francis has left 22 comments

francis comments on Shipping Household Goods from Colombia

You can look in the local yellow pages for consolidated shipping companies for air or ocean cargo. Shipping of your personal items can be shipped as menaje or equipaje no acompañado but you only have 90 days from your departure date to ship the items. Aviatur offers this service for international moving but they are very pricey as they cater to multinational companies. Over a year ago my husband and I moved from Bogota to San Francisco and looked into shipping our furniture and personal belongings but it turned out to be a hassle and very expensive, so we still have our stuff in Colombia. Earlier this year we were in Colombia visiting and shipped some handcrafts, paintings and pottery through an air cargo company that is owned by DHL. We payed $1500 to ship 4 boxes. US customs drilled holes in our belongings, poorly handled the items even though they were marked fragile and well packed. Our items arrived in a million pieces and there was no one who would take responsibility for it. We learned the hard way and do not plan on bringing anything back from Colombia unless we can take it with us on the plane. If I were you I would sell your belongings and by new ones in Australia. I know that it is hard to part with some items because they have sentimental value but I can tell you first hand it is not worth the money and there is no guarantee that the items will arrive in good condition.

francis comments on Ingrid Betancourt-Unanswered Questions

Clara Rojas has given an interview regarding Ingrid Betancourt and her release from captivity. Listen to the interview for yourselves www.rcn.com.co.

francis comments on Banks and bank accounts

When I lived in Colombia my husband and I had the same problem. All of the Colombian banks turned us down the only one that allowed us to open a bank account was Banistmo they are a bank from Panama that operates in major cities in Colombia. We opened our bank account in Bogota they have about 3 branches there one near Gran Ahorrar, another in Chico and one in the north of Bogota.

francis comments on USD - COP 31st March

According to www.eltiempo.com Indicadores Económicos Dólar (TRM):$1.798,89Dólar Casas de Cambio: Compra :$1.720,00Venta :$1.810,00Euro :$2.868,33

francis comments on

She is very lucky because when I applied for my cedula de extranjeria I was 4 weeks pregnant and by the time I got my permanent cedula de extranjeria my daughter was 1 month old. That is how long it took for me. So I am shocked of the efficiency of the DAS.

francis comments on Colombian Citizenship?

I am a US citizen and my husband is Colombian. In 2005 my husband and I decided to move to Colombia. Before our move to Colombia I went to the Colombian Consulate in Los Angeles and applied for a Visa de Conyugue it is valid for two years and you can only travel outside of Colombia once every 6 months. When you enter Colombia you will also need to go the D.A.S. office to register and apply for a cedula de extranjeria. The process for the cedula de extranjeria takes about 6-9 months in the mean time you are given a temporary card called (contraseña). It is my understanding that if after 3 years with the Conyugue visa you are automatically granted Colombian residency. Our plans to live permanently in Colombia changed after 18 months of living in Bogota and are now living in the US.

francis comments on Colombians, Tortillas, and Arepas

I am Mexican and my husband is Colombian. We live in California so here we tend to eat more tortillas. We have them with our breakfast, dinner, etc. But when I am in Colombia I want to try what I can't easily have here. In San Francisco you cannot buy arepas at the grocery store. The only way to have access to them is to make them yourself. My husband likes to make them from scratch and with a new baby there is no time. When I am in Colombia we stay at my mother in law's house. She usually has "la muchacha" make us Arepas de Pelao, Arepas Blancas and Arepas de Choclo. With all of those options who the hell needs tortillas. When we were in Colombia for an 18 month sabbatical of course I missed Mexican food. It is definitely hard to find. I once had my mother mail me tortillas, tamales, chorizo longaniza and chilorio. She sent everything express mail through the USPS that guaranteed it would arrive in 2-3 days. Unfortunately the USPS works with Adpostal and they held the package for close to 10 days. By the time I got the package the tamales and chorizo were already growing mold. I was very sad indeed. However, I found out that the restaurant La Casa Mexicana in Bogota across from Atlantis Plaza has a Mexican specialty store I would go there whenever I had the need for freshly made tortillas and chile. As far as restaurants are concerned the best is probably La Casa Mexicana and I also liked El Museo del Tequila in Bogota all in La Zona Rosa. Most Mexican Restaurants in Colombia are more Tex-Mex then authentic Mexican. Maybe one day that will change. Let's hope so!!

francis comments on Que documentos necesito para llevar a mi bebe a Colombia/

Mononoke28 tu hermana tiene que solicitar el pasaporte Colombiano en el consulado de Colombia que esta bajo la jurisdiccion de Colorado y claro tiene que compobrar su ciudadania Colombiana. Por mis experiencias con el Consulado Colombiano en Los Angeles no son muy ineficientes. Yo aconsejaria que si tienen planeado ir a Colombia en un futuro cercano se lo saquen alla porque te lo dan en cuestion de una hora.

francis comments on Bank Account for Gringo?

Go to Banistmo they are from Panama and are more flexible with opening an account to foreigners and Colombians who are opening an account for the first time. They have branches in several major cities in Colombia. Not sure if they do in Medellin. My husband and I opened an account with them with no problem.

francis comments on Mail

I found that Expresito Carga was the cheapest they are in Bogota and other parts of Colombia. They are also very reliable and they pick up directly from your residence. You can find their telephone # on the phone book or online at www.expresitocarga.com. I have used them on several occasions and have been very happy with their service. I now live in San Francisco and I still use them here to send packages to Colombia since they offer door-to-door service.

francis comments on Que documentos necesito para llevar a mi bebe a Colombia/

Yo he salido fuera del pais con mi hija de 18 meses varias veces. Yo le saque el pasaporte Colombiano y el de Estados Unidos cuando ella tenia 1 mes de nacida. El pasaporte me ha ayudado muchisimo porque es mucho mas facil y no me ponen problema. Cuando entramos a Colombia muestro su pasaporte Colombiano por si nos queremos quedar mas de 60 dias en el pais y al entrar a Estados Unidos muestro su pasaporte Americano.

francis comments on Changin' Dollars to Pesos in Colombia

I lived in Colombia for a year and a half and I had my bank account in the states. I found that the best way was to withdraw money from the ATM periodically. I always went to Davivienda because you can withdraw up to $500 thousand pesos. I also did my shopping at stores that took my Visa checking card.

francis comments on Fotos de Alumbrados Navideños en Bogota

These pics of El Parque de La 93 really make me miss Colombia. I will miss everything that comes along with celebrating Christmas in Colombia, las novenas, villancicos, buñuelos and natilla.

francis comments on how long to get the perm cedular

Lowell, I had my daughter in Colombia and I went into the US Embassy to get a US Passport and social security card for her. I applied in July of '06 and in February of '07 I still had not heard anything. I ended up calling the main office which is located in Maryland, they told me that they had not received the application from the US Embassy in Bogota. Luckily, I was traveling to the US in a couple of weeks and applied in person and I had the card mailed to my mother's address in the states. We received the card in less than 2 weeks.

francis comments on how long to get the perm cedular

It took me about 10 months to get the permanent cedula de extranjeria. I applied in October and I got it in July. It is a lengthy process. They never even called or sent me a letter I had to go to the D.A.S. office in Bogota periodically to find out the status.

francis comments on Vegetarian reataurants

I like Sabyi in el Polo Club in Bogota. It is right across the street from Carulla on Carrera 24. I do not know what the cross street is. It has been almost a year since I moved back to the states. They also make some of the best gluten products like salchichon, carne asada, soy bread, and other tofu products. Their lunch specials are good and very inexpensive. They make some really good vegetarian empanadas and pastelitos. They are open 7 days a week.

francis comments on Hey Bogotanos - what do you think of Cedritos?

Cedritos is more residential and there is not a lot going on if you are looking for something with a little more vibe and plus the traffic in and out of Cedritos sucks!! If you need to commute outside of Cedritos on a daily basis I do not recommend it. If you like the Downtown area I highly recommend La Macarena it has a great vibe with cool restaurants, cafes, etc. The neighborhood right next to it is one of Bogota's hidden treasures called El Bosque Izquierdo. If I were you I would think twice about moving to Cedritos especially if you hate long commutes and shitty traffic. If you live in Bogota you know how bad traffic is during rush hour. IT SUCKS!!

francis comments on Colombian bank fees

My husband and I lived in Colombia for a year and a half. When we arrived to Colombia we went to several banks to see if we could open a bank account. But most of them turned us down because we had never had a bank account in Colombia. We went to Banistmo and they opened the account for us with no problem. We were not able to get a Checking account but were able to open up a Savings account which they did pay us interest for. I love Colombia but they do not make things simple for people. Opening a bank account should be an easy thing to do like it is in the states. In California where I live you can even open a bank account if you are an illegal immigrant with just your passaport.

francis comments on Travel and Nostalgia

In August 2005 my husband and I decided to leave everything behind in the U.S. and try our luck in Colombia. We were a little bored of the U.S. lifestyle which is pretty much consumed by work and very little time is left for friends and family even if they live in the same city. Before leaving the US we had saved up some many so that we would have something to fall back on in case nothing came out of our venture in Colombia. We tried starting a small business and since I am a massage therapist I also started working on clients and friends. But nothing really came out of that we still had to tap into our savings to pay for our basic needs like housing, food, entertainment, etc. We spent a total of 18 months in Bogota during which time I found out I was pregnant and ended up having my daughter there. It was the best 18 months of my life. The life in Colombia if you have the financial means is 100 times better than life in the U.S. (This is my personal opinion). You always manage to make time for friends and family. They just show up to your doorstep to say hello and have some onces. Despite how much I love Colombia I always had the U.S. in the back of my head. I did not have many friends in Colombia and all of my family lives in the U.S. I am Mexican American and my husband is Colombian. I missed my friends, family and Mexican food. I was never able to find good authentic mexican food in Bogota except for La Casa Mexicana which has a store that offers Mexican products. After 18 months we had to return to the U.S. because our small business did not grow fast enough to keep up with our expenses and our savings account balance would get smaller and smaller. We had to return to the real world of working and starting all over again. We went back to San Francisco, CA and two weeks after we arrived both my husband and I had found jobs and a place to live. It would have been very hard to do that in Colombia we were lucky we had a savings account and family. Despite the fact that our venture in Colombia was not as easy as we expected it to be we would still like to try it again in a couple of years. We know what the reality in Colombia is now that we have lived there. This time we will go with a bigger bank account and with a business that has already taken off so that we are certain we have something to fall back on. Although I love Bogota I do not miss the way people drive, traffic and the long lines at the bank when you go pay your bills.

francis comments on Cartagena or Santa Marta?

The Hotel El Almirante is nice and has a private pool it is in the tourist Rodadero area, close to shops and clubs. It is not very pricey. If you buy a package it also includes breakfast. You can also check out Hotel Las Americas it js a taxi drive away from the historic center and Rodadero. This is a very nice hotel with its own private beach. The last time I was there I bought a package from Hotel Decameron to go to Las Islas del Rosario. The package was about $35 USD it included food, beverages, snorkeling and transportation to and from Las Islas del Rosario- Playa Blanca. The beach was beautiful, with white sand, clear water. I highly recommend it! Have a great time in Cartagena!

francis comments on Food in Colombia

Recipe for Colombian Empanadas Recipe for Colombian EMPANADAS
(15 APROX.)


Ingredients:

• One pound of ground beef
• Two bunches of green onions finely chopped including ¾ of green part
• Half white onion finely chopped
• Half red bell pepper finely chopped
• Three large garlic cloves smashed
• Two large potatoes or three average size
• Large bottle of canola oil
• Spices (Mainly soy sauce, basil, oregano and black pepper)

To prepare the masa:
• One package of yellow corn flour “La Venezolana” or “La Colombiana” brand available at Liborio Market
• Goya seasoning with culantro & achiote
• Salt and warm mixture of water/milk (80%-20%) milk is optional

Preparing the primal ingredient: LA MASA:
After being psychologically prepared to be in the kitchen for a couple of hours, pour the flour on a wide clean hard surface (counter) and form a volcano-shape crater in the middle, pour some of the warm water and one pocket of Goya seasoning, to give the masa flavor and an orange color to it. Mix carefully by pouring the flour around the crater inside it with a spoon, until it soaks the water. Open a new crater with the moist flour and pour more warm water, pouring the dry flour around with the spoon. Repeat until all the flour is moist. Knead constantly with your hands and fingertips for around ten minutes, adding salt along the process. The key to a perfect masa is to reach a point where it is neither too dry, because the empanada might crack open while frying, nor too moist with water, because the empanada could “explote” once getting in touch with the hot oil, endangering the safety of the cook.
The trick is to add small amounts of oil while kneading, until reaching the ideal consistency, which is not cracking, neither getting sticky. It might take longer to reach such point when it’s the first time, but patience is the virtue of the best cooks.
Set aside, covering the masa with moist paper towels or kitchen rag to avoid cracking on the surface.

In the meantime, cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft.

EL RELLENO (stuffing):
Cook the carne asada (preferably on the grill for better taste). Set aside to let it cool off. On a cutting board chop the cooked meat finely. Separately, on a wide pan, sauté the garlic with 3 spoonfuls of oil, adding little by little ¾ of the total of the green onions, the white onion, the bell pepper and the seasonings at your own taste, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes. Add the finely chopped meat. Keep on stirring for another couple of minutes to blend the ingredients very well. If the mixture is getting dry, add some oil. Take note of the fact that this relleno will be mixed later on with the smashed potatoes, and is the one carrying the flavor, so don’t be shy seasoning it. The stuffing must have a rich and tasty flavor. An empanada with no flavor is as sad as rice with no salt…
Set the mixture aside. Once the potatoes are soft enough, let them cool off and peel them off. With a large fork smash them, although it doesn’t have to be smashed all the way through. Tiny lumps are OK.
Add the potatoes into the stuffing mixture. Mix well. Double check for flavor and salt. You never know…

Prepare a frying pan with oil up to the middle. Heat well.

Take the masa and start making balls larger than a golf ball. Find a hard round surface to flatten the ball against. It could be a flat dish. You will also need a rectangular piece of thick plastic (like a large zip-lock bag open on both sides) to avoid the ball sticking to the surface of the dish. Have a cup of water at hand to constantly moist your fingertips while flattening the masa balls.
Put the plastic moist with water on the flat dish. Wet your fingertips, take one ball and put it on the dish covered with one end of the plastic then cover the ball with the other end of the plastic. Take a second smaller flat bottom dish and smash the ball against the larger dish underneath. The result should be a round-like masa “CD” of aprox. 5 inches wide and aprox. 1/16 thick. Put the masa on one of your hands still with the plastic, bending it like a hard taco, and with the other hand take some stuffing and put it in the center of the masa. Seal the ends with your moist fingertips making sure to leave some flat in order to make a decorative waving form along the sealed seam, as of an eel’s fin.

Put no more than two empanadas at the same time in the oil, since they might break open. Leave in oil for a few minutes, turn around and wait until golden. Put them on a tray with paper towels to soak the oil.

EL “PIQUE” (Colombian style salsa for empanadas):
Put the remaining chopped green onions in a bowl, adding chopped fresh cilantro, some water, vinegar, lemon juice and some hot sauce, depending on your taste. Pour this pique in every bite you make.

Enjoy!!

francis comments on Going to Colombia!

How do I obtain Colombian work visa if married to a Colombian? I just recently married a Colombian and I am completely in love with Colombia even though I have never been there. Next week I will be traveling to Colombia for 16 days. I will be visiting my husband's family in Bogota, Cartagena and Bucaramanga. I also plan on going to Raquira, Villa de Leyva and Paipa. I will post a picture diary of my trip upon my return to the US. My husband and I hope to move to Colombia next year. How hard is it for a US National married to a Colombian National to obtain a work visa? I am an advertising and marketing professional can anyone refer me to an employment agency that can help me finding work once we have relocated to Bogota?