Going to Cartagena... have no Visa... intend to work...

aNdReSk says on May 28, 2008, 14:30:

Cartagena is fine. U won't ever have to go to a creepy place so don't worry.
U don't need a work visa to give private lessons.

I mean lol, how many foreigners get deported from Colombia :P
I have only heard of one guy and that was cuz he fucked up an event. That's all.

Now, U do have to be careful with the guys on the beach, the locals. They are scamming masters, so don't go on the beach with a rolex and leave it in the sand while u swim :p And watch out with the offers they give u. "Free" things are always the way to scam foreigners. U get soemthing free and at the end u are charged tons of money. Still, call a cop and they will shut up hehehee. :P

U'll love the town :)

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Bellita says on May 28, 2008, 14:36:

Hi, I am from Colombia and believe me Cartagena is safe. I do not understand why a Colombian would tell you what she did. I have been in Cartagena with my American husband and we have not had any problem at all. By the way Cartagena is so romantic and beautiful.

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vicshere says on May 28, 2008, 14:37:

if he thinks the process is costly...wait untill he gets caught and has to pay fines with money he doesnt have

listo

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deckstrouz says on May 28, 2008, 14:48:

That's brilliant fellas, thanks for your reassurance, it does help at this point in time. I've lived in Ecuador (not to mention northern-English ex-mining towns) for long enough to have learnt how to cypher with the scam artists, trust me...

Vic mate, I appreciate your frankness but I'd appreciate even more a little insight and possibly constructive advice as opposed to mere fear provocation. It's not like I'm trying to be a hardman by going to Cartegena with only my passport, and I do intend to change that situation upon arrival, hence my devotion of many hours to this site ;)

Any other advice, keep it coming, yeah! Cheers.

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Colombiano_81 says on May 28, 2008, 14:58:

I say go for it...but depends on how long you want to stay for....6 months I thin will bejust fine...2 years is different. You will probably want a decent life if you´re planning to live there long term and you wil definetly eed a cedula for that. (It is the equivalent of a drivers license in the US ..it is your main ID). Other than tha if just want the experience of living therefor afew months do it dude..You´ll probably have no problem but i do suggest you take soe money with you until you find your private students (it takes some time to get the ball rolling..mainly through references from other sudents). But i believe that you could get a job at an English Institute no prob evenwithout your RUT (clombian work paper)...Insitutes usually look the other way when it comes to this....

Gota go hope ithelps

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aNdReSk says on May 28, 2008, 15:35:

Oh btw, I recommend u to put an ad in the newspapers :P That's the fastest way to get private students. >_> If not the only one

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vicshere says on May 28, 2008, 15:36:

teaching private student s ...is a fun non paying past time

listo

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viajero123 says on May 28, 2008, 15:38:

You can always get a temporary work visa if you find a job teaching in Cartagena. You can just go to any neighbouring country and apply for it in any Colombian consulate, no need to go all the way back to the UK.

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deckstrouz says on May 28, 2008, 19:25:

Thanks to all for your amazing feedback - tan rapido - I owe you one. I've already considered the ad-in-the-paper approach - it's gotta be a good move. I'd hope they wouldn't be too anal about me giving a few private classes here and there. Come to think of it, I've been working in Ecuador for the past 4 months since my contract in a university as a 'volunteer' with a 'volunteer visa' expired, and was even translating for my dad who's an accupuncturist for a month without any hastle. On the contrary, we met with the jefe de salud de la provincia who gave us his full support and we subsequently needled his moms to express our gratitude! Hehe... I guess my main priority should be hooking up a place to live and people to live with so that I don't feel like a complete fool. Bocagrande's the place to be, right?

Thanks again y'all.

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markemarc1 says on May 28, 2008, 19:27:

Cartagena is great. I was there about 2 months ago for the first time. Safety was not an issue at all. There is plenty of cool stuff to do. I was there for vacation, so I'm not the one to ask about the work/visa issue. But, the city itself was incredible. Plenty of nice restaurants and fun nightlife. The people could not have been nicer, even to an American gringo like myself. The people on the beach were kinda annoying. Be persistent with telling them no and they will eventually get the point. The beach itself is so-so, but you can take a day trip to isla del rosario or isla baru and enjoy the beaches there. TomTom is the one to ask about specifics. He gave me great advice. Enjoy your time there.

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ColombiaBoard says on May 29, 2008, 11:31:

It's a good plan but in my opinion you'd better head to either Bogota or Medellin. Why? because those 2 cities have a MUCH larger population where you can find many more clients for your services. Cartagena is all that people here have said, but it's a small city with a small population compared to Bogota or Medellin.
Another thing to consider is the weather. You dont' say where you've been living in Ecuador but if it's Quito then you're going to feel like a fish on a frying pan, Cartagena is sizzling hot whereas Bogota is more like Quito and Medellin has the perfect weather combination.
Third point, this of course depends on your personal tastes. Bogota is a truly cosmopolitan city where you can find anything you want in any area of your life (partying, food, culture, entertainment, work opportunities, etc.), Medellin is less cosmopolitan but still large enough to offer many things. Cartagena is, well, a tourist destination, apart from that not much.

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Ctg Bound says on May 29, 2008, 11:39:

deckstrouz,

As ColombiaBoard, Ctg is a small place, ALSO more importantly your client base is going to be even smaller because here are not many middle class people in Ctg, which is one of the poorest Cities in Colombia.

For teaching and starting from scratch with no clients, you are better off heading for Bogota or Medellin.

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deckstrouz says on May 29, 2008, 13:30:

Once again, thanks for all your valuable input. I think you've raised some very valid points. Yeah, I'm living out in the Ecuadorian sierra, so it's pretty damn cold (something I'm looking forward to getting away from) but Cartagena will probably be at the other extreme. I should have paid it some closer thought. I guess it's probably gonna be more of a holiday than a work venture. In 6 weeks time I'll probably be back in Loja doing exactly the same as what I'm doing now... How about CALI, how might it be living and working there?

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jonas says on May 29, 2008, 13:43:

in Cartagena you can teach the pro girls english and also write begging letters "my mother is very sick" to their "boyfriends" in the US ;P

Simon Presidente!

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deckstrouz says on May 29, 2008, 13:48:

'Pro' girls? Is Cartagena basically just just full of hoes?

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jonas says on May 29, 2008, 13:50:

I remember meeting ONE girl in CTG that wasn´t. But she was probably lying.

Simon Presidente!

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deckstrouz says on May 29, 2008, 14:07:

Ok, back to the point now please, chicos...

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arnold_kate says on Jun 27, 2008, 14:38:

go to Gorge Washington School It is an english school and ask to be put on the english tutor list. Lots of students need help and in this school there parents have the money to get them the help! The school faces the beach. Ask around or take a taxi it is easy to find. The director is a gringo married to a colombian.

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