Clinman has left 34 comments

Clinman comments on land travel from baq to ctg

The minivans are not allowed into BAQ airport. I have only taken the minivan from Hotel Dann Carlton in BAQ to CTG Hilton and took about 1.5 hours but I was the last person to get off the bus. I am sure someone will provide information on a nearby pickup point where a BAQ air port taxi can drop you off for the mini bus pickup and of course the buses run on the half hour

Clinman comments on san andreas marriage ideas

Thanks Frank for the well wishes. I will e-mail you about the Tree House. I am staying 6 nights at Hilton on Big Island using points. With a two night mininum stay at Tree House, 8 nights is too much on Big Island. Likely this trip will spend a few nights at two other islands...sprinkle some of those Marriott point around. I am headed to Barranquilla next Friday so will discuss with novia online. Of course all she knows is Hawaii 5-0 re-runs so it is a dream for her. However I am well aware the sacrifices a Colombiana makes leaving her country, her job, and her familia for love Sounds like the price quoted by Saiwedding is reasonable for all thats is included. But I am sure Tom can still do the same for $500 with a little work on his part and some planning. If you are a young guy marrying a Colombian woman with all the travel and expenses can definetly tap the budget when you are just starting out.

Clinman comments on san andreas marriage ideas

I would get on the Internet and try to find some photographers before hand. As you said before it is only a 30 minute ceremony or less. So you get married on the beach at sunset and have it recorded by cam and camera. Order your flowers and wedding cake...plain just do it yourself. I am staying at a Hilton again in November on the Big Island of Hawaii with my Colombian fiancee (her first time to Hawaii). I have been there at Hilton 4 times previously and they have a beautiful chapel on the grounds (hotel is a 2500 room megaplex on 66 acres). However the 30 minute marriage would set me back about 3 grand. Just to use the grounds is $1500. So I located a photographer online that regularly uses a site for the marriage minutes from the Hilton on the beach. Getting a justice of the peace is always the cheapest part of the equation.We will get married at sunset then continue to have the photographer record at the luau which is 5 minutes walk away. I am thinking I will be spending less than $1000 including the luau. I am going to have a suit made of cream colored linen in the traditional Colombian wedding garb which actually is borrowed from Cuba. I will have a small traditional church wedding for the family back in the New England area later. I hope my discussion of my plans gives you some ideas. You certainly are on the right track...do it yourself. Since I have not visited San Andreas I do not know the costs but I can assume it is high compared to usual Colombian because it is a resort island. An educated guess says your budget sounds doable to me

Clinman comments on Once again....deleted...ho hum

Terry go to visajourney.com to ask your questions related to marriage and 129F. There everyone on the site is in the same boat as you. You will get very good advice there and will take the fear out of the process. Poorbuthappy is a great site but the forum is not geared to Visa questions

Clinman comments on Quality Made Bedroom Furniture

Thanks Robi for your advice...where is the 30 in center Barranquilla. A taxi driver would know there area if I mentioned the "30". Also is the places where I can buy the wood, are they close to wear the artisans that make the the furniture are located.

Clinman comments on How long to spend at Parque Tayrona? and other questions.

I spent a day at Arecliffes at Parque Tayrona this past Febuary. It is a beautiful place, walked in and rode horse back out...3.8km. The resturant at Arecliffes gave me food poisoning from the shrimp at lunch time ...I never get sick.

Clinman comments on MIA to CTG

I meant to say 100 yards as the lounge is not part of the Hilton property. Of course as usual expect to find high food prices in Hilton eateries

Clinman comments on MIA to CTG

Deathnova I have stayed at the Hilton Cartagena twice in the past year and really enjoyed my stay there. If you walk out the front door and take a right for 10 yards you come to the Tropical lounge. It is built on a dock on the small lagoon. The food is good and prices very reasonable. I do see many of the Colombians taking young woman there for drinks.

Clinman comments on WARNING: Spirit Air

I have not flown Air Spirit yet but did buy a $300 ticket from Boston to Cartagena. I checked out the complaints on the link and there is no possible way to digest this information on the whole. If this was all the complaints they received from ten of thousands of customers than I would say outstanding service. One needs a percentage of complaints from total customers for comparison purposes. Every airlines has complaints it is the percentage we go by. I did receive the e-mail about $.05 and $.10 flight which I thought would be impossible to obtain those tickets. I went online and would have been able to obtain a round trip flight from Mrytle Beach to JFK for ten cents with a $16.50 taxes during select days. Of course being in Boston that round trip had no value to me regardless of the ridiculous low price. And yes one has to pay $20 a bag for each ticket. I will not use Air Spirit for business flights but might work occasionally for personal

Clinman comments on megs622

Megs, I booked the flight from Boston-Cartagena during a three day period that ended March 11th. The intro deal price was for the first few days of new flights in May and for the month of Sept. Looks like they are not offering any tickets departures from Cartagena till they start the service. I know flights coming out of Colombia are fewer in routes and more expensive than the gringos are paying.....it does not seem right

Clinman comments on Travelers Rate Miami Airport as the Worst,,,

MiamiMike, thanks for the background about Mia. I am not surprised about the Cuban mafia, however if you know this then I am sure the Feds know this as well. I agree Tampa is well designed and has some nice old photos from years past. Each waiting area has a bit tranquality about it. I remember them having a piece about Archimedes on one of the walls. Also the 200 yard train to the concourse makes you wait no longer than the average elevator

Clinman comments on Why low-cost airlines won't quite cut it

Low cost airlines have their market niche and your airport is not in their network. I have never flew Spirit but I booked a special intro flight in Sept from Boston to Cartagena. It does have two stops (Ft Lauderdales and Ft Myers). However I can get out of thois two airports quicker in cumlative time then again by just stopping in Miami. There are very few flights coming north flying non-stop to South America. I booked my flight for $300 and actually when you take out $125 for taxes Spirit only gets $175. I agree that time is certainly worth something. I have quite a bit of mileage with American but can not use them in SA flights because of the sometimes overnights they impose. I did book American in May for $610 with 6:30hr flights both way....about the best you are going to get in combination

Clinman comments on Travelers Rate Miami Airport as the Worst,,,

Hollywood I am in complete agreement about your statement about crossing the entire airport on International top floor. One enter's the lower level for domestic and recrosses their earlier steps to reach American concourse. There are two very large newer Admiral's Clubs for American which are spacious and you can take showers. They also supply little tidbits with your coffee with free Internet access. The best Admiral's I have been was in Santiago, Chile where you help your self to free beer, sandwiches, and good liquor. However my memebership was paid by the company that I no longer work for and flying mostly domestically is not worth the $500 fee of club for me

Clinman comments on Travelers Rate Miami Airport as the Worst,,,

Last month I was one of the first passenegers going thru customs on a plane in Miami from Colombia. I arrived at the courosel and within two minutes to my surprise baggage was on the belt. Within 10 minutes the belt was starting to overflow so two young guys in thier early 20's started pulling the luggage off as the owners were still in custom lines. These guys were purposely taking the bags in a movement where they picked the bag up moved to their hip and dropped it to the marble floor with a little added velocity. Obviously they were pissed off that they had to do extra work but to no fault of the owner of the bag. I was angry at their behavior but kept my opinion to myself as I had just found my second bag. I looked 3 bags over and saw a pool of red liquid seeping out of the luggage. I yelled out one of the handlers "Dude, is that necessary to purposely try to damage people's pssessions". The young guy who was appeared to be of Haitian background gave me a dirty leer. Of course I met his look and returned my own fired up visage. About hour later I ordered a sandwich at Cuban outlet near one of the American ticket counters. I had been making small talk with a woman who was the manager or owner of the establishment. There was no one else near the stand up counter and she gives the worker his coffee. He obviously knows the woman and interupts our conversation and leans over while reaching across my body to grab the sugar. I pulled the sugar out of his hand then held up in the air and asked if he wanted it. he replied "Go ahead and use it first" I mentioned "Please just ask first and I will hand it to you". He started speaking in Spanish to the woman and from what I understood she told him he was impolite for reaching across in front of me. These two incidents so close in time had me in dismay. I do not like confrontation but do not tolerate bullies or people preying on the weak.I thought it was less a matter of chance but more of a total lack of service and consideration on the whole by employees at Miami airport. Certainly the main problem is the management of the airport that allows the wild west aggression

Clinman comments on ADVICE.... ON SURGERY IN MEDELLIN.. AM I SCAMMED O IS THIS REAL

Oh gringo they would preform a biopsy procedure previous to sending out for a heridtary test definetly if precancerous regions are found. The precancerous regions are the small areas that areas of microcalcifications have developed. Also if you or radiologist felt all kinds of lumps in the breast and they were cancerous it would be too late because it would be so far advanced that the breast cancer cells would all through the body. Cysts in woman are common and also many woman suffer the discomfort of biopsy compared to the few that actually get this dreaded disease. I am not an expert but did spend a year working with radiologists on a experimental medical device (was approved by FDA) used for a second look BY the radiologist in ordering biopsies

Clinman comments on ADVICE.... ON SURGERY IN MEDELLIN.. AM I SCAMMED O IS THIS REAL

It is not unheard of to have both breasts removed as a prevention against breast cancer when it is found to heriditary. But is it common no...200,000 woman are diagnosed in US with breast cancer every year. Breast cancer is found to be a 5-10% heriditary factor. A study was completed in 500 woman in 1994 where woman had double breasts removed as a prevention in high risk herditary. It was estimated that this removed 90% of the overall risk of cancer. The heriditary factor towards familar breast cancer is diagnosed to find the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 gene. This genetic test is done with a blood sample. I am not sure of the cost of this test and if it is even used in Colombian hospitals. I knew a woman that was tested for the BRCA gene 8 years ago and the cost was slightly more than $1000US. But in invitro diagnostics this can be ancient history and the test be common place now. Oh the heridtary factor is known to be strongest in eastern European Jews and some Nordic people. As far as the sincerity of your female friend I would not venture to judge either way. In the end it is for you to judge not others and I think you have your information from this forum to make your educated decision.

Clinman comments on Before you snort, take a peak here

Are you talking about the gastric pacer? If you are, I met the surgeon that is using and promoting it (ASBS convention). Problem is - his sample size is small at this time, it still feels like a gimmick. Catgirl, so you attended the ASBS in San Diego, nice location...make me jealous. I attended the 2006 ASBS in SF and it was an interesting experience. Are you talking about Dr Shikora from Tufts in Boston? The device I was talking about is a gastic sleeve which is a teflon sleeve that line the upper intestine blocking the gall bladder and the pancreas enyymes from mixing with the food for 2 feet...malabsorbtion. His junior partner is/was the medical monitor for this trial. Are you a nurse, Catgirl? Obesity, the brain and cardiology are the three big areas of medicine in the next 5-10 years in my opinion. The gastric pacer was approved in Europe but not in the US I believe and I am in agreement that it is not a true weight loss alternative

Clinman comments on Before you snort, take a peak here

Jonas you hit right on the head about TG's over the top comment. It is not a good practice to generalize across the board about a particular social behavior without providing more facts to defend your stance.The link TG provided ...was about cocaine in UK but what does that have to do with her original statement. Catgirl, you are so right about Americans and obesity.....just look at the majority of people waiting for flights at US airports. I traveled to Chile working for a US start up company for a new device being implanted for weight loss in investigational clinical trials.Obesity is now a becoming an increasing contributor of the co-morbitities of diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia in US citizens.

Clinman comments on What's the deal with Spirit Air and their alleged $88 flights???

The price of ticket is never going to be $88 for a round trip from USA to an international destination. The fees and taxes to Cartagena run around $125 not matter the cost of the ticket or the airlines you employ. I believe the $88 special price is per one way ticket. The total for this introductary round trip would be around $300. I checked prices for Boston to Cartgena on a weekend flight (leaving on a non holiday Friday in June) and came up with $460 total which is a good price. American Airlines best price going into Barranquilla is around $610 for limited seats. Leaving from Boston and I would assume also NYC is a 2 stop flight. First arrives at Ft Lauderdale for short connection then onto Miami so this can be a hassle and make for long connections when tickets become scarce.

Clinman comments on Cheap card to call Colombia from the US?

Colombia is a little more expensive than other South American countries to call. You can use the calling card from zaptel.com and you can get .10 a minutes for calls to cell phones and .5 for land lines. Of course you can use Skype to Skype application via the computer for no charge

Clinman comments on LIVE FROM BARRANQUILLA

I will be arriving at the El Prado Thursday night. Will be watching my NE Patriots play on big screen at a casino on Isle Margarita Venezulia. After a week, back for a few days in Santa Marta

Clinman comments on Cartagena taxis

If you are an American traveling for first time Cartagena to hotel, then safety is your first consideration and next the cost. My taxi experience in Cartagena and Barranquila has been excellent. I am not sure why one would drag their luggage to the street from terminal to catch an off site taxi to save one dollar. These gentleman of the taxi's at airport are fair and reputable. A good mixed drink at the hotel bar is going to cost the same as the fare from the airport. Transportation by taxi is a bargain in Cartagena and I am always happy to throw a few extra mil to the working man with a family. I live one city south of the airport in Boston and this10 mile trip cost me close $60 with tip The guys that want to handle your luggage in Cartagena airport can be a bit annoying and slightly aggressive. They definetely will try to hustle the naive gringo for the max. fee. For a woman traveling alone with extra baggage they serve more of a purpose.

Clinman comments on Direct Flights from Atlanta

I checked Kayak.com and there are no direct flights to Barranquilla from Atlanta

Clinman comments on Shipping out of Colombia

bump

Clinman comments on Avianca Sale to Colombia.....Jan & Feb

I am flying on 31st, Miami- Baq, next morning Baq to Caracas, 7th Caracas-Baq, 10th Baq to Miami $815. It cost me $195, Caracas-Porlmar (Maragarita Isle). Oh yeah also used voucher fro Roundtrip to start it all off from Boston. Possibly Avianca will be in check from the recent American Air expansion into Colombia

Clinman comments on

In the US your undergraduate degree is 4 years and medical school is another 4 years and then residency is 3- 7 year (neurosurgery) depending on the speciality So the average physcian is in late 20's before they begin their career. I believe in order to be a practicing radiologist no longer studying under a mentor it is usually early 30's if an individual continues progess agressively. Neurosurgeons likewise are 32 or 33 before they are practicing with full board approvals. So you can see why the the earnings are quite high for physicans in the US. Now try to imagine what their school loans are?

Clinman comments on Do I trust the Post Office?

Going South, My novia received the shipment last Thursday complete in Barranquilla in 14 business days. I can certainly tell you I was certain it would not arrive for Xmas and not much more certain that the camera would arrive at it's destination. I have had great results now with (3) shipments USPC/Colombian PO in 11 days to 14 days in height of Xmas rush. Do I think I have been dodging bullets...yup. Any other shipments of value go with full insurance via FedEx. I can track the shipment and know that a Colombian FedEx employee values his job enough that the theft is very low. I have to say this timely shipment to novia and her family made a big difference in my christmas cheer. Hope everyone had a great holiday

Clinman comments on skype is expensive to call colombia

Try the calling card at zaptel.com. I believe it is 4.9 cents per minute from US to Colombia. Buy a card for $10 online and evaluate it. I have used it for other countries as well and happy with service

Clinman comments on Bank Account for Gringo?

I agree with Medillin, PayPal is the way to go. I was in Cartagena in July and I had a Chilena meet me for vacation. I left a day early and she got stuck paying for a $200 of incidentals during the week (stayed at Hilton on my points). I had her open up a PayPal account and she had the money in her PayPal account 15 minutes later. How she drew the money out I am not sure if she spent it thru PayPal or advanced it to her bank. Also PayPal pays almost 5% interest which is about double what a regular bank pays

Clinman comments on Do I trust the Post Office?

My experince recently has been one shipment from US to Barranquilla using USPS was 11 business days (13 lbs, $60, books) second shipment from US to Barranquilla using USPS was 12 business days (1.5 lbs, $11, running shoes) third shipment from US to Barranquilla using USPS was sent 5 business days ago (12 lbs, $56, camera and new clothing). I am thinking I should have paid the extra $50 and used FedEx since the net worth of the package was a little over $400. USPS I believe is reliable (box size total is limited to 72 inches) and cost efficient to Colombia, However with no tracking system you have your fingers crossed if your package is delivered by the Colombian postal service. Right now I have absolutely nothing to complain about except I am worried about the present shipmeny in transit.

Clinman comments on Cartagena or Santa Marta?

I stayed at the Cartagena Hilton in both July and November. I used rewards points and stayed in some of the better rooms so I might be a little biased. The people at the reservations desk all speak good English and are very professional. The pool area has 3 different pools to choose and is quite acceptable. The hotel does open up to the beach but the vendors will be waiting. The beds at the Hilton are suberb. I believe the rack rate is around $175-200 range. If you walk out the front door of Hilton and take a left for 200 yards there is a nice quiet little resturant called the Tropical which is built on a deck over the small lagoon. A meal for two with a drink will come to about 60K pesos and is best a night.

Clinman comments on Vaccinations for Parque Tayrona...

Yellow fever is a virus that is transmitted by mosquitos and is not food borne. I am traveling to Tayrona as well as Margarita Island, Venezulua in Febero. In Venezulua certificate is not needed if traveling to either Margarita or Caracas. Of course drinking bottled water for travelers I believe is a must

Clinman comments on Avianca Fare Sale!!!!!!!!

I am flying from Miami - Baq Jan 31st then next day Baq- Caracas with my Colombian novia to Margarita Island. Return after 6 nights Caracas-Baq then three days later Baq-Miami. Yes I am leaving on Feb 10th from Barranquilla. My total for (4) Avianca segments is $813. There is $170 of taxes and fees built into that price.I still have to buy Bos-Miami but will use a voucher for that segment. Plus I need to buy Caracas-Porlamar (Margarita Island) with Aeropostal or other Ven airline. So a the $192.00 fare is: MIA/BAQ/MIA is probably little more than $300 still a very good price. For the Colombians that can least afford the prices Avianca is very high. A flight to Cancun from Baq-Cancun is $1200...ridiculous

Clinman comments on TRAVEL FROM CARTAGENA TO BANQUILLA

I will be in Barranquilla Jan 31 but they flying out with my novia to Isle Margarita for a week. To answer your question, the distance from Cartagena to Barranquilla is 70 miles. I was in Barranquilla earlier this month and made the round trip to Cartagena. Best travel is in 8 passenger vans for a about $13 US one way. The vans usually travel full and make about 50-55 mph. So the trip takes about 75-90 minutes but count on 2 hours with dropping of passenegers.