I bought the ticket

Sam Salmon says on Mar 21, 2004, 17:56:

Medellin- there's more call f Medellin- there's more call for English instruction because of all the manufacturing and the International business that it brings to the the city.

However if there one piece of advice I can give you it's never fly with Avianca.

They are a bunch of clowns of the stupidest and most disorganized variety.

Try AeroRublica instead I have had good experiences with them.






'livin' la vida pesca'

' a la orden!'

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traveler7 says on Mar 21, 2004, 18:07:

Are you mexican or just teaching in Mexico? I know of lot of Mexicans who visit Cali on a regular basis. Especially during the feria.

Either way, you will probably enjoy Colombia. I think Mexico and Colombia are two most distinct destinations in Latin America (not including Brazil).

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traveler7 says on Mar 21, 2004, 18:09:

PS - While I dont think Avianca is that bad for international flights, it can be a little disorganized.

Your best bet for traveling withing Colombia is going to be WEST CARRIBEAN AIRWAYS. It is a new Colombian airlines with their hub in Medellin. It is cheap and it is excellent.

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utopiacowboy says on Mar 21, 2004, 22:57:

Good experiences with both West Carribean and Aerorepublica. I laughed when I read about your possibly teaching English in Medellin. They need it! I have never met anyone there who speaks more than a few words of english. Even my wife's english tutor could barely speak english - they spent all their time working on grammar because that was all he knew! Heck, I had to speak Spanish even to the "certified" English translator - figure that out!

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Mar 22, 2004, 08:39:

Lots of demand in Bogota Hi Shane, I think you'll really enjoy Colombia. There's a huge demand for English teachers in Bogota because it's the educational, business and administrative center for the whole country. I think there are something more than 20 universities here. Cost of living is higher than the rest of the country but not ridiculously so.

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vanwely says on Mar 22, 2004, 10:02:

Avianca

I disagree with your assessment of Avianca. I have flown it a least a dozen times both inside Colombia and outside and the flights have always left on time with no problems. Now if you want to fly a crappy airline try Aerocontiente

Vanwely

Colombia - Tierra Querida

Colombia - Tierra Querida

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Skippy says on Mar 22, 2004, 11:28:

Medellin Thanks for the advice.
How does Medellin compare to Cali? Is it a nice city? Someone once told me it is a hole. Are there things to see and do? I have heard that the girls in Medellin are beautiful and friendly. Is that true or just a myth? I also understand that there are not many foreigners. Is it cheaper than Cali?

I know a lot of questions, but I do not have a lot of money to burn on flights. Is taking the bus possible?????

Thanks a lot.

Yup

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Mar 22, 2004, 12:31:

avianca/cali More often than not, I've positive experiences with Avianca. Only once they delayed my baggage in Bogotá (connecting flight with another carrier), the flight attendants courteous and friendly and the food about average. Lately I've been flying with either Iberia or BA, since Avianca raised the ticket prices from Europe, and I have to confess I'd rather fly Avianca than Iberia.
The other issue here is about which city would be best: I'd say Medellin or even Bogotá at this time. Cali is my overall favorite city, but I'd rather keep it for myself:)

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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litost says on Mar 22, 2004, 19:12:

You should try to see both Cali and Medellin, actually if you have some time a bus ride between the 2 cities is not at all out of the question, the trip is not very long (around 9 hours if not stopping)and overall safe... the scenery is breathtaking and you will go through the Coffee Region where you can stop off and enjoy the most authentic and beautiful area in the country.

If you MUST choose one of the two, I would prefer Medellin because it has more to see and is better organized than Cali.

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Mar 22, 2004, 20:14:

Hwy between Bogota and Medellin I wonder what happened to the young Belgian man who was trying to find some biking partners for a February ride from Bogota to Medellin.

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utopiacowboy says on Mar 22, 2004, 21:16:

Shane, whoever told you Medellin was a hole was just plain wrong. I don't think even its detractors would say that about it. Now if they had said it was a place with some of the most dangerous neighborhoods on earth, I would have to agree. Or a place with an alamingly high murder rate, again I would have to agree. However it is a dramatically beautiful city, set in a big valley with mountains surrounding the city. It has an incredible year round climate - no need for either air conditioning or heating systems. The women of Medellin are beautiful and very friendly towards gringoes, I guess because it is so unusual to see one there. On my five trips to Medellin in the past year, I have never seen a gringo other than at the airport. There has to a few there while I am there but I never seem to run into them. My Colombian in-laws will not let me take the bus but I think this is more based on things that happened in the past - it used to be unsafe but seems to be ok now between Medellin and Cali and Medellin and Bogota. They tend to be very conservative when it comes to gringo safety.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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satsb says on Mar 23, 2004, 13:21:

congrats glad to hear of your purchase. i am hoping to do the samething in sep. i was wondering where you got the flight and visa from and if its hard to get. i can't seem to find any fligts to colombia...unless from miami and is there any special visa issues to look into?

thanks,

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isaactraveler says on Mar 23, 2004, 13:27:

Avianca is a great airline they ran on time, took off and landed perfectly and were super courteous and efficient. I have flown with them a total of 6 times through various connections and never had a problem. I would put them up against any of the US airlines for quality efficiency and comfort.

West Carribian is another good alternative. I have used them 2 times and it was a bit cheaper.

happy travels!

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markdeinglaterra says on Mar 23, 2004, 14:42:

avianca/choose cali!!! i must admit i have had a bad experience with avianca, moving forward a connecting flight from 13.00 to 11.30, and delaying the first flight from 11.00 to 12.00. i could barely believe my ears, i thought my spanish was failing me, but it was avianca who were failing me!!!!!!!! when i had finished arguing i simply laughed, what else can you do????

only one experience, maybe i was unlucky. and the staff were at least polite about screwing up my day!!!!

i can see the sense in going to medellin, but i think the cali women are the best, i know its bizarre to generalise about the calibre of the female population of a city but hey, the colombians do it, and besides its fun!!!

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AngelGabriel says on Apr 1, 2004, 20:07:

Worse than other cities??? Hello UtopiaCowboy, Hope all is well.
"Now if they had said it was a place with some of the most dangerous neighborhoods on earth, I would have to agree. Or a place with an alamingly high murder rate, again I would have to agree. However it is a dramatically beautiful city, set in a big valley with mountains surrounding the city" Why is that you came with that conclusion? My impression, and ít's really only that, Medellin is a pretty advanced "civilized" society, place compared to other Colombian cities. Yes, to generalize, crime is all over central & south america, the entire world. That comment sounds scary, I mean, should I lay off the teaching-english gig I can possibly get because of that?
Thanks!

Siente el Mambo YoYo

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asmith says on Apr 1, 2004, 22:26:

Avianca Airlines You sir, have been very fortunate, Avianca Airlines employees robbers and thieves, my wife had her complete computer stolen while in transit. I would rather ride a bicycle through the swamp than fly Avianca Airlines.

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john says on Apr 9, 2004, 17:12:

Avianca. have you all tried Allianza Summa?

John

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