnt enough, the presence of the state was so little that generated perfect envoirment for the paramilitaries to rise and guerrilas who want to fight them back too, then the comunists started to support gorrilas and owners support more and more paramilitaries, (who was right? one or the others)public orther and propiety rights vs social right and opression -im not taking part is just history
Now in the last 3 decades the conflict scaled out of proportion
FARC and the other groups started to take out owners from their farms
Kidnappings and allthat kind of resources to financieate them selfs, the reaction was that those people start to pay more and more to the paramilitayes to fight back them, make some public order and make respect their propiety rights. who has the blame? the insuficency of the state to make public order and they own failure into make a realistic and efective agrarial reform* (dont know is the right term in spanish=reforma agraria)

Then the big cartels were destroyied (bigest paramilitary supporters), so who take control of that bussines (that was a incredible amount of money!) the paramilitarys itselfs and they counterpart too

well thats is my impresion of how the things were, but i know there will be others points of view. welcome all to clarify me and all the readers too


http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Introducing Colombia4you.com

if you have pictures articles, comments or apreciations
we welcome all

tks for your intrest and we hope got you there in our website

tks

Andres

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Introducing Colombia4you.com

Everything is welcome if you find eny class of grammar error
pls let me know

my email adress is andresumana at colombia4you.com


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andresumana comments on Shipping personal items to Colombia

Try this link http://www.alfalogistics.net

they are a logistic agency and also make movings in the united
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http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Me voy a vivir a Medellin

Seguro que te va ir bien Hace unos años la gastronomia en bogota no era lo que es ahora la gente ha empezado a entender y apreciar diferentes clases de comida, asi que creo que en Medellin te va a ir bien, pues cada dia es mas cosmopolita y abierta a nuevos estilos de vida y obviamente a probar nuevas cosas, en tu caso sabores

Mucha suerte y bienvenido

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Looking to buy appliances, good beds/mattresses, furniture in Cartagena

Take a look at this link www.alfalogistics.net
they do international movings in all USA, have a storage in Miami
and they are a logistic Agent

the owner is a friend of mine and i did the website for them so if you need any help and you are intrested PM me

andresumana comments on moving to Cartegena

You will live in a paradise Im from bogota so my point of view of the city is a toursitic point of view, but if i have to decide where to live in Colombia else than Bogota i will choose Cartagena, is beautiful and the people are warm and relaxed very difrent than Bogota.

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on

The man is not poor he have made millions with his songs so i doubt he sings in poor communities or in poor bars

Maybe in big concerts

andresumana comments on CCC Colombia Community Consolidation - Meeting in Bogota?

Colombia4you Team will be there cya tomorrow

http://www.colombia4you.com

andresumana comments on Planning for 3+ months travel in Colombia- looking to surf and dance salsa/vallenato

Some tips Well is the end of the year so the caribean coast will be crouded everywere you go, if you want to party you will have to go to cartagena, rodadero or better taganga, if you want to surf you can go to tayrona, prado sounds great too and is not too much touristic

this is a article of surfing in colombia

http://www.colombia4you.com/component/option,com_magazine/func,show_article/id,6/Itemid,2/lang,en/

and this is one of taganga

http://www.colombia4you.com/content/view/3/lang,en/

in this website you can also meet people because is a communty

PM there im the admin

andresumana comments on defy the odds

The main reason of this post Is because some one is intrested into going to the jungle in colombia, he/she already decided to go becuase he/she already take de decision to travel, maybe because he/she know some one who have been in the country, he/she is not expecting warinigs about thigh american a*** who dont know anything about the country, and take for a fact all the shit they see in movies and braking news.

Colombia is a paradise for traveling, you can do incredible treks in tayrona park or in the amazon every where you go you will see great landscapes (Colombia is not big a jungle were guerillas hide).

you should post in the lonley planet forum if you want real advices i think here is a waste of time, to many unreliable information

is a fact that the country have problems of security but not in the dimesion people here are talking about, toursim is goring 18% per year and that is because the country is more safer every day.

for comments finded on the travel forum people feel more secure in colombia than in peru, ecuador or venezuela the first 2 are very toursitic destinations

this is the link
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com

also check
http://www.colombia4you.com
there you can find suggestions on destinations and meet people who are traveling right now or are locals who travel

andresumana comments on Scarface - new DVD Edition

if i buy all the shit in the movies I will never want to go to US specialy to New York or LA, the crime, the drugs, every black or Latin american person is armed!

there is only a little parts of the reality show up in hollywood movies. From time to time there is a decent research made of foreigns countrys, mostly the images you have seen in movies of Colombia are filmed in mexico with mexican style, with mexican pronunciation and even with mexican mustache,

For a latin american a typical american movie that talks about they country mostly is a deception and a distortion of the reality

Maybe for a lot of americans an american movie that talks about a forieng country can be delightfull, educational and Fun because the american always win.

Thats a big diference between our 2 societys. I know the history of US but im sure they dont know even they own, i know that most of the headlines are made for rating prupouses, thats why we always hear about drugs. i think for many when they find shakira was colombian they thought she whas from Columbia US in the first place maybe cuz she seem to white or to stylish and that image doesnt fit in your colombian profile.

Of course there is drugs production and narcotrafic, but is not even close of what you see in movies. Scarface talks about the bussines of drugs in US so i dont feel anything about that scene or about a comment made from an actor in a movie, cuz i realize is fiction and the fiction of hollywood is some times depressing and unbelivable.

If you want a good movie that makes you thing about narcotrafic
rent one that the name is "Traffic" theres another with jhony deep but i dont remember the name it think the name is "blow"

And for the one who says we are proud of make cocaine, try to undestaand this, those dollars you spend in your nose are comming here and buy bullets and explosives for terrorists. kill people and makes our entire nacionality a matter of disgrace when you go to an international airport.
thanks all due to the reason americans love shoking headlines in the news, in movies they loves guns, loves cowboys (in this case cocaine cowboys), loves to see blood and killing and love to beleave all this shit is true.

andresumana comments on homeless

Its a matter of history The result of actual conditions is made by history, try to remember how USA born as a country and compare that to the Colombian history.
the main diference is that every one who came to North america cud own a pice of land, in the spanish colonies that wasnt posible, first spanish didnt eliminate all the native population and they where the owners of the all the land, so the economical development was in the first place difernet (huge middle class vs opressed indians and mestize), and the structure of the society were more opresing. then the independency was not a revolucionary movement like it was in USA. It was made from all the criollos (spainsh blood families) who thought that independency will be better for their own
so we import the French Republic stile of goverment, in a place where nothing was done, we didnt have the middle class to fight for their own, so the political representation for the masses didnt represent the people voices, its only until the finals of the XIX century that people start to move to the "fields no good for growing" and they become the first middle class owners of land they start to grow coffee and they introduce Colombia to the international market, that made a huge impact in the Colombian life style and begin to change the order of the things that centurys have been made, then in the XX century begins the US intervention in panama and the chances that this country thougth on bringing more money to the contry were closed when the US Navy support the independet movement in panama. and for that time until now America for americans begin to be a reality to the political envoriment of this country, and the logical submition into a more powerfull Country that has do nothing for real development for their neighbors.

So if your country gives more money to the poor is because a healt development history. That, with the time have made social security for all classes a responsability due to the class fighting made on the political arena, this country have diferent backgrounds and is not until the last 50 year that the real fight is going on, and off course the dimension of the state is not the same of US, Canada or Europe.

And with the Farc Isue, your goverment decide not to eliminate them (the comunist treat) in the cold war as they did in the south (argentina, Chile) and center america, and now they gorw up to fast due mostly to the dollars spend on cocaine and drugs spendend in US and also europe,i think they maybe be a little afraid to figth them cuz vietnam was a very painfull situation, and the caractarsitics of land and style of war were very similar.

This country become from rural to citadine in a metter of decades, so if you saw poor people in the streets is becauze the war made in the country side by the FARC, and the chances they see into going to the big city, the same way people goes to the border of mexico to pass to the us. Is your goverment treat them with clothes and benefits?
NO, the first reason is because they can´t, even your big development cant afford that (thats what economist and politics says)
When people migrate to the city is more dificult, first because they can and there is no law agains that, but the economy of the city have not counted them into their own development, so for them is dificult to integrate, first because they cant apply they knowledge in the city. even that in the lasts years the goverment have made a serius plans to give food and asistance for all the desplazados and incourage them into back to their own lands. despite all this country is wining the war, is making retreat all the irregular forces and now they are mostly in the boarders finding shelter in ecuador and venezuela, is spending more on war than social security, becuase with out the first the second cant be done, Is making the economy grow, and making this country a reliable place for investment.
Now bogota haves a PIB bigger than most of the central american countrys, is facing technology and this new era better than cities like new york, london, Paris (just won the Biennale di Venecia)http://www.labiennale.org/en/news/architecture/en/67078.1.html
and i coute "The Golden Lion Award for cities is awarded to Bogota, Colombia. This city has in the last decades addressed the problems of social inclusion, education, housing and public space especially through innovations in transport. Bogota has applied Miles van der Rohe’s dictum ‘less is more’ to the automobile: less cars means more civic space and civic resources for people. The city provides a model for streets which are pleasing to the eye as well as economically viable and socially inclusive. Bogotá is, in short, a beacon of hope for other cities, whether rich or poor."

Looking in to other country problems short sided (and more to the so called 3rd world countrys)its a phenomeno that is not new for the media and facts of your goverment, that only reflects the ignorance the majority haves of the rest of the world, the hollywood myth still in the minds of millions thinking of this country like a jungle full of cocaine fields and armed cocaineboys in they old 4x4 shooting in the air and dinking beer like... american students

There are no more capos, there are Farc commanders using all this money on this drug war, buyin bullets that afraid and kill only the country men an women,a war that is has been taking place in the farest and poorest places in the country.

If you want to do something, come here, go to a nice 5 stars resort spend a few bucks in a magic beach or if you can afordit you cant choose 1,2,3,4, stars,come here know the reality and talk about the good people, the beautifull cities,the effort that everyone mades here to make shine the name of their country, talk about things you can understand if you dont try to research a little bit and do something about it, if you have more bring economy, bring investment, give jobs to people. and try not to be the typical american that know so little and talk to much.

as what for me concern im finishing this website http://www.colombia4you.com that with time will be a voice that talks about the country from the voices of travelers and people who lives here. very near to this site but not a blog a comunity

andresumana comments on

Do you realy beleave?? If you beleave this you are maybe being too naive, this is a mix made of a song of diomedes that start like this with other voices, i think this was made for a joke.
Diomedes is a popular vallenato singer as you can saw in the other video, his most popular time was the 80 and 90 the narco era, (most of his friends and life were among these), thats why you will find him so inusual.

So if you are going to make an impresion about costeños and people from the low clases you should try to bee a little bit more inteligent than using a mix voice and 2 stupid pictures.

if this a retreat of Colombia, shuld i take, Ghetto live stile in US like a fact of low classes life stile of american people?, is always the half or less of the true.

for me the only think i can say is true
1. the man is incredibly ugly
2. the man doesnt have any clue about dressing
3. the man is an idol for the popular masses
4. Not always the poplular means that is pretty