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Trip Repot from Dan

Here is a Trip report for my visit to Colombia. I know there was someone asking about it so here it is. First to reply to Tiopipe question, Yes Delta is flying Atlanta-Bogota. Thats how I flew. Might be quite a bit of info but I hope it helps someone.

Well, first part of my flight was from my city in North Carolina which Delta has Connection flights going from the regional airport here to Atlanta, From there, I had to wait abt 3 hrs or so for the flight to bogota. The International Concorse (E) seems to be a nice area to spend some time in. I did a lot of walking around in concourse D also just to wast time. Anyway, When I checked in at my regional airport, they just asked to look at my passport just because I was going international. Then was checked again as you go on the plane to Colombia. Normally, I travel to Colombia via other means on official buisness/passport, so this was the first time going through Bogota airport and using my own passport. First thing done while going into the airport, you come to some LONG lines, turns out this is the "Inmigración" lines. At first, I only saw about 3 lines or so until you get closer then realize the area goes around the corner to see other lines. Going through the inmigracion was easier than I expected, I was just asked how long I was going to stay in Colombia and the purpose, got a stamp for 60 days and was on my way. The only way to go after that is through baggage claim. I didn't have anything there so I didn't worry about that. There were people working there to help with your bags on the carts. After baggage claim, you go through a door to hand the guy standing next to it the customs form filled out on the plane. through the door, there are x-ray machines to scan bags, I'm not sure if it was random or if I was supposed to go through it, so I just followed another guy around them and to the outside. That was interesting too. Outside, there are close to a few hundred people waiting to greet the arrivals along with all the taxi drivers and airport personal and police around. I found a taxi and went to the hotel. I was charged $20,000 pesos. does anyone know if its normal to be charged that to or from the airport? Just asking because I know I can go from on end of the city to the other and normally not charged more than 10mil MAX.

Anyway, the time spent in bogota was great. It was nice to be there without worrying about work. I spent every moment with my girlfriend and a little bit of time with her friends, cousins and daughter. It was only a week and wish it could have been longer. It just keeps getting harder and harder to leave her and it's not much easier for her either. She is such a wonderful woman.

I had asked her to marry me and now the hard part is going to be actually going through with it. The reason being is that I have to go to colombia for work in Aug for 3 months or so and can't spend much time with her and also trying to get the paperwork done in time. I know with some of the requirements like the copy of her cedula and letter it would be easier to get that to me. but then I have to get a copy of my birth certificate from the state dept. in Washington DC and I believe she needs hers too which may be a bit out of the way for her (luckly she has family where she was born). I'm just hoping getting all the neccessary stuff done goes well. I'm looking at getting it all done before Dec if possible. The main reason for that is because she is pregnant and I told her that I prefer to go through with it before the birth because I believe it would be a better chance for dual nationality. I myself was born in a different country, but as far as I know, I don't have a birth certificate for the other country and with out dual citizenship (Something I should probably ask my dad). Right now, she is a little (ok a LOT) worried about the whole process too and I keep trying to reassure everything will be alright. and shes also worried about insurance for medical costs, so I'm hoping all goes well for that too.

Anyway, back to the trip... I found everyone in Bogota very helpful when needed and very kind. I've never felt more comfortable anywhere else that I can ever remember. All the places that I have seen around Bogota, I would say that it is probably one of the cleanest/well kept cities that I've visited whether it was in the high class zona rosa area or what would be considered "the slums" or whatever you might call them. I had gone to my girlfriends house where her two cousins that she lives with welcomed me with open arms. The main reason for my trip was for my girlfriends daughters 7th birthday. it was interesting because the sang "happy birthday" and then I believe something else in spanish.

The hardest part about the whole trip was having to leave. My girlfriend was asking me to stay even for one day more. From what I know, the flights into and outof are always full. so I couldn't stay. It was not easy to watch her get into a taxi and head back to her house. After I checked out of the hotel, I went to the airport with the hotel car and again was 20mil for the ride. When I got to the airport, everything seemed fairly quite around the outside, until walking though the doors to the inside. At a couple of the doors there were police looking for reservations or tickets to get inside. I just showed them the flight info that I had printed off the internet from my reservation. When I found the line for Delta, it took a moment to find the end of the line. as you move forward in the line you come up to a counter to show your reservation to continue in the line. There was a second counter for the airport/exit tax. When I got there, I was told I had to go to another part of the airport to get some card for a tax exemption or something or another. I think it was because I was there as a visitor, I'm not entirely sure on that. Anyway, I left the line, to get the card and returned to the back of the line, again. The purpose of the card is to pay the tax at 80mil or $29. After I paid the exit fee. I waited to contine in the line for the counter and there I got my boarding pass. By the way. If you have any baggage to check in, the take and scan it before you get to the counter. they set the bags aside until you get to the counter and you just point out which ones are yours. After getting the boarding pass, you head up the stares to toward the gates. There you go though a security checkpoint scan carry on bags/jackets or whatever you might be carring on, metal detector and get padded down. If I remember right, afterwards you go through the inmigracion booths again for the exit stamp and then to the gate. At the gate, again, get bags checked and scaned and then to the plane for the flight.

When I got into Atlanta, they have customs officers by the doors of the gate to check passports and ask questions. I was asked what the purpose of the trip to colombia was for and whether or not I worked for the airline (trying to figure that one out) At the immigration booths there are a lot of lines some are labled for either US Citizens or Foreign Visitors. By the time I finally got to the booth I was asked the usual questions as far as purpose of trip, am I carring food products, etc. I mentioned that I was on vacation and visiting my girlfriend got another stamp there and on my way toward baggage. Because I didn't have any there I bypassed that and was stopped by one of the customs officers that was by the plane as to whether i had any checked baggage, I told him I didn't and he asked me about how I mentioned visiting my girlfriend, which I thought was odd because this guy i had seen only by the plane but I mentioned it to the guy at the booth only. He also asked me if I was in the military and to check if I had any ID for it. He gave me my passport back again and I was on my way. somewhere in there, there was more baggage scanning and rechecking of bags for connecting flights etc. I ended up staying in Atlanta Airport for abt 8hrs for my next flight to my cities regional airport. all the earlier flights were full so I couldn't get an earlier one. So I walked around a lot.

Some of the things I will remember to do next time and advice for others:
1. Hotel reservations: Call them to make sure they get it. don't rely
only on internet reservations.
2. I didn't see/notice any ATM's in the Airport when I arrived but
you should make sure you have something for the taxi ride away
from the airport.
3. When you leave Colombia, arrive at the airport early to get through
the line.
4. When you arrive at the airport. get the card for tax exemption for
the exit fee. it's a little booth just inside the entrance/exit 6.
5. make sure you have that card, and your tickets or reservation to
get on the flight.
6. Because of all the screening, I would recommend what I did and put
everything (wallet, keys, change) in a jacket if you have one so
that all you have to dois put the jacket in a basket and you can
grab it and be on your way.

That's about the main things I can think of right now. If anyone has any questions let me know, and I'll try to answer what I can.
Happy travels
Daniel

By Dan on Jul 2, 2004, 07:14 in Friendly Talkzone.

vladimiro says on Jul 2, 2004, 09:37:

You forgot to get the taxi quote. "I found a taxi and went to the hotel. I was charged $20,000 pesos. does anyone know if its normal to be charged that to or from the airport? Just asking because I know I can go from on end of the city to the other and normally not charged more than 10mil MAX."

That's a little high. When you walked outside and saw all those people waiting you passed a little office window where you should have told the lady inside where you are going and she would have given you a paper with the amount that your taxi ride costs. You give that paper to the taxi driver and don't pay any more than it says.

El Dorado has this because the airport is full of unofficial taxi drivers that try to take advantage of those that are new to Bogota.

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Dan says on Jul 2, 2004, 10:32:

Taxi Window Valdimiro, I kind of know what you meen by the window. I didn't see the one by the airport. The only one I do know of is at Unicentro just outside the Entrada Principal.

Like Tinto, I went around the Zona Rosa (hotel morrison) I thought it was a bit high priced for the ride, but I was more happy just to be in Colombia I wasn't too worried about it. It's only about 7 bucks.

The ride TO the airport, I was charged 20mil again. I believe it was a hotel car too. I'm not sure what's up with that. There are a lot of people running one scam or another but normally I'm with my girlfriend so they don't hit me too much.
Daniel

God Bless America!

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Tinto (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jul 2, 2004, 10:45:

Hotel Morrison...nice digs http://www.morrisonhotel.com/

Site says $100 room, $120 for a suite, breakfast included at both prices. Does that sound right or did you get a better deal?

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Dan says on Jul 2, 2004, 11:13:

Morrison As in the first point in the original post. Calling for the reservations... I was trying to get into Hotel Rosales Plaza but they didn't get the reservation I made through their website 2 weeks prior to my trip so when I called about confirming it, they told me because it was so short notice they made the reservations in Morrison for me because they were full.
Anyway, For Morrison, they told me it would cost about $70 or so per night, I was there for 7 nights in a room with 2 twin beds. The room was smaller than what I remember from Rosales Plaza when I was there a couple months ago, but I didn't need too much. Over all for the Hotel room, I was charged $543.89 That included raiding the minibar for juice and sodas almost every day.
It's located in a good spot too. Not far from Hotel Andino Royal and Andino and Atlantis plazas are about a block or two away. There was a grocery store a block away too that I beleive is open 24hrs. My girlfriend and I went there at one point to buy some fruit and something to drink late one night when we were just getting back to the room. I would not recommend eating at the hotel. My girlfiend was hungry one night and ordered a steak that wasn't all that good and cost 38mil... a bit too high when I know you can spend half that or less and get enough food for 2 or three people that fill you up (I love the Bandeja Paisa that some places have). Either way it was a pretty good hotel and anytime you show up to it you gotta get buzzed in. Most of the taxi drivers almost went right past the road that has the entrance to the hotel so if you stay in that one, watch where the guy is going so you can tell him where to turn.

God Bless America!

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vladimiro says on Jul 2, 2004, 11:33:

Bogota Taxis The white hotel taxis are more expensive because they are supposedly safer. I think because of their clietel the taxis from the nice hotels try to rip you off more than the yellow taxis on the street. A taxi from the airport to the Zona Rosa costs about 11K-14K so you didn't get overcharged too badly. Initially, I was suprised at getting overcharged repeatedly in Bogota because I had spent a lot of time in Medellin and had never been overcharged.

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vanwely says on Jul 2, 2004, 12:32:

The hardest part is leaving Dan,

I agree with 100% that the hardest part is watching your novia walk away and know that you wont see her again for 3 or 4 months. I usually pay 16K from the airport to the zona rosa. Its only $5 - whats the big deal?
In the zona rosa, I have stayed in all the hotels and I like the Hamilton Court the best. About $50 and nicer rooms than Andino. Also super location.

Colombia - Tierra Querida

Colombia - Tierra Querida

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latingirl says on Jul 2, 2004, 13:43:

information re: tax excemption Dan,

I thought that if you are a US citizen you have to pay the mandatory $29 exit tax. What exactly is the "tax excemption?"

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Dan says on Jul 2, 2004, 14:36:

Exit fee I could have read the sign wrong, I'm not sure. When I was leaving Colombia at the end of a buisness trip 1.5 months ago I had to pay 129mil for the exit fee, I think the card from the booth I mentioned is just a reduction so that you only have to pay 80mil/$29. I'm not exactly sure.
You are right, it is mandatory. Daniel

God Bless America!

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viewpoint says on Jul 2, 2004, 17:37:

Exit Tax The exit tax is currently US$29.00 for non-residents that have entered Colombia under a vistor status (tourist) with the proper stamped extension but has nothing to do with being a US citizen. Residents of Colombia exiting must currently pay US$46 regardless of citizenship. I am a USA citizen but I must always pay US$46.00 for the exit tax because I have Colombian resident status.

At least that's my understanding of the two exit tax structures.

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latingirl says on Jul 2, 2004, 18:04:

Dan , Just curious, where are you from in NC Just wondering cuz I live in NC as well!

Just got back from Cali. Boy do I sure do miss Colombia!

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Dan says on Jul 2, 2004, 18:39:

latingirl I live in the southern part of the state in Fayetteville.

God Bless America!

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mranderson says on Jul 3, 2004, 18:34:

im planning on visiting colombia soon but i dont speak spanish. do they speak english in the airport? you said there was 200 or so people waiting outside, is it like a mob scene? will i get confused on where to go in the airport. also do you know anything about the medellin airport?

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viewpoint says on Jul 4, 2004, 06:34:

Relax Mr. Anderson The 200 people waiting for passengers clearing immigration and customs is not different than any port of entry to the USA. These are just the relatives or friends of incoming passengers that must wait outside the secured area of the terminal (same as USA). Hopefully one of those smiling faces will be waiting for you.

If you are coming on an international flight you should befriend someone that is bilingual on the airplane to assist you in securing transportation and providing direction to where you are going after you arrive. It is best to print from the internet, the hotel (or aptos) information and addresses of where you are going (from the airport) in case the taxi driver does understand english.

When I first arrived in Medellin (March of 1999) I took taxis every day (8-10 times daily) for a period of four months before I bought transportation and obtained my Colombian drivers license. During that time I never had one bad experience in a taxi. Not one time did I feel I was overcharged or taken the long route somewhere. Medellin is a very good community with warm (mostly honest) people.

You won't get confused at the airport or need direction, just follow the herd and you will clear immigration, secure your baggage and clear inspection next stop is transportation. The sea of yellow cars are the taxis. The odds are that your last fluent english speaking contact will be the flight attendant on the airplane unless you befriend someone but it's just a one in thirty chance from there on. The better hotels, professional offices and banks will have english speaking people working there. Usually, you have to seek out these "english speaking" people as they are the exception rather than the rule.

You will get by just fine. I have owned a home and lived in Medellin for over five years (part time)and only speak a degraded form of SpanIngles after five years. Most of my friends are bilingual and others that were not now speak my form of SpanIngles jajajja.

On my first trip to Medellin a "paisa" woman that I had met on the internet was waiting for me at the airport in RioNegro. She spoke very little english (just a few words) but I remember her saying that we could "speak the international language of love". A little more than a year later she could speak fluent english and proceeded in telling me everything that had been bothering her for the past year. I preferred to go back to speaking "the international language of love" and forget about a common lanuage of english. Now five and one half years later english words come like bullets out of a machine gun (and cut to the bone) as I remember fondly the year spend in enjoying the ignorance of speaking the "international language of love".

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mranderson says on Jul 4, 2004, 10:54:

ok thanks, that helps. have you flown from city to city in colombia? i just spoke with my friend and she told me that all the planes that go from city to city are small and she told me she felt like she was going to fall out of the sky in them. i want to travel to medellin first and then to bucaramanga but im still worried about traveling to other cities. also im worried about getting robbed or worse because i unmistakeably look american(light hair,very light skin,blue eyes) and im also shorter than average so i dont have any intimidation characteristics about me. hopefully all will be well. thanks again.

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viewpoint says on Jul 4, 2004, 12:07:

Mr. Anderson Fall Out Of The Sky ? NOT Your friend is giving you some bad information. The airplanes that fly between significant cities in Colombia are jet or turbine powered planes just the same as in the USA. You should concentrate on learning a little spanish from local instructors, classes, instructional CDs or the free (or paid) internet programs. The ability to speak even a limited amount of spanish will make your trip more rewarding and comfortable for you.

Your decribed physical features sound and will look more european than american. Blue eyes were not invented in the USA but rather in european countries (Norway, Sweden or England to name a few). Your physical description describes me exactly. When I first came to Medellin my natural skin color was tanned by the caribbean sun and darker than anyone in my paisa girlfriend's family.

Medellin is a very modern city (2 million people) and probably more modern than the city that you reside in the USA. Medellin has a light rail system, other excellent transporation alternatives and about 1,400 mid to high rise buildings. The only difference between Medellin and any city of that size in the USA is that the language is different. You will be shocked at the size, setting, infastructure, culture and (warmness) people of Medellin. I was so fasinated with that city, its culture and people that I never left and I have a choice to live anywhere in the world. My second choice in SA would have been Santiago, Chile.

By the way, don't think for a minute that your light skin will make your stand out as the majority of the paisa people in Medellin (and people in Bogota) are light skinned (maybe lighter than you). I used to dye my hair a darker color for the first year to cosmetically fit in along with wearing sun glasses alot and keeping my mouth shut in public, but in time (I relaxed) all of that went away regressing back to it's normal state.

Finally, you are visiting a country of predominately short people so your height is not an issue unless you are a midget. Use common sense, dress down and leave your gold watch and diamond ring at home in the USA. Travel light with a carry-on-bag and buy the extra things you need for an extended stay (in Medellin). If you speak no spanish then employ a bilingual person to assist you during the days and life will be easier and the trip more productive.

Read the article in the recent June 21 issue of Forbes Magazine (page 90) titled "Safe Street Act - Successful Nation-Building In Colombia" written by Kerry A. Dolan which will give you a prospective on the current state of affairs in Colombia and not listen to the slanted mis-statements regarding Colombia on USA television and the USA newspapers. 42,000,000 people live in Colombia but all that is reported in the USA are stories of the 60,000 (and shrinking daily) gerrilla, paramilitary and drug manufacturers. No one writes about the other 42,000,000 people. The Forbes article will give you some comfort on the progress the current Colombian president and his administration has made against the criminal element in Colombia and its positive effect on the Colombian economy and people.

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Dan says on Jul 5, 2004, 05:05:

blending in I wouldn't worry about blending in too much. In bogota, there are many people with european backgrounds. I am a 6'5" skinny white guy and there are a few people close to my hieght. I had people surprised that I was American after I told them. I also had one guy tell me my spanish is pretty good so that helps a bit for getting around town.
Enjoy your time.Daniel

God Bless America!

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