Chuck has left 80 comments

Chuck comments on Help me visit Colombia

Just follow these simple rules If you stay at home in your bed, maybe a meteorite will come from mars and vaporize ur head.. or maybe not. In Colombia 35 million people live normal lives all the time while the rest are having problems with the guerillas or paras. So stay where most colombians live, in the cities and do not travel by bus to known places of conflict. Your friends know how to avoid that... that's why they still love to live in Colombia.

Chuck comments on Practical Training Semester (PTS)

U should contact Intercontinental Hotels... Or conduct a search of 5 star hotels in Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena and send em your resume. Only 5 stars hotels will be interested in having an european working with them.

Chuck comments on Do Colombian comics also insult their black audience members?

Why water bricks? Because U dont want them to suck... ... away the water from the mortar mix. If the mix is left dry then the cement will loose most of its strength. This is tha famous water-cement relationship Civil Engineers learn at school.

Chuck comments on How Safe is Neiva?

Neiva is just like visiting Neivayork! Lo importante es no dar papaya.... read about papaya in another post.

Chuck comments on Me voy a vivir a Medellin

U should meet the owners of EL PORTAL in Medellin (calle 10) Puede que entre los dos hagan una sociedad para abrir algo nuevo y diferente en Medellin que bastante falta hace.

Chuck comments on Musical Instruments

All airlines should abide to IATA rules So bring the guitar with you but don't even think of playing it onboard!

Chuck comments on que es un cachaco? Que es un corroncho?

Te veo mal parce.... Los paisas somos es paisas... nada de cachacos. Eso dejalo pa los de mas arriba que viven de corbata.

Chuck comments on Distance and driving

First thing U need is a map! try:
http://www.invias.gov.co/invias/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=87&lang=es

Chuck comments on Buying a 2005 Subaru

Are U a Bogotano... "colombiabusiness" ???? Bogotanos think all the time "ONLY IN BOGOTA". You are WRONG!

THere are Subaru dealers in Medellin, Manizales, Cali.... I own a Subaru Impreza! A new 2005 Subaru will be around $45K. Check www.paginasamarillas.com

Chuck comments on Decameron Cartegena

No girls allowed! Forget it... they'll never allow you to bring company into your room. Decameron is a family hotel and they won't allow a drunk gringo with a local date.

Chuck comments on Driving to Colombia from Panama--how do you do it?

Try Isabella Shippng! Maybe they can help. They are the shipping company that transport bananas from Colombia to the USA but their ships stop in Costa RIca before coming back to Colombia. A friend used their service in the past and nothing was lost.

http://www.isabellashipping.com/ing/htm/rutas.htm

Good luck1

Chuck comments on Where to eat in Medellin after hours?... (when you are half pissed and hungry)

Envigado is the Answer! Well, Envigado is not Medellin but countless generations have found in Envigado's buñuelos a solution for their moaning stomachs.

Chuck comments on Medellín Mapas

Map provided by the mayor's website http://200.75.70.202:7681/website/acuerdo_346/viewer.htm

Chuck comments on Big White Puffy Jackets in Medellin

Hey dude!! Probably it was the abominable snowman. A picture and you'r rich!

Chuck comments on Shipping companies

Call Tampa Airlines in Miami They used to charge about $0.75 per pound from Miami to Bogota, Medellin and it comes as EQUIPAJE NO ACOMPAÑADO. You are the only one allowed by the customs to claim it. You cannot ship it to someone. Or you may... but then the receiving party has to do all the paperwork and pay duties and taxes which ain't worth it... unless you send a Picasso!

The $2.50 rate you were offered is an underground service called "por las brujas". They use your money to pay the airline, bribe te customs official and pay domestic parcel postage. It works but you are paying for corruption.

Chuck comments on Colombia Street Address

Not quite right.... Most of the towns do not start at a grid with 0,0 downtown. They start with 50,50 which means that Calle 50 x Carrera 50 is downtown. This was decided when cities were small and they thought it was improbable that the town grew more than 50 streets south or 50 carreras east. This is the reason you don't see NW SW NE SE in most street addresses. But the above didn't worked out right in some cities. Downtown Medellin is Calle 50 x Carrera 50 but the city grew towards el poblado whose main street is Calle 10. If you continue south then you reach Calle 1 and then it changes to Calle 1 Sur,Calle 2 Sur, Calle 3 sur and so on. Only the streets South of the nonexistent Calle Zero are marked with an "S".

One more thing! The system works! I've been in the states trying to find a street address in a small town and it is imppossible. The only way is to get a map and search with a huge magnifing glass for the name of the street. But when you try to buy the map no one carries it! 7-11? nope, gas station?, last sold was in 84! I was lucky and found a fire department and they called their map expert and finally he found the address I was searching. A trailer park!

Chuck comments on Uribe

We used to be dead! Or frozen in time and space.

Yes, We Colombians used to be prisioners of our homes, of our towns. Now we feel 95% free again.

Did someone mentioned freedom before in the US?

Bolivar, Washington, San Martín and many other heroes gave folks freedom. They made their own share of mistakes, Uribe ain't perfect!. I forgive him. I will relect him and I will pray that in the future someone like him will continue his work.

Meanwhile the US has to change their policies, the Free Market treaty is shamefull. More disposable income for american families and less income for our poor families.

Chuck comments on Do people go hungry in Colombia?

Communist or capitalist? In the good old Soviet Union everyone had hunger (exept the politbureau I guess), but no one was malnourished. In Colombia supermarket shelves are packed 15 ft high but poor folks don't earn enough to buy. Some of these folks used to grow coffee, or cotton, or rice or... but General Foods managed to obtain their coffee cheaper from Vietnam cause they need higher profits for their shareholders. (was Vietnam a US enemy?)

The moral is: If you see a gringo on vacation in Italy, South Africa, Thailand or Cancun.. it's because he has plenty disposable income (from his GF shares maybe) and our campesinos have no income!

Right folks?

Chuck comments on colombians and bathing....

Chuck the engineer! Big mother bertha water heaters are too expensive to run 24 hours a day (we used to keep'm on when electric power was cheap), but anyone can pay the little cost of the inline shower heaters. Keep it short and don't stay all sunday morning with your GF having a fiesta party!

Chuck comments on colombians and bathing....

Is your water heater broken? Every child risks being called "lagaña" forever by his kindergarden "amiguitos" if he doesn't baths every day even in cold colombian towns. Climate is not an excuse... and the water heater helps!

Now, from other point of view. Somewhere in the desert a nomad tribe invented circumcision. Maybe they were right, no water around. We colombians have plenty of water so we men are still in one piece. And happy being covered! We don't have a callous unsensitive head!

eeerrr... I better stop before I continue with a fishy story.

Anyone knows how to say "lagaña" in english?

Chuck comments on What is your favorite destination: Bogota, Cali, Medellin, etc.......

And the winner is.... Cali is the best in the world! Bogota is the best in the Universe!

Medellin is the best in this website!

(adaptation from an old "Testamento del Paisa" joke)

Chuck comments on LADIES ONLY!

Voted best web site of the Century! great! I can't wait to join them! If you gals out there are too cheap to pay the fee, just email me here for free.

Chuck comments on Trabajando como Profesora en Medellin

Try contacting this school http://www.columbus.edu.co/employment/employment.htm

Chuck comments on Bus from Bogota to Cali?

C'mon Robert You heard there's A BUS going from Bogota to Cali! Let me tell you something... every day in Colombia there's a bus that goes from EVERY town to who knows where all around the country... Or a canoe... or a plane... or a horse!

Chuck comments on Abandonada en Bogota

Enough! Will pick U up at the Medellin Airport ...and show you this year's Christmas decorations. I assure U there's nothing prettier on earth.

Chuck comments on The dumb, ignorant, funny questions you've been asked about Colombia

Yes...we do speak mexican after years of reruns of EL CHAPULIN COLORAO.

Do you know that Doroteo Arango (Pancho Villa) was born at Envigado? ...and he wasn't good cooking arepas so he ended up cooking tortillas. That's how tortillas were introduced to Mexico!

No contaban con mi astucia! Continua para que platiquemos y entremos en onda, vamos a algún antro y me decís si andás de novio.

Chuck comments on

50 pounds!!!!!! You got my attention! When will you back!!... I'll pick U at the airport! I've never seen 50 pounds of pistachios... but if you have a name for each pound... eeeeeeehhh.. will you consider 51 pounds ?

Chuck comments on Restaurants in Cartagena and in Cali

Gator almost said it all But he forgot McDonalds! hehehehhehehehe!

Ok... he forgot "Donde Olano" and the Arab Restaurant... arabs aren't cool lately buth this guy do know how to cook! Try King Faruk steak or the Arab sampler combination. Additionally if you take the tours to Boca Chica, Playa Blanca or Islas del Rosario, you have to try a fried Pargo Rojo (red snnaper) or a "Sierra". For me Robalo has no taste.. only the taste given by the sauce.

Gator said if you want to die, go ahead and try the ceviches and oysters sold at the beach. Maybe he's right but I was lucky and the ones I bought were fresh and delicious. Don't pay more than Col$500 per oyster! They'll ask you for $2500 a bite!

Maybe the best place is in front of the HOTEL CARIBE if you'll like to try the fresh oysters!

Chuck comments on Uribe or not

IS this about drugs or about Uribe? Our excellent president is just following the only option he has.

Farc strategy of disrupting the economy keeping colombians poor was working in the past. Mr Pastrana allowed this to continue for 4 years. Towns were blown, churches bombed and farms burnt. From Europe we only received praise and recognitions about FARC. Recently ONG'S are sending humanitarian aid to FARC. This is disgusting! The richest blood money organization in the world receiving aid from communist Europeans.

So Clinton and Bush worked in the right direction, they helped Colombia and our president show the world who the real FARC is (Pastrana's failure helped too). There are not guerrillas (maybe they used to be) They are a money thirsty multinational conducting their bloody bussiness, destroying kids lives here and abroad.

Mr Uribe was not elected by the political machine, Mr Uribe was elected by the people. In our recent past our president Samper was elected with the help of the mafia. We don't want that to happen again! We don't want a president elected by the "maquinaria". We want our actual president to continue, we cannot afford the risk of reliving history again.

And there are a few saying all sorts of things about him... maybe they want to return to the days where anyone could do what they pleased in Colombia. Sorry... but in a modern society people must learn to know their rights and the rights of their neighbours.

Chuck comments on looking for info on FARC

Let me put it this way... Every single day we colombians read about corruption in the goverment, so every single day there's a new reason to join a guerrilla group. The problem is... there aint!

There are no guerrilla groups in Colombia. What we have are the wealthiest people in the world satisfying americas thirst for drugs without any moral deterrent. Every single gram of cocaine is tainted with the blood of our campesinos and children. Avery time you get high you are sniffing the blood of our desplazados. Think about it next time {dont make me laugh...?)

Meanwhile Osama is the head of a guerrilla group, he doesn't have scuds or ICBMs... he fights against the pillage of his country with whatever he can get. In a rank, he is a better person compared to the FARC leaders.

If you want to help.. conduct your research in this direction!

Chuck comments on requirement for national to fly out of colombia

I'll be scared... .. if I boarded an international flight with only $500 in my wallet!

Chuck comments on Diving Malpelo and Gorgona

Why not Kelvin? I visited Gorgona and dived it about 10 years ago... AWESOME!

Certainly it is not for the novice. A good Divemaster is a must! Sometimes it is like diving in a river wher you have to hold tight to the rocky wall where the current is not as strong and NEVER ever think about swiming a few feet away from it... you'll be gone! So a safety dingy is required at all times to pick you up. But the underwater scene is spectacular. Schools of one million Pompanos 20 lbs each, sleeping sharks inside caves, hundreds of sea turtles, territorial moray eals nd freezing waters below 100 ft makes the Gorgona experience unique!

Train well and enjoy it. Search for Cali based dive operators.

Chuck comments on Medellin Airlines info..

They fly Twin Otters... perhaps the safest small airplane in the world. Canadian.

But,,, who knows their %$&$#& at ^& web page?

Chuck comments on Disappointed

About the office uniforms.... A lot of secretaries I've talk to, love their uniforms.. cause they are uniform! No differences between those with a rich or a poor background. Most have to help at home with their income and they need all the money and have little left to spend in fancy attire, others have wealthier parents and without a uniform, then they would wear the latest Milan outfits. So uniforms ease the work environment.
A good "dumb" friend of mine, appeared in the newspapeper as Medellin's best dressed woman a few years ago. She worked at a no uniform company. Today she is jobless and has absolutely no savings. It's a burden for his family! Meanwhile Mr. Armani enjoys the good life!

Chuck comments on hi everyone

A lot of stuff? Or just a couple of boxes? The only "cheap" cargo fares are from Miami due to the high volume. Maybe it is cheaper to send them to Miami and from there to Medellín. Check www.abecargo.com

Chuck comments on Travel agents in Barranquilla

Yes! Check Copa Airlines http://www.copaair.com/

Chuck comments on PLEASE HELP! ANY NGO's, HUMAN RIGHTS ORGS IN CARTAGENA?

Human Rights.... so beautiful but... so biased!

99% of colombians after 30 years of guerillas that turned to terrorist after communism fell, want to live in PEACE!!!!

Yes!!, the Colombian Army ocassionaly violates human rights... but our guerrillas have been doing the same 100 times worse for 30 plus years. And where are the NGO'S? When the violation is made by our Army, every newspaper from Paris to Beigin prints the terrible news. But when it id done by the FARC.. NGO'S are too busy conducting some kid of research and no one mentions it.

Is that fairness? Most NGO'S are managed by communist europeans that want to bully the US trying to proove PLAN COLOMBIA is wrong. Is it wrong?

Keepig the country poor was what the FARC was acomplishing. It's a simple communist strategy, keep everyone poor and maybe there's a revolution. But now thanks to SEGURIDAD DEMOCRATICA, every colombian is seeing a light at the end of this terrible tunel we are trying to escape.

Without FARC maybe our tourist industry would be as huge as Mexico's.
Without FARC the construction bussines booms!
Without FARC we would be proud to show our passaport.
Without FARC we weren't required a VISA to every single country on earth.
Without FARC Colombia wouldn't be considered a third world country!

So please, if you ever come to colombia to work at a NGO, be FAIR!

Chuck comments on living in Medellin

Don't U feel bad? Here's the deal... you keep $2000 a month and the other half is for each person that gave you advice in this forum and is currently living in Medellin! Is it fair guys?

Chuck comments on Exchanging large amounts of dollars ====Question

I guess it's easy... A few moths ago I went to the CASA DE CAMBIO at the CENTRO COMERCIAL EL TESORO in MEdellin. I was going to buy US$1000. Surprise... they didn't had enough, but the lady there told me to return in half hour. I hanged around till I saw a gringo come by and exchaged US$ for Col$. Then I asked again and now they had the $1000 I needed. The lady innocently told me the gringo sold her around US$2000.

And this all happened in a perfectly legal CASA DE CAMBIO.

You need better rates!! That's everybody's dream!

Chuck comments on Flights to Cartagena

Next time reserve! In all the world, including Colombia, last minute tikets are expensive! Maybe if you take a bus to Cali and check AEROREPUBLICA... you might find cheaper fares. Search the web too! www.avianca.com and www.aerorepublica.com.co

Chuck comments on Seeking my Past

A sad story! And what about the rest of your family? No one in Medellín?

I don't know what you've been told, but you are a paisa and that's great. You may feel proud. The rest of colombia hate us a little because we are hard workers, a little aggressive and to proud of ourselves.

Come visit Medellin and our surroundings, don't miss:

Basilica Metropolitana, Museo de Antioquia (Botero), a Tipico dish at Mondongos Restaurant, Aguardiente at Pueblito Paisa, Sabaleta fish at Manhatan Restaurant, Santa Fe de Antioquia town, Vuelta a Oriente car ride with Arepa de Chocolo con quesito, El Peñol rock, Jardin town, Templo Antonia's friday night, Parque LLeras, Metro ride, A Salpicon with helado, hey!! I need a little help here... somebody elses turn!

Chuck comments on What's the Possibility of My Novia Receiving a STUDENT Visa??

Am I too naive... We all say here that in general Americans are too naive. Maybe it's because they are law abiding citizens.

I wish the rest of the world... and we colombians included.. were naive! But nooo!... people are always trying to outsmart authority... and where authority doesn't exist.. then you'll have caos.

That's exactly what was going on in Colombia... CAOS! Everyone did what they pleased. Our current president is authoritarian... and most of the citizens want him to be like that, but now a few want to return to our CAOS years. They have no memory!

So please... don't try to fool your American Consulate with a fake Colombian student novia. Your action will make it harder for real students to get their own visa.

Deal?

Chuck comments on SHIPPING SERVICES FROM CHICAGO TO CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA

Chuck These guys can help you! They are in Miami. Around $2.50 per pound.

www.abecargo.com

Chuck comments on Tell me about the women to avoid

he he he he he he he.... Women are women.... here there and everywhere!

Love? It was great to be in love while a teenager... Ok... maybe till your 28th birthday...

From then on... Is it really love? Convenience maybe? Or what else... I'm all ears ladies!

Chuck comments on Crossing boarders

Sorry Peter.... you are wrong! Your statement used to be very true during the infamous Pastrana presidency. Not anymore today... We have Mr Uribe ad his Seguridad Democrática.

I visit regularly the Colombian-Panama border on the Caribbean side. It is quite secure now. The army has a solid presence there. A year ago while visiting the popular "EL CIELO" in the middle of the jungle about a two hour walk from Capurgana, I met an Army group and they told me the guerrilla moved to inland Choco, about 300 kilometers away from the border.

On the Panamanian side it is secure, the Guardia controls all the Caribbean side. It seems Yaviza, the town where the Panamerican road ends is not as safe as the coast.

Capurgana used to receive 20 plus Twin-Otter flights during the high tourist season, then it became a ghost town during the Pastrana presidency. Now tourism is booming again ad everyone is happy and optimistic.

From Capurgana you continue by boat to "Puerto Obaldía". From there it is possible to take a plane to Panama city or continue to the beautifull San Blas Islands... where you might stowaway into a cruise ship that regularly visit the Islands (Seeee.. if the cruise ship goes there itis safe!)

Yes... it is cheaper to take the Copa flight, but you will miss all the fun.

Chuck comments on How to get to Panama City from Ecuador or Columbia

This is important too. You don't have to hire a boat from Turbo to Capurgana. There's a scheduled departure every day in the morning. You take the boat at "EL WAFFE".. that's the local name of the port. You should spend the night in Turbo before departure. Turbo has a couple of descent hotels.

A little history. Turbo used to be a very important airport during the late 20's and 30's. Most of the flights between Argentina, Brasil... all south America, had to land there to refuel. From Turbo the flight continued to Havana all the way to NYC.

Chuck comments on How to get to Panama City from Ecuador or Columbia

It is not impossible. I've done it!

If you are in the colombian coast you should follow this route:

Cartagena - Montería - Turbo by bus or Colective Taxi, then take a boat to Capurgana (about a 2 hour trip in a boat with a 200 HP outboard). You can stay and enjoy Capurgana for a few days, then by boat continue to Puerto Obaldía in Panama (about 1/2 boat ride). Now you are in Panama! You may take a plane directly to Panama City or continue by boat through the beautifull San Blas Islands.

If you are in Bogota, then go to Medellín and continue to Turbo. You should take the earliest bus to Turbo, it is safer.

One word of advice! Contact the Panamanian Consulate in Cartagena or Medellín and ask them to write a letter of recomendation. I guess you don't need a Visa.. but the letter may help you at the border.

Chuck comments on travelling solo in Colombia: looking for tips

Don't forget the jungle... 3 choices...

Amazon - Leticia! Somewhat distant... may be expensive.

Pacific - Nuqui! Search the web for ecotours there, from Medellin

Caribbean - Capurgana My own favorite! Small plane from Medellin

Capurgana is the colombian version of a Caribbean Island... It is not an island but you feel you are in one. You get to know everyone in this carless (no cars at all!) town near the Colombian Panama border.

Chuck comments on what should I eat in Colombia?

So far no one has mention the king of all. TIPICO! It doesn't matter where are you in colombia... but pls don't forget to search for a PAISA restaurant and ask for their best TIPICO!

We have a saying in Antioquia...

Paisa food should be of good quality, cause if it is bad... it is delicious too!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_19182,00.html

Chuck comments on What's the Possibility of My Novia Receiving a Tourist Visa??

Justice for all... don't make me laugh! Somewhere in the US and Colombian constitution the "Justice for all" is mentioned.

The bigest example that this is a joke is the Visa handling process at a US consulate. My conclusion is that the main feature they look for is "cocksurerty".

If she's ugly....nah!
If her dress is from EXITO... nah!
If she is meeting her boyfriend... nah!
If she can't speak a word in english... nah!
If she carries a ton of paper stating she's rich... nah! (fake)

... and politicians still mention Equality under the law! B.S.!