Roncita has left 148 comments

Roncita comments on Colombia compared to OTHER SA COUNTRIES

Brazil vs Colombia re safety Rubiazo, I am the English friend in question that Paisa29 was talking about. As she said, I lived in Medellin for almost 3 years until March this year, and nothing happened. I was never mugged/attacked/threatened. In February this year I visited Brazil for 10 days. After a week in Sao Paolo, I went to Rio and within 2 hours of arriving I was mugged in the street and slashed across the chest with a knife at 8am in a residential, respectable area close to Ipanema beach. My Dad was also mugged twice in Brazil when he went there for 2 weeks in 1999.

Obviously I can't say that Brazil is more violent than Colombia just because of these isolated incidents, but I also noticed that security is much higher in Brazil - in SP for example everyone lives in fenced-in houses whereas in Colombian cities they don't. Maybe they're just even more security-conscious in Brazil, but in a way it makes you feel less safe cos you're more worried about "what's out there".

It made me think though - in Medellin, the only places I didn't feel safe were in the city centre (at any time of day - probably because everyone always warned me it wasn't safe so I got a bit paranoid) and walking around anywhere at night. Of course there are plenty of slum areas that aren't safe at all, but you wouldn't go there anyway. In respectable residential areas, where the big hotels are (eg in Poblado/Oviedo area) which could be comparable to the Ipanema-Copacabana road (where I was mugged in Rio), I would say an attack on a foreigner is very unlikely - in broad daylight at least.

On that note, after my traumatic ordeal in Rio, I couldn't wait to get back to Medellin!

Roncita comments on What interesting countries in the world ...

How about Cuba? My Colombian husband and I visited 3 years ago and he didn't need a visa.

Ditto Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

All European countries as far as I know demand visas for Colombians.

Roncita comments on visas

getting married Hi Kirsty,

I got married to my Colombian fiance last year in Britain, and it was incredibly easy - although I hear things have changed a bit now. All we needed were our passports - he didn't have a special visa or anything. Then when we went back to Colombia I had to register our marriage certificate at the Colombian Consulate in London, get a few other documents, police clearance certificate etc translated by an official translator and apostilled by the Foreign Office and that was it - I was issued the same day with a spouse visa for Colombia.

However, I think things have changed slightly since then ie foreigners now need to get married on a special visa (probably a fiance visa). In which case your fiance will have to apply for this in Colombia before he comes over here (London).

Roncita comments on Electrical adapters

In the UK you can get transformers for plugs in department stores, at the airport and from camping stores - I think supermarkets ie Tesco even have them. Make sure you get it for the Americas though, not Europe...it will be clearly marked on the package.

Roncita comments on English teaching course necessary?

Doing a qualification is better I would definitely recommend doing a teaching qualification first. You will find the whole teaching experience so much easier and more rewarding if you actually know what you're doing! Speaking English as your mother tongue doesn't mean you'll be able to teach it. I went to Colombia with the same idea - not having any teaching training but wanting to teach English - and in the end I had to resort just to doing conversation classes as it was very difficult to teach English to anyone who wasn't at least intermediate or advanced.

Good luck!

Roncita comments on Coloraditos (Spelling maybe incorrect) Sandflies with Chainsaws?

Sounds like jejen to me In la costa, they sometimes call them "jejen", (actually am not sure of the spelling!). They are tiny flies that look harmless enough but have the bite of a dinosaur. They even seem to bite through clothing. Their trademark is leaving a little bite with a red bloodspot in the middle. And do they hurt!!!

In Providencia and one or two other places in Colombia I was absolutely plagued by them. The only thing that helped to momentarily relieve the itching and soreness was Calamine/Caladryl lotion (the pink runny stuff). But that was literally momentarily. Best advice - avoid getting bitten - douse yourself in insect repellant and cover bare skin as much as you can - they are particularly fond of ankles and wrists, but are happy to go anywhere and everywhere.

Roncita comments on Medellin on Christmas, Party Times?

Hunter and Paisa29 are right, the weeks running up to xmas in Medellin are great, parties all the time, the Christmas lights along the river, and in fact all over the city, are stunning, and it's a great party atmosphere. No one does any work the whole of December, it seems!

However, once you get to 24th December everything dies - people stay at home with their families or go away over Christmas and nothing is open.

Roncita comments on NGO in Medellin

Brazos Abiertos You could try an organisation called Brazos Abiertos (Open Arms) - it's run by an American evangelist missionary and rehabilitates street children in Medellin. www.brazosabiertos.net

Roncita comments on Visa Questions

Hi, I went with my Colombian husband to the British embassy in Bogota earlier this year for him to get his UK residency visa for 2 years so I haven't been through the fiance route, but I can tell you from my experience she will need to show she can support herself economically while she's in the UK, or that you can - either with a letter from your company saying that you work for them, how much you earn etc, or a letter from her company if she has one. I think you might also need to show proof that you have somewhere to live.

My husband's interview wasn't hard at all - all they were interested in was how he was going to survive economically while he's here - we took loads of old emails, letters etc as proof of the relationship and they didn't even look at them.

Hope this helps - good luck and any more questions feel free to ask.

Roncita comments on Clothes Shopping in Bogota

Try Tennis and Azucar I am a size 14 (UK) and I didn't find it TOO difficult to find clothes that fitted me in Colombia, although I couldn't ever find swimming costumes/bikinis/bras (mind you, I sometimes find it difficult to find good ones in London, too!). I found that the best shops for women who are bigger than the average Colombiana were Tennis and Azucar (found in shopping centres) - oh, and Exito, although the quality isn't always as good as they tend to be much cheaper. The little boutiques just didn't tend to have larger sizes.

Roncita comments on Driving between cities during the holidays

I don't have stats re how many gringoes are kidnapped/murdered every year but I would say the number is very small. You tend to hear about those things pretty quickly and the last time I heard about foreigners getting kidnapped was in Sep 2003 when that group of Israelis/Brits was taken in Ciudad Perdida and the British guy escaped. I may be wrong but I don't recall hearing of any more foreigners being kidnapped since.

Re La Guajira - that has long been a dream of mine to go there too (esp Cabo de la Vela on the coast), but my Colombian husband is too worried about safety. Some say it's OK, others not. The journey there (through the Cesar department) is a bit risky.

Roncita comments on Trade union work history

teaching experience important Hi and welcome to PHB and Colombia!

I wouldn't have thought your trade union work matters - if anything, it's worth mentioning it because you say you don't have any English teaching experience but your work involves tutoring, so it shows that you do have some related experience. It's becoming increasingly difficult for native English speakers to get teaching jobs in Colombia these days - even if you have a spouse visa - most (reputable) language schools seem to require evidence of teaching experience as well as teaching qualifications, so it's good that you plan to get your CELTA soon.

I am from the UK and married to a Colombian guy, have lived in Medellin on and off for 2.5 years (returning to London next week though for good), so any more questions about living in Colombia, feel free to send me a private message.

Good luck!

Roncita comments on 2 weeks in Colombia

Also if you're coming up from Ecuador, I recommend the colonial city of Popayan (you only need 1-2 days for this as it's quite small). Cartagena is touristy for Colombia, but not like Machu Picchu or Cuzco or the other touristy places in South America - much more bearable. You shouldn't miss it.

Roncita comments on Driving between cities during the holidays

Rather than renting a car I would advise travelling by bus - most bus companies pay "vacuna" here to the guerrillas (basically extorsion money so that they get left alone) so I feel safer travelling long distance by bus.

The journey from Medellin to Cartagena by road does pass through some places that are a bit "caliente" but in general, and especially in Semana Santa, I would say it's fine. I did that journey by road 2 years ago and the only frightening part was when the bus driver swerved violently to avoid a cow on the road!

The Medellin - Bogota autopista is also supposed to be safe now, although I haven't done that journey myself. But I did travel by bus from Medellin to Quito late last year, so I would say that the road situation in Colombia, although obviously still out of bounds in some parts, is generally safe. Also apparently, and this is just what I've heard from Colombianos - the guerrillas aren't so interested these days in taking foreigners - they're more interested in people they can do (internal) political deals with.

Roncita comments on Vaccinations? Bacterial info? Money exchange?

tetanus Might be an idea to get a tetanus booster too.

Roncita comments on medellin

Perhaps Mr Nice Guy is British, in which case there is nothing wrong with his spelling...(although I can't really excuse his questions)

Roncita comments on Avianca Avoid

I had a similar experience flying into Colombia with Avianca once, but nowhere near as bad. I was living in Colombia but had to return home to London for a relative's funeral suddenly, so I had to buy a return ticket to London from Colombia. On my way back, in Madrid, they asked me if I had a Colombian visa. I didn't, because my student visa had expired so I was on extensions from DAS, so they told me I had to buy an onward ticket from Colombia to any destination that Avianca flies with, and that I could then go to an Avianca office in Colombia and get a refund. So I bought the ticket and, once back in Medellin, applied for the refund. They said I would get it in a few weeks....that was early December. By February the following year I still hadn't got any money back on my credit card so I had to hassle and hassle them (I was back in London then and it involved calling Colombia a few times), but eventually they coughed up.

Otherwise I haven't really had major problems with Avianca, other than minor annoyances like I flew to Brazil last week with them and the socket for my headphones didn't work so I couldn't watch the films, also the taps weren't working at all in one of the toilets but when I told a flight attendant there was no water, she looked at me like I'd just stepped off another planet and asked, "You want water?!" Er - yes, or what do you use to wash your hands with? She directed me to the other toilets and went back to whatever she was doing before. Sorry for needing water after using the toilet! On another flight, from Buenos Aires, my seat was incredibly uncomfortable - you could feel the hard metal underneath. None of these are major things, but when you've got a longish flight ahead of you, and you've paid a lot of money to fly with them, they get on your nerves.

Roncita comments on UK Visa

tourist visa Getting a tourist visa is pretty straight forward, even for 6 months I think - you just have to write a letter to the embassy inviting her to stay in the UK with you and submit that with the application form. If she can't show that she can support herself while she's there, you should also include in the letter that you can support her, and show bank statements etc. As Federico says, go with her to the embassy in Bogota, although when I went with my Paisa husband to get his UK residency visa (I was sponsoring him), they didn't even ask to see me. Any questions just phone the embassy and ask for the Visas section - they're really helpful.

Roncita comments on Shots?

I agree - stick to bottled water in those places and avoid eating fruit bought on the street. Use lots of mosquito repellant in San Andres - it´s not malarial, but mosquitoes can be a pain (esp in Providencia, if you go there). I have a feeling a yellow fever jab may be adviseable for Parque Tairona near Sta Marta, if you go there, which you probably will, but I´m not 100% sure on this. Otherwise you don´t need anything.

Roncita comments on Top things to do/see in Colombia

My Top 10 Here are a few of my thoughts (in no particular order):

- Most beautiful city: Cartagena
- Best/most beautiful town: Sta Fe de Antioquia (approx 2hrs north of Medellin)
- Most amazing journey (scenery etc): Road from Popayan to Pasto
- Best bus line: Bolivariana
- Most beautiful beach: Pijiba (Nr Nuqui, Choco)
- No 1 must-see tourist attraction: Cartagena
- Best festival: Feria de las Flores, Medellin
- Best island: Providencia
- Most beautiful lake: Laguna de la Cocha, nr Pasto
- Best restaurant: Club de Pesca, Cartagena

Roncita comments on UK national in Colombia with tourist visa- what work is possible?

Hi Fuerter, yes it's fine to give private classes on a tourist visa (don't tell them that at DAS though). You would need a working visa to teach in any kind of school, university etc though (where you are on the payroll). But just giving private cash-in-hand classes is fine.

Roncita comments on Feria de Las Flores 2005

De pronto tendrás que esperar unos meses más hasta que se publica información sobre la feria de este año...

Roncita comments on Yellow Fever Jab...?

You don't need a yellow fever jab for San Andres, no.

Roncita comments on How safe is the area sorrounding Bogota? and Bucaramanga

Silviat, I can't speak about Bucaramanga as have never been there but just went to Bogota last weekend and visited Zipaquira - well worth the (hour or so) trip and very safe. The salt cathedral is really impressive.

Haven't been to the eje cafetero since 2002, but it was fine then and as far as I know it still is.

Roncita comments on have to pay bribe. DAS medellin

Fat Fanny has won! Sorry but all I can say is I'm disappointed you handed over the money after all the discussions we've had about it here. You should have gone to Bancafe. So you're going to be here for several years - what's wrong with insisting that you do the right thing and pay it into the bank? It's annoying to think that corruption can win.

Roncita comments on The joke is on me- help! me with what "american" foods colombianos like

As far as I can tell, "American" (ie north American) dishes (remember this is America too!) here are limited to fast food such as hamburgers, hot dogs etc. You could try things like pizza, lasagne too as they seem quite popular. To say what "American" foods would be most likely to appeal to Colombians is a bit of a generalisation - it depends on what region your novio is from (ie in Bogota they seem more cosmopolitan in their tastes than in Medellin, for example) and what he's used to! Many Colombians are used to a staple diet of beef, rice, potatoes, plantain...

Roncita comments on cocaine use in Colombia

I think it depends on what circles you mix in. My Colombian husband and his friends/colleagues wouldn't touch drugs of any kind with a bargepole, and they don't talk about them much either. The first (and last) time my husband tried a joint was when he went to Britain aged 29!

Roncita comments on have to pay bribe. DAS medellin

ps A lawyer friend of my husband said that it's illegal for anyone to pay DAS cash-in-hand as it were, so just don't do it. You will also be breaking the law, not just her.

Also, chances are she will be there tomorrow as she's the only one who handles cedulas extranjerías. And you can bet she would count out the money in front of you. She's that type.

Roncita comments on have to pay bribe. DAS medellin

pay it into the bank if you have to I agree with DW and Goosekirk - if you have to pay anything, pay it into Bancafe, not into Fanny's hot (and fat) little hand. It'll just encourage her to try and rip other foreigners off and it's really not a pleasant feeling when you realise that your hard-earned pesos are just going to line someone else's pocket.

Roncita comments on have to pay bribe. DAS medellin

So what happened, Gorgonabob? I'm dying to know...Did you pay up and did Fanny try and fix you up with anyone else?!

Roncita comments on have to pay bribe. DAS medellin

DON'T PAY!!!!!!! I know exactly what fat lady you're talking about (her name's Fanny, the one in the office right at the end behind the reception, right?) and she tried exactly the same thing with me in dec.

DON'T PAY HER THE MONEY - she is going to pocket it and go and out and enjoy herself. DAS will never see it. Here's my story:

I arrived in Col on 30th Sept and didn't go to DAS until something like 8th Dec, not knowing I had only 60 days to get my cedula. So Fanny tells me Ihave to pay a fine.....and when I make a face because I already queued for 1 hr in Bancafe that morning to pay the bloody cedula fee, she says to me, don't worry, someone else paid too much once (or something along those lines - I've been living in Medellin for over 2 yrs on and off, speak fluent Spanish and I still find her damn difficult to understand!) so I've got a consignacion here from Bancafe, just go to that Conavi near Consumo just down the road, come back and pay me the money and it'll all be fine.......you don't even have to go back to Bancafe. Not really knowing what she was on about, I just thought she was being nice, so I said OK.

However then my paisa husband walked in (he'd been doing another vuelta elsewhere) and when I told him I had to pay a fine but that Fanny said I could pay her the money directly he IMMEDIATELY smelt a rat and said No, sorry Fanny, we're going to bancafe to pay the moneh in directly there. Fanny got really upset (or pretended to) and started saying, are you trying to say I'm being dishonest etc and my husband said No, no, nothing like that, we'd just rather do things properly.....and she carried on looking offended until I'd finished filling in all the forms etc.

I didn't really understand what was going on but as soon as we left my husband explained and said Fanny had tried it on, she was obviously going to steal the money and DAS would never have seen it....so we went straight to Bancafe and made the consignacion for the fine. Pain in the arse but better that the money goes to DAS (corrupt as it may be) than in Fanny la Gorda's pocket.

So, that's my experience........

Roncita comments on Colombian Nationality

Pauli, getting a spouse visa in the UK is incredibly easy. Not sure how long you need to wait to get nationality but ask at the Consulate. Reading Gator's list of requirements, double check at the Consulate whether you need to get an apostille from the Foreign Office for both English and Spanish versions of everything. I don't remember having to - especially because I met the girl who translated my docs into Spanish outside the Consulate so she could give me the translations before I went in to get the visa. I have a feeling I only had to get an apostille for the Police Clearance certificate - in English. (This can take up to 40 working days to get from the Police so I would apply for it ASAP. Doesn't usually take that long - I think mine took about 3 weeks - but you never know.) You definitely don't need one for the marriage certificate - the Consulate will automatically issue you with a Colombian marriage certificate anyway, so it doesn't need an apostille. Make sure you have at least 2 copies of the original certificate though because the Consulate keeps one.

You might already know this - after all you didn't ask about the visa. Can't help with nationality though.

Roncita comments on How do I immigrate to Colombia from Australia?

Aussiegringa, if you are going to do a Spanish course you can get a student visa before you leave Oz. That's valid for 1 year but you can't work with it. After that, you can renew it/change it but to change it, you have to leave the country, as Hodad said. Just to renew it you don't have to.

If you are going to uproot your life to come here, and neither you nor your Colombian partner will have an income, I would think seriously about it. OK Colombia is cheap but you can't survive very long with no income. And sorting out a job, as a foreigner, is challenging too. Not impossible, but it helps to have good contacts here and a job possibility lined up (and if possible being able to speak Spanish). Without a job offer/contract, you can't get a work permit, and without a work permit you can't work (obviously). Even when you do get married, it still doesn't automatically entitle you to work - you have to go and register your profesion and bring all your supporting evidence to the Foreign Affairs office in Bogota.

What work are you considering doing over here?

Having said this, don't be put off. Why don't you come over for a short visit first and check out the work possibilities while you're here? That's what I did before I made the decision to jack in my job in London and move to Medellin to be with my Colombian boyfriend (who is now my husband). It's not been an easy ride, but always knew I wasn't going to be here permanently so it's slightly different for me.

Roncita comments on Kiwi hits low point and bounces back

It does indeed sound familiar - I knew getting a job here was hard but I didn't know it was that hard! Have you considered doing private english clases? Then you can charge what you want, or what people are prepared to pay. I used to give private conversation classes to University students - in 2001 I charged 20,000 per hour and it went up accordingly every year. I don't have any teaching qualifications or much experience but if you're a native speaker, as you are, you can charge more. Mind you I'm in Medellin, maybe you're right, maybe people pay more here than in Pereira.

Also sympathise with the missing going out and speaking crap in English with friends in the pub...I'm from London and I really missed the freedom I used to have there, when I first came to Colombia. You do get used to it though, eventually....

But anyway chin up!

Roncita comments on Any Americans in Envigado/Medellin?? help me!

Pablo, glad you enjoyed our little international rendez-vous at La Tienda del Vino last week. Come again tomorrow night! There should be even more people...(with luck)

Roncita comments on Any Americans in Envigado/Medellin?? help me!

meeting in Medellin this Thursday BostonCat, there is a group of foreigners/paisas who meet most Thursday nights in El Poblado (NOT the same one as Memories bar, don't know about that one...) near Parque Poblado. We're meeting this Thursday, for example, at a bar called la Tienda del Vino in Calle 9 (a block or so down from Parque Poblado) at 8pm. Most people do speak Spanish as we have been here a while, but we are a mixture of foreigners and Colombians so there are usually native English-speakers there (me, for example). Feel free to join us! Any more info just ask...

Roncita comments on Safety standards are not in Colombia. My toddler could have died

potholes When I first went to Bogota I noticed that there were loads of holes in the pavements where the fire hydrants (?) are. My Colombian novio explained that people steal them to sell off the metal. But I've only noticed this in Bogota - in Medellin, for example, people don't seem to do it.

Roncita comments on First time trip to Medellian

Sorry, don't know anywhere in Colombia called Medellian, but I do know a city called Medellin...

If that's where you're going, what kind of things are you interested in doing?

Roncita comments on Medellin or Cartegena for Christmas

Definitely go to Cartagena. The run-up to Christmas in Medellin is fun - lots of parties, drinking, dancing etc etc but Christmas itself (24th & 25th) is practically dead - everyone is at home with their families. 25th is especially deadly as almost nothing is open (restaurants etc) - obviously there are some things open but not many and people usually don't venture out much as they are too hungover from the night before! I'm sure nothing shuts in the tourist areas of Cartagena, so much better off going there. I for one am not going to be in Medellin this Christmas as if you don't have close family here, you're in for one long, lonely time.

Roncita comments on The dumb, ignorant, funny questions you've been asked about Colombia

vice-versa? After living in Colombia for over 2 years and having a Colombian husband, yes, of course I'm sick to death of all the "funny" remarks I get every time I talk about Colombia back in Britain, and the ignorance I meet. However, how about the other way round? Colombians can be ignorant/biased about foreigners too...here are a couple of examples I've encountered while I've been here:

Woman in a hairdresser asks me: "So whereabouts in the States are you from?"
Me: I'm not from the States, I'm from England.
Woman: Oh, it's the same thing!

My husband's cousin (to my husband, in front of me): Does she take sugar in her coffee?
My husband: No.
Cousin: Does she like arepa?
My husband: Yes, she does. Why don't you ask her yourself instead of asking me all the time?
Cousin: Hombre, she's European, so she's complicated. I don't want to ask her.
(He would hardly look at me the whole weekend - and we flew/drove across country from Medellin to La Dorada to see him specially.)

Mind you having said that these people are in the minority. Most Colombians I've met aren't so ignorant/bitter.

Roncita comments on The dumb, ignorant, funny questions you've been asked about Colombia

I think the milk one has to be the best "Do they have milk in Colombia?"
"Can you bring back some cocaine?"
"Do they have Coca Cola in Colombia?"
"Your [Colombian] husband is a doctor - what sort of "drugs" can he get me?!"
"Do they have cinemas in Colombia?"
"Do you get shot at the whole time?"
"Colombia is one big jungle - if you don't take malaria tablets, you'll die"

Roncita comments on

It all started to decline after they lost their contract with BBC World too, then CNN followed...

I know how you feel GringoinBogota, I find I have to leave the country every 6 months or so to go home for a "break" as I get very restless. It can be a bit mono-cultural at times - and you're in Bogota, Medellín (where I live) is even smaller! I always imagined Bogota to be much more cosmopolitan, but I suppose all cities can get a bit monotonous after a while. If you've got the time and money, go travelling a bit. That helps with me. Especially over the long xmas hols. Escape to the Caribbean or Nuquí, travel south down to Ecuador (that's what I'm planning to do) - or visit Boyacá for somewhere nearer home.

Roncita comments on CHRISTMAS TIME IN MEDELLIN AND THERE ABOUTS

Sounds great, but what is Porvenir? Is it a town? Go a week early - you mean a week before Christmas? or should it be around la noche de las velitas?

Roncita comments on Charity Event in Bogotá

Hi Nato and Barry,

Shame you can't do one in Medellin too - I know people who I'm sure would be interested in coming. Sorry too you didn't get many responses - it may be that here animals are not such a high priority.

Roncita comments on Medellin periodicals

Hi Carlo, I'm a British journalist, not a photojournalist, but I can tell you from my experiences at El Colombiano, the main Medellin newspaper, that (2 yrs ago) it was impossible for me to get a job there, even though I worked there unpaid for 6 weeks. I don't know how it is with photojournalists though, and I didn't try any other publications after that (partly cos I was too depressed and partly cos there aren't really any other good quality ones in Medellin) so it may be different for you and there may be other openings. But based on my experience, no one wants to give foreigners a job that they can give a Colombian. It may seem unfair to us as foreigners, but I can also see their point of view - with so much unemployment in Colombia, why give a foreigner a job that a Colombian can do just as well? Plus, in order to get you a work permit, they have to prove to the ministry of foreign affairs that no Colombian can do the job better. (That was their excuse at El Colombiano anyway...)

Still, having said that, that was just my personal experience, don't let that put you off - give it a try anyway, things may be different for you.

Roncita comments on visa extension in Medellin

I second that - go to the DAS office and they will extend it for you. DON'T go to the airport unless you fancy a trip to Rio Negro and back again, cos you will be wasting your time.

Roncita comments on Religion and Marriage

Flyfair, there are lively Jewish communities in Colombia if you're interested. The biggest is in Bogota (approx 2,200 people in 2001), the second biggest in Cali, the third in Barranquilla and the smallest in Medellin (approx 100 families - in 2001). Oh, not forgetting San Andres, which has a community of about 10! Most of them seem to be made up of mixed marriages though - because the community is so small in many cities (ie Medellin, where I live), Jews have to intermarry because there aren't enough people to go round. However, unlike in other countries (ie Britain, and I presume the US as well), intermarriage between Jews and Catholics is accepted within Colombia, (as long as the non-Jewish partner converts) because they have no real alternative.

Because the communities are small, it might be difficult to find a nice Jewish (single) colombiana, so yes, probably go for a (non-practising) Catholic girl who doesn't mind moving away and maybe bringing up her children as Jews. As far as I can see, anti-semitisim doesn't really exist in Colombia like it does in Europe (don't know about the US) - here people don't really even know what the swastika means as you sometimes see it as decorations on people's cars etc. Was a bit of a shock to me at first though!

BTW if you're interested, the Sephardi Rabbi in Bogota might be able to set you up with a date - he runs a kind of dating agency and tried to persuade me to sign up, even though the whole reason I came to Colombia in the first place was to be with my (non-practising) Catholic Paisa boyfriend! (I'm half-Jewish.)

Roncita comments on Looking for a map of neighborhoods in Medellin

Just to clarify, Villa Hermosa and Suramericana are 2 different neighbourhoods in different parts. Suramericana, as BP says, is by Estadio, in the west, and Villa Hermosa is beyond the city centre heading north east (kind of). I would agree with BP re Villa Hermosa. Just don't walk around too much at night (same applies to most places) and keep a look out at all times anyway.

Roncita comments on Cali Earthquake Today

This is from today's Caleño newspaper, El País:

Fuerte temblor sacudió el occidente colombiano

Colprensa

Pacientes de las clínicas Santillana y el Hospital Materno Infantil tuvieron que ser evacuados debido al temblor que se presentó esta mañana en Cali.


Un Movimiento sísmico de 6.7 grados de magnitud en la escala de Richter se registró en la madrugada de hoy en el centro y occidente del país.

Ingeominas reportó que el evento se presentó en el bajo baudó chocoano y tuvo una profundidad de 30 kilometros por lo que fue sentido con especial fuerza en en el sur occidente del país, eje cafetero y la capital de la república.

El Gobierno nacional confirmó que la afectación de la localidad chocoana de Pizarro, en el Chocó, por el sismo de esta mañana es seria. Hay cinco personas heridas, entre ellas dos menores de edad en ésta región del país.
En medio del Consejo comunal de Gobierno y entrega de subsidios de vivienda en Palmira, Valle del Cauca, voceros de la administración Uribe confirmaron que además de Pizarro, en dos localidades chocoanas más, 317 viviendas fueron destruidas y hay muchas más afectadas, además de los lesionados por los escombros que produjo el temblor.
De inmediato, el presidente Alvaro Uribe habló con el director de la oficina de Atención y Prevención de Desastres, para que a través de la Armada Nacional se desplacen hasta Pizarro y verifiquen la situación.

En Cali, tres clínicas resultaron afectadas, La Clínica Santillana y el Hospital Materno Infantil sufrieron daños, aparentemente menores, lo que obligó a la evacuación de los pacientes y el personal mientras se inspeccionan sus estructuras, según reportó Miguel Yusti, secretario de gobierno de la ciudad.

24 recién nacidos de la Clínica Materno Infantil fueron traslados a otras centros asistenciales de la ciudad.

Otros edificios altos también fueron desalojados y acordonados por las autoridades en Cali mientras se revisan sus estructuras. Entre los edificios se encuentran Alicante, Siete Maravillas,Torres Tequendama, Guaduales y Torres de Ricaurte.

El presidente de la República, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, dispuso de apartamentos incautados al narcotráfico fueran utilizados para albergar a las personas que han sido evacuadas de sus viviendas.

En el valle del cauca varios hechos: En Buenaventura 9 viviendas se desplomaron; en Jamundí una vivienda quedó semidestruida y en el municipio del Cerrito el desplome de una pared causo heridas leves a una persona.

En Risaralda, sólo pánico y la interrupción momentánea en el suministro de energía ocasionó el movimiento telúrico según informó el secretario de gobierno departamental, German Darío Saldarriaga, luego de establecer comunicación telefónica con cada uno de los alcaldes.

En Bogotá y Medellin, aunque se sintió con fuerza el movimiento telúrico, las autoridades no reportan daños que lamentar.

Roncita comments on Things to do in Medellin

If you came to Medellin without a job and spent a long time here, yes, chances are, you would get bored. I lived here for 2 years and didn't really have a proper job (just gave private English classes and worked part-time for a university, which only generated about 3 hrs work a week) and I was bored beyond belief.

People work during the day here, and they work long hours, typically 8am-6pm (and some start earlier and leave later). So yes, the main time for hanging around, socialising etc is in the evenings and at weekends.

Where do they hang out? Well, it took me a while to figure this one out too. They seem to spend a lot of time in the shopping centres - eating, shopping, chatting, going to the cinema etc. Also they go for drives outside the city to towns/go for lunch etc (esp on weekends and at Puentes - Bank Hols). Otherwise, people spend a lot of time at home being with their families, or visiting their grandparents/aunts & uncles etc - especially on Sundays.

No, there aren't really lots of parks or public spaces around. There is quite a nice area down by the Edificio Inteligente (EPM building near the city centre) with cafes, restaurants etc and people gather outside there to sit, chat etc at weekends.

What I recommend is: do everything you can to get a job! Don't come here without a job and expect to have the time of your life. You'll most likely get fed up and lonely, especially as there aren't many people around during the day to spend time with. Medellin is a nice enough city, but only if you have something to occupy your time with during the week, then you can relax and enjoy the nice things it has at the weekends.