Travel update from Dan

Just thought I would write a bit on my current trip to Colombia.

Lot's of stuff has been going on since I've been here. working on visa's for wife and stepdaughter. Got through most of the National Visa Center and now the packets are transfered to the Embassy. Right now, My wife has interview date on Nov 30th and stepdaughters is Dec 1st. I'm hoping that they may be able to do them on the same day, and keep them from making more trips than necessary to the embassy. I had already paid the $380 fee twice already and read in the Packet 4 about the day of the interview, needing to pay that fee. I hope I don't have to pay again.

Let's see what else... I'm sure there are some of you who heard/saw on the news about a car bomb going off earlier in Oct and the guys who set it off were trying to get a Senator, do you? Well, I happened to be in a Hotel just around the corner when that happened. Broke a couple windows in my room and a lot more around the area. That scared the hell out of me and apparently others... I saw some other americans from the same place on the phone as soon as possible to change hotels. Me, I just moved to a room where the windows were fine. I thought it was interesting seeing the smoke still rising from the burned out frame of the one car.

As of this moment, I have only a little time remaining in my current job, So it's off to job searching. I'm looking around in the states, and if it were possible here in Colombia. Still not sure what I'm going to do yet. Wife says not to worry about it, so long as we're together.

It's good to be back in Bogota. I'm able to spend a little time with my wife and stepdaughter. We were at Salitre plaza the other day on the top floor playing games and riding the swinging pirate ship, and getting lots of tickets. All that was pretty fun. we ended up with about 516 tickets. my stepdaughter is saving up for a certain prize. I'm not sure which one yet, but it requires a lot.

Even though I spend more time working, It's good to relax when ever possible. Well, I think this is a good little update for everyone here. My wife went out with her friends tonight, So I'm off to go back upstairs to my hotel room and see what's on TV, or something.

Saludos a Todos!!

By Dan on Nov 4, 2005, 17:39 in Friendly Talkzone.

platano says on Nov 5, 2005, 00:26:

Saludos! Dan, you did just what I would have done... change rooms but stay in the same hotel. Something similar happened to me but it wasn't a car bomb, it was a bomb placed at a police station a block away. The sound was so loud I lost the hearing in my left ear for a couple days. You will be fine... I know you will from your update... so continue to enjoy Colombia!

Plátano X
Oxigeno Verde ¡Libertad por Ingrid y los demás!

plátano

utopiacowboy says on Nov 5, 2005, 06:13:

No, Dan, you will not have to pay the fee again. Somehow I think they will have sense enough to handle your stepdaughter's case at the same time as your wife's. I could be wrong about this. Please keep us posted!

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.

Moshe Weizmann says on Nov 5, 2005, 06:18:

With the bombs is like with the lightning bolts.
They usually dont strike at the same place twice.

After the explosion you should not move out of that hotel because after the explosion that hotel would be the safest place.
Know what I mean?

platano says on Nov 5, 2005, 08:54:

Moshe, exactamente! Those were exactly my thoughts... from my experience of literally dozens of bomb blasts I have experienced in Colombia. What worries me more are the helicopters firing from above in the night in rural Colombia... both are forms of terrorism in my opinion.

plátano

Dan says on Nov 6, 2005, 09:50:

I thought the same thing about the hotel I was in. If the bomb went off there, then someone would have to be an idiot to try again right after that. The security in the area went up fast too for a while. Funny thing is that the next couple days after it happened, there were LOTS of people in the streets looking at the damage as if it was the latest attraction.

As far as the visa paperwork, I was thinking the same thing, Utopia, as far as doing them the same time. I was telling my wife to get the photos, med exams etc.. done and take her daughter the same time and see if they can do her's too while they're together. I got the phone number to the person in charge of the IV section in the Embassy, so I'm going to try calling her Tue. since tomorrow (Mon) is a holiday.

I was talking to a taxi driver yesterday. He thought I was German, which I just said yes I am. I was telling him about living here someday and told him my family and friends think I'm crazy because they think it's so dangerous. Without hesitation, he said "that's all lie's"... I agreed and told him about my travels and knowing the city well enough to know where I am and what I like about Colombia, the city and the people. This is a pretty good trip, just too bad work get's in the way. A bit too much at times.

God Bless America!

utopiacowboy says on Nov 6, 2005, 09:55:

I agree with you. Get it all done and take the child with her. I'm betting they'll do them both and save everyone the hassle.

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.

Dan says on Nov 30, 2005, 08:17:

UPDATE Here's another update... Wife had her interview today, finally. I tried talking her into taking her daughter too, but she decided not to, saying that if they don't do her daughter, then how pissed she (daughter) would be having to go again.

I asked about what they said and she said they only asked about my name, her name, and something about her parents. After that, only that she needs to go back at the end of tomorrow to get her passport/paperwork. Everything seems to be going pretty good. Just been working alot but that's about it. I go to Unicentro down the street for dinner most of the time. It's kind of nice to walk around part of the city.

Next, for the family, is to figure out when they want to travel. My wife keeps changing her mind about when she wants to go.

Take care everyone,
Dan

God Bless America!

utopiacowboy says on Nov 30, 2005, 08:24:

So did she even mention the daughter? Is she going again for another appointment? I feel certain that they would have handled the daughter at the same time.

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.

Dan says on Nov 30, 2005, 08:53:

When she went to the interview, she didn't even want me with her. She said she wanted to do it herself. I don't know about mentioning her daughter. I tried talking her into taking her daughter but she said she didn't want to take the chance in them not doing her too. I even mentioned about doing it to get it done faster and not having to go to the embassy more times than necessary.

God Bless America!

Dan says on Dec 1, 2005, 12:51:

Wife went to the Embassy again for her daughter today. She said that it went well. They asked her more questions about us: What type of work I do. If I'm in Colombia for Work or Vacation. Where am I currently working while in Colombia. Where and when we met. I think that was it. Anyway. She's going to go to the Embassy tomorrow to pick up everything. Still no idea when she's going to make up her mind about going to the US. Yesterday, she was talking about going in Feb or so. Who knows. Thankfully, it's about done.

God Bless America!

utopiacowboy says on Dec 1, 2005, 13:15:

February? She better not loiter too long. She only has 6 months to use the visa. My wife would have been on the plane to the US the next day.

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.

Dan says on Dec 31, 2005, 10:48:

Saludos a Todos! Just to let everyone know, I'm back in the US now. Had a pretty good time in Bogota on this trip. Got in a little late last night. I was able to spend the whole Christmas weekend with my wife and step-daughter. They were both happy for that. I hope my wife can get what she needs for her daughter to leave the country and get her stuff that's not coming to the US moved to her mom's place in Girardot. Right now, I'm planing on 2 or 3 weeks for everything. We'll see.

Happy Holiday's to everyone

God Bless America!