bogotabrian has left 131 comments

bogotabrian comments on Game Two of NBA Finals in Medellin, Parque Lleras at The Tiger Paw Hostel Sports Bar

geeze, you're both right! Brad, as you know, I'm a math teacher. I can't spell. ;-)

bogotabrian comments on Help

huskie, working with realitors for purchase or rent?

bogotabrian comments on North Star Backpackers Hostel in CARTAGENA!!

Looks nice! I just opened a hostel in Medellin. It's a lot of work but also a lot of fun. Good luck! Brian

bogotabrian comments on Watch the NBA finals at The Tiger Paw in Parque Lleras, Medellin

I completely agree, Chris. People don't just understand the costs of running a sports bar. Wholesale costs are around 1 mil and I would make absolutely nothing selling them at 1.5 mil. I have a very nice bar, pool table, furniture, multiple flat screens, laptops to run the games, and an excellent location. I will never apologize for running a business to make money, if you work hard and provide a good service.

bogotabrian comments on Watch the NBA finals at The Tiger Paw in Parque Lleras, Medellin

I have one 36 inch and two additional 26 inchers in the bar. There are plans to add three to four more flat screens and a projector before football season starts. I will have college game day package and NFL season pass as well.

bogotabrian comments on Watch the NBA finals at The Tiger Paw in Parque Lleras, Medellin

mranderson - yes we have a special spot for motos and very secure. Thanks BillBigD. I am really happy with Tommy Bowden's recruiting but just wish the staff were better at game-day coaching. He is starting to remind me a lot of Mack Brown. I think Alabama got one that can do both but they sure paid a lot to get him! Did you guys have any non-qualifiers from last year's number one ranked class?

bogotabrian comments on Are Colombian banks really interested in doing business or just pushing paper?

Hit the road Jack, and don't come back no more no more no more...j/k. Seriously though, Colombia is only hurting themselves with their banking system. I run a business here and I could sit you down for 8 hours to tell you the absurdity of the banking system here based on my experiences alone. I don't think the problem lies with the money laundry issue but more of the social structure of Colombia. The problem extents to the cable phone company, leasing offices, my venders, etc etc. From what I have seen, the top classes only hire management jobs based on last name and family, seldom on hard work and intelligence. The other 99% of the population seldom gets a chance to prove themselves and climb the company ladder into these management jobs. Since all companies run this way there is little pressure or competition to improve these companies. I know it doesn't sound pretty so flame away. This is just my honest opinion. Am I really on to something? Who in the hell knows.

bogotabrian comments on Best Hostal in Colombia?

You are exactly right Adrimm. I tried to have the rustic feel with the brick, flooring, and traditional Colombian wood bar stools, tables, and chairs. Spaces to mingle, read, and just be in quiet are important too. The books and the character just take time. I admire Casa Kiwi for that bit of charm though they could improve in other areas like all the hostels can. I am finding this business to be tuff but also rewarding. One month and I've already met a life-time of great people.

bogotabrian comments on Best Hostal in Colombia?

Oh, I forgot Casa Mayde and Tamerine which are close to mine. Both of these have wonderful owners which I've meet, and nice, clean hostels.

bogotabrian comments on Best Hostal in Colombia?

Thanks J and I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but I have to agree with Gornabob on this one. Location is the key and was my primary concern when researching the hostel. Gornabob's hostel (Blacksheep), Pitstop, Casa Kiwi, and mine have their own pluses and minuses.

bogotabrian comments on Hooters Bogotá

http://hooters.know-where.com/hooters/cgi/index?mapid=intl&design=default&lang=en#Colombia I stand corrected...darn there IS one in Bogota!!

bogotabrian comments on Hooters Bogotá

This would work, I am 100% convinced. I looked into franchises but right now Hooters does not offer any for Colombia when I looked. I am not sure to the legitimacy of this post. I could be wrong.

bogotabrian comments on

Citibank not City Bank! OK, now I know.=)

bogotabrian comments on

This an interesting question, why don't you have someone deposit the money for you state-side instead of sending the check to Colombia? Then you could use your ATM card to withdraw it. You'll need to be issued a Colombian ID, I believe, to open a bank account. I don't think a City Bank account in the states will allow you open one here. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. I had a business account at the same bank and a Colombian ID and still had a problem opening an personal account with Bancolombia but it was only the branch that didn't know their rules. After an hour of arguing with them I simply went across the street to a different branch and opened it in 5 minutes.

bogotabrian comments on buggy's avatar should be flagged

I agree with Kat1 and Cereal Killer, not a huge deal. If you don't like it- ignore it.

bogotabrian comments on 6 months tourist visa almost expired. How do I stay in Colombia?

try a student visa..go to a local college and enroll in some spanish classes. this is the easiest way that I know of.

bogotabrian comments on updated photos of the Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin and sports bar update

You're right about the OLs. I think we are being hyped up a little bit too much though. CJ and Davis were contained an awful lot last year by good defenses. Against Auburn, Virgina Tech, and (gulp) South Carolina we could barely run the ball. I think it will come down to a defensive game much like it was against Auburn last year. Our QB is special but he has laid some real eggs too. Alabama might have the best front seven that we'll face all year and this tends to lead to bad games by our QB, Harper, too. If turnovers are equal I think the game will be decided by one or two big plays by either offense. My guess is Clemson 17 Alabama 10 but it could easily be the other way around. I am trying like heck to get to the game too but with the hostel it's kinda hard. I know Atlanta very well if you need any suggestions on where to stay or go.

bogotabrian comments on updated photos of the Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin and sports bar update

No way! I come all the way to Medellin to get harassed by a Bama fan?? LOL Seriously though, what kind of game do you think it'll be? We have plenty of talent but we tend to choke a lot.

bogotabrian comments on Guatape Tour

Yeah, I have to agree that $295 is very expensive. Some of our backpacking guests have gone to the metro then to buses and paid next to nothing. You can hire a English speaking taxi / guide to pick you up in El Poblado for the day and pay a fraction of that.

bogotabrian comments on updated photos of the Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin and sports bar update

Hi Durito, The TVs will be HDTV ready and I'm working on the programming. My first thought is to hook up Colombian Direct TV to a receiver from the states. Football is just so much more fun to watch in HD! I would love to share ideas with you on this if you're looking to install a similar system in your B&B in Sabaneta. If so PM me. Thanks, Brian

bogotabrian comments on updated photos of the Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin and sports bar update

Hi Angelita, Thanks a lot and of course! We have had a great mix of Colombians , South / North Americans, and Europeans so far. I hope this trends continues because I think it adds a great deal to the environment here. I look forward to seeing you here! Brian

bogotabrian comments on Direct TV receiver from the US work in Colombia to show all US programming?

Simply point it at a right angle? And referenced to what direction? I suspect that it's a little more complicated than that. You could just Sling Box it, that's what I do to receive cable from the states.

bogotabrian comments on GOOD SERVICES

Angel, do you have business cards yet? You could come by my hostel at Cr 36 no. 10-49 and drop them off if you like. Brian

bogotabrian comments on Jobs in Colombia

I think to find a job teaching English in Armenia would be more difficult than Bogota. I was teaching private classes in Bogota and had more work than I could handle. I was offered a full-time job teaching in Armenia but the pay was a lot less.

bogotabrian comments on

Well my parents found a sale in the states and got two 42 inch flat screens for about $600 US each. Considering the dollar is at 1780 COP (more or less) and the same TV costs about 2.000.000 COP here at Exito and Mackro, your savings would be about $500 dollars per flat screen. If you brought two you could save $1000 US or maybe sell the other one and get a free one for yourself. I am tossing around this idea. I see many TVs coming though the airport luggage system but I don't remember if I saw any 42 inchers. The boxes for the 42 inch are fairly large Draw backs could be damage to the set and no warranty. That is even if the airline allows you to take it.

bogotabrian comments on Americans Living in Bogota

Bill, your Spanish is not very good after 10.5 years? Now I have just lost all hope of improving. LOL. Thomas, Bill is right. You should move down to Bogota for a month or two first. It is very different and you need to bring a lot of patience with you as you adjust. I lived in Bogota for about 3 months while taking a TEFL class and started with teaching private classes at about 35 mil cop per hour. I decided that I liked Medellin and moved here. I now teach at a bilingual school in El Poblado.

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

We took our entire school on the metro. It was a great time!

bogotabrian comments on to live in Colombia ?

I live in Medellin, it's a great city. Armenia is cool too but not pretty sleepy when it's not the weekend. I have always liked Manizales for some reason. Lot's of people do not like the city because of the crisp weather though.

bogotabrian comments on

You could start a hostel for that if you rent the building. But, for the love of God, do not open another one in Medellin no matter what you do! LOL!

bogotabrian comments on Colombia self-defense laws

I think having a license makes sense but it sounds like a lot of paperwork. Having lived here for a year I am accustomed to it though. I am not sure I could shoot someone anyway. As far as the machete idea, well, I do have tile floors so the clean-up wouldn't be....

bogotabrian comments on Laureles - 33 Nightlife Area / Property

You might be on to something there. There are a lot of colleges in the area and I have always thought it was a really nice part of town. I will have to check out 33 tonight.

bogotabrian comments on Anyone know of any Mansions available for rent in Medellin

I think you might have better luck at www.richbutveryhappy.com. Seriously, I live in Medellin and there are lots of nice apartments for rent but I don't know of any mansions for rent. I don't think that people here usually loan out their mansion homes for travelers for a week but I could be wrong. I think you're best bet is to look for a large penthouse for rent. They sometimes have their own private elevator, pool, and several large rooms plus a nice view. You can find those pretty easily by doing a google search. If you still need help finding one then let me know and I'll ask around for you..

bogotabrian comments on MotoTaxis now in Bogotá

In Medellin maybe, but no way in Bogota.

bogotabrian comments on Updated the rules

Finally now know what "trolling" really means.

bogotabrian comments on $1,000,000,000 Tax on U.S. Exports to Colombia

I can understand why the government in Colombia would do this to save Colombian jobs but some duty on imports I don't understand, like on an IPOD for example. There is a huge underground economy in Colombia because of many not well thought out laws. There is a lot of tax revenue lost out here.

bogotabrian comments on Opening night (and day pictures) of the Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin.

You're right RUV. I've taken many pictures of the roof top but I am never happen with them. There is one on the website. During the opening party, most of the people spent the majority of the time up there socializing. The sauna was already in the building, but in the end, I am not sure what kind of a draw it's going to bring. As for the name, I am a huge college football fan and love the tigers!

bogotabrian comments on Opening night (and day pictures) of the Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin.

Thanks a lot. Boy, it took a lot of work to transform this building. The cool-looking website design was in part done by a member of PBH. I'll let him come take and credit if he would like. I very pleased the color scheme and the clean design. We only changed the pictures to get more exposure of the bar and rooms on the front page.

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

Thanks guys. The paw print was done by college student here who studies textiles. She did a fabulous job and the print is really soft. The picture is bad because we were cleaning all night because of the remodeling and the dust caught the flash. Every inch of this place has new tile, paint, etc.

bogotabrian comments on

I lived in San Diego for 9 years before moving to Medellin so I wasn't in awe of the girls here like some gringos. San Diego (SoCal in general) can compare with anywhere in the world for hot girls in my opinion.

bogotabrian comments on rent in Medellin

I also have a hostel with a full bar and pool table two blocks from Parque Lleras in El Poblado. A private room will only cost you about $25 bucks a day with coffee and eggs in the morning! You can see photos at hostelworld.com. The website is www.tigerpawhostel.com. The building is completely remodeled and every square each of tile, bathrooms, beds are completely new. Free WiFi and use of computer in the lobby. Grand opening is May 2nd. Let me know if you need more information or photos. Cheers. Brian

bogotabrian comments on

Medellin, or more specifically El Poblado, is no place to find approachable women unless you're a good-looking college-aged guy. Your best bet is Barranquilla for nice friendly women like Brad said.

bogotabrian comments on tlop

Lance is that you?

bogotabrian comments on

I couple of moto cops caught me during pico y placa. They were pretty cool and let me go after a little chase.

bogotabrian comments on Eafit VS Pontificia Bolivariana

better view of what?

bogotabrian comments on Eafit VS Pontificia Bolivariana

Funny, my girlfriend plays soccer for Pontificia Bolivariana. They play Eafit next weekend. Not sure what it has to do with this post but found it ironic somehow. Go PB! =)

bogotabrian comments on Tiger Paw Hostel Update

Gorgonabob, are you the owner of a hostel in Medellin? Maybe we should meet for a drink sometime.

bogotabrian comments on Tiger Paw Hostel Update

Hi Nueva, We have a semi private room at 60 COP which has one bunk and one queen. Will that work? Hi Gorgonabob, I walked it in less than 10. So maybe 7 is more accurate. There are other hostels saying that they are a 5 min walk to Parque Lleras and in reality they are a 10 to 15 minute walk. Competition will make you less conservative I guess.

bogotabrian comments on Tiger Paw Hostel Update

This includes a private bath and free breakfast. The rooms like this are actually close to hotel quality minus a TV in the room. Try finding anything close to that near Parque Lleras where the rooms are 120 cop or higher. Other hostels in the area charge 60 COP without a private bath or breakfast and are not near as nice. Dorm rooms are the same cost as other hostels that are a 15 minute walk or more away.

bogotabrian comments on Photos of the Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin

The photos are at the top of this thread and I have some more of the bathrooms but I am going to wait until Wednesday because we have extra things being installed. The same goes for the kitchen. There is over 250 meters of new beautiful tile everywhere in the hostel and many extras. I'll have some really nice photos next week and even better photos the week after.

bogotabrian comments on Photos of the Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin

Oh I forgot, thank you too Kat! =) Bogota is in the plans!