cristina8463 has left 14 comments

cristina8463 comments on Whats the weather in Bogota like now?

Currency Exchange Bring with you one credit card or ATM depit card. Make your purchases - shoes, leather goods, ect... with it. Get cash to pay for smaller things like taxis and food. I change my money cash at exchange houses. They can be found in any major shopping mall - Unicentro, Hacienda Santa Barabara, Andino. One place is called New York New York. Their rates should be reasonable. They assure you that their money is not counterfeit.
When shopping do not forget to bargain !!
Do not be overly generous with tips. Be just - 10% I think. But what you consider good. Or overly eager to buy things, then they think you have lots of money.
Always where layers of clothing, so you can peel off if it gets hot. The sun here burns quickly. Where sun screen. Bring nice walking shoes.
Cristina

cristina8463 comments on The bottom line....

Hello You can go out in the Zona Rosa or Parque 93 in Bogotà. Emglish is very important for Colombians to know. In these night spots you will be able to find English speaking people. Also, the Canadian Embassy has happy hour every friday night in a hotel across the street from the embassy.
Whe you arrive at teh airport, go straight to a window where there is a cashier - sorry I can't remember what it is called - but it is located jsut outside of where you pick up your luggage and go through customs. You tell the lady where you are going and she gives you a receipt with how much it will cost. Then you take a taxi that is parked outside that is especially assigned to take these fares. The people in the airport are very friendly. Do not be afraid. It is to their benefit that you are treated well.
Once in the city always try to call for a taxi or have the maitr'd or consierge find you a taxi. Do not take one straight from the street at night.
How long do you plan to be in Bogotà? When are you arriving? Maybe I can find oyu some friends that can take you around. People love to show tourists around.

cristina8463 comments on Help me please!!!!!!!

Research paper Hello,

Well, that is a great quiestion about how the cocaine business has affected children here.
Well, in areas where the coca leaves are harvested, for example, Northern Antioquia, children drop out of school at around age 14, 15. They go to work collecting the leaves and make more money in one week than their fathers ever could working at an honest job. So, on weekends these young people party hard. Prostitution amoung young girls is very high. But it is not prostituion as you may think - standing at corners and waving cars down. These girls and boys go to bars and pick up people, like we do in the states, but they are looking for one night stands and expect to be paid very hansomely. Cars, motobikes, jewlery. THey do not see anything wrong with this. Their moral value system has been distorted. Also, since there is so much money in small towns in these areas, people charge too much for serivces like house cleaning, laundry, cooking comapred to what they charge in big cities like Bogotà. They do not have good work ethics and are lazy. This is a new generation that is being created by the coke industry. Not many people talk about this because they do not know what is going on.
ALso, the coke leaves crop ruins the land and causes deforestation. There is a great articlein National Geographics - July.
Good luck,
Cristina

cristina8463 comments on Relocating to Bogota- Rental Apartment

Relocating Montearroyo is a beautiful place to live. If your husband has a choffer, it will not matter how far you live. I know quite a few families that live there who are employed by oil companies and embassies. It is on the Septima (7th). The aparmetns are nice and spacious. Easy to get around from there. You will be in a big apartment complex with tennis courts and walking paths. Very secure.

Santa Anna is another great neighborhood - more single family homes than apartments. Nice homes. Also a place where oil companies rent. But they are not closed communities like Montearroyo. It is also on the Septima.
Between 70 and 100, it is a nice place to walk around. Lots of AMerican resturants - chains. Movie theaters and cafes. Antiquing if you are into it and nice tree lined streets. This is where lots of Americans live. So if you juion the American's women's club ot will be convinient, also.
Cristina

Santafe and Country are great hospitals.

Cristina

cristina8463 comments on The Slowest Airport In The World - miami

Airport True. I can not stand going to Miami. It is a huge bus terminal. It is so gross. Then if it rains a little or lightening they shut down the airport. But worst of all they leave the luggage in the rain. That happened to me. My luggage got soaked through and ruined my clothes. Plus I had to wait 1 hour in pagage pick up.
I try to go to Atlanta or Dallas or New York, New Jersey.

Cristina

cristina8463 comments on what is this?

Monteria Charliechill,

Monteria is near the cost - 1 hour drive. It is really hot. THe neighborhood is nice. The people dress nice there. No shorts. Niuce slacks with sandles - men. They have movie theaters and really great shopping in the VIVERO shopping center and a great pizzeria.

Hopefully you can visit Coveñas. It is a beach town. There is only one hotel. The rest are cabins - one room apartments with a kitchen and bathroom. There are also lots of people who built their own homes there to go on weekends. The water is warm, little waves and clear. It is really nice.

The people on the coast speak fast and with a different accent.
You should visit Lorica. It is on the Senu River. Beautiful architure and you feel like you stepped back in time. It is not that big, it is on the way to Covñas. There is also a vacano you can visit. I have never been there but it could be interesting.

Have fun,
Cristina

cristina8463 comments on Hospitals in Bogota

Hospitals In Bogotà - The Country located on the Calle 15 with 85. I had my two there. It also depends on your doctor. I also think the Clinica Reina Sophia is great. The hospital care is excellent here and cheaper. You can hire a private nurse to stay over night with you - or rather take care of you - for little money. The Country has very good security set-up to prevent anyone walking off with your baby also. You have to think about scarey things like that, sorry.

cristina8463 comments on Bogota to Quito

Traveling Hello,

I just happen to speak to a friend of mine who travels and is trveling to Quito by bus this September. She told me that Brasilia and another big bus company ( I forgot the name sorry) never get stopped by FARC because they pay their "dues". She is not scared.

cristina8463 comments on What is with Colombian men and cheating?

Cheating Men First of all - you do not have to be a beautiful women to have an affair with a married man - look at Monica L. and Bill Clinton. You can't get a more educated man than that.
Men have a hard time controling themselves. That is why in the states every action, thought and word that come out of our months is regulated and fined.
Here I will agree, Colombian women dress extremely unapropriately to the office. WE are very behind in office attire codes. But then again the youngest and most sexy and unmarried woemn get the jobs with no experience. Most of the hiring is done by men. You can be turned down for a job for being ugly, "overwieght", married and being older thatn 32. It is legal. Sexual harrasment is common place here.
About abortion - it happens all the time. Prostitution is legal here. Lots of college girls from wealthy families prostitue themselves out not necessarily to pay for tution but maybe to buy the latest fashion. This culture is based on looks and youth. Look at the comercials. YOu also see it in the states. Do not critize because look at Hollywood and New York and the polititians. Divorce rates are really sky high in the states.
Single mothers it is true. Small towns where coca leaves are the main crop for farmers have a very distorted sense of moral values here. The police and Welfare are trying very hard to get dead beat dads. Aids is a very big risk in Colombia, not so much in the big cities though. So be careful. Do not do drugs. YOu are hurting family live here in Colombia.
Colombian women do want to leave Colombia by getting married to a foreigner. But then again why do American men put ads in the news paper adverstising that they are looking for a Colombian wife?
I have seen and heard of lost of cases of foreign men coming here and cheating on their wives. Not just Colombian men cheat.

I would rather live on this side of the world then be treated like a peice of property on the other side. Remember that prostitution is a live and well in the Arab world too. Arab men travel the world and pay tons of money for a one night stand. Talk about a waiste and they are educated.

cristina8463 comments on What is with Colombian men and cheating?

Plastic Surgery Charlotte,

Hello. I am also an American. I have been here for many years and it is true that the surgery here is cheaper. It would be worht you time and money to come here and stay at least two weeks to have your surgeries done during that time. I know of many American women who have come here just for that. If you are really interested I can get in touch with people and ask for good surgeon`s name that speak English and have worked Americans.
My email is cristina8463 at hotmail.com.
Cristina

cristina8463 comments on I'm new to the site. Want to find work in Colombia to be with my fiancee

Working in Colombia Hello,

On Sunday July 17, there was someone asking about teaching in schools here. There is always a need for English speaking teachers. I forgot what website they said to go to get info on jobs in schools.
I am having a hard time getting around this website. I am learning.

Cristina

cristina8463 comments on Home building in Columbia

Home Building Hello,

There is a lot of construction going on in Bogotà right now. Generally, construction companies build apartment buldings here. There are not too many single family homes in Bogotà because of land and prices. Now they are getting into townhouses, in lcosed communities with security. It is a good idea if you have lots of money and do not need to borrow much money. The interest rates here will kill you.

cristina8463 comments on Looking to relocate to Colombia soon...

Relocating teachers Hello,

I just joined today also.
I am an American-Colombian living here for many years. I just happened to be friends with a Canadian couple who were both teaching in a bi-lingual school in the North of Bogotà. The private schools here are excellent. This school and lots of them pay for rent for the foreign teacher only. Colombian teachers are ona different pay scale. They pay about the same as any school in the states. You will be with children from extremely wealthy familes, so they have different issues - spoiled. But no big deal. This couple just left, but they really had a great time. The school is called Nogales. Private schools are always looking for native English speaking teachers. Other schools you can contact is Nueva Granada, Nuevo Britanico, The English School, Colombo Americano, in Bogotà there are a lot of bilingual schools.
Bogotà is an expensive city - comparable to Maryland - in as much as food, gas, utilities. But your money goes a lot further here. Most schools have transportation for their teachers, so if you don't want to buy a car right away, no problem.
If I can get you more info, I will let you know.

cristina8463 comments on Relocating to Bogota- Rental Apartment

Relocating to Bogotà HI,

I am an American-Colombian living in Bogotà. First of all are you being brought here by a company or the embassy? If so, they have specific areas wher you should live. It is between Calle 100 to 92, the run East- West then between the LA Callera and Ave. 15th. They run NOrth and South. If you can understand, basically it is a nice area, good shopping, and more expensive then other places. But is close to the US Embassadors residency and easy acsess to US Embassy. If you stay North of the city from Calle 92 up to 134 you will be fine. The nieghborhood are called Nogales and Rosales and Chico. It all depends on who is paying your rent.
There are lots of families living here from the states who have nothing to do with embassies or oil companies and they are doing fine.
The day cares are great here and in-home maid service is great and cheap. The hopitals are excellent here. Most doctors speak English.
I know these things because I belong to the American Womens CLub Society. It is a great place to get lots of info. Also, The US Embassy has info.
AS for safety, do not go out with lots of jewelery and late at night alone. Like any other big city.
You can find excellent second hand cars - Nisson, Honda, Mazda, Renault. They are a bit expensive, again depending on what year, etc.. You will have to pay cash. But then you could resale it when you leave.
If you need more help I will be glad to give you more info. Just let me know.

Good Luck,

Cristina