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JMCana has written 17 posts

What does this mean?

Ok, we purchased a bag of soap from the store to fill the pump jars at the house. Jabón Antibacterial was all I needed to get the right thing. But then at the house I read the bag closer. "con Triclosan" it read. That word is not in my dictionary and my Colombian wife did not know it. Farther down it read, "Empaque Doy Pack". That one makes no sense to me or my wife. So what is triclosan and what does that combination of what appears to be Spanish and English mean? By JMCana on 2007-06-13 06:42:49. 3 comments.

FARC prisoners reject early release offer - jailed para politicians may be freed

BOGOTA, Colombia: A group of rebel prisoners on Tuesday rejected on offer of early release if they agree to demobilize, a proposal the government hoped would restart talks to free rebel-held hostages, including three U.S. defense contractors.

Diego Leonardo, a leftist rebel who said he spoke on behalf of 90 other rebels in the Palo Gordo prison, called the offer an attempt by President Alvaro Uribe to aid his political allies jailed on charges of working alongside far-right death ...

Calling experts on Colombian building

I recently visited a new apartment high rise in Bogotá. The light switches in every single room were at about the level of my knee. I inquired why and was told that it was the new way so that children could reach the switches.

I figured it a different way. You save approximately 1 meter of wire per room and there were 6 rooms in each apartment. There were approximately 250 apartments. That totals about 1,500 meters of wire. No, I must be wrong - no contractor would be that cheap. ...

Colombia's Congress hits peace observer

Colombia's Congress hits peace observer

By JOSHUA GOODMAN, Associated Press WriterThu May 24, 6:53 PM ET

Lawmakers have called for the dismissal of the head of the Organization of American States' peace mission in Colombia, accusing him of standing by as paramilitary warlords held orgies in a government-granted safe haven set aside for peace talks.

Congress' lower house voted overwhelmingly late Wednesday to request President Alvaro Uribe "immediately ...

Good Luck Ingredients

During the week around Easter I was in Pereira. On the street there were vendors selling good luck potions that you burned over charcoal. From what I could determine there are 8 ingredients to the mixture. Does anyone know what they are? ...

Thousands flee Volcano in Colombia

NEIVA, Colombia (AP) -- The long-dormant Nevado del Huila volcano erupted late Tuesday and early Wednesday, provoking avalanches and floods that swept away houses and bridges and prompted thousands to evacuate.

"There are 10,000 people in the zone, of which we've already evacuated 3,500," Luz Amanda Pulido, director of the national disaster office, told The Associated Press after flying over the volcano in southwest Colombia. There were no reports of deaths or injuries.

Herb and Spice names in Spanish

The post here on arepas made me think you might be able to help me with names of herbs and spices and where to find some of the items. For instance I have been trying to find celery seeds for making a tart coleslaw but have been unable to. I enjoy using them in my dishes. The big stores in Bogotá have a selection of the items, but not everything and I do not know the names in Spanish.

But what are the Spanish names and where in the Bogotá area do you recommend finding:

Finally fined the Bus

I have been riding the Flota buses for many months now from my small town to Bogotá. I constantly think I should say a prayer before getting on, but there really is not enough time. The money taker yells to the bus driver to take off (usually that means he tries to slam the gas pedal through the carburetor) before my second foot has even hit the first step to enter. With more people moving out my way, the old buses are constantly stuffed beyond even providing enough room to move to get out. I h ...

Kudos to Salento, Quindío, Colombia

This last week I had the opportunity to visit the town of Salento in the department of Quindío. The town is doing many things correct in my opinion to help the town and its merchants. An old and decrepit building anchoring one side of the square received a new orange and white façade to at least make the town look more appealing. For semana santa they put up not only tents around the square to help feed the multitude of visitors, but added the detail of putting wooden floors in each one. Goin ...

Corruption Survey

Corruption Survey

A post on this site about corruption in Colombia got me thinking. Corruption is basically a subjective thing and subject to individual thought. What might be interesting is to see opinions of how corrupt you believe different persons and institutions to be. Follow is a list of different people and different groups, please rate them of your opinion for how corrupt they are. Criteria used for calculation of corruption are entirely up to you. The scale is from one t ...

Bagel in Bogotá

Finally found a descent bagel place in Bogota. It is Capital Bagels located at Calle 95 con Carrera 11 A. Their selection is not as good as I got use to in California and their creme cheese selection is more attuned to the Colombian taste, but they are not bad. They make a descent bagel sandwich starting at about 8,000 pesos. Unfortunately my wife says we cannot move to the neighborhood, too high of estrado. So, does anyone know of any other good places to get a bagel in the morning in Bogotá? ...

Grass Fed Cows in Colombia

I am taking a quote from Rubito in another subject on this website and starting a new one so as to maintain the continuity of the post about Capitalism in Colombia.

Rubito said: "Did you know that cows HAVE to be fed grass in Colombia if they are destined for human consumption?? THAT is one law we need to duplicate stateside..."

In my personal opinion, the beef in Colombia is far better than anything I have tasted in the USA. Have I just been visiting the best pari ...

Fire North of Bogota

I am currently located in Tabio, North of Bogota. I can see and smell the massive amounts of smoke coming from the other side of the mountain still farther Northwest I think. Has anyone heard anything? ...

US announces visa changes

ENHANCEMENTS TO THE U.S. VISA PROCESS

The Department of State has worked relentlessly over the past five years to improve the transparency, efficiency and predictability of the U.S. visa process. Their commitment is to maintain America's welcome to legitimate travelers while vigilantly protecting U.S. border security for the benefit of American citizens and their foreign visitors.

Recent innovations to streamline visa processing include:

· An e ...

No Cars in Bogota

Can anyone shed light on the fact that no one is allowed to drive in Bogotá today?

Would like to know the history, people who have been caught driving when they shouldn't, Why this day is picked, funny stories of happenings, results, etc. ...

Centro Chia

I have just returned from Centro Chia mall. It has been greatly enlarged. Still not the size of Santa Fe, but definitely worth seeing. Kudos to the designers of the expansion. Places are easy to find and the feeling is open. Many people in the towns North of Bogota are now saying they won't need to go to Bogota so often. So, if you are in the area (just a short bus ride from the Portal Norte) stop and see it. And don't forget to have a banana split at Crepes and Waffles. ...

Colombian Marriage Visa Check List

Just received my marriage visa and thought some might be interested in the process.

It took me two days and two trips to Bogota to receive it.

The Ministerio Relactiones Exteriores is located near Park 93. The first day my Colombian wife and I showed up at about 9am and suffered 2 hours of the most uncomfortable small chairs. I must say that everyone at the place was cordial despite the long lines. Anyway,in 5 minutes we found out that we were missing some informat ...