phillyguy has left 8 comments

phillyguy comments on land travel from baq to ctg

Thanks for the info.

phillyguy comments on Bogota or Cali?

Having spent considerable time in both cities, I would strongly recomend Cali. The people are friendlier (especially the chicas), it is warmer (in Bogota it rains a lot and can be chilly at night) and it is much cheaper. Stay in the northern part of Cali, (Juanambu is nice). I have visited Cali, Medellin, Bogota, Cartegena, Barranquilla and other places in Colombia and Bogota is my LEAST favorite city.

phillyguy comments on e-tickets

No.

phillyguy comments on Monserrate in Bogota

Actually, they do not leave from the same station. When I've been there, there hasn't been a choice. You go up the mountain on the funicular railroad and you come down the mountain on the cable car, so technically, they leave from different stations.

phillyguy comments on Chiquita brands executives involved in an investigation by la Fiscalia

Some typical PC logic. This company did something bad 70 years ago, when the execs in question weren't even born, so they deserve to be jailed. According to the article you cite, the company claims that the payments were protection money, and that they paid it to both the AUC and the FARC. Gee, businessmen being extorted in Colombia, who would believe that far-out claim? Everyone knows that extortion is impossible in Colombia due to the super-effective Colombian justice system.

phillyguy comments on Cali

By the center of Cali do you mean the area known as "el Centro". If so, you don't want to stay there. It is dirty and run down. At night, the streets are dangerous and deserted. Try the Avenida Sexta Area or the south, near the Unicentro Mall instead. There are also some nicer hotels to the west of El Centro, along the rio Cali. One good strategy is to book a room for the first night or two, then go exploring during the day. Stop in at different

phillyguy comments on Rental Car, A good idea?

A gringo who in unfamiliar with Colombia would be very ill-advised to rent a car. The traffic is terrible, people drive like lunatics, and few of the streets have proper signs (making getting lost highly likely.) Taxis are cheap. Stick with taxis or buses.

phillyguy comments on Newark Airport

I frequently fly from Newark, and it is an easy airport to navigate.

First, Continental DOES fly non-stop to Bogota from Newark. It is about a 5 hour flight and it beats the hell out of changing planes in Miami. If you are going to a city other than Bogota, you can book a flight on Orbitz. You will have to change planes in Bogota and take a connection on either Avianca or Aero Republica, but the rates are the same as if you were taking one airline. I did this several times and the cost was $500 to $540.

Continental also flys some routes that change planes in Houston.

There are 3 terminals. On the 2nd level, at the back of each terminal, you can catch a monarail that conects the 3 terminals. It if free and it runs every couple minutes.