TimH has left 18 comments

TimH comments on Finca in the coffee region (near Manizales, Pereira, or Armenia)

If your looking for somewhere a little cheaper. Then there`s a place with capacity of 15 in Filandia which is between Armenia and pereira. Has a pool and is comfortable without being opulent. But whatever and whenever you decide you need to do so NOW. Details are Cabaña del Recuerdo Vereda La Cauchera Finca el Recuerdo Km 5 Via Filandia - Montenegro Filandia Quindio Tel (6) 758 22 07 email : reservaselrecuerdo at hotmail.com Ask for Manuel or Gloria - mention you got the information from Plantation House Salento.

TimH comments on Gringo murdered in Armenia

Haven`t heard of the incident myself. Lived in Salento for nearly 5 years and visit Armenia at least once a week. Hop in and out of taxis and haven`t felt unsafe in Salento or Armenia during all that time. However it is Colombia and shit does happen. Then again it happens all over the world. We see a lot of travellers in Salento and so far (touch wood) none have have anything like that happen to them. Would make an observation - the article says visiting friends and relations - sort of suggests a Colombian with a green card or the like - in which case it`s not quite the same thing as Gringo getting killed. Might explain the lack of news on the story.

TimH comments on Can I fly from Bog to Medellin with just a US Drivers License or do I need my Pasaporte?

Having difficulty believing this thread. Granted airport security in the USA is so bad they´ll let anyone with an expired library ticket for id get on a plane. But please - this is Colombia travelling any distance without a cedular or passport is nothing short of crazy. Hell assuming they let you on the plane and that`s a big assumption, when you check into a hotel or hostel and they will or rather should want to see some form of valid id. Then what are you going to do ? Take a driving test - answer questions on the highway code...... DAS in Armenia would go ape-shit at us if we started quoting driving license numbers at them. Please get real.... TAKE YOUR PASSPORT if you like get a copy of the photo page and your Colombian entry stamp for day to day travelling but if you want to arrive in Medellin then take your passport.

TimH comments on Yipao in Armenia - WHEN?

Apologies for the delay but all over Armenia there are now posters about Armenia´s fiesta and the YIPAO is quoted as being Sunday the 12th.

TimH comments on Cedula Number

If you don´t mind throwing some money at the problem get a private detective... They´re all ex-DAS have contacts all over the place and with the information you have ie Cedula and name they´ll get you copies of her DAS file, bank account info, mobile phone accounts whatever you need. Mind you you pay for it... Data security in Colombia you´ve got to love it.

TimH comments on Yipao in Armenia - WHEN?

According to the telephone directory - and we all know how good that can be. The fiesta in Armenia is traditionally the 2nd week of October That sort of implies the 11th October will be the day Next week I´ll be in Armenia and see if anyone is actually prepared to commit to a date. Will get back with a definite date for you

TimH comments on Yipao in Armenia - WHEN?

Minor correction - comments regarding entrance is to the bandstand you can catch it anywhere for free.

TimH comments on Yipao in Armenia - WHEN?

Typically it´s the last saturday of fiesta week - you can catch it along Carrera 14 (Avenue Bolivar) - it usually runs 2 or 3 hours late (big surprise) and there`s a large bandstand in the Parque de Fundadores. Entrance is by ticket last year they offerd tickets at one or two of the petrol stations when you tanked up, not sure what they`re doing this year, although you can usually talk your way in especially if you`re a foreigner. Haven`t got a date for the fiesta but sometime in October is for sure. Haven`t seen the one in Calarca so don`t know about it.

TimH comments on WIN a free weeks stay-Hostel Name Contest

What about COPYCAT ME TOO or ON THE BANDWAGON.....

TimH comments on

Having done the journey numerous times. Armenia - Bogota is slower than Bogota - Armenia. You can get a good run out of Bogota and the fastest time I`ve heard of is 5 and a half hours (night journey). You never ever get a good run into Bogota - it just doesn`t happen. Bus companies quote around 7-8 hours but that doesn`t seem to include the drivers break time. On a good day La linea the section from Armenia to Ibague is spectacular and you can go through the clouds 3 or 4 times. On a bad day you`re socked in for the journey to Ibague and don`t see anything. Count on 9 hours anything less is a bonus. But if La linea is closed - accident or landslide then add x hours where x is between 4 and 8.

TimH comments on Need advice/tips to have a great time in the Coffee region of Colombia

Salento and Cocora for sure. National Coffee Park in Montenegro - the kids will enjoy the rides. You might also think about Panaca - theme park based on domesticated animals. Pet show is cheesy, but the dog show is good, the horse show is decent and the pig racing surreal. You could also check out the mariposario and Jardin Botanico in Calarca - good day out. There is also Balsaje which is slowly drifting down the river on a bamboo style raft - like the famous gold statue in the gold museum. San Vincente is cool but staying there can be expensive. Check out the PBH guide for the area.

TimH comments on Absolute can't miss's in Colombia

Just for the record Estrella de Agua - doesn´t exist any more. It`s a pile of rubble and has been for the past couple of years. The FARC destroyed it 27 months ago to protest at the Senate Election. Neither does El Bosque which was another place you could stay at (same reason - same timeframe).

TimH comments on Absolute can't miss's in Colombia

Have t5o agree Vallley of Cocora is mystical - definite don`t miss. National Parque de Cafe - you`ve got to be out of your mind. A second rate disneyland with a coffee twist. If you want to learn about coffee it`s the last place in the world (after starbucks) to visit. Visit a working coffee farm instead. Less rollercoaster more despulpadora...

TimH comments on SAN GIL SANTANDER - HOSTAL LAIKA /BACKPACKER

Strange - I thought all the wannabe hostel owners - those who haven´t done the hard work like building a backpacker business over the past few years - stuck to the big cities like Medellin and Bogota.... Another copycat hostel trying to get cash in on the "tourist boom". My advice is stick to Macondo - Shaun deserves a lot better from his (ex) employees.

TimH comments on Am I still here?

90 days is pretty usual. Getting all the paperwork together to get married with a 90 day time limit of getting each document translated into spanish and then certified so it`s valid in Colombian law can be real fun. When I went to renew my visa (I´m married to a Colombiana), they wanted a new copy of the wedding certificate - the old one wouldn`t do - we were married near Cali (because the notary wasn´t overly concerned with dates). They (the ministry of exterior relations) wouldn´t accept a faxed copy from the notary, so I ended up getting a patrimonio visa (being the father of a Colombian citizen) - fortunately our 2 year old was running around their office (and we had a copy of the birth certificate - which oddly enough was well over a year old). Go figure put it down to the vaguaries of living in Colombia.....

TimH comments on Safety of Buenaventura to Pereira bus?

Why go to Cali ? You`ve got to be adding a good 3 hours to your journey time minimum. If you look on a map the direct route from Pereira to Buenaventure is NOT via Cali. If you`re going direct surely a bus to Buga and change in Buga is a better option than Cali. For me Buenaventure is a dump of a place, the type of place that gives seaports a bad name. When you arrive at the bus station you are surrounded by people trying to convince you to buy a passage to their beach resort which is the cleanest beach in Colombia and has the whitest sand and as for whales "Well, only last week, there were 17 species of whales only 5 metres from the shore" . It says something when the price from Armenia to Buenaventura is 15,000 pesos, but the return price Buenaventura to Armenia is 17,500 pesos - one last opportunity to fleece the tourist.

TimH comments on Safety of Buenaventura to Pereira bus?

Don`t know about from Pereira but there is one company that do the route Armenia - Buenaventura - can`t remember the name of the company but the bus leaves between 8.00am and 9.00am. It is conceivable this bus starts in Pereira. Journey from Armenia took about 5 1/2 hours. I did the route 18 months ago and didn`t think it was particularly dangerous.

TimH comments on Tourist visa services at DAS office in Armenia?

Correct me if I`m wrong but isn`t Manizales a departmental Capital ? In which case won`t there be a DAS office there ? In which case why go to Armenia when you could use the DAS office in Manizales ?