happy camper has left 20 comments

happy camper comments on GOOD SERVICES

Hello Angel; I am glad to see that you decided to help other gringos as you have helped us. GOOD MOVE !! If anyone out there (especially those reluctant to make that first trip to Medellin as I was some 3 years ago) needs a trustworthy companion to show you the city, I and others on this board who know him personally will not hesitate to recommend him. WELCOME ABOARD ANGEL !!!

happy camper comments on Does anyone here know a woman named Gloria, lives in Belen directly across the street from Los Molinos Mall?

I thought my post was straightforward. I am not a troll. I am simply trying to help some poor soul who likely does not know he (or she) may need help.

happy camper comments on Large Deep (Turkey) Fryiers

Been traveling/living in Colombia for 6 years now and have never seen such an cooker. Peanut oil tampoco. Sunflower and Corn as well as Canola oil is readily available. You might be able to get someone to make it for you but get ready for some strange looks when you begin to inquire. The large gas burner required to heat that thing should not be too difficult to locate but you may want to consider bringing the pot with you.

happy camper comments on "Killing Pablo"... or how the US and Colombia sold their soul to devil

postscript, DEAD FOLKS DON'T COMPLAIN MUCH!!!!

happy camper comments on "Killing Pablo"... or how the US and Colombia sold their soul to devil

Pablo apparently learned from another group of people who advocate "steal/profit as much as you can in a short period of time, give back 10% in donations to various causes (don't forget the politicos) and you are a hero". No matter what your crimes you have a group of cheerleaders who will defend you.

happy camper comments on Emeralds, Where's the Best Place in Bogota to Buy?

Bogota is typically the best place to buy emeralds because the mines are nearby. However you have dealers who travel the country selling quality stones, at fair prices. But as someone else posted this is definitely a buyer beware situation unless you are well experienced. Do you know about "created emeralds"? They look just like the real thing but they are lab created and have little "gemstone" value. Wal-Mart sells a lot of this junk. Experts often cannot identify the created stone from the real thing with the naked eye. There are lab tests that can spot the fakes. Thus...lesson one, if someone is showing you a "perfect" stone, medium to dark green, walk away because they almost do not exist unless they are small stones. (less than 2-3 carats) Practically all genuine emeralds have "gardens", (flaws). ALWAYS ask the seller about having the stones professionally appraised by your expert, not his. Therefore, avoid quick transactions on the street as there are lots of hucksters out there looking to rip you off. A reputable dealer selling a quality product will be patient with you. Now, to almost reverse some of the things I wrote earlier. There are three principal mines near Bogota. Most famous is the Muso mine that produces (generally) the most desirable stones. These tend to be darker than stones from the Coscuez or Chivor mines. However the stones from the Chivor and Coscuez mines tend to have fewer gardens (flaws). So...it is a matter of personal preference. Gemologists will tell you the ideal emerald is the color of healthy green grass or darker. As a rule of thumb the darker the stone the higher its' value, also taking into account cut and carat size. I recommend you take some time researching these things on the net before going shopping. Be informed and avoid getting ripped off. AVOID having stones mounted in Colombia unless you know the craftsman very well. I had someone mount several thousand dollars worth of emeralds in Cali. He fractured practically every one of the stones in the mounting process. He had put too much direct heat on the stones in the finishing process. Genuine emeralds are delicate and cannot withstand temperature extremes. The "expert" was a friend of a friend and had been doing this kind of work for more than 10 years (so he claimed). He told me he was waiting for a visa to be finalized as he was leaving for Texas under contract to mount stones there. He was in an established location and seemed legit. I did not know he had broken the stones until after I returned to the states. I had left Cali under a very tight time frame and did not have time to carefully examine the jewelry until I was back in the states. But it would hot have mattered anyway, he did not have the money to repay me or replace the stones. In summary, Colombia is a great place to buy emeralds at rock bottom (pun intended) prices if you know what you are doing.

happy camper comments on The Oppenheimer Report: Latin American Schools Don't Measure up In Today's World

seems to me as if the Oppenhiney report may have it bassackwards!! The USA is now where the educational standards are dumbed down. Anyone else share my opinion? I live in Medellin and am often amazed at the number of people here who (while maybe not fluent) are able to communicate in a number of foreign languages. I understand linguistics are only a part of one's education but it is after all an important part.

happy camper comments on Trying to find family in Bogota!

I have heard that the Catholic Churches in Latin America keep excellent records of births and parentage.

happy camper comments on Swish

Could you be referring to the "new" logo of Bancolombia? One could envision that the three colors logo were just a swish of a paintbrush. Three separate colors requiring three swishes of the brush. I'm gonna feel really stupid if this is not what you are talking about.

happy camper comments on HELP! I have a big problem!

Isn't this what attorneys are for? I have found that most working class people in Colombia are easily intimidated by an attorney. If his demeanor is threatening call the police. I don't think these folks want the cops looking at them. That way if he decides on some violent retalitory action you have it on record.

happy camper comments on DO ANY OF YOU KNOW OF A LAW THAT DETERMINES WHEN THE BANKS CHANGE THE EXCHANGE RATE (TRM) FOR THE NEXT DAY?

GIB, that jives with my thinking. I bought an apartment here using savings I had accumulated over time using ATM withdrawals. On another apartment purchase I wrote a personal check on my USA account to the selling corporation who agreed to absorb the currency transfer fees as an incentive for me to buy. This does leave me with the question as to whether my purchase (using savings in a Colombian bank) qualifies as a "foreign investment" since I withdrew money over a long period of time. Conversely, I retain all banking records so I could prove the money came from outside Colombia as I have no income here. Just don't know how or if that complies with Colombian legal requirements regarding real estate acquisitions if one decides to sell and take the money out of Colombia in a lump sum. Enjoyed the chat..

happy camper comments on DO ANY OF YOU KNOW OF A LAW THAT DETERMINES WHEN THE BANKS CHANGE THE EXCHANGE RATE (TRM) FOR THE NEXT DAY?

Forgot to add; Whether the fee for changing dollars to pesos is based on the current TRM, AND is this fee regulated by the government.

happy camper comments on DO ANY OF YOU KNOW OF A LAW THAT DETERMINES WHEN THE BANKS CHANGE THE EXCHANGE RATE (TRM) FOR THE NEXT DAY?

GIB Thanks again for your response. I enjoy reading your comments as you seem quite knowledgeable on many issues here. Do you have information as to what the typical charge is for converting a wire transfer from dollars to pesos. I keep hearing the number 4 tossed around. As in 4% or .04% or.004%. I know that Bancolombia charges 4 pesos per thousand when you withdraw pesos from your account.

happy camper comments on Indirectly pertains to Colombia as well as other countries. What do you think?

I have questions about those who claim American citizenship but are dual nationals. Especially those who hold high positions in the government of the United States. I understand that in some cases they are even permitted to pay their income tax assessment to another country. Israel comes to mind.

happy camper comments on DO ANY OF YOU KNOW OF A LAW THAT DETERMINES WHEN THE BANKS CHANGE THE EXCHANGE RATE (TRM) FOR THE NEXT DAY?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT RESPONSES!!! I have been traveling/living in Colombia for about 6 years now. I always use my ATM card to get money here. Sometimes if I plan to withdraw an amount of cash beyond that of ordinary living expenses (to make a planned purchase, for example) I will check the rate on the net and try to determine whether the dollar is on the rise or falling. On a few occasions I have withdrawn money around 4:00 p.m. and found that I was given THE TRM RATE for the NEXT DAY. Usually this was not in my favor as the dollar would have declined in value. I inquired about this and was told (by what I thought were knowledgeable people) that the banks change their rate between 4 and 6 p.m. weekdays. I was also told that the government sets the official TRM rate based on the currency exchange market. I have no idea what the formula is for determing this official exhange rate but I had previously found the rate posted on Yahoo to be pretty reliable. All that logic is now apparently "thrown out the window". Last night was the first time I observed that Bancolombia did not change their TRM By or before 6:00 p.m.

happy camper comments on DO ANY OF YOU KNOW OF A LAW THAT DETERMINES WHEN THE BANKS CHANGE THE EXCHANGE RATE (TRM) FOR THE NEXT DAY?

After reading my own post I realize it may not be clear that I am referring to Colombian banks.

happy camper comments on Looking for Lawyer in Medellin Who Speaks English

Do a search for "Colombian lawyer" or something like that. He regularly comments on this board and he speaks English.

happy camper comments on Buying property in Medellín

I purchased two properties in Medellin last year working with a "buyers representative" realtor. She was very patient with me and showed me many properties over a period of a month or so before I made the first purchase. Many times she would call me to go and look at a property saying, "I don't think this is exactly what you are looking for but I want you to be an informed buyer". She was very professional and looked closely at the details of the transaction. My Spanish is not great but it was my understanding that when the seller and the buyer are each represented by a realtor they split the commission. I think it is also accepted practice here that the seller pays the commission, thus I did not have to pay my realtor anything. Since she spent so much time and money on me (her car, gasoline, etc) I did insist on buying one tank of gasoline for her but not another penny. First purchase was at market price, second purchase was 80% of firm market price. As you can imagine I would not hesitate to recommend her.

happy camper comments on Need Shipping from Miami To Colombia

have you considered transport by boat? Never tried that but I understand it is much cheaper than air cargo.

happy camper comments on The new host

New to PBH, but I had recently posted two comments that are no longer there.