guacharaca has left 449 comments

guacharaca comments on Tourist visa question, new calender year.

Yep. Any 180 days in a 360 consecutive day period. Actually my two year visa was only good for 720 days. It appears they avoid the use of the calendar year even in length.

guacharaca comments on Tourist visa question, new calender year.

I believe it is a problem. Using your method of applying the rules, one could potentially stay from July until June the next year for a total 12 months on a tourist visa because you are only staying six months in each calander year. Calculate using a running balance of the past 180 days and ignore the calander year end date.

guacharaca comments on Continental fares sharply higher for 2010.

January flights out of Seattle are up $150 from October and up $200 out of Vancouver. Have about 100k in onepass miles that I can never use because they are always booked up.

guacharaca comments on Big Help for Those Wanting to Change Visas

AESA says: "I would prefer to have the Resident Visa as we have children of dual nationality". If you are the parent to a Colombian child, you can get the Qualified Resident Visa under the new rules. Skip the the TC spousal renewal.

guacharaca comments on Cedula de extranjeria form

Please tell us tomorrow if any of the requirements have changed for the renewal. It would be nice to see some of the rules relaxed.

guacharaca comments on Renew Visa

Go before May so I can learn from your experience before I get the same renewed.

guacharaca comments on Big Help for Those Wanting to Change Visas

Philly, I would not wait for your visa to expire. As soon as the MRE gets organized and those resident visas are available for you, get one.

guacharaca comments on 3-yr permanent resident - Can he file U.S. citizen paperwork 90 days early?

lpdiver is correct. You also can fill out the application for him, but he signs it. They allow the 90 days because they know it will take them more than 90 days to process the application. Back before they had the 90 day rule, I applied at the end of March and was sworn in on Sept 30th.

guacharaca comments on

One phone call to any lawyer in Colombian will give you a simple and quick answer. That is.. two minimums salaries, your spouse's signature and a couple of photocopies will get you a divorce. But I assume that is not your purpose here.

guacharaca comments on Electrical/Electronics whiz in PBH?

mmmm...If I recall, Australia is at 50 Hz. Colombia is at 60 Hz. If Australia is at 50Hz, stop here because your TV will not work. There is also a problem with all the advice above. It assumes that your TV does not have a ground lug. If it does not have a ground terminal, you are probably OK assuming 60 hz.. If it does have a ground lug, it will not work in Colombia except with a transformer. Australia uses 220V between hot and neutral (neutral is at ground potential). Colombia uses 240V between hot and hot (120V difference between either hot and ground potential). If you have a ground lug, then your TV will also expects one terminal of your power to be at ground potential and in Colombia that won't happen without an isolation transformer. Solution if TV is 60hz.: 120/220 step-up isolation transformer with one terminal on the secondary side of the transformer (terminal H1) grounded to simulate Australian power. My solution: Just sell the old TV and accept your loses.

guacharaca comments on San Andres to Providencia - New Fast Boat Service - 2 hours

It will certainly be better than flying in that noisy tin can.

guacharaca comments on FYI- Resident visa requirements are changing soon

The three year temporary resident requirement for a permanent visa has not changed. The change is that you will now receive a three year temporary resident visa instead of the two year temporary resident visa, thus removing the need to renew it before obtaining the permanent resident visa.

guacharaca comments on Big Help for Those Wanting to Change Visas

"Under the new changes, can a holder of a Business Visa (NE) apply for a Qualified Resident as the Father of a Colombian National, and can it be inititiated within Colombia? (The Padre/Madre Visa has been eliminated and is now included within the QR Visa). Part of the new change says a NE Visa can be changed to any Temporal Visa within Colombia, but the QR Visa is not a Temporal Visa. The old law says that a NE visa specifically cannot be replaced with a QR visa." The way I see it is: Before, fathers could walk into the MRE with only the tourist stamp in their passport and obtain the temporary father visa. They would have that visa for three years and then could convert it to a permanent visa. Now the first step has been eliminated. They now will be able to walk into the MRE with that tourist stamp and obtain the permanent visa directly. It does not matter what you had before in your passport. It seems that the Colombian government realized that you will probably be a better father if you are instantly given the legal right to earn a living in Colombia. I suspect that more foreigners will now fess up to being the father of a Colombian child.

guacharaca comments on Easy Fly Air

http://www.easyfly.com.co/Paginas/Condicionesgenerales.aspx see # 15 I believe it says 2 pieces free, 20kg baggage total per person. If I recall, that is the same as other domestic flights in Colombia.

guacharaca comments on Business Visa Success

At a coffee stand in a mall, I happen to sit next to the lady from the MRE in Bogota that makes these decisions about our visas. After we chatted, I agree that she is an open minded, non-corrupt, non-obstructionist type person that knows her job.

guacharaca comments on Close to Santa Marta!!! (3hrs by bus) PROVINCIA HOSTEL IN VALLEDUPAR

I stayed there. yes they have a private room. Good friendly people there. Can even do your laundry there. Only down side is that there is not much natural ventilation in the room.

guacharaca comments on changed my mind about moving to colombia

"I killed for my first bike. What is the big f'ing deal with that? Sheez! Some of you guys are pansies..... grow a pair!" Yeah and I must have been young because it was a tri-cycle. Now when I killed for my chopped "mustang" bicycle with the banana seat and sissy bars...that was cool. "Sounds like your friend has a new boyfriend." It is more like she knows that you will dump her for a better one if you live in Medellin.

guacharaca comments on Will an unlocked Samsung sgh-x450 mobile work on Tigo?

The answer is yes. Cell companies use at least two frequencies. Pretty much all unlocked cell GSM phones will function in Colombia. Cell phones that have both frequencies of the cell phone company will work just a little better in places like elevators and basements. As for Tigo. They are are my friend because they contact me daily by text and offer me all kinds of stuff "gratis". Girls always think some other girl is contacting me when Tigo sends me a message. I just can not recieve enough messages from my friend Tigo.

guacharaca comments on G1 Cel Unlock. to save any of you time and trouble if you have this phone.

I get lots of phones unlocked for only 15 mil. I have the sharpest guy in Santa Marta unlocking them, and occasionally changing the language such that Canadian phones do not have spanish installed....and yes, occasionally he needs to buy the code off the internet and I have to fork over the extra doe. However there are lots of phones not available in Colombia that he can still unlock without paying the extra fee. The dipchits down the hall only refer customers to him when they realize thay are over their heads.

guacharaca comments on Moto trip and favorite place after two months on moto

which city in La Guajira are you choosing to be your home? Only curious because I have not been that far north other than the bus ride from Venezuela.

guacharaca comments on Update on Pedro's Post on Immigration Visa Changes On 08-19-09 Business Visas in Particular

Yes....I wonder if such a visa can be renewed or if those fathers are chit out of luck? It seems that the changes in the business visa will affect Canadians more than Americans such that Canada has a free trade deal and USA does not. I suspect the changes were required to live up to the terms of the free trade agreemnet. I saw the same happen in Canada and US when their deal was first implimented.

guacharaca comments on Whale Watching off of Choco in October?

Sorry man....I missed that line because it was close to the photo....and of course my.... Evelin Wood Sped Redding course also was a cause of my error. But, did I mention that they appear to be short fin pilot whales....aproximately 3 to 4 years old and at least one of them is a male?

guacharaca comments on My visa stamp

maybe they can still do a tourist visa with the rubber stamp, but resident visas are machine printed You certainly did not get 90 days. Assume 30. Remember, in Colombia, if they did not stamp you correctly, it is your fault. Go to the DAS before 30 days are up to be safe. Them DAS guys really like to extort money if you are over. Even if you have been given 60 days, they might just say you had 30 so they can squeeze some plata out of you. Not all DAS offices are like this, but they exist. The machine stamp states the following (the example is a Cartagena entry) and it seems to always be printed at the edge of a page. REPUBLICA DE COLOMBIA DAS AEROPUERTO RAFEL N INMIGRACION TC 196 DIAS JulXX2009 12: 24:28 PASSPORT NUMBER REFERENCE NUMBER

guacharaca comments on Whale Watching off of Choco in October?

Those look like pilot whales. Humpbacks could be in Colombia in July and August, but they will then migrate deep south (somewhere off the coast of Chile) for food (krill) from November to March.

guacharaca comments on Help Needed - My Colombian Angel

Thanks Ferran for sharing your experiences. I believe they have helped me learn about my new novia's family. In fact, after seeing me shower my latest novia with gifts, her younger sister also recently started asking me for gifts. I did not realize I had been passing up an opportunity to increase the famly's happiness and my closeness to the family by denying the little spoiled brat these gifts. She originally asked for bus fare and cell phone credit, but I will suggest the Victoria Secret items.

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

"Also the beef here has a little to be desired compared to thick juicy flavorful steaks that melt in your mouth." I agree about the sharpe cheddar cheese...but apparently you have not been to "Ben and Joseph's" in Santa Marta. The best tenderloin I have ever tasted for only 19 mil.

guacharaca comments on Help Needed - My Colombian Angel

"many thanks for the words of advice and i am taking al this on board ( even the silly ones - you know who you are ) I' m the kind of guy that'll give his last pound to someone if I think they really need it." Wow....I think I see the likes of a young pretty boy walking into a maximum security prison chasing a candy. The men offering the candy have assured him that the candy is real. Yeah your girl is real....it is the sting that happens afterwards that will shock you into reality. There is a lot of humor here...but it is only funny because it is all true and most of us have made the same mistake you are about to make..

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

In order to determine if the food is admissable or not, ask yourself...Can this food be carrying germs or bugs? If the food has been packaged, cooked or processed, it is likely admissable.

guacharaca comments on Last night..wow!

Hey...that Fase dos appears to be a "full service" night club. Have not seen such a website before. http://www.clubfase2.com/

guacharaca comments on Help Needed - My Colombian Angel

"happiness can never be measured with money" I disagree. I have found that if you send money, she loves you. If you send more money, she loves you more. It is simple Colombiana mathematics, proven by the logic of those innocent, loving girls I met on the internet.

guacharaca comments on Help Needed - My Colombian Angel

Ratbag, I really do not want to lose her either. She is going to have to choose which one of us she will marry.

guacharaca comments on Help Needed - My Colombian Angel

Kevin,..she really loves you!!! She wants to meet you as soon as possible. She told me this herself early this morning as I was sending her away from my hotel room. Also tell her to be careful picking the money up from Western Union. These Colombianas are sooo innocent that they always go alone at night to the bank or Western Union and somehow get robbed. But she will be feeling really lucky because she did not get hurt during the robbery. You will just have to re-send that money again or her sick grandmother will not be able to see the doctor. The fact is, foreigners do a lot better with their second Colombiana because they wised up to the ways of the manipulative Colombiana from their first. Being suckered in by the first one is like a rite passage for foreigners in Colombia. The purpose of the first one is to bring you to Colombia so you can see what you are missing in life. Then when you are in Colombia (and you now speak Spanish), you have a better chance of finding a good one.

guacharaca comments on

You think you have been violated because they open a package of yours? How about being sent to a back room at LAX to have two large BUBBA Custom's officers feel your package. They then also give you a piece of paper that is somewhat similar to "cleared by customs".

guacharaca comments on Question regarding CR-1 status and 'separation'

Marriage and divorce are not related to her immigration status. You are married and can not legally get remarried unless you are divorced. You can divorce in the country where she lives or the state where you live. It does not matter where you were married. If you have no plans to remarry and just want to mess with her life because she screwed you over...maybe she has it coming. She can not remarry unless you divorce her. Eventually she will be able to use the abandonment route for divorce but it is not as easy as having your signature on the form. If you can prove that she cheated on you, she may not be able to obtain a divorce in Colombia without your signature. I believe I read that interesting twist in one of those law pamphlets that they sell on the street.

guacharaca comments on Are my passport stamps computerized, or is it just recorded on paper?

Everytime I enter, the computer prints on my passport exactly how many days is left on my visa. Not only does that computer record, it think and it knows.

guacharaca comments on Fixing my deviated septum (AKA: Nose) in Bogota - surgeon recommendations ?

yes, personal experience, (20 years ago). I worked with a girl who had the same proceedure and her nose collapsed.

guacharaca comments on Fixing my deviated septum (AKA: Nose) in Bogota - surgeon recommendations ?

What? This is a serious operation! It is not like a boob job or a vasectomy. If the doctor screws up, your nose could cave in permanently. I have seen it! If the operation is successful, and if you wake, you feel like a truck hit your face. The worst is when they pull the gauze out of your nose. The gauze just keeps coming out and it is soo painful. You then breath better for about six months and somehow your body decides that it is not happy with the new shape of the septum and starts to put up other blockages and you are back to where you were when you started.

guacharaca comments on Hostel La Brisa Loca- POOL OPEN

Way cool Beach Bro! Looks very different from the construction era. I will come and check it out.

guacharaca comments on IR 1 visa question

3. "I believe she can start legally working the moment she gets her ss number." False! She can legally start working the second that Immigration officer puts that I-55 stamp into her passport. She does not have to wait for the greencard or the SS number. Been there, done it! Ask the officer that is stamping her passport...he will know that particular law. She will get a temporary SS# card (piece of paper) when she puts in her application at the SS office and her employer must accept that piece of paper. The employer can sort out her deductions once she receives her SS number afterwards. Her I-55 in her passport is her proof of legal work status to any employer. I had to point this out to a few of my employers who had never employed a new immigrant before. They just blindly seek the DL and the SS# without actually reading the form that they hand you for proof of status.

guacharaca comments on

You just have to learn to get out of the way without slapping a window, or doing any other action that a Colombian would not do. It will only lead to you being a target for an insult or worst because you are a foreigner. I told one of those loud noisy free-loading bible bangers that "I had enough and they should be quiet" while on a bus....and I regretted it afterwards. All of a sudden this very religious person became the devil and said all kinds of nasty racist things to me. Since you are a guest in Colombia, you can not always react as you would at home. Unfortunately we have to follow the rules of Colombian culture or become a target.

guacharaca comments on Moto- Santa Marta-Medellin

I think either route 25 or route 45 would be good. Did travel some of route 25 north or sincelejo up to the turn off for Cartagena and it reminded me of the nice country roads in Canada or south-western Australia. On 45, you will see some of the Sierra Nevadas on your left. Saw a lot of trucks on 45. Personally, I would plan the trip based on who is waiting for me along the way. It would probably take me a week to get to medellin because I would certainly be sidetracked..

guacharaca comments on Must I Go To Bogota to get married

What say? Where is she from? If she is from Bucaramanga, get married in Bucaramanga. Get married in the city that is stated on her cedula.

guacharaca comments on Moto- Santa Marta-Medellin

Sincelejo would be the natural half way point. Cartagena is out of the way but might be worth a stop if you have not been there before? Sunday is actually quiet in the Centro de Cartagena while Monday is a traffic mess.

guacharaca comments on Visa Apostilles

I do not remember getting any apostilles for a spouse visa.

guacharaca comments on How long does it take to get Cédula de Extranjería in Bogota DAS office ( already have investo visa)

sjfly200. If you apply Monday morning, you can pick up the permanent cedula Thursday morning. Then go directly to Banco de Occidente to open an account. Don't bother going to Banco de Colombia. In both situations, you will provide a Colombian address and cell number. If you open a savings account and refuse the atm card, you will not incur any monthly service charges. Also fill out the form that exempts you from the 0.4% debit tax.

guacharaca comments on Student Visa

You should call ahead. Sometimes Consulates only accept applicants from residents of the country in which they are located. In Canada, a Canadian resident has to apply at the particular consulate that is designated for his area of Canada.

guacharaca comments on Visa interview questions?

"I can see an argument ensuing with my wife during the interview about the questions and how I always forget numbers and dates." That's perfect. Just have an arguement in front of the interviewer and the interviewer will then be certain that your marriage is not fake.

guacharaca comments on Establishing a Vineyard in Colombia.

Viajero is correct. You need seasons to produce good grapes. You will not see good Bing cherries growing in Colombia either.

guacharaca comments on Visa Questions

5.) Go for the father of the Colombian child visa. It has the same benefits as the spouse visa but it is good for three years while the spouse visa is only good for two years and needs your wife to sign for a renewal. Either visa can be obtained at the MRE in Bogota.

guacharaca comments on Caracas to La Costa (by air!)

It can not be done. All flights from Caracus go to the la costa via Bogota. There is collusion on those routes and those short flights will cost you a minimum of about $400 US. Use the bus or choose a different transit country.