Bluesdude has left 38 comments
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Bluesdude comments on All you gots to do is read my signature phrase. I swore them off and then came down here and married a beautiful woman from Medellin. I didn't stick a BF on my forehead, but if I had been poor, it definitely would have made a difference. We all have to bring something to the party, be it money, positive energy, charisma, good looks, personality or......? And the story continues................
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Bluesdude comments on Meeting for American Citizens OK, now I realize I should have checked when the date and day didn't match. My age is getting to me -- my analytical skills would have been better 5 years ago. Still, they should have printed a correction.
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Bluesdude comments on Meeting for American Citizens BAD INFORMATION! So, I went to the Caribe today for the meeting, and they told me that the Embassy folks were there yesterday and Friday, but not today. My Bad! I should know to check up on any information I receive from anyone here, including the Embassy.
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Bluesdude comments on cedula after marriage You MUST apply for a cedula either within 15 days of the effective date of your visa or within 15 days after returning to Colombia if you are traveling. You will receive a contrasena with your picture on it. Some time after that, you will receive an official extranjeria cedula. It took them three months to process my first one. But not to worry, your contrasena has an expiration date that is the same as your visa, Theoretically, you could never receive your official cedula and use your contrasena the whole time. Best to bug them at least once a month though. I think cedulas are better received by banks, etc than contrasenas. Suerte.
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Bluesdude comments on 2 Bedroom Apt for sale in Cartagena Yes, there are problems here in ole El Con-Q, but the 600M peso lawsuit was settled for 20M. And there are improvements being made to the bldg. New floors, ceilings and painting on all floors and two completely refurbished and modernized elevators. There is a 1M plus US dollar payout due the edfico from the local government which should take care of redoing the outside of the bldg and a few other things. Yes, I still believe the admin is stealing dinero, but not all of it because a staff of 30-50 employees are being paid, including robust security and maintenance staffs, and improvements are being made. I feel safe here and if something breaks it gets fixed. The last unremodeled, without a view, two bedroom in here sold for 180M pesos. The rental market is different here than in other buildings -- you can get 5-600,000 pesos per night during the high seasons because you can put more people in an apt. I do have to admit that tomtom's apt is a great deal in a great building. I would buy it if I had the dough.
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Bluesdude comments on medellin - a word to the wise I have done some really stupid stuff in my life, and I have been really lucky. As I get older, I take less risks. Bottom line, getting into a car with strangers is a crap shoot, and you are gambling with the stakes of what you have on you, and or your life. I would be willing to bet that if you are drinking, your BS detector and your judgment of character don't work too well. These guys are lucky that all they lost was their watches -- ("watches? watches?" "I don't gotz to show you no stinking watches!") (sorry, an impulse) and a few hundred thou pesos. Better than a kidney or liver.
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Bluesdude comments on Desperation in Colombia? Yes, very sad. Screwed up his life more than it was before, and put a lot of people in danger who had nothing to do with his problem.
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Bluesdude comments on Hostage situation right now in dowtown Bogota Colombia doesn't seem to treat their veterans any better than the US
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Bluesdude comments on More Information on Hotel Las Vegas - Cartagena Hotel Centro nearby is not a bad place for a little more dough. Hotel Las Vegas is right across from the University. Not too bad of an area - but I wouldn't go walking around late at night. And yes, it doubles as a love motel, especially when the naval or coast guard ships are in town.
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Bluesdude comments on Wine/Grapes Catgirl, I have friends that work at Gundlach; they get to bring home the partial bottles that are leftovers after big tasting events. I have drank a lot of that wine and I agree that their Cab is excellent. There are nice pinots coming out of the Anderson Valley between Cloverdale and Mendocino. I'm not a pinot fan, but some of them are really good with ligther fare. Does anyone know what it would take to import US wine into Colombia? Like logistics, taxes, etc.
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Bluesdude comments on WHAT UP WITH ALL THE NATURAL DISASTERS LATELY?? It must be the aliens! Quick, cover everything with aluminum foil! For the short time that humans have been here, we don't really have the history to establish recurring patterns or precursors to extinction events. So, we can speculate, analyze, cogitate and prognosticate, but we really don't know nuthin'. Anything can happen at anytime. Life is short, live well.
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Bluesdude comments on What is your favorite Vallenato song? I like it, but a little goes a long way for a blues man. Maybe when I can understand more Spanish and the stories (kinda like "country" music for Colombia?), I'll like it more, but right now it sounds like Lawrence Welk on steroids. Not that too many of you would remember Lawrence Welk. Although some of those polkas were rousing! :)
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Bluesdude comments on Wine/Grapes Catfish35 hit it right on the head. Everything has to be just so, and that depends on the type of grape you are trying to grow. And a long enough dry season to let the grapes mature. I am not a sommelier, but I lived near the wine country of Northern California for over 30 years, and I am spoiled. I know many people who work in the wine industry there, and am just waiting for the day that I can import California wines and sell them here at a competitive price. Gallo??? are you kidding? Their private reserves are good, but their regular stuff is no better than the chilean box wine that you can buy for 9,000. I buy wines on sale at Carulla to get the best prices. Every friday here, they knock 25% off all wines and have a lot of 3 for twos. For my everyday swill, I pick up La Huerta for less than 9,000 per bottle with the discount; for better occasions, Castillo Molino has a very nice Cabernet with hints of pepper and berries and a slight creamy finish, and their Chardonnay is very complex with lots of fruit and oak. Castillero del Diablo's Chardonnay is very much like a lot of California chardonnays I like with an oaky, buttery flavor and finish. At a party, I had a glass of Santa Rita 120 Savigion Blanc that tasted like a nice Chenin Blanc. Most of the savignon blancs here are too acidy for me. Gato Negro's Carmenere is tasty. Other than those, I haven't found too many I would buy. These would be at the lower end of the scale for California wines where you can get a decent cab or chard for $5-7. I know that there are some nice French wines in Carrefour, but the Cartagena store doesn't seem to carry a lot of the ones that are on sale.
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Bluesdude comments on Colombia self-defense laws But can you get a gun permit with a Cedula extranjeria?
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Bluesdude comments on Ross Kemp On Gangs-Colombia Well filmed and dramatized, but I don't buy too much of the actual footage. Still, it depicts what this country and its people have gone through and are going through. I agree that the punishment for crime here is a nondeterrent. When you can kill someone and be out of prison in 7 years, and when someone can get 4 years for patting a woman on the butt, and someone with drugs can get 20-30 years, that's a problem for crime control.
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Bluesdude comments on Compassion and Decency Rubito, there IS a spark here! A little like the old west but tamer. A LOT of people carry guns here, so maybe it's better to not complain too much. Also, I know I am a guest in this country and it's not my job to fix anything, But sometimes I think, "how can I help these people take pride in their workmanship?" And the folks from the interior of the country do that, but not too many on the coast do. Before I get in too deep, I believe that the "coast" culture applies to many countries, including parts of the US. When people do things here it's more of doing something that looks like what was supposed to happen or be built or delivered, but it's not really it. And getting to "it" may take three or four tries. Living on the coast is trying if you are used to anything happening according to plan. I am gradually giving up that notion. It's a hard go, but I could never go back to the burbs in the US and be happy.
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Bluesdude comments on Spirit Airlines -- My First (and maybe last) Experience UPDATE! I received a reply this morning from Spirit Air apologizing for me not being able to get through to their Customer Service. The reply from from an email I sent to their CEO, who seems to have changed his tune about customer service. They are saying that they never charged my account twice and gave me a $50 credit. Oh well, we'll see, but at least their CEO responded. Still difficult to communicate with Customer Service.
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Bluesdude comments on Compassion and Decency I just got to tell you..... From the stories I hear coming out of the US, I am wondering which is more dangerous and corrupt. I live in Cartagena, and there are a lot of folks here who don't eat if they don't hustle the tourists (Colombians and Gringos), so I don't blame them too much for that, but it's still a hustle. Once you get away from the tourist areas, where most people see you as a mark, you can meet some really nice, caring folks. The problem is that there are still gangs, paramilitaries and the FARC to deal with in some of these out of the way areas too. No, the reason that other developed nations are ahead of Colombia is because most Colombians will accept substandard workmanship, lies, and failure to keep commitments as the norm. They will not complain (except ineffectively among the "victims") or challenge injustice, ripoffs, bad service, low quality, etc. So... usually what gets delivered falls short of functioning effectively. Until, the average person has a sense of what quality is, life will continue to be mediocre or worse. My favorite term for this comes from Herman Wouk's book: "Don't Stop the Carnival." He referred to the listlessness of the natives of his Caribbean Island as an "attitude of pointlessness." As in "Why should I do a great job?" "What's the point?" OK fine.
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Bluesdude comments on Taxi from Cartagena airport to El Centro - Costs? Yup! agree with tomtom. better to spend a few bucks and not have to hassle your bags all the way to the street in Crespo. Besides, you'll get hassled all the way by the street people who want to help you with your bags.
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Bluesdude comments on Spirit Airlines -- My First (and maybe last) Experience Thanks everyone for your comments. The bank said that the hold would clear within 3 days if nothing is done by the airline. After I posted, I read a lot of stuff about Spirit on the web, including an internal email (he thought!) from the CEO basically saying that the customer could go.......... "He'll be back when he wants to save a penny" Ho Ho Ho, I hope the maintenance on the planes is better. Definitely Copa next time. Usually not a problem with them. Like to buy the cheap booze in Panama on the way back too. Only thing good about Spirit is it might make Avianca more competitive.
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Bluesdude comments on Things to do in Cartagena Depends on what you want to do. All of the things that bickerss said are great. At night, the Cafe Del Mar is good too, but pricey and long waits for food and drinks. Discos Tu Candela by the Clock Tower and Mr B's in Getsemani are good nite spots for dancing. Also now there is a Hard Rock. in the Plaza Aduana (next to the Clock Tower plaza) pricey and lotsa smaltz. "YMCA!" with a Colombian accent. I like to sit in the tables outside Fidels (Around the corner from the Hard Rock) and drink a cold beer and look at the people. The beaches in Boca Grande, LaGuito and Castillo Grande are good, but in Boca Grande and La Guito there are a lot of vendors pushing sunglasses, t-shirts and whatever. Too many interruptions in my reverie for me, but more energy and action. Castillo beaches are quieter, but boring for me. Also, the Hilton sells day passes to the beach and pool if you want an upper scale, but sterile experience. Nice place to take a chica, but expensive with a capital $. Have a great time!
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Bluesdude comments on Cartagena Sports Bar There is no more Loco Gringo. It has been sold to a couple that have split the local into two parts - one for pizza and one to sell real estate. I don't know if they kept the satellite and wide screen tv, but I wouldn't call it a sports bar. Don't know of any sports bars in Cartagena, but if you go to the Hilton or the Almirante and buy a drink, they might put the game on for you if they can get the network station that's showing it. They have satellite.
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Bluesdude comments on Rules of dating medellin Isn't there a residency restriction in San Andres if you weren't born on the island?
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Bluesdude comments on Chrysler, Ford and General Motors Support U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement From the words of an old gringo wino...... I hope it passes and that wine ( yum yum) is one of the things that will receive duty relief.
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Bluesdude comments on What is it exactly that determines who is considered a Gringo? I am a gringo, and I will always be a gringo, and I'm proud of it!!! I will never fit in even though I am part of a Colombian family. I will always get stares that run from hostility and prejudice to curiousity and friendliness. I like it. We gringos are muy cheverie! especialmente gringos viejos. We are modest too!
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Bluesdude comments on Colombia's president criticizes Obama Is there really violence against trade unions by the Colombian authorities? Are the trade unions fronts for FARC? Do they incite riots and violence first? Obama should answer these questions first. I believe he will say anything to get elected. I expect Obama's so far left, he will probably support the FARC. Maybe he can room with Chavez? Cozeeeee!
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Bluesdude comments on (Duplicate) Colombia's president criticizes Obama Is there really violence against trade unions by the Colombian authorities? Are the trade unions fronts for FARC? Do they incite riots and violence first? Obama should answer these questions first. I believe he will say anything to get elected. I expect Obama's so far left, he will probably support the FARC. Maybe he can room with Chavez?
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Bluesdude comments on Marrying in Colombia, requirements I got married in San Andres two years ago with only my passport. Two weeks later, got my visa and cedula in Bogota. About to become a resident. No problems at all.
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Bluesdude comments on Homeowner's Associations in Colombia - one person's story UPDATE -- Well, no one got shot or beat up at the annual meeting which started at 9pm and finished at 4:30 am. As usual, the current regime loaded the meeting with enough of their friends and families (not residents nor property owners) to shout down any opposition that the process they were using to authorize voters was illegal or any other opposition. According to the regulations, nonproperty owners may not receive powers of attorney to vote in the annual meeting, although other buildings permit this. Maybe there is enough precedent in past rulings of the courts to overrule the regulation. Anyway, what the law really is doesn't matter. Also, when it was announced that the independent (not!) auditor had a business relationship with the daughter of the administrator and the son-in-law of the administrator (who is also the building's attorney), a clear conflict of interest, everyone just accepted the auditor's explanation that this was an old, inactive business and chastized the person who brought it up. We are not done with that one yet. The falsification of attorney credentials by one of the board members claiming to be an attorney and using that to get dinero from someone (who is on our side) 8-9 months ago was also not brought up - a work in process. What took the cake is that the puppeteer who controls the administrator and the board has filed a lawsuit against the building for 600,000,000 pesos for perjuicios morales (damage to his character?) and that one of his friends in the meeting proposed just writing a check for a lesser amount to settle his lawsuit - then guess what he will do with the money. I think this comes under conspiracy, extortion or something like that but probably nothing will come of it except less money in our pockets. Interesting. The jefe has had two criminal charges against him with overwhelming supporting evidence against him decided in his favor, one by "preclusion" by the DA and the other terminado in favor de los denunciados (defendants) by the court. This is in the annual documents delivered to the homeowners by the administration. And, there are still questions about the amounts spent for contracts with "outside" companies. So, so far, status quo, but I think the battle isn't over yet. One way to fight this is to communicate what is happening to as many property owners as possible, which will be done on the opposition's website and in the newspapers. Sure wish we had an honest investigator at the federal level who was willing to uncover this BS. If the former Mayor of Cartagena can be convicted and sent to prison for corruption, so can these guys. In the meantime, life goes on in Cartagena. Being an extranjero with marginal spanish, I am more of an observer than anything else. It is frustrating, however, to watch people do nothing more than stir up a hornet's nest, although I do think that the vigiliance has made the administration more wary and to perform better in the way of services and improvements to the building. Maybe that's the best we can hope for. To have an everpresent vigiliance that will have some positive effect on what otherwise would be blatant extortion and thievery.
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Bluesdude comments on What's Good or Better in Colombia? A good variety of Fresh Fruits and Juices Veges seem to taste better, but not as much of a variety Baby Beef, but the rest of the beef is tough French (Belgian?) fries seem to tase better Bandeja Paisa Ajiacho Combo of fried whole fish, arroz de coco and patacones Patacones with guacamole or that tomatoe and onion salsa they make Arepas with just about anything on them with all that said, there is a lot of stuff missing that I like in the US Goood Hamburgers (hot and juicy Wendy's or Red Robin ooor FuddRuckers) T-bone, Porterhouse or New York steak BIG Baked potato with all the trimmings Peanut Butter is just too expensive Good Cheeses are too expensive whole smoked ham walnuts Almost any food item sold by Costco Cranberry Juice, although Mora is close with the right amount of sugar. I have actually made Cosmorapolitians for my guests California Wine - I'm spoiled for price, quality and variety The Chilean and Argentine wines are good, but there's no break on the price for a good one. When Casiero del Diablo Cab was $6 in the US, it was $18 here - more now with the tanking of the dollar (tanks to Bush). La Huerta Savignon Blanc at 13,000 is ok for a white and the Gato Negro Carmenere at 17000 is ok for a red - they are just ok though. Castillo Molina Cab at 40,000 (good fruit with a nice creamy finish) and the Casiero Del Diablo Chardonnay (nice, oakey, creamy, buttery taste) at about 31,000 are good wines for special dinners. Don't know about other parts of Colombia, but the Carullas in Cartagena run 3 for 2 specials and 20-30% discounts pretty regularly. Any Chiliean/Argentinian wine tips from other PBH folks?
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Bluesdude comments on Homeowner's Associations in Colombia - one person's story Thanks all for the comments and advice. We must be getting close or we have struck a nerve. The person who has been behind all of this has now (today) filed a 600 million peso demanda against the Administration and homeowner's association, who are his minions. This is for the impediment to his life because of all the demandas that are filed against him. The way I figure it, they could help him to "win", then split the money later. Of course all of the owners would have to pay the assessments from the damages awarded in the demandas. Hope my "Affectacion a Vivienda Familiar" (kind of a "homestead" status for property here) protects us. We were supposed to be able to review the powers of attorney that support them last night, then this morning, then this afternoon. Guess what? We are getting close to the point where there won't be any time to review them prior to the meeting. Also, one of their attorneys has been using a false credential number, one that is registered to a government attorney in Bogota. What will happen to him? I 'm betting on nothing. I am glad I am not the Captain of this ship, but I realize that collateral damage is possible. The only alternative I have is to abandon my wife, which is not gonna happen. If only the choice to "just pay my dues" was viable. More later.
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Bluesdude comments on DRINKING WINE in Colombia I love it. Wine? The wine is so expensive because the Colombian govt. places outrageous tarifs on imports (and don't forget the IVA). I pay $6 in the US for Castillero Del Diablo,and here in CTG, it's 32-35000 (about $15). There are a couple that I like that are not too expensive - Santa Rita "120" cab or merlot will run you about 19-22000 pesos per bottle; Gato Negro makes a killer Carmenere for about 24-26000 per bottle, and the Argentine Bianchi cheaper label Cabernet or Malbec will run you about 11000.
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Bluesdude comments on San Andres Island?? Yes, It's true! Yes, it's true. We did it with only my passport, her cedula and birth certificate. About 3 weeks later, we had a spiritual ceremony for 50 or so family and friends at the hotel Caribe, with a sit down filet mignon dinner for 28000 (about $11 US) per person. I bought all the booze, wine and champagne and programmed music for the whole evening - pre ceremony, ceremony, post ceremony, first dance, dancing, etc on my iPod. The whole tab was about 3 million pesos. About a week after that we went to Bogota to get my visa and cedula. Took about two days - mostly just waiting. Got her tourist visa to the US on the same trip. Anyway, the best of luck to you and your bride!
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Bluesdude comments on Premarital agreement I Got One Written Up - Her Idea My wife had the idea, because I conveyed that I needed to protect what I had built all my life, and that I would share, but I didn't want to run the risk of losing half if things didn't work out. So, we got one that pretty much states that what was ours before would be ours after. Yes, I have read all of the comments that say "well then maybe you shouldn't be getting married." And I say that you are entitled to your judgment. Maybe I'll wind up putting half of the stuff in her name in a few years, but we'll see. Regardless, I have peace of mind that I won't be held hostage and have to put up with stuff I don't like just to protect my assets. Paranoid? Maybe, but so far, so good.
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