Quiero aconsejar para mi viajar en los cuidades en colombia

ON september 25th i will be flying from london to mexico city and the heading south through central america. I plan to cross over to colombia by plane from either panama or probably sna jose in costa rica and i have two female friends only in bogota & bucaramanga. I plan to be there for at least 3 weeks before i head south from the amazon through the andes for another six months. I have a high degree of spanish having been studying castellano for 4 years here in london plus i spent 3 months last year in mexico & cuba intensive course. I need some help because the Foreign Office in the Uk are not very helpful about advising which parts are safe to go to or not apart from mentioning the border area with ecuador and panama - the dorien gap springs to mind ! I have asked travel agents who specialise in latin america for their help much to no avail. So i plan to get some advice from you guys on this site and by meeting a colombian friend from bogota in london before i leave in 7 weeks. Primarily i would like help with ....

1) What does everyone know about travel within the following cities - cali, bogota, medellin, bucaramanga, cartagena.

2) Is it ok to tavel from city to city ot other small towns at nite using public transport. i take it there are buses over there mostly and no trains. Is it just easier to fly but then i miss the beautiful countryside.

3) What other places would you recommend i visit around this country ?

4) What about the dress code, would i get maybe unwanted attention by wearing shorts, trainers and baseball cap in the coutnryside as opposed to the cities.

5) Do you guys know specific parts of the cities i named above which are best to stay without being too touristy but still close to locals that i use my spanish.

I have mostly studies books and the internet on the other countries i am visiting so this colombia trip is a bit unexpected and unplanned so i do not have much time to research.

I would really appreciate any advice or help on the above topics and if anyone wants to show me around their home city for a day or two that would be great.

Hasta luego todos y escribeme aqui o en mi otro correo electronca - jasonburnett3 at aol.com porque voy a ir a mexico pronto.

mucho gracias para tu ayudar.

By Juanes on Aug 8, 2006, 08:15 in Friendly Talkzone.

Erik Wassenaar says on Aug 8, 2006, 08:37:

No bus at night! Dear Juanes, all I can advise is do not take the bus at night! Colombian bus drivers are like Pablo Montoya. And worse, Colombian trafic (at night) is more or less like a lotery. But hey, no worries, I live in Colombia, drive a car and still alive.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Aug 8, 2006, 10:49:

This email is to advise you that an article matching one of your
interests has been published on the FCO website:

"Colombia
This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments to the
Summary and Safety & Security section. The overall level of the advice
has not changed.
* We advise against all travel to Putumayo, Arauca, NariñoCaqueta,
Guaviare and Norte de Santander departments, and to rural areas of
Sucre, Bolivar, Choco, Antioquia, Valle de Cauca, Cauca and Huila
departments. We also advise against all travel to southern parts of
Meta department and to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (including the
`Lost City'). There is a high risk to your personal safety in
these areas."

(from FCO website, Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

More info:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385774

Cheers,
Desi

Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone
else's life.

-Kobi Yamada

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

william_andrew_channell says on Aug 8, 2006, 11:10:

I would recommend that you learn spanish before your trip.

elmodefoque says on Aug 8, 2006, 12:23:

In Barranquilla we have no safety advisory, it is very safe but please be careful when buying booze. Make sure the label is factory sealed. A couple years ago 12 corronchos died from sharing a bottle of rum. If the shit don’t kill you, it will make you blind.

. says on Aug 8, 2006, 13:27:

Hey mate, Juanes, I am from Colombia but live in Bristol (UK), I do not know a lot about Colombia, despite the fact I am Colombian! how ever, if you need some help and want to practice your spanish, send me a message to juanpbadillo at email.com.

ColombiaBoard says on Aug 8, 2006, 16:17:

Answers First of all , sorry but your spanish doesn't seem to be that good, your title has several grammatical errors, same thing at the end of the message.

Now to your questions:

1. These cities are considered safe for tourists. Of course the have bad areas as well so if you're going to be with locals in Bogota and Bucaramanga they'll surely will help you to avoid the bad areas. In the other cities, well, it's a matter of common sense, you'll notice that a good area has nice houses, buildings, etc. whereas dangerous areas look bad.
2. For extra security it's better to travel between cities only during daytime, plan your trip so you reach the next city the same day or early at night.
3. Three weeks is barely enough to visit the cities you mention
4. You'll be in different weahter conditions. Bogota is cold, windy and rainy so wearing shorts is definitely a sign that you're a tourist. In Cartagena is OK to wear shorts, Cali is hot but most people wear jeans, pants. The general rule is to wear casual clothing.
5. Are you looking for good neighborhoods or places where you can interact with colombians and feel safe?

gabo4ever says on Aug 9, 2006, 05:05:

check out this blog.. www.steveislost.com,

The blogger Steve, spent 6months travelling through S.America, he picked up Spanish classes along the way. He travelled through every city you mentioned and a few more. Research his site, it has useful information on hostels,travelling routes, passport&visa problems/solutions.

Regards,

Gabo

La Felicidad es un Don o simplemente una reaccion?

Y por si se atreven: Watsamatamaracuya?

corazon en colombia says on Aug 9, 2006, 13:00:

Search this site as there is a lot of useful info about all the areas you mentioned. For example, there were several posts referring to gringo dress in the last few weeks with good advice and a few laughs too... :)

Colombia = paradiso

Colombia = paradiso