honey has left 141 comments

honey comments on government teacher placement program?

Could this be what you mean? http://web.icfes.gov.co/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=334&Itemid=422

honey comments on Colombian Fashion Trends?

Robert Jorge- It's not Hoochi Barbie, it's Cuchi Barbie...Cuchi as in Cucha. Cucha or Cucho = Old. But now that I think abouth it, Hoochi Barbie works too.

honey comments on One Day In Bogota...What to do?

cpchester, If you do decide on Aires I would check by phone during the day that the flight will be leaving on time. When I took Aires BOG-CLO RT there was a cancellation and a major delay. I have also heard this frequently from other travelers, so it may be something to keep in mind.

honey comments on Fania All Stars return to Bogota

Anyone know if and when they will be in Cali? Or did I miss it??? (Thanks for the info. Monpirri)

honey comments on Uffff, they drink too much Soda in Colombia..

Esanch/PCL ... how about eating the birthday cake before the food? That I never understood. Recently we had a little birthday for my mother. The meal was tamales, and when we cut the cake and served it with coffee after the food I (like it should be! LOL) I got some strange looks. Someone actually said, "Cake with COFFEE????" It was kind of funny.

honey comments on What's your take on getting involved with a women with children?

How terribly sad for all three of you and how incredibly selfish of the dad AND the grandmother. This is a losing situation all around.

honey comments on Uffff, they drink too much Soda in Colombia..

PCL I also think that people drink way too much soda. I agree that the natural fruit juices are popular but usually with el almuerzo. When it comes to just having a drink because of thirst - and with Cali's heat you're always thirsty - people want soda and only soda. Very weird.

honey comments on Colombian honeymoon in Aruba

Haddeman, now I want to go to Aruba! Thank you for such a detailed post.

honey comments on Colombian honeymoon in Aruba

Basically Colombians don't need a separate visa as long as they already have one to the US, Canada or Schengen visa. If they don't already have one of these visas, then they can apply for a visa specifically for Aruba. Many travel agencies in Colombia are authorized to do the paperwork for you. I know several couples who have honeymooned in Aruba and loved it. Their pictures definitely look gorgeous. http://colombia.nlembajada.org/asuntos_consulares/requisitos La Embajada Real de los Países Bajos se permite informar a la ciudadanía en general que no requerirán visa de corta estadía para Aruba aquellas personas con pasaporte colombiano siempre y cuando tengan visa vigente y utilizada (ambos requisitos son absolutamente indispensables) de los Estados Unidos, Canadá y/o territorio Schengen. La visa que se utilice para viajar debe estar vigente durante todo el período de estadía.

honey comments on A Man Was Killed In Cali By Transvestites

Unfortunately just another reason to not stop at traffic lights at night. I used to think it was so dangerous to drive like that, and actually the opposite is true.

honey comments on Just Got My Children Colombian Passports. USA or Colombian Passport for travel??

You have brought up some of the very same issues that I mentioned on a recent post about the 90 day visa stamp. I've always understood that minors will definitely need the permission letter to leave Colombia if they travel without you, if they use their Colombian passport. You don't need the letter if they use their US passport. The benefit IMO of the Colombian passport is that there is no problem with the length of stay. (One of my questions is, Can the children be required to use their Colombian passport? Or would it be one of those requirements that is not enforced like the traveler with dual citizenship that doesn't have their Colombian passport?) However, I just noticed the following on the Consulate Website: (Which is new to me) http://www.consuladodecolombiany.com/new_page/notaria/permisosmenor.htm# CONFORME A LA REGULACION COLOMBIANA Solo los menores nacidos en el extranjero pero con domicilio en Colombia requieren permiso de salida de los padres; quienes hayan nacido en el extranjero e ingresen a colombia como tales no requieren el mencionado permiso. Can someone comment on this please?

honey comments on 90 DAY STAMP ANYONE???

Sorry Gator if it wasn't clear. Yes I'm born in Cali, barrio Guabal "donde nacen muchos pero se crian pocos." My daughter is the one that only has the US passport. In my effort to be brief I lose clarity. For the past few summers we have always stayed over the 60 days that my daughter gets, but never more than 10 days over. (I do travel with both my Colombian and US passport.) Surprisingly, I always get a comment like, "I see she has stayed 3 days over." Then they ask me if I'm the mother, make a dismissive wave of the hand, give me my little exit tax paper, and that's it, no reprimand, nothing. Weird huh? To be honest, I always plan to apply for her extension, but I procrastinate and before you know it it's time to travel again. You'd think that 63 days would be enough time to squeeze in a little visit to DAS, but I've never applied at all. I know that if my daughter got her Colombian passport, I would avoid the length of stay issue (which only happens during our yearly extended summer trip), but like I said before I would be forced to get the darn letter of permission for each and every trip. I hope I make more sense now.

honey comments on 90 DAY STAMP ANYONE???

Thanks everyone, at least I now know that there is a possibility so I'm going to take a chance - I can always go to DAS for the extension if I only get a 60 day. My question also has to do with the fact that I haven't applied for my daughter's Colombian passport. Once I do that, then I'll be locked into having to get the permission letter from her dad every time we travel. It's such a hassle to take time off and go into the city to the Colombian Consulate. Up to now I've never needed the permission letter because she's only had her US passport. On my last entry in April through Bogota, I was even asked if my daughter had a Colombian passport. I told them no, and then they appeared to be checking if that was true. But I have to say that this has turned into a little challenge for me now he he he.

honey comments on 90 DAY STAMP ANYONE???

Were these requests made recently? In the last 3 months?

honey comments on Exit Fee in Bogota

I was pulled for X-ray once leaving from Cali. It was scary though because I was with my daughter and she had to be separated from me, it was only for a couple of minutes and she sat a few feet away from where I was. It was only the one time; in fact, the last few trips I haven't even had to open a bag at security.

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

Azunoman - hot or hotter...more like sauna or hell. It can get pretty bad. Usually I stay at my dad's house in the South which actually is pretty cool at night time, to sleep I always drag out a blanket. But he finally moved to the "country" house that he was building in Dagua and now the Cali house has been rented and I am a homeless tourist. I am now jumping through hoops trying to figure something out, so the stress still lingers. But these problems are the fun kind - what flight to take, where to stay, what to pack. I am definitely looking forward to it. Anyway it looks like I will be moving down in estrato, and for some reason that means hotter as well. Seriously though, I have family in Villa Del Lago which is estrato 1 and 2 and you sweat just sitting still. Never mind when you have a bowl of sancocho in front of you. Greg - send me a PM, we'll talk.

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

PCL, that's what I thought of doing, I'll have to coach her though b/c at 11 she'll be happy to get away from me, LOL. I hate having to ask passengers to switch with me, even though I am always cooperative I've seen people get so annoyed with that request. But I'll have to do it b/c with so many weirdos out there I'll get whiplash trying to keep an eye on her the entire flight. I'm usually good about checking in early, so hopefully that will be to my benefit.

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

GH you and I seem to have a lot of experience in common. The other thing to keep in mind is that yes a longer than usual layover does sometimes mean a cheaper ticket, but in my case it's just more time to spend money on a meal, drinks, snacks, and of course Duty Free. They get me every time, no matter what I decide ahead of time I end up buying a few bottles of liquor and they are Heavy! (BTW I'm using La Guardia airport)

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

OK OK UNCLE, I give, I give!!! I bought the tickets, but guess what, the multi-city that American Airlines said I supposedly couldn't have I was able to purchase with Orbitz. So I did get the cheaper price of $465, with the exact dates that I wanted and a shorter layover in Miami than the tickets I have on hold directly with American. So what can I whine about now? On one of the legs, my daughter and I are not sitting together. Any advice on that? Make your list Azunoman, I'm in such a good mood I'll bring you a fridge...seriously, whatever you need :)

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

You know what I did once thinking I was so travel savvy? I live 5 min from JFK, but the prices leaving from Newark were so much cheaper that I gave in and bought them. What a mistake! The departure and return were both smack in the middle of rush hour and that was at least two hours on the road more. Live and learn. The other thing is that I do travel with my daughter so I have to keep that in mind, I can't get too crazy with what I'm willing to put up with in return for a good price. With Continental I had a 6 hour layover in Houston once. It wasn't as bad as I expected.

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

The time of the year changes those factors for me GH, and I see what you mean. When I go for 10 days I want to leave the same night after my last day of work and get back just in time to go back to work. But in the summer I have the luxury of time so there is more wiggle room. I like Avianca's itineraries too, but they are so much more money lately. It's funny, for years when I've been ready to make a purchase, American Airlines has always been more expensive, and this year it is the opposite. The search continues...

honey comments on Exit Fee in Bogota

Calenita, do what ColombianGringo says to do. You won't have to pay anything b/c your stay was short. If possible leave someone on the Spirit line while you go to the other line. If you go to airport alone then go to the exencion line first. I did Bog -NY last month and it was a complete zoo, long lines for everything. Give yourself plenty of time. ( When you do stay longer, you can pay in cash pesos or dollars.) Also, don't be surprised by the repetitive security checks. There's even security to get in the waiting area at the gate. Really, try to get to the airport early. When I finally got to the waiting area, some people were allowed on the plane and others (all with boarding passes) were asked to sit down. I later found out that those that had to sit were not getting on the overbooked flight. And those people were not standby, those poor souls were in a different area. If I had to speculate I would guess it had something to do with the fact that the ticket agent wrote down the time on the boarding passes at check-in. Can anyone enlighten me on this? Also, many years ago you were required to hold onto a small white piece of paper that you got upon arrival, I think it had some kind of circular stamp on it. I remember b/c we always made such a big deal of putting it in a safe place, and then went crazy looking for it the night before we had to go back. But I haven't had that experience in a while.

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

You are right Johnny, there is no logic at all. In fact I tried a multi city search, nyc-mia(6/30), mia-cali (6/30), cali-nyc (9/3) and I got a cheaper price of $465.00, however I can't actually "have" that price. The system won't let me purchase it or put it on hold. Instead, I'm told that the rate is now over $1,500.00 but I keep getting the same thing even when I start the search over. I called AA and the rep says I have to stay overnight if I want to do a multi city. That doesn't seem right, what about someone who has business for the day and wants to continue their travel in the evening? I know a lot of you are ready to pounce b/c it's only a $30 difference, but I just can't seem to help myself. Yes I'm cheap, but it's more than just that...

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

$397.00??? I'd kill for $397.00 tickets!!! LOL just kidding... But seriously Jaramillo, you are absoulutely right, my problem is that I would see those 50 bucks a day as 200 mil pesos that I can spend while I'm there. See, I even make excuses like an addict!

honey comments on WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???

Babygirl; I can't believe that we are the only Compulsive Closet Searchers...I'm sure there are more...the first step is to admit you have a problem! Sandandressi; Sidestep has never given me a better price than the Airline directly or Orbitz directly. I know a lot of posters get good results with it, go figure...

honey comments on Anybody interested in Sharing an apartment in Bogota? :)

Go for the hard wood floors, I think that's easier to keep clean especially if you have the occasional party.

honey comments on Colombians what is this??

P_S: Pugsley is absolutely gorgeous! I showed my daughter the pic and she went crazy! I had no idea this breed was so smart. He really is beautiful.

honey comments on Jeweller Recommendations Cali?

If you are not looking for something specific you should really scout out the "prenderias" - the pawn shops. Try the ones across the street from Galeria Alameda. If you look, you can find some really unique designs and you can't beat the price.

honey comments on Purchasing a SIM card for your GSM mobile phone in Colombia

johnny - you are right on the money! The first purchase I make every time I get to Cali is 2 SIM cards on the street. One for my unlocked T-mobile phone, and one for my daughter's so we each have a working cell phone right away. I've done this many times without a hitch. When I get back to NY, I switch cards without a problem. It's always my cheapest (I've seen them as low as 2 mil) and best purchase.

honey comments on points on PBH

M/C I can't see the giver of the points either. Wait, would that be the "pointer" and I the "pointee"???

honey comments on Delinquent Admin Fees

I like the option of calling uncle Guido...maybe Paulie and Tony too.

honey comments on Are Colombians lazy?

Miguel Clavo: A couple of years ago I was in Cali and went to Barranquilla for a few days. We ended up staying in a barrio which I would say was estrato 2. In Cali, in the estrato 2 neighborhoods that I know every other house has a sign that sells something or offers something. "Se venden helados" "Tenemos Tamales" "Se Hacen Cortinas" In the Barranquilla neighborhood the only sign we saw was, "Se Vende Hielo." We looked, that was it. Darloup: This is something I have heard over and over again in Colombia, said by different people (but probably in the same "estrato"), "En Colombia no se vive, se sobrevive."

honey comments on points on PBH

PCL...on this thread alone I gave you several "funnies"...how about a button for posts - "This has been asked many, many, many times." The clicking would be deafening and the toasters would certainly be flying then!

honey comments on

Elmo: "just to show how ridicoulous it looks to be a middle aged modefoque dique in love." Elmito papi, sigue hablando toda la mierda que quieras que a mi me encantans tus posts. by the way my mother has always said "no hay nada mas feo que un viejo enamorado" GUACALA!!!! JUA JUA JUA!!!!

honey comments on what we call a person?when

I have not had a good day or week for that matter...but these posts are cracking me up. Thanks, I really needed that!

honey comments on

I can't wait to give this out tomorrow at work! Thanks jeff.

honey comments on Staying at: Fernando Suites in Bogota

Thanks CG, I actually got the third e-mail from their website, I just asked b/c I thought someone might know if there was something up with them. It just seems odd that all three e-mails are not working. I already sent a PM, so we'll see what happens.

honey comments on Staying at: Fernando Suites in Bogota

I have tried the following e-mails for Fernando Suites: futuro22 at gmail.com fernandohotel at gmail.com info at fernandosuites.com and each e-mail has been returned, anyone know what is going on?

honey comments on Colombian Fritzl

PCL you can watch some Pirry reports on YouTube...http://www.youtube.com/user/COLOMBIAPRENDE

honey comments on Exchanging Currency

I have read here on PBH that people will wire themselves money to Colombia before they even leave US/Canada/etc.as a plan B in case they have trouble with their bank cards and can't withdraw cash once they get to Colombia . Maybe this would work? Depending on the fees, it could be a favorable strategy.

honey comments on Bogota Airport Question

Thanks Papi...but just to clarify that means that they take the bus and not me, right?

honey comments on Official Exchange Rate Site

Tanks CG, this is going to be very useful for me. GRACIAS!

honey comments on

"You put trust in someone in the US, you call it good faith. You put trust in Colombia, you call it giving Papaya." Wow sapo, you said a mouthful.

honey comments on Colombianas have a hair coloring fetish?

and let me tell you...it's contagious! every time I go to Cali I go with normal brown hair color, somehow I always get convinced to change it and come back to NY with some crazy color! every single time...

honey comments on After spending LONG amounts of time visiting in Colombia what do you miss the most about HOME?

My daughter and I are big walkers. Once it warms up in NY we'll take walks at all hours just for fun. I miss that when I'm in Cali, people don't just go for walks. Also, evertytime I want to get out the door in Cali there is someone right by my side because God forbid I go out alone.

honey comments on

elSapo I am with you...Definitely Cartagena!!!

honey comments on good sale with aires

Thanks for the heads-up gorgonabob. I just priced tickets, and that is the correct price range but the base price (lowest available) for the ticket itself is only 18,000 COP. The rest is: taxes, service fee, administration fee...Aero Republica has the same price range as well. Pretty cheap all around.

honey comments on ON A CRUISESHIP BEFORE?? QUE TAL??

I LOVED LOVED LOVED the cruise I went on last year. It's pretty much what Mrgizmo says. I went on the Norwegian Cruise Line "Freestyle" Cruise. On this cruise you are told what the "tipping" charge will be and everyone is automatically charged that amount on the last day. However, it is voluntary and you can choose to opt out. But the service is so good most people do pay it. At all the ports the ship can arrange for day trips. If there is something you are interested in, I suggest you book it online ahead of time because once you are on the ship the day trips fill up very fast. For example, I booked "Swimming With the Dolphins" weeks ahead of time. When we were on the ship, we saw many unhappy passengers expecting to easily book the same day trip, but weren't able to. I also found www.cruisecritic.com to be extremely informative. People post their experiences and you can post your own questions as well. My then 10 year old daughter had an amazing time. She asks all the time when are we taking another cruise. If you are looking to relax, a cruise is definitely the place to do it. The only problem is that after you go back,home you'll get hungry at midnight for a few days because your stomach is expecting the Midnight Buffet on the Lido Deck! ☺

honey comments on What are the Must-Sees in Bogota???

You all have certainly kept me busy looking up all the different places. I don't think I want to get into a debate about what city is better, but I'm from Cali too and I when I'm there I am kept very busy - there is plenty to do and see as well. I have been to Bogota before without my daughter and stayed with some friends. I had a good time and as you can see I "will be setting foot" in Bogota again.

honey comments on What are the Must-Sees in Bogota???

WOW these are some great suggestions. I have to say though, that I got a little nervous after the first response, I was already trying to change my plans. I'm definitely leaning towards Divercity...I will be meeting friends in Bogota, but they are from Cali and as clueless as I am. But with all your good info., I will be very prepared and they will be very impressed ;) Gracias a todos!