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The Comeback Story of Cartagena
A
rebel crackdown in
Colombia
has led to a renaissance for the colonial beach city;
the new
Hollywood
connection
By MATT
MOFFETT
The Wall
Street Journal
December
30, 2006
CARTAGENA,
Colombia
-- Shortly before Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was inaugurated in
2002, Marxist rebels welcomed him by blowing up a small bomb in a
government office in the Caribbean tourist center of Cartagena
. It was about that time, amid a surge in violence throughout
Colombia, that Royal Caribbean Cruises and other cruise lines stopped docking
ships here due to safety concerns. It looked like
Cartagena's future as a tourist town was bleak.
But
four years later, the city is making a striking turnaround. Mr. Uribe
has surprised nearly everyone by fulfilling his pledge to take an
"iron fist" against the guerrillas. These days the rebels are
on the run and the tourists are returning. The number of kidnappings by
armed groups has fallen by 85% from its 2002 levels, to around 250,
according to the Colombian government; the overwhelming majority of
victims of violent crimes like kidnapping are Colombian citizens.
Meanwhile, the number of visitors to the country has since 2002 almost
doubled to around a million -- a quarter of them from the U.S.
Cartagena
has become symbolic of broader progress in Colomb ia. In the past couple of years, a host of international notables,
including Mick Jagger, Queen Sofía of
Spain
and Julio Iglesias, have come to Cartagena
on vacation. The number of cruise ships docking this winter season is up
50% from its low point in 2002-2003. And there have been a number of
elegant, yet intimate, new boutique hotels -- such as Quadrifolio, La
Merced and Hotel Casa del Arzobispado -- opening up to cater to a
growing number of tourists and conventioneers.
 I've spent
the past 20 years in Latin America reporting for The Wall Street Journal
and have visited
Cartagena
-- with its unusual blend of colonial architecture, easily accessible
beaches and wide variety of water sports -- three times in the past five
years. I've always felt at ease here, and the other American visitors
I've met while traveling have told me they felt the same way. Andrea
Greenberg, who works at Fortune International, a
Miami
real-estate development company, has been to Cartagena
twice in the past few years. "The first day you might have some
worries, but then you just get caught up in all of the beautiful things
there are to see," says Ms. Greenberg, who enjoys dining in the
array of restaurants, from Caribbean to Italian, and sitting in a café
watching all the movement on Cartagena's bustling plazas.
This is
still a country at war, as it has been for four decades. The State
Department warns that terrorist-related violence affects all parts of
the country and
U.S.
citizens continue to be "victims of threats, kidnappings, and other
criminal acts." But it says that urban areas like Cartagena
have become markedly less violent.
The surge
in tourists over the past several years has been a shot in the arm for
the local economy. While the city still suffers from high unemployment,
there has been a rise in investment and business startups. "There
were some lean years when no one much was coming around to dance,"
says Tania Gomez, a pianist for a local music group. It's much easier
getting gigs these days, she says.
 In the walled Old
Town, visitors can take in a concert or cultural event at the Heredia Theater or walk the leafy garden of the 18th-century San Pedro Claver
Church. Gabriel García Márquez, Colombia
's Nobel Prize-winning author, owns a newer house with a wall and watchtower that has become a tourist attraction in its own right. Just a short ferry ride away is Barú Island, with its white-sand beach, and the Rosario Islands, a coral reef archipelago that is popular for snorkeling, fishing and
surfing.
In my trips around the region, I've seen classic
colonial architecture in places as distinct as the venerable mining town
of Guanajuato, Mexico, and bustling Old Havana. But what's unusual about Cartagena
is the creative way it has taken the buildings that have won the city
recognition as a United Nations World Heritage Site and adapted them for
tourism.
 Sofitel's Santa Clara Hotel, which occupies the
site of a 17th-century convent, has a bar built into the choir and a
restaurant in the refectory. Set on a parapet with canons pointing out
to the sea, the Café del Mar bar is a romantic spot with drinks such as
fiery aguardiente, a sugar-cane spirit and limonada de coco, a mix of
coconut milk and lemon juice.
The Palace of the Inquisition, where Roman
Catholic tribunals persecuted alleged witches and heretics, is now a
museum whose lawn is used for banquets; the diners at one recent event
were unfazed by the replica gallows set up near the head table.
La Vitrola, a restaurant specializing in seafood, retains a spirit of
Caribbean
adventure. With its ceiling fans, intimate lighting and old photographs
on the wall, the restaurant looks like a place where conspirators would
go to plot a coup. And one night when I was there the restaurant was the
scene of an uprising of sorts. A troupe of tipsy Spanish tourists
commandeered the maracas from the Cuban house band and started a conga
line snaking through the restaurant. "You never know how people
will behave when they come to Cartagena," says manager Gregorio Herrera. "Some get very, very
relaxed."
 Despite the long bloodletting their country has
endured, locals are genial and eager to cater to visitors. "Some
visitors come here expecting to see sad people who are demoralized and
beaten down by war," says Joan Mac Master de Gamarra, manager of La hotel. "But instead they find that locals are light-hearted
and very happy to meet them." I can vouch for that. When I asked a
motorcycle cop for directions, he wasn't satisfied with simply telling
me how to reach my destination. He insisted I hop on the back of his
bike so he could take me himself.
Security experts say the
Marxist guerrillas who have placed bombs on burros and canoes -- and who
almost got away with reconstructing a Russian-style submarine -- are
still a threat. Indeed, in recent months there has been an upsurge in
guerrilla attacks, albeit mostly confined to isolated
rural
zones hundreds of miles from here. But even in the bloodiest years of
the Colombian conflict,
Cartagena
was largely spared due to the presence of Colombia's largest naval base. And Mr. Uribe in May won a landslide re-election
to a second four-year term, ensuring some continuity in security policy.
Just to be safe, newcomers to Cartagena
should probably make the tourist-friendly Old
Town
the hub of their activities. Beyond the walls lies a typically sprawling
developing world urban area, parts of which are nice and parts of which
aren't.
 Perhaps the biggest sign of Cartagena
's renaissance is that Hollywood
is taking an interest. Director Mike Newell just finished shooting
"Love in the Time of Cholera" in Cartagena, a $50 million production with an international cast featuring Spanish
actor Javier Bardem. The film, based on a novel by Mr. García Márquez,
is the first major Hollywood picture produced in Cartagena
since "The Mission," starring Robert De Niro two decades
ago.
"Cholera" producer Scott Steindorff was
set to film in Brazil, where he'd made a previous picture. "Partners, family, friends,
every single person, said, 'Do not go to
Colombia,' " says Mr. Steindorff, in an interview in the colonial house he
was staying at in the Old
Town.
For
Colombians, having the movie made in Cartagena
is a point of national honor.
Colombia
's vice president, Francisco Santos, insisted on meeting Mr. Steindorff
to sell
Cartagena. "When I got here, I fell in love with the place and realized I
couldn't film the movie anywhere else," Mr. Steindorff says.
The closest thing to a security scare during the
three-month shoot came when actress Giovanna Mezzogiorno heard some odd
hooting sounds coming from a closet in the old house where she was
staying. It wasn't one of the moments of "magic realism" that
Mr. García Márquez specializes in; it turned out to be a pair of owls,
which the crew christened Florentino and Fermina, after the film's
romantic protagonists.
Write to Matt Moffett at matthew.moffett@wsj.com
Top
TRIP PLANNER:
CARTAGENA
• How to Get There: You can fly directly from Miami. But some tourists come through Bogotá, the capital, which is worth a
visit in its own right.
• Where to Stay: In the Old Town, the two
converted convents, the
Santa Clara
and the
Charleston, have good reputations, with rates starting at about $300 and $270
respectively (www.hotelsantaclara.com,
www.hotelescharleston.com). There
are also several charming boutique hotels, including La Merced, where
rates start at about $295 ( www.lamercedhotel.com).
• What to do: The Gold Museum features
pre-Colombian metal and ceramic treasures. Set above the
Old
Town
is San Felipe Castle, which local historians tout as the most formidable
Spanish military fortification in the
New World. In the Palace of the Inquisition, there is a replica of the rack used
during interrogations. Also, a 45-minute boat ride away is Barú
Island, which offers crystal-clear water and one of Colombia's finest beaches.
• Where to Eat: The city has good restaurants
featuring a variety of cuisines, including Italian, Spanish, Arab and
Japanese. But seafood is what Cartagena's chefs do best. Stalwarts include La Vitrola (Tel: 575-664-8243) and
the Club de Pesca (www.clubdepesca.com), where dishes start at just
under $20. Try the cazuela, a steaming seafood stew.
-- Matt Moffett
Top
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Surge
in safety, cruises lifts Colombia tourism
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-10-11-cartagena-side_N.htm?csp=34
By Jayne
Clark,
USA
TODAY
October 19,
2007
CARTAGENA,
Colombia — In a country associated more with narcoterrorists than
sybaritic pleasures, leisure travel can be a tough sell.
But Colombia's climate is changing. Security experts no longer routinely warn
visitors that if they stray too far from major cities, they might as
well schedule their own kidnappings.
Foreign tourist visits are up from a half-million
four years ago to 1.2 million now. Kidnappings have dropped by half.
(Officials stress that tourists were never a target.)
Many credit tough measures taken by President
Alvaro Uribe since his election in 2002. The capital, Bogotá, has shed
its aura of danger. New investment in seaside
Cartagena
has rendered that city more free-wheeling and boisterous than ever. On
highways, rifle-toting soldiers man checkpoints, but they seem more
friendly than menacing, shaking hands and making small talk before
looking in the car trunk.
The U.S. State Department's warning against
travel to
Colombia, first issued in 1990, was updated in June, noting that although rural
areas remain "extremely dangerous," violence has decreased
"markedly" in urban areas, including Bogotá and Cartagena.
Europeans, who generally are more impervious than
Americans to such cautions, never stopped traveling to the popular hot
spot of Cartagena. But Americans account for only 20% of foreign visitors to Colombia, and many of those are visiting relatives.
That's changing with the return of major U.S.
cruise lines. During the 2006-07 season (September to May), there were
50 port calls at Cartegena, Santa Marta
and San Andrés Island. This season, cruise lines will make 200 stops.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, which returned to Cartagena
in April after a five-year hiatus, will make 43 calls in the next year
among its three brands. Princess and
Holland
America
lines also are stopping.
Though cruise passengers aren't as desirable as
more free-spending overnight visitors, they can create positive
word-of-mouth. "They go back (home) and tell people, 'It's
not what you thought,' " says Colombia's vice minister for tourism, Oscar Rueda.
Royal
Caribbean
did "due diligence" before deciding to return. "The
cruise lines obviously are very cautious," says Maria Sastre, a
vice president at Royal Caribbean. "(Cartagena) is a wonderful, unspoiled destination that has tremendous historical
value. It offers the cruising passenger a completely new and authentic
experience."
Elsewhere in Colombia, other tourist venues are up and coming. Among them:
 |
Bogotá will add 7,000 three- to five-star
hotel rooms in the next three years. |
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The country's first luxury eco-tourism
development, in Tayrona National Park, in a spectacular seaside setting
with views of 19,000-foot Sierra Nevada peaks, is drawing high-end
tourists to a vast wilderness area near Santa Marta (four hours north of
Cartagena). |
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"Coffee tourism" is flourishing in
the coffee-growing region south of Bogotá. |
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The southernmost town of
Leticia
is becoming a popular jumping-off point for trips into the Amazon
Basin. |
Obviously, travelers shouldn't venture to some
places — the guerrilla-occupied jungles of the south, for one. But, as
Rueda notes, "there are places everywhere (that) you shouldn't
go."
Meanwhile, the country is attempting to rebrand
itself with the slogan "Colombia
is Passion." The sentiment is aimed as much at its citizens as
visitors, Rueda says.
"For a long time, no one loved Colombia
— not even Colombians," he says. "Now, Colombians are again
proud to be Colombians."
E-mail jeclark@usatoday.com
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Cartagena: Colombia's magical city rebounds
By Jayne
Clark,
USA
TODAY
October
11, 2007
 CARTAGENA,Colombia
— The fisherman serving the crab he just plucked from the sea for a
couple of beachfront customers is relating a tale that in any other
setting would be dismissed as just another big fish story.
His cousin, he says, was swallowed whole by a
giant, toothless fish. To illustrate, he makes a slurping sound with
such solemn intensity that for an instant, the story seems believable.
Moments like this abound in Cartagena
(Carta-HAY-na), where the absurd and the profound play out against a
heartbreakingly beautiful Spanish Colonial backdrop. International
jetsetters sip caipirinhas in the elegant Sofitel Santa Clara
bar, built around an open 17th-century stone crypt. A school group
parades through the city's former slave market, hips twitching like
rapid machine-gun fire, in a saucy display not
 witnessed in any
U.S.
curriculum.
Graceful Carmen Mirandas ply the cobblestones proffering
succulent fruits from bowls balanced on their heads. And music — salsa
and the home-grown cumbia and vallenato — pulses ceaselessly
through the narrow streets of the 16th-century walled city.
After years of neglect, Cartagena,
once the Spanish empire's most important
Caribbean
port and now the region's loveliest city, is back with a vengeance. As
Colombia's most popular tourist haunt, its change of fortune is at the
forefront of an image makeover for a country that has been associated
more with kidnappings, cartels and cocaine (with, perhaps, a passing nod
to Juan Valdez and his donkey) than fun-filled getaways.
Several
American cruise lines returned this year after a years-long absence.
(They're back despite a U.S. State Department travel warning that,
though softened, remains.) Foreigners and nationals are snapping up
historic houses in the once-dilapidated Old
City. Literary festivals and international congresses are convening. And the
movie adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez's Love in the Time of
Cholera, filmed on location and opening in November, is sure to
generate more attention.
Colombia's
Caribbean
coast and its Costeño inhabitants have provided rich fodder for García
Márquez's "magical realism" literary style. The author was
born near the coast, and he maintains a home in the Old
City. Locals quip that he didn't need to dream up his fanciful tales; he
merely took notes on daily life here.
Indeed,
Costeños are a breed apart, regarded for their boisterous good humor
and corrupt politics. Little dramas play out daily in Plaza Bolívar,
where chess players hunker intently over their games and shoeshine men
swap the latest gossip, and dressed-to-kill fruit vendors, called palenqueras
for the coastal town most come from, elicit promises of exclusivity
from their customers. ("Honey, you belong to me. Don't be
unfaithful.")
Hard-bodied dancers wearing next-to-nothing costumes take center stage
at the flanks of liberator Simón Bolívar's bronze steed.
Bible-thumping evangelists and fervent politicians occasionally join the
fray. And tray-toting vendors circulate through the perpetual crowd,
hawking tiny cups of strong black coffee, peanuts and cigarettes.
 Nearby in the more touristy Plaza Santo Domingo,
flirtatious, curvaceous waitresses beckon customers to outdoor tables.
Artists display knockoff paintings of Fernando Botero's fat ladies.
Mimes, strolling musicians and assorted buskers add to the carnival
atmosphere.
A surge in upscale renovation
Though Cartagena, whose population numbers about 1 million, long ago exceeded the
confines of the old walled city, its compact historic core, a UNESCO
World Heritage site, remains its shining centerpiece. Its narrow,
meandering streets are punctuated by pleasant squares ringed by
well-tended Spanish Colonial buildings.
Real estate prices here have tripled in recent
years, according to some estimates. Many of the centuries-old homes were
run-down boarding houses by the 1950s and '60s, when anyone with the
means had relocated to the Miami Beach-style high rises of Boca Grande
south of the Old
City. But in the 1990s, well-heeled Colombians began buying and renovating
the colorful, court-yarded buildings, sparking a renaissance that is now
coming to full flower. Even in the more humble outer-walled section of
Getsemaní, a still rough-around-the-edges neighborhood of smaller homes
and high-energy dance clubs, fixer-uppers are selling for $200,000 to
$500,000, says Patrick Enste, a German transplant whose business booking
luxury vacation rentals is booming.
The number of upscale boutique hotels is growing,
too. Gustavo Pinto, a Bogotá designer who three years ago opened Agua,
the city's first such lodging, initially catered almost exclusively to
Europeans and Colombians. Recently, however, more Americans are checking
in, he says.
Cartagena's social scene hits a fevered pitch in November, ignited by the Miss
Colombia pageant, a much-heralded event that is wholly lacking in irony.
(Colombians take their beauty queens very seriously.) The party
continues unabated through winter. But the action is focused more around
the city's ample cultural assets than its beaches.
"Beach and golf aren't Cartagena," says Willie Martinez, president of the city's tourist office."
Cartagena
is (about) dancing, dining and culture."
 The
city's main beach at Boca Grande isn't stellar. But
Punta Arenas
on Tierrabomba
Island, five minutes away, sports a more tranquil setting. Island residents
peddle fresh oysters, ceviche, coconut confections and muscle-melting
massages. Farther out, the fine white beaches of
Barú
Island
include Playa Blanca and Cholón, where diners can gorge on fresh crab
and lobster ("From the Sea to the Pot to Your Mouth," reads a
sign on a fisherman's boat) at tables set in the shallow surf.
A downside to paradise
But for all its earthly delights, Cartagena
isn't without flaws. The murder rate increased last year, even as it
dropped elsewhere in the country. (The toll includes two Italian
tourists killed outside the walled city in February, prompting the
addition of 500 police.) One resident says he hasn't been swimming in
the bay since a biologist friend warned against it. Touts hustling
customers into the mushrooming number of shops that sell emeralds are
relentless.
And the gulf between rich and poor is vast. Ana
Mercedes Hoyos, a leading Colombian artist known for her paintings of
coastal Afro-Colombians, is troubled by the disenfranchisement of the
black majority in what was once the
New World's largest slave port. Slavery "was one of the worst cruelties of
humanity, and it started in Cartagena," she says. "But it figures so prominently in the history and
spirit of the city. I would like to see more opportunities made for
(black residents)."
And Cartagena
society is so rigidly segmented, it's difficult even for the native-born
to break through, says Leonor Espinosa, chef/owner of Leo Cocina y Cava,
one of the capital of Bogotá's top restaurants (and listed in Condé
Nast Traveler's 2006 Hot List). With its fusion of Spanish, African
and native Indian cultures, Espinosa regards
Cartagena
as the birthplace of Colombian cuisine. But with opportunities in her
hometown limited, she moved to the capital.
Still, she adds, a bit wistfully, "Cartagena
is the most beautiful city in the world. It's magical."
Information:
www.colombiaespasion.com
READ
MORE: Colombia
tackling tourism
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Useful Information for Those Going
to Columbia
from Ray Enstam
1. Documents and Airport:
The only document required is your passport. Your passport must have at least six months left before expiration. It may be helpful to have two photocopies of the picture page of your passport for entry to parks, etc. No visa or vaccination certificate required. Be sure that your plane tickets are written using your first and last name exactly as in your passport. There is a $28 airport departure tax, payable when you return from Bogotá payable in cash, either Dollars or Pesos. When you arrive (if they ask) say you are there for tourism or to visit friends, and you get a 50% discount upon departure. Apparently “exchange” is treated a business purpose and you will have to pay the full amount.
I also suggest that a day or two before flight time you check with
your airline using your reservation number to verify your reservation and flight times. They have already changed my flight since I bought it moving my departure from Dallas from 12 noon to 11:30 am and
have given me a different flight number, and they changed the Houston departure time. They may do it again without notice!
2. Clothing:
Bogota is at an altitude of about 8,500 feet and near the equator. Therefore there should be no seasonal temperature changes but because of the altitude it will be generally pleasant spring like weather.
(The average temperature in Bogota in June is between 51 and 65 F. with record high of 72 and low of 44. It also rains about 15 days a month in June. So you should prepare for cool weather and lots of rain. Cartagena is lower and on the coast so
is a lot warmer, but it is a beach!) Be ready to dress in layers with windbreaker, and bring good walking shoes. We do not plan any wilderness hiking or the like. There may be an event at which jacket and tie for men and equivalent for women is called for.
3. Personal items:
Sunglasses and sun block (you are near the equator and sun is directly overhead and is very strong even when it feels cool, and there is less UV protection because of the thinner atmosphere when in the mountains); insect repellent; canteen or water bottle (in the cities bottled water is readily available for sale); personal toiletries (not all public toilets provide paper so I suggest you carry the small Kleenex travel packs).
To help with any altitude dizziness upon arrival at Bogotá you can get Dramamine without prescription. While Bogotá has a high altitude, it is substantially lower than
Cuzco or La Paz. About 8,500 versus 12,500 feet.
It is helpful to take some acidophilus with you! It can be bought in a health food store, and it is best to get the kind that does not need refrigeration. Acidophilus is a form of yogurt and it helps your intestines replace any bacteria lost through bad water. While it is best never to drink tap water, if you take a couple of acidophilus every day it will help if you accidentally get some water on a toothbrush or on food, etc. I generally avoid lettuce and other foods washed in water unless cooked or pealed thereafter.
4. Money:
You will need money! You will need to pay for some meals, taxis, tips, souvenirs, etc. Bring some small denominations. You can usually exchange for local money in the airport. ATMs are generally available in cities, and credit cards are accepted many places. These generally offer a better exchange rate than moneychangers. I suggest Visa, Mastercard or American Express. Discover is generally not accepted outside the US. US money is usually accepted and appreciated, but it must be new or almost new. No dirty, torn, wrinkled, or badly used bills accepted! Those going to Cartagena will need a credit card to pay for the trip unless you carry enough cash. As
of 5/24, the value of the dollar has fallen to 1.957 pesos.
5. Host gift:
It is traditional in Friendship Force International to bring a host/hostess gift. I suggest something that reflects your home area. Therefore, something with a Texas or Southwest flavor, such as a picture book, belt buckle, etc, would be appropriate. Let your imagination run wild. Also, it is customary to invite your hosts out to a restaurant meal one evening during your stay. Sometimes the visiting group will collectively invite all the hosts to a joint evening out. We will have to see how this works out, but if we can’t do a joint evening out be prepared to invite your hosts out for one evening.
6. Vaccinations:
The Center for Disease Control does not recommend Yellow Fever or Malaria vaccinations for the Bogotá area. Because of the lower altitude in Cartagena the CDC recommends vaccinations for both of these. It appears that Colombia does not require any such vaccinations as a condition of travel. If your Tetanus and Hepatitis shots are not current, this is a good time to do this. You should check with your doctor. The Dallas County Health Department has an office dedicated to travel vaccinations (many doctors don’t keep these in stock) and will also make recommendations. The advice is free, but they charge for the shots. They accept cash or checks, but no credit cards. For further information go to:
www.cdc.gov/index.htm
7. Miscellaneous:
Colombia is in the same time zone as Texas. Even though we will have a five-hour air trip, it will not be as stressful as traveling East-West over five time zones. Electric power is 110 volt 60 Hertz current. Same as the USA. It appears that they also use the same flat blade wall plugs as in the USA.
8. State Department information:
You might find this State Department Page on Columbia interesting: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35754.htm
Top Travel
Tips from Ruby Reviere (May
21, 2007) Remember
to bring: 1.
Your passport
2. Friendship Force name tag (wear it to the airport so we can find each other)
3. Your airline ticket or e-Ticket
4. Drivers license, even though we most likely won't need it
5. Camera
6. Family Photos, your home, other pictures to share with your host and
others
7. Gifts for your hosts; Ray has pens available for purchase - very
nice!
8. Hand Sanitizer
9. A laxative and some anti-diarrhea medication; you never know what you might
need
10. Your prescriptions, pain medications, sleeping pills, etc.
11. A journal for daily entries should your memory fail in later years or to help you tell your story when you get
home
12. Iron pills to help in adjusting to the elevation. (Ruby: When I visited my son and his family in Bogota, he told me that iron pills taken a day or 2 before leaving and after getting there would help adjust to the much higher elevation that most of us are not accustomed to. It really helped me the second time because I got quite nauseated the first time I went.)
13. Name, phone number, email, home address of your contact person easily available just in case this person needs to be
contacted
14. Insurance information --- phone number, etc.
15. Cash/ dollars, credit cards, ATM cards --- in other words money.
There is an emerald area in town and you might want to bring back some emeralds. This is a great area for souvenirs,
so save some space in your luggage for some nice gifts for family and friends.
Allow about $300 for Cartagena fees plus $ for meals there.
16. Wash cloth since some places don't have any
17. Liquids like shampoo and lotions in a plastic zip lock bag to
prevent leaks on clothes
18. Suggestions about packing clothes --- rolling clothes, rather than folding helps eliminate wrinkles. Also you might keep a cleaning bag around your good clothes to help keep from wrinkling.
Security regulations:
No liquids, lotions, creams over 3 ounces in your carry-on
No metals are allowed in your carry on - not even a finger nail file
Check the Internet for the latest rules.
Additional
tips from Cuqui and Cesar Ardila (May 11, 2007) About the behaviour of the ambassadors I am sure that they will be ok, americans and colombians get along very well. One thing is that in
Bogota, the people don´t use short pants, if on the free days, the hosts want to take them to the farms or countryside they will advice them if there is a warm weather and if they can wear short pants. Taxi cabs in Bogota are usually taken by hosts, because it is easy to take them and not expensive, it is important to know that the door has to be closed very soft, the drivers get mad if the door is closed very hard, also doors of host´s cars. To greet the colombians usually give a hand or give a kiss on the cheeks and also to say good
bye; and if you see that person again later they will greet you again with another kiss. Colombians are very affectionate people and they show it to you. It is better that you bring dollar bills, not traveler checks, also you can get money in the cashier at banks. For the welcome and farewell activities we usually dress kind of formal, not
necessary tie for men, but colombians wear tie often. Hugs and all our love.
Cuqui and Cesar |
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