tommytoyz has left 24 comments

tommytoyz comments on Where can I take my Colombiana here in the Los Angeles to have a good time.

Dancing in LA You have to define it a bit more, like what area you're likely to go to and what kind of dancing - Salsa, Merengue, Ballroom - what?. In LA there's just about everything.

It also depends on the day of the week. So you'll have to be more specific.

There are plenty of Latin dance places here, too mnay to list unless you are more specific as to what you're looking for.

tommytoyz comments on Hotels in North Bogota

Sunshine All these hotels are very close to each other and in a good area. Right in the entertainment district. The Windsor looks quite nice from the outside, but I hear the rooms are smallish and some with small windows - but nice hotel never the less. I walked in front of it. It's also walking distance from Los Urapanes. I like Los Urapanes the best, from my personal experience and from what I've seen.

Los Urapanes is right across the street from the restaurant and entertainment district. It's small but very nice.

tommytoyz comments on Hotels in North Bogota

Fine little hotel Hotel Los Urapanes
Carrera13nNo. 83-19
Tel 218 50 65 (Bogota)

Email: Rservas at hotellosurapanes.com.co

It's facing the restaurant zone right on the Zona and has a nice view, if you have a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor as well to the mountains, in addition to overlooking the zone.

Rooms are way big, like little apartments really and has a door guard and locks the doors at night.

It's a hop skp and a jump from the Hamilton Court, but I like it even better than the Hamilton. Costs about $70 US if I remember correctly.

tommytoyz comments on Dann Carlton vs. Sheraton Four Points Medellin

I stayed at both this year, and I prefer the Sheraton by far.

Nobody is going to walk anywhere at night so it doesn't matter that the Dan Carlton is a little closer to Parque Lleras. But the Sheraton is right next to Oviedo Mall - you just walk there at anytime.

The rooms and service is for sure way better at the Sheraton. I don't know about the facilities for party rooms etc., Perhaps the Dan Cartlon has a roof top thing. But the views from the rooms at the Sheraton are very nice and the rooms, service and ambiance is just much nicer at the Sheraton for me.

tommytoyz comments on Four Points Sheraton Medellin

I stayed there. Excellent. You won't go wrong. Nice views from the rooms too.

tommytoyz comments on In Medellin Now-- This is Absolutely One of The Most Beautiful Cities Anywhere

I would not rate Medellin as prettiest either Sorry,
Once I made the rounds in Medellin, I was very underwhelmed. Staying in just a small corner called Parque Lleras is silly - that's like calling central park representative of Manhattan.

I do find the Medellin women beautiful though - no doubt. I was in Rio 2 weeks before I went to Brazil and was not impressed with the women there at all. Though I have been told other areas, including Sao Paolo are much better in this regard. But yes, Medellin does have its charms....But let's be a little real. That's my 2cents

tommytoyz comments on Accomodation in San Andres

San Andres has good Diving Beautiful corals and wall diving. I was there about a month ago. Cheap accomodations? Frankly I forgot the names, just email Luz Helena Beltran owner of San Andes Divers and she'll give you info and set you up :
www.sanandresdivers.com

tommytoyz comments on Information on flights please

Air Plus Comet Allows 40KGS and they fly Mad Bog
http://www.aircomet.com/pages/somos.htm
They start Bogota service MAy 01

tommytoyz comments on Flight changes in Bogota

Take a non-stop flight Take a non stop flight from Cartagena to Cali. Aerorepublica has one :
Leave Cartagena at 02:15 PM Arrive Cali at 03:40 PM
Go to
http://www.aerorepublica.com.co

tommytoyz comments on Alternative to traveling to Medellin

West Caribbean Airways actually flies between Bogota and Medellin with jet aircraft (Rio Negro) now, according to a trip report. Too bad their website doesn't work. It's really easier to call their local number in Colombia, same as for Aerorepublica, Satena and Aires. Their websites are not reliable and on-line booking didn't even work for me on Avianca's otherwise excellent website.

For those looking for inter-Colombia travel, call these airlines for their schedules and look beyond what a State side travel agency or Internet search can tell you. Worked for me. Aerorepublica doesn't even list all their flights on their website.

tommytoyz comments on Observations from recent 20 day trip

Tu Candela Elmo,
Hell, you'd know better than anyone if they were hookers and with "Tu Candela" being your favorite (and the only decent option in low season during the week), maybe you found some young things with a burrow fetish........though when I was there 3 tourists from Cali practically pulled me onto the dance floor (Cartagena has a lot of Colombian tourists).....Upstairs, yep......

Forgot to mention Andes Carnes Res in Chia outside Bogota - fantastic place. Nothing like it anywhere. If you're in Bogot, you really must also party there at least once. Take someone with you, everyone there has a total blast....

tommytoyz comments on Un saludo from Medellin

Tried calling Justino,
You must have gone to the finca afterall, as I tried calling you when I got to Medellin. I had good time regardless and will back sometime, as everyone I met asked when when I'll be coming back. Indeed!

tommytoyz comments on InterContinental or Dann Carlton In Medellin?

Forget the Dan Carlton I stayed there and didn't like it at all. At least not compared to the Sheraton four points. From rooms to service to price and view...And it's right next to Oviedo Mall - Medellin's nicest, so you can walk there in 2 minutes and otherwise take a taxi everywhere else. There's also a nice little coffee shop on the corner of the supermaket, a great place to sit down with a coffee and people watch, for people coming in and out of the mall. Though I did walk from Parque Lleras back to the hotel twice, takes about 20-30 minutes - though I wouldn't be doing that too much. It's just a 1,800 peso cab ride - less than a buck.

Don't miss the El Tesoro Mall, take your camera when you go there as it has an Awesome view of the city.

My vote is for the Sheraton.

tommytoyz comments on 1 Day in Bogota

El citio - Wednesday nights! Go to "El Citio" in Parque 93, about 30 yards behind the "Bogota Beer Company" on Wednesday nights. This is where the action is at on Wednesdays. You'll have a blast. They have a great band from Baranquilla playing there on Wednesdays that plays all kinds of music and the place is packed. Don't get there too late as they close promptly at 2am.

I stayed at a hotel called "Los Urapanes" in Zona Rosa Tel in Bogota 218-1188 located at: Carrera 13 # 83-19 - fantastic place, about $75/night with breakfast. Get a room facing the street, as you'll have a view of the mountains and the restaurant zone. You can people watch from your room, if you wanted to.

Hamilton Court is also good right around the corner Tel 621-5455 located at Carrera 14 No 81-20. Have fun.

tommytoyz comments on Un saludo from Medellin

been here 2 weeks I've been in Colombia now for about 2 weeks in Bogota, Medellin, San Andres and now Cartagena. I speak almost perfect spanish but look totally gringo, as I was born in Bogota and spent the first 3 years of my life in Bogota.

Anyway, the people from various parts of Colombia differ quite a bit. So far I like the Medellin ´culture´ best. Bogota a close second. For those who haven´t been to Bogota in a while, the city is improving dramatically and is really beautiful as well in certain areas.

The people in clubs go out in groups in all cities I've been to and you can´t just walk up to a girl and start talking to her as if you were Mr. desireable - even if you are. It`s a subtle group thing that must first be communicated. In Colombia, it even more true that you can judge a person by the company they keep and people in general in club sin Colombia do that as well. What table are you at? Who are you with, etc...do you fit in with the group the girl is with? etc...

A snazzy girl by herself and walking around smiling at the men is likely a prostitute, no matter what club it is. That´s especiall true in Cartagena. I saw this last nigt in Tu Candela. A fun place till these girls showed up, then the mood shifted slightly..........Also went to Babar - best place in Cartagena, IMHO.

Justino,
maybe I'll give you a jingle at the end of this week and we can meet up in Medellin. I´m traveling around, showing my Mom the new Colombia, so it`s difficult for me to also do my thing, especially since she needs special assistance.

As far as looks, Medellin women look best.

tommytoyz comments on First time to Colombia

Flights within Colombia Yep,
I looked into that multistage package that has been mentioned here. But what I found was that booking individual legs is cheaper. I'm leaving from Los Angeles tomorrow for 2 weeks in Colombia and have the following itinerary :
BOG/Medellin/San Andres/Cartagena/Bog all for about $400 and on non-stop flights.

Just call Avianca or Aerorepublica to their Bogota reservations centers and you'll get excellent prices, especially 7 days in advance. With Aerorepublica it's almost required to do the call-in thing, as their website does not show all their flights....:

Aerorepublica
Bogota 01157 1 320 9090 -TEL

Avianca
Bog 01157 1 401 3434 - TEL

tommytoyz comments on Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 in Bogota

Thanks for the info I also hope that coming from Cartagena on Avianca (Idecided on Avianca due to departure time), 2:20 minutes is enough time to make the international outbound connection. I'd hate to leave a day early just to make a connection. Any opinions would be welcome

tommytoyz comments on Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 in Bogota

Domestic to International in Bogota I have a reverse question. Arriving at 10:30am with Aerorepublica and leaving at 1:30pm with American Airlines - is transfering terminals a hassle? 3 hours should be enough no? Is there a major difference between arriving with Avianca vs. with Aerorepublica? Thanks for the help

tommytoyz comments on Preparing for your trip to Colombia

Air Madrid - Cartagena Thanks for the link to Air Madrid. I didn't even know they existed. THey have agreat schedule to and from Cartagena to Madrid - non stop. This eliminates the need to travel through Bogota from Europe.

tommytoyz comments on Pictures

For Mozilla users Make sure you have the latest Mozilla or Firefox version and also the latest Java version installed. You can get them from the www.mozilla.org website. THe Mozilla suite is available at http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/
I find it very stable and customizable

tommytoyz comments on Help, Lookin for place to stay in El Rodadero (Santa Marta)

Santa Marta Hotels I'm thinking of taking my mother to Santa Marta. Since the La Sierra hotel is well recommended, does anyone know if the rooms have balconies, a pool and easy access to the beach?

If anyone knows of any other good hotels or apartments in Santa Marta with ocean view, balcony, pool and right on the beach, recommendations would be appreciated. It can be higher priced. Important is that it's easy for a person in a wheelchair to get around the complex

tommytoyz comments on lessons in navigating bogota's airport for a gringa....

Connecting through Bogota airport??? On the return leg of my trip, I'm planning on flying from Medellin via Bogota to LAX. Does anyone know if it's a straight forward process, connecting from a Domestic Avianca flight Medellin-Bogota, to an international Mexicana flight. I would love to just check my bags all the way through from Medellin to LAX on Avianca and Mexicana. Or do I have to check in again in Bogota with my bags? Any info much appreciated.

tommytoyz comments on Recreational Flying in Bogota

Thanks for your detailed response With all the noise about the US and Colombian military doing drug interdiction missions, I was concerned it would interfere with General Aviation in Colombia. My concern arises from the incident involving the American missionaries, who got shot down in their Cessna by the Peruvian Air Force.

As for the requirement for Jet A, It's not for a turbine. I'm thinking of buying a new Diesel power plant in the future, which can burn Jet A or Diesel. But I'd prefer Jet A, as I wouldn't be certain of the fuel quality of Diesel nor it's availability close to the airport. But if Jet A is available, that would be dandy. These new power plants sip 40% less fuel and Jet A is also cheaper to boot. But it all just might be simpler to rent within Colombia.

Thanks for your info.

tommytoyz comments on Recreational Flying in Bogota

Flyomg beyong training zones Komachi :

Is it possible to fly freely in Colombian airspace, say take a route from Bogota to Medellin and on to Cartgena and Santa Marta? Or is it restricted or dangerous and be misidentified as a narc? Maybe people on the ground will shoot...What's the availability of Avgas and Jet A outside Bogota?.....any info very appreciated. Colombia is a beautiful country and it would be great to be able to explore.....