ColombiaBoard has left 911 comments

ColombiaBoard comments on Colombia Sept Sugar Exports More Than Double

Did you know that the Valle del Cauca and Valle states share one of the world´s most fertile valleys? they can have up to 5 crops a year. And Chingon, it´s all private companies, the largest is owned by the Ardila Lulle family. They own a bunch of companies but perhaps the best known are Postobon (soft drinks - they´re vertically integrated), and the RCN news channel.

ColombiaBoard comments on Difficulty networking, got side swiped by a Ford Explorer, hard time adjusting

This gives you an idea how things work in Colombia when it comes to finding a job, I know many stories like yours. I know several colombians with high qualifications, speak one or two foreign languages and they have a lot of problems finding a good position. What´s the issue?: ENVY. People in Colombia are terribly jealous, so, for example, they Dean at the University, after seeing your CV he´s probably afraid you may be so good eventually you´ll replace him, so, they don´t hire you. That´s how things function in Colombia, lots of mediocre people standing in the way of qualified workers.

ColombiaBoard comments on Colombia Rated No 4 on Lonely Planets Medical Tourism List

"Crack doctors" ???

ColombiaBoard comments on Lost all belonging in hotel , Itagui

I remember I replied to someone who suggested this was an OK area to stay in, it isn´t. Itagüi is not considered safe for tourists.

ColombiaBoard comments on Good cigars...

There´s a tobacco shop where you can buy all types of Cigars, even Cuban cigars (not available in the US) and also colombian Cigars and tobaccos and anything else you may need. You can even enjoy a nice cigar upstairs, they have a lounge, they serve whisky and rum while you listen to cuban music. Very nice. It´s located El Poblado, I don´t remember the exact address, ask for a restaurant called Primos on Calle 10B or is it Calle 11?, anyway, go west to the corner and turn left. It´s located either on that block or the next block.

ColombiaBoard comments on Falling in love in Colombia as advertised on CNN commercial.......

I guess it´s falling in love WITH Colombia not IN Colombia

ColombiaBoard comments on Peso Back Over 2,000 to the USD

This is artificial, it´s not the "market", it´s the government trying to push the peso downwards because it´s affecting exports. The central bank has bought around 1.5 billion dollars in the last 2 weeks trying to get rid of the excess of dollars in the economy but they can´t keep buying forever, so, when they stop buying the dollar will fall again.

ColombiaBoard comments on Anyone hear about SIA starting flights to South America

It´s true, at least they already have the authorisation to fly to Bogota, same story with Emirates, they also have the authorisation to fly to Bogota, when will they start their service? well, that´s up to them.

ColombiaBoard comments on Medellin products

Too bad you´re not in Medellin right now. There´s a Food Fair starting tomorrow and there´ll be many many local small companies showing their products, all types of local jams, fruit products, meat products, pastries, etc., etc. And the added advantage is there´s going to be representatives from Boyaca and other state ( I don´t remember right now the name). Lots of opportunities.

ColombiaBoard comments on Recommended restaurants/bars/clubs in Medellin?

- Supermarkets: Try Carrefour (lower prices than Exito, much better pastries and bread) - Produce Markets: there are several in the city, but of course none in el Poblado, the closest would be in Envigado, there´s also Placita de Flores in the downtown area, Plaza La America in La America (west side) and the two large ones, La Minorista (downtown) and the huge La Mayorista (Itagüi). You can find ANYTHING there. - Restaurants: you have to be patient and explore El Poblado, there are many around Parque Lleras, some very good, there are others close to Parque Lleras, for example Tabun, Cielo, Blanco, etc. about 3 blocks east from Parque Lleras. Also explore La Calle de la Buena Mesa, it´s an Avenida (running south north) one block west from Avenida Poblado, there are 5 or 7 restaurants there, one mexican, one thai, one peruvia, a very good sea food restaurant and some other eateries. Also try Crepes & Waffles anywhere you can find it.

ColombiaBoard comments on Best Pizza in Medellín

Rumo´s Pizza Very good pizza, located on Transversal Inferior....and....let´s see...it´s a mini Mall one block before La Visitacion Mall.

ColombiaBoard comments on What are the Colombian banks paying for savings accounts and CD's

Banks offer lousy rates for CDs, try a Corporacion Financiera, but only do business with large ones. These days their rate is around 7- 7.5 %

ColombiaBoard comments on where can you purchase large multi-purpose backpacks in bogota?

Most stores in Malls sell overpriced backpacking stuff. You can find good backpacks at HOMECENTER, that´s the local equivalent of Home Depot. Ask the salespeople for "Morrales para Camping"

ColombiaBoard comments on how much has inflation affected general day to day life in colombia

Inflation has hovered around 5 -- 7% (yearly) in the last 4 years, this year they expect a 4% inflation rate. You hardly notice the effect, specially in the food items, you may notice it if you are renting a property and each year the rent goes up.

ColombiaBoard comments on best and safest area for a girl to live in Medellin

The most important point to consider is the distance to the international airport, it´s a 45 minute ride if there´s not much traffic. I know that many flight attendants choose to live "up there" close to the airport, they usually live in Rionegro (less than 15 minutes away).

ColombiaBoard comments on concerts & events in Medellin August/September???

The Flower Festival is just starting today (saturday) with the Horse Parade. If you arrive on Monday you can still enjoy lots of activities, concerts, and the big flower parade September doesn´t have much to offer in terms of special events but there are always concerts of all kinds in different locations

ColombiaBoard comments on What to Wear -- Bogotá, Medellin, Cartagena

Bogota: what you´d wear in New York in late April Medellin: what you´d wear in New York in late June Cartagena: what you´d wear in New York in mid August

ColombiaBoard comments on Where To FInd Gourmet Food Items In Medellin

Try POMONA supermarkets. The Delikatessen area usually has lots of cured meats, cheeses, sauces, pastries, spices, etc. imported from the US and Europe. There are specific stores in Bogota and Medellin that sell asian food items and european stuff. There are also some german bakeries in Bogota and Medellin.

ColombiaBoard comments on

You have to contact the Cruise Line for that information, that´s Royal Caribbean

ColombiaBoard comments on Teaching English in Colombia

I see this type of question over and over and I think it´s time to make an important distinction for those interested in teaching english in Colombia. If you are a certified elementary / high school teacher in any area you can teach in Colombia at any bilingual school, there are several in Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla and at least one in other cities. There are even bilingual schools that teach in German, Italian and French. If you want to teach english as a second language then yours options are to teach at either a Language Institute (there are hundreds everywhere), at a standard colombian high school (preferrably a private school) or at a college or university. For this you usually need at least a CELTA certificate. For both teaching options (bilingual school and/or language institute) you have to have a contract to apply for a work visa BEFORE entering the country. Some people choose to teach at a language school without a work visa and they can be deported if the local immigration authority finds them. The best paid teachers are the private bilingual school teachers, english teachers at a language instituted have a "decent" wage. The best option for you in Medellin would be this: www.colomboworld.com You cand send your resume online Contact the potential employer or visit the country and talk to them in person.

ColombiaBoard comments on Vacation Suggestions for Paisa Sin Visa

Panama

ColombiaBoard comments on Hotel Alcaravan Medellin

Now, it´s not really located in Medellin, it´s located in Itagüi which is on the other side of the river and it´s a blue collar town. Not that it´s a problem or anything but this is the equivalent of staying in some parts of downtown Medellin and some parts of Itagüi (other people may say most of it) are not exactly safe.

ColombiaBoard comments on Engineering Information

In what city?

ColombiaBoard comments on tobacco

Well Kenblanquito, you can go check the store, you don`t have to buy. They have a nice humidifier room with lots of cuban cigars and colombian cigars too, it´s worth a visit. They also have shops in Bogota and Cartagena but I don´t remember the name.

ColombiaBoard comments on tobacco

There is an excellent place in Medellin for Tobacco and Cigar lovers. It´s a tobacco shop where you can buy all types of Cigars, even Cuban cigars (not available in the US) and also colombian Cigars and tobaccos and anything else you may need. You can even enjoy a nice cigar upstairs, they have a lounge, they serve whisky and rum while you listen to cuban music. Very nice. It´s located El Poblado, now...how´s that address???...mmmm, ok, ask for a restaurant called Primos on Calle 10B or is it Calle 11?, anyway, go west to the corner and turn left, it´s in the middle of the block.

ColombiaBoard comments on Hail Colombia

Democrats and the Unions seem to forget one fundamental point: if the FTA is approved there´ll be more exports to Colombia therefore more employment for US workers and much needed sales during the economic crisis. It´s a win win situation but politics and a myopic ideological stance prevent both sides from benefitting in this situation.

ColombiaBoard comments on cop denominations

Coins: 20, 50, 10, 200, 500 pesos Bills: 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 pesos Follow this link, it´s the colombian Central Bank website, click on each "Billete" (Bill) or "Monedas" (Coins) and you´ll see what each looks like http://www.banrep.gov.co/billetes_monedas/bm_cara.html

ColombiaBoard comments on DESFILE DE LOS SILLETEROS - 2009 - Assistance Please

I think the best option for you is to buy tickets for the parade section where they have seats available for visitors and tourists. It´s the best location, if the weather is as it´s been in the last years it´s going to be very very hot so it´s best to be able to comfortably sit and not stand in a crowd sweating like crazy. Besides you get to see everything.

ColombiaBoard comments on

Go to MAKRO, it´s a Costco style supermarket located on San Juan X La 65. You need a card to buy there but I guess your GF can get it easily.

ColombiaBoard comments on Where are some good get aways close to Bogota?

For warm weather head to Girardot, a very popular vacation spot with many hotels and hundreds of swimming pools.

ColombiaBoard comments on Going under 2100 :0(

Meanwhile the colombian stock market continues its rally, up up up

ColombiaBoard comments on

Something around 20K pesos / hour, but at first try a small group (3 -4 students). If you can start reviewing your college course.

ColombiaBoard comments on

Ok, regarding spanish lessons in Barranquilla.... I may get flamed for this...but...try to find a teacher who is from Bogota or Medellin. Otherwise you won´t learn a standard spanish, they have a very thick accent in Barranquilla and it´ll be hard for you to understand them.

ColombiaBoard comments on Exploding debt problem a threat

You can´t generalize. If you want to see people spending money in Medellin try going to El Hueco, there you see all stratas spending like crazy.

ColombiaBoard comments on Advice **please** to help me live with my same-sex partner here in Colombia

Colombia has one of the most advanced legislation in all of the Americas regarding same sex unions. Colombian nationals who have a foreign same sex partner and have a civil union can request a spousal visa for their partner. Find out if you can apply for that too. Find a local organization and they can help you with that.

ColombiaBoard comments on Hi, has anyone used Servientrega to send nationally?

It´s OK, Deprisa may be better but more expensive for larger packages or boxes. Try a larger office, not the little independent service providers all over the place. But don´t you ever use them for international courier, their prices are outrageous, basically what they do is double the price of FedEx or UPS. They "resend" the package using the other courier companies.

ColombiaBoard comments on Colombian bank ATM fees

Yes, each bank has different rates for each type of transaction, but the worst offense is to use another bank´s debit card at an ATM, I think there´s a bank that charges, hear this, $12,000 pesos for using a debit card from another bank. No wonder they´re the only business sector that grew more than 20% the first quarter of 2009.

ColombiaBoard comments on Buying Ecopetrol from the Colombian Stock Exchange as a foreigner

For those interested in the colombian stock market, here´s how much some of the most traded stock have gained in the current bull market which started the second week of March. Factor in the dollar losing value against the peso and that percentage goes up considerably. Ecopetrol: 15.54% Bancolombia (P): 43.60% Bancolombia : 38.19% Colinversiones: 25.21% ISA: 19.72% Cemargos: 10.28% Inverargos: 22.33%

ColombiaBoard comments on Buying Ecopetrol from the Colombian Stock Exchange as a foreigner

But are you a legal resident with cedula?

ColombiaBoard comments on Buying Ecopetrol from the Colombian Stock Exchange as a foreigner

As far as I know, foreigners (individuals) are not allowed to buy Ecopetrol stock until 2010, only foreign funds are allowed to do so at the moment.

ColombiaBoard comments on More banking questions (sorry)

Here´s some good news, more or less...f or all foreigners interested in opening bank accounts in Colombia The colombian banking system will start opening bank accounts for foreigners the second semester of 2009, a new banking law was passed a couple of months ago and currently the banks are establishing the procedures to follow to allow foreigners to open the bank accounts without too much hassle. Don´t bother to ask the people at the local branch, they probably have no idea about it. So, if you can wait... In the meantime, get a debit card from your french bank and use it in Colombia

ColombiaBoard comments on Looking for a rural paradise for retirement.

Los Llanos Orientales (The Eastern Plains), that region still has security problems, specially the states bordering Venezuela. Besides it´s still a remote region and not much development there.

ColombiaBoard comments on Looking for a rural paradise for retirement.

There are several aspects you have to consider when evaluating potential destinations for your retirment in Colombia 1. Weather: there are different types of weather, from cold & rainy to sweltering hot and humid, including some desert type regions 2. Access to internet and communications: some small towns have no internet access yet and phone lines may be limited 3. Quality of living: this is a somewhat fuzzy definition because what is completely acceptable for some people may be utterly unbearable for others, for example: internet access, entertainment venues, local activities, possibility to meet other expats (are you ok with being THE only foreigner in a town?) 4. Security: this is a very important point to consider, the reality of security can not be overlooked in a country such as Colombia. The closer you are to major urban areas the better security conditions. If you choose some fishing town three or four hours away from a large urban area then you may be compromising your security 5. Off limit areas: the following areas are definitely off limits for a potential retiree: the whole pacific coastline, the south eastern plains, the whole south border, remote rural areas anywhere in the country. The best options are towns located up to 3 hours away from the andean cities, such as Bogota, Medellin, the whole Coffee Region (cities such as Pereira, Manizales, Armenia). If you want coastal areas then it´s better to remain close to Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Cartagena, the issue in that region is that the poverty of those towns is really too much, some have no basic water sewage or electricity.

ColombiaBoard comments on Colombia news - Swine flu

The 10 potential cases are in Bogota and the 2 other suspect cases are in Cartagena

ColombiaBoard comments on Opening a bank account in Colombia, also apartments???

If you have a work visa you shouldn´t have any problem opening a bank account, they´ll ask for your employer´s confirmation that you work for them and other documents. The problems foreigners have when opening bank accounts are due to the fact that they´re not residents, most of them are tourists or plan to become residents through marriage or investing in real estate or in a potential business so it´s much more difficult. But as a legal worker it´s not a problem.

ColombiaBoard comments on

Actually she´s said on several occasions that she´s colombian. Outside the US FOX News doesn´t broadcast ads, they have segments of short news and different anchors present those news, when she does she´s said a few times that she´s colombian

ColombiaBoard comments on How on earth did Colombia got her name?!

Well, Americo Vespucio never set foot on the US yet that´s the name of the good ole USA. So what?

ColombiaBoard comments on Medellin Resturants ?

For me the best views are from the tables next to the window at the Sushi restaurant in El Tesoro Mall. This restaurant is located under the cinemas section. The views around 6 p.m. are amazing.

ColombiaBoard comments on Bit of a Last minute travelling help required

Close to Bogota: - Girardot - Anapoima The problem is you arrived at the peak of high season so it´s hard to find anything available

ColombiaBoard comments on Does anyone know any U.S. accredited schools in Medellin?

Columbus School in Medellin