gorgonabob has left 586 comments

gorgonabob comments on Obtaining a Home Loan in colombia

you can get a mortgage as a foreigner but need an income in Colombia but as said above it is difficult i have a mortgage (been in colombia six years, four with business) at about 8-9% pa... floating rate pretty incredible rate for colombia,, also foreigners are allowed to take advantage of govt subsidies on mortgages.. ive got a 3% subsidy there... you need 30-40% down.

gorgonabob comments on eating in medellin

probably would have helped if i had put the direction down for MU Medellin its Carrera 34 #7-115 three or four blocks above Parque Lleras and the pasta place is down the road

gorgonabob comments on Buy Avianca flights without the gringo tax

ive bought tickets for people before..you can run into problems when they ring up to reconfirm... or you could always get the ticket cancelled.. some airlines will ask to see your credit card at the checkin desk... just to let you know

gorgonabob comments on Are there any sustainable/ eco finca or other agro toursim projects in Southern Colombia?

thats it www.cafealban.org or something like that kelvin

gorgonabob comments on Any interest in Opening a Hostel in Bogota

start something up in villavicencio or pereira or perhaps pasto or riohacha. youll get a property twice as big for half as much and have the whole place to yourself

gorgonabob comments on Any interest in Opening a Hostel in Bogota

heres some free advice no one has, and id be willing to say no one will have any success in opening a hostel in any part of bogota that is not la candelaria for several years...good luck either way

gorgonabob comments on Are there any sustainable/ eco finca or other agro toursim projects in Southern Colombia?

i got a real good one around Pasto. i think ... staying on a coffee farm.. if youre in interested in that. i put up the link in a few hours

gorgonabob comments on

its hardly a lot of money in the grand scheme of life... i mean US$60 or 70 bucks come on,,,, you go to new york and pay 200 a night, why cant you pay 60/70 in medellin and for an apt. in the best area... if you cant afford it check out couch surfing and sleep on the couch....

gorgonabob comments on New Law Muscled through by Hotels to kill Furnised Apartment Rentals

i dont necessarily see it as a bad thing that apt rental businesses fall by the wayside... no offense intended to those in that line of work.. its just not necessary... those needs should be satisfied by hotels... in a much bigger tourist market like new zealand where tourism is an even bigger part of the economy apt rental really does not exist.. people stay in motels/ hotels/ hostels or they rent a campervan...apts are not hotels.

gorgonabob comments on New Law Muscled through by Hotels to kill Furnised Apartment Rentals

one thing is for sure its ridiculous the amount of hotels being built in a city like medellin. i mean no way is there a market for the new hotel that is opening up every two weeks here in el poblado.. stoopid....i guess that is why there is increasing pressure on the hotel industry with huge capacity increases coming on and not a big enough increase in tourism,,, well people willing to shell out $100 a night on a hotel room. whats going to happen with al these rooms once done... i guess they are going after those that would otherwise stay in apts....... ive got a meeting with a curaduria recommend real estate assesor or something coming up next week to advise me on what i need to do to comply with these new laws.. ridiculous or not i guess im going to have to cede...probably have to build an underground carpark and a revolving restaurant..

gorgonabob comments on New Law Muscled through by Hotels to kill Furnised Apartment Rentals

Cotelco is also starting to get the authorites to check up on hostels... hostels have to adhere to a number of new regulations... not too much of a problem for some but could be a big deal for others... rules like one car park for every five rooms, restaurant, # bathrooms per person etc...should be interesting fare enough though i suppose.. there have been pretty much zero regulations in the past

gorgonabob comments on BREAKING NEWS: Explosion In Medellin, 1 Dead, 19 Injured.

exactly... gringos making mountains out of molehills.what a surprise

gorgonabob comments on Colombia´s Big Chains, Country Of Origen?

olympica is owned by a lebanese/ colombian family from baranquilla.. nothing french about that.. has been touted as a entry partner for walmart into colombia and homecenter is owned 50/50 almost i think colombian/ chilean makro is german or dutch

gorgonabob comments on Fireworks in Medellin tonight...

a big shipment just got through to the states.. good news

gorgonabob comments on Can I bring Meat (tender steaks) or Cheese from the US to Colombia.

i bought a 2 kilo leg of lamb on a flight to colombia two years back.. no problem there....

gorgonabob comments on Bogota - Singapore

Habrá vuelo diario Bogotá - Singapur 06/08/2009, 05:18:36 PM En reunión de consulta realizada entre el 30 y 31 de julio en Cartagena de Indias, la Aeronáutica Civil firmó un acuerdo con su homóloga de Singapur, mediante el cual se aprobaron siete frecuencias para el transporte de pasajeros. En consecuencia, habrá cuatro frecuencias semanales inicialmente, una adicional en enero de 2010 y dos más en enero de 2011. La jornada de consulta estuvo encabezada por Fernando Sanclemente Alzate, Director de la Aeronáutica Civil, Luz Melba Castañeda representante del Ministerio de Transporte, Juan Carlos Cadena del Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo e Ilva Restrepo Arias, Jefe de Oficina Transporte Aéreo de la Aeronáutica Civil de Colombia, quienes en compañía de algunos observadores y representantes de compañías aéreas, debatieron las condiciones de dicho acuerdo. Por su parte, la comitiva del país asiático estuvo encabezada por Margaret Tan, Directora de Transporte Aéreo de la Autoridad de Aviación de Singapur (CAAS - por sus siglas en inglés) así como por representantes del Gobierno y de la aerolínea insignia de su país, Singapur Airlines. Fuente: Diario La República

gorgonabob comments on Are there any backpacker buses in Colombia?

the backpacker buses are coming dont worry... pick up and drop off at hostels.....already something of that like between santa marta and cartagena..

gorgonabob comments on New Indian restaurant in Cartagena

i like isla gorgona... went there nine years ago and returned a few times bob seems like a nice name

gorgonabob comments on Tourist visa w/ one-way ticket

the last two times i have flown into colombia on a one way ticket i have had a few problems with the airline. they would not let me board. they had to ring up the colombian embassy and check my temporary propietario visa allowed me one way entry into the country (obviously). so the end result was they let me board the plane. i am sure there would have been no way either time that i would have been let on the plane to the colombia with only a one way ticket without that visa. get a return or get a ticket out of the country

gorgonabob comments on Rugby Union Jersey

i own a few jerseys of the ex captain present coach of the colombian rugby team... the head of the colombian rugby union is a new zealander and the coach a great guy called carlos tejada.. sure they would be keen to sell a few

gorgonabob comments on Cartagena's Beaches

i wasnt aware there were beaches in cartagena,,,,

gorgonabob comments on Big domestic airline promo

avianca and aero republica had to match the aires promo which was for 48hours over the weekend..

gorgonabob comments on Energy Drinks in Medellin

theres a dutch made one called RODEO often found at Exito on special for 1.200 pesos or normal price of 2.400

gorgonabob comments on Big domestic airline promo

The promotion was sent to my email address. only running sat/sun...... avianca had to match the promo.....id recommend all to sign up to the aires promo email. theylll do this again. definitely no mistake.. not advertised to all this price for obvious reasons

gorgonabob comments on Big domestic airline promo

aero republica is also in on the specials.. 178.000 med-bog return also 280.000 med-santa marta return with avianca if you look hard enough

gorgonabob comments on Big domestic airline promo

those are one way prices... med to bog is about 95.000 pesos each way

gorgonabob comments on Pereira Sports Bar?

or more importantly Super 14 playoffs from this weekend

gorgonabob comments on NEW HOSTEL - SANTA MARTA - LA BRISA LOCA

welcome to the club ill be up there in three weeks to check it out kelvin blacksheep medellin

gorgonabob comments on Business visa question

i flew to Panama city four years ago and applied for a business visa... the guy at the embassy asked me where i was going to live, i said colombia, he said wrong... you cannot live in colombia on a business visa.. i said.. woops.. what do i need... and he said a propietario visa.. there you go.. nice guy that one.. really helped me out. i left the country the next day with my one year propietario visa which i have now renewed twice for periods of two years... the next visa will be the residence one

gorgonabob comments on Join me - learning Spanish in Medellin, daily, on quiet balcony

the teacher owns the hostel.. if that helps you

gorgonabob comments on Join me - learning Spanish in Medellin, daily, on quiet balcony

13.000 pesos each in a group is the price..... of the above hostels language lessons..if two or more learning... 18.000 pesos per hour private lessons i doubt you will find cheaper.....

gorgonabob comments on Lonely Planet Colombia

its a lot thicker than the last with a lot more info and as i said the author has 'been around' colombia for more than two years..... and travelled to a lot of off the beaten track places... the footprint colombia guidebook writer is also a good bloke.. and knows colombia.. albeit less than the lonely planet writer... both are good... but the lonely planet colombia book probably had a lot more research and time on the ground.. the authors i would say spent over six months in colombia researching the book

gorgonabob comments on The Barking Spider! New Pub in Medellin

ill be in tonight.... sounds good.. got any white beer beside decent stuff.. been a bit scarce lately.... you can put up a flyer in my place also if you got any.... kelvin, black sheep

gorgonabob comments on big news in Medellin

it is big... i hope there wont be a run on the lamb today and itll be all gone by the time i get there...though the idea is to get people to buy the lamb and theyll keep supplying it... but youre right this is probably the biggest news of the year in medellin

gorgonabob comments on big news in Medellin

i wouldnt worry about that.... could have a wednesday rack of lamb barbie... at double price

gorgonabob comments on Airfares - new flight Medellin - Quito

the airline website

gorgonabob comments on What jobs are expats in Colombia doing for work other than ESL and backpacker Inns?

it is illegal for a non colombian resident to work in a hostel.... DAS would not look on that too kindly, probably more on the company that employs you than yourself... youll have to find a job that will go to the trouble to get you a work visa... not the easiest thing.. or start your own business..

gorgonabob comments on

so there average plane carries 100 people and they give away two tickets... a 2% discount.. wow

gorgonabob comments on Another new hostel is just opened in Bogota - Posada del SOL

i hear the people from the Point and no doubt Loki are in the area and looking to open up a hostel in bogota in the next year or so.... probably over 100 beds...

gorgonabob comments on airlines and regulating apartment rentals

the best thing about the article is that an arabian airline, probably Emirates, is looking to start flying shortly into Colombia... thats got to be big news.

gorgonabob comments on big shootout/ bank robbery down avenida poblado, opposite mcdonalds today

yup.. this rumor is really getting some attention now.. on the national news, caracol in a minute...everyone is in on it

gorgonabob comments on big shootout/ bank robbery down avenida poblado, opposite mcdonalds today

the police outside guarding the entrance which was covered with yellow police tape were also in on the rumor.. quite odd.. perhaps the small holes in the entrance door were due to some kid throwing his marbles through the window and that is why one side of avenida poblado was half closed for hours....

gorgonabob comments on airlines and regulating apartment rentals

elcolombiano newspaper... coming from the ministry of commerce.. complaints that while tourist numbers are rising, hotel occupancy is falling... as tourists areo opting to stay in apartments.. the jist of it seems to be that there are going to be some laws coming out for those that rent out apartments in the major cities in the next day or two.. especially, and this is just my opinion, probably to do with the sexual exploitation of kids by foreigners....because that is a big deal in hotels, they are always going on about it.. perhaps also with regard to taxes and various other laws.. who knows... they just want more control... it will be a nation wide thing id imagine... just go to elcolombiano.com and look for it...

gorgonabob comments on Hotel / Hostel / Adventure Reccomendations

best hostel in santa marta is in the fishing village around the corner (15 minutes by taxi) called La Casa de Felipe.. a great hostel in a beautiful relaxed setting... The new Lonely Planet Colombia guidebook comes out in two months. Should be very good. Written by five different authors i believe who each spent several months in the country.... Otherwise Footprint as noted above... no cliff diving in Colombia.. perhaps in San Andres but not high... Medellin has a few good hostels.. some better than others...

gorgonabob comments on Avianca - Med to Bogota

they are copying a www.aires.aero promotion both airlines have these cheap tickets. i think you have to buy before the end of today.. also cheap tickets bog-cartagena with both airlines COP140.000 remember buy TODAY

gorgonabob comments on For Sale -- Extended Stay Hostel in Bogotá: looking for buyer or partner

does it have Registro Nacional de Turismo and pay parafiscales as hostels are legally obliged to do. Would you mind giving me the RNT number, thanks

gorgonabob comments on Riding my Motorcycle to Valledupar, Hotels?

The owners of the Palm Tree hostel in Medellin have just opened a new hostel in Valledupar. Its called Provincia Hostel do a search..... im looking forward to getting up there one day soon myself enjoy,,,

gorgonabob comments on For Sale -- Extended Stay Hostel in Bogotá: looking for buyer or partner

whats the hostel called.... the Palm Tree as far as i know no longer operate and extended stay hostel in Medellin. They use to have a house with several rooms and rent them out but it was not profitable and they got rid of it. plus it was impossible to control

gorgonabob comments on Arboletes, Capurgana, and Monteria?

your family in colombia like most colombians know nothing about travel in this day and age in colombia and even less about the security situation in the country.. arboletes is fantastic, capurgana is great,, dont listen to colombians, no offense but they just dont have much clue....theyll probably tell you to go to disneyland or something.

gorgonabob comments on

ive sent 20/30 people there and 90% or more come back very satisfied....