gorgonabob has left 599 comments

gorgonabob comments on Rio Inirida Trip

put me down for the next trip.. when would it be??

gorgonabob comments on san tomas beer

what fish you cooking up there

gorgonabob comments on Colombia wins prize at London tourism fair

Rwanda is supposed to be pretty spectacular,..... its been 15 years since there 'problems' either way you look at it there will be 5-10 times the tourists there are now in colombia in ten years.. better start getting used to it..

gorgonabob comments on Colombian Air Force Bombs Embera Katio Village

perhaps they should be relocated to venezuela

gorgonabob comments on Recommendations for a lawyer in Santa Marta to help arrange papers for a new business?

go to the camara de comercio thats there job to advise you

gorgonabob comments on Cartagena Hostal Robbery

www.eltiempo.com has an article about this event on its website... interesting.. now they say they have closed the hostel for not having everything in order.. which is pretty strange... one of the reasons for the authorities closing the place was that they were not paying music royalty fees which all hostels/bars must pay... all the people on the upper floor of the hostel must have got lucky.. surely there were at least 80 people in the hostel and only 21 robbed... an event exactly like this happened in medellin three years ago...... im sure it also happened in cartagena two or so years ago as well.. oh well,shit happens. hardly going to effect tourism in colombia though... instead of increasing 30% this year may increase 29.9%

gorgonabob comments on Cartagena Hostal Robbery

there would have been over 100 people in that hostel at the time and backpackers entering every fifteen minutes id say, even at fouir in the morning...... ive stayed there several times.. they have over 10 rooms on each floor with 6-10 beds in each... cant say ive heard anything about it yet.. but its in the main newspaper of cartagena so probably got some truth to it..

gorgonabob comments on Puerto Gaitan festival in January?

i went to puerto gaitan once... about five years ago... odd place.. was sitting in a bar on the road side when a truck pulled up at about eight in the evening and thirty 'working girls' exited the neighbouring property and walked up the cattle ramp into the back of the truck with little overnight bags... a guy was by the ramp with a pad and pen and turned a few of the girls away and took the rest.. it was all rather bizarre this area was/ still is pretty heavy under para influence... its a small dusty town but booming because of oil i think now....took a boat up there towards venezuela stopping off at Orocue and looping back to Yopal, villavicencio... certainly will be worth a visit.. thisll probably end up as colombias biggest party festival in a year or three..... there aint much in the way of accommodation in that town....probably best just to commute from villavicencio

gorgonabob comments on New hostel in La Candelaria - Bogotá

well you add up india and pakistan and other former british colonies and there would certainly be a lot more people speaking english english than american english id imagine going to be a hostel on every corner in bogota soon well the candelaria, no doubt... some other people look to be opening a hostel there in the next month or two also.... if i was opening a hostel in colombia now id be looking at santa marta/ manizales/ pereira/ villavicencio among other places...for a start... or cartagena if youve got a few million dollars to invest..

gorgonabob comments on MU in Medellin- Has anyone ever been?

ive been about 10 times and taken almost 50 people there... safe to say i like it a loooooooooooooooooot. just go and try for yourself

gorgonabob comments on How a Casino Cheats you as a player

youll lose a lot less money at a casino if its cheating you than if it does not when you start winning you get the addiction,,, worked in casinos for five years.. better to lose trust me, youll lose a lot less doesnt make much sense.. but true enough..

gorgonabob comments on apartment rentals in cartagena

ive heard of this before. i only mentioned it because it was on both of the main news channels last night.

gorgonabob comments on Doesn't the owner of the Tiger Paw post here?

you are never going to be able to keep everyone happy.. that the truth.. 95% of the people leave Brians place happy im sure... but they are not going to make any comments.. most hostels in this country have had at one time or another workers selling coke, no doubt. its good that people let you know....you get rid of them, you move on.. i think people, like the lonely planet poster, and another bad mouthing another medellin hostel should rather write to the owners rather than ranting and raving on the web.... its a bit sad really.. there a few bitter people out there... im not going to let it get me down... i dont even bother responding to them most of the time.. they got there opinion and youre not going to reason with them.

gorgonabob comments on Obtaining a Home Loan in colombia

you can get a mortgage as a foreigner but need an income in Colombia but as said above it is difficult i have a mortgage (been in colombia six years, four with business) at about 8-9% pa... floating rate pretty incredible rate for colombia,, also foreigners are allowed to take advantage of govt subsidies on mortgages.. ive got a 3% subsidy there... you need 30-40% down.

gorgonabob comments on eating in medellin

probably would have helped if i had put the direction down for MU Medellin its Carrera 34 #7-115 three or four blocks above Parque Lleras and the pasta place is down the road

gorgonabob comments on Buy Avianca flights without the gringo tax

ive bought tickets for people before..you can run into problems when they ring up to reconfirm... or you could always get the ticket cancelled.. some airlines will ask to see your credit card at the checkin desk... just to let you know

gorgonabob comments on Are there any sustainable/ eco finca or other agro toursim projects in Southern Colombia?

thats it www.cafealban.org or something like that kelvin

gorgonabob comments on Any interest in Opening a Hostel in Bogota

start something up in villavicencio or pereira or perhaps pasto or riohacha. youll get a property twice as big for half as much and have the whole place to yourself

gorgonabob comments on Any interest in Opening a Hostel in Bogota

heres some free advice no one has, and id be willing to say no one will have any success in opening a hostel in any part of bogota that is not la candelaria for several years...good luck either way

gorgonabob comments on Are there any sustainable/ eco finca or other agro toursim projects in Southern Colombia?

i got a real good one around Pasto. i think ... staying on a coffee farm.. if youre in interested in that. i put up the link in a few hours

gorgonabob comments on

its hardly a lot of money in the grand scheme of life... i mean US$60 or 70 bucks come on,,,, you go to new york and pay 200 a night, why cant you pay 60/70 in medellin and for an apt. in the best area... if you cant afford it check out couch surfing and sleep on the couch....

gorgonabob comments on New Law Muscled through by Hotels to kill Furnised Apartment Rentals

i dont necessarily see it as a bad thing that apt rental businesses fall by the wayside... no offense intended to those in that line of work.. its just not necessary... those needs should be satisfied by hotels... in a much bigger tourist market like new zealand where tourism is an even bigger part of the economy apt rental really does not exist.. people stay in motels/ hotels/ hostels or they rent a campervan...apts are not hotels.

gorgonabob comments on New Law Muscled through by Hotels to kill Furnised Apartment Rentals

one thing is for sure its ridiculous the amount of hotels being built in a city like medellin. i mean no way is there a market for the new hotel that is opening up every two weeks here in el poblado.. stoopid....i guess that is why there is increasing pressure on the hotel industry with huge capacity increases coming on and not a big enough increase in tourism,,, well people willing to shell out $100 a night on a hotel room. whats going to happen with al these rooms once done... i guess they are going after those that would otherwise stay in apts....... ive got a meeting with a curaduria recommend real estate assesor or something coming up next week to advise me on what i need to do to comply with these new laws.. ridiculous or not i guess im going to have to cede...probably have to build an underground carpark and a revolving restaurant..

gorgonabob comments on New Law Muscled through by Hotels to kill Furnised Apartment Rentals

Cotelco is also starting to get the authorites to check up on hostels... hostels have to adhere to a number of new regulations... not too much of a problem for some but could be a big deal for others... rules like one car park for every five rooms, restaurant, # bathrooms per person etc...should be interesting fare enough though i suppose.. there have been pretty much zero regulations in the past

gorgonabob comments on

exactly... gringos making mountains out of molehills.what a surprise

gorgonabob comments on Colombia´s Big Chains, Country Of Origen?

olympica is owned by a lebanese/ colombian family from baranquilla.. nothing french about that.. has been touted as a entry partner for walmart into colombia and homecenter is owned 50/50 almost i think colombian/ chilean makro is german or dutch

gorgonabob comments on Fireworks in Medellin tonight...

a big shipment just got through to the states.. good news

gorgonabob comments on Can I bring Meat (tender steaks) or Cheese from the US to Colombia.

i bought a 2 kilo leg of lamb on a flight to colombia two years back.. no problem there....

gorgonabob comments on Bogota - Singapore

Habrá vuelo diario Bogotá - Singapur 06/08/2009, 05:18:36 PM En reunión de consulta realizada entre el 30 y 31 de julio en Cartagena de Indias, la Aeronáutica Civil firmó un acuerdo con su homóloga de Singapur, mediante el cual se aprobaron siete frecuencias para el transporte de pasajeros. En consecuencia, habrá cuatro frecuencias semanales inicialmente, una adicional en enero de 2010 y dos más en enero de 2011. La jornada de consulta estuvo encabezada por Fernando Sanclemente Alzate, Director de la Aeronáutica Civil, Luz Melba Castañeda representante del Ministerio de Transporte, Juan Carlos Cadena del Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo e Ilva Restrepo Arias, Jefe de Oficina Transporte Aéreo de la Aeronáutica Civil de Colombia, quienes en compañía de algunos observadores y representantes de compañías aéreas, debatieron las condiciones de dicho acuerdo. Por su parte, la comitiva del país asiático estuvo encabezada por Margaret Tan, Directora de Transporte Aéreo de la Autoridad de Aviación de Singapur (CAAS - por sus siglas en inglés) así como por representantes del Gobierno y de la aerolínea insignia de su país, Singapur Airlines. Fuente: Diario La República

gorgonabob comments on Are there any backpacker buses in Colombia?

the backpacker buses are coming dont worry... pick up and drop off at hostels.....already something of that like between santa marta and cartagena..

gorgonabob comments on New Indian restaurant in Cartagena

i like isla gorgona... went there nine years ago and returned a few times bob seems like a nice name

gorgonabob comments on Tourist visa w/ one-way ticket

the last two times i have flown into colombia on a one way ticket i have had a few problems with the airline. they would not let me board. they had to ring up the colombian embassy and check my temporary propietario visa allowed me one way entry into the country (obviously). so the end result was they let me board the plane. i am sure there would have been no way either time that i would have been let on the plane to the colombia with only a one way ticket without that visa. get a return or get a ticket out of the country

gorgonabob comments on Rugby Union Jersey

i own a few jerseys of the ex captain present coach of the colombian rugby team... the head of the colombian rugby union is a new zealander and the coach a great guy called carlos tejada.. sure they would be keen to sell a few

gorgonabob comments on Cartagena's Beaches

i wasnt aware there were beaches in cartagena,,,,

gorgonabob comments on Big domestic airline promo

avianca and aero republica had to match the aires promo which was for 48hours over the weekend..

gorgonabob comments on Energy Drinks in Medellin

theres a dutch made one called RODEO often found at Exito on special for 1.200 pesos or normal price of 2.400

gorgonabob comments on Big domestic airline promo

The promotion was sent to my email address. only running sat/sun...... avianca had to match the promo.....id recommend all to sign up to the aires promo email. theylll do this again. definitely no mistake.. not advertised to all this price for obvious reasons

gorgonabob comments on Big domestic airline promo

aero republica is also in on the specials.. 178.000 med-bog return also 280.000 med-santa marta return with avianca if you look hard enough

gorgonabob comments on Big domestic airline promo

those are one way prices... med to bog is about 95.000 pesos each way

gorgonabob comments on Pereira Sports Bar?

or more importantly Super 14 playoffs from this weekend

gorgonabob comments on NEW HOSTEL - SANTA MARTA - LA BRISA LOCA

welcome to the club ill be up there in three weeks to check it out kelvin blacksheep medellin

gorgonabob comments on Business visa question

i flew to Panama city four years ago and applied for a business visa... the guy at the embassy asked me where i was going to live, i said colombia, he said wrong... you cannot live in colombia on a business visa.. i said.. woops.. what do i need... and he said a propietario visa.. there you go.. nice guy that one.. really helped me out. i left the country the next day with my one year propietario visa which i have now renewed twice for periods of two years... the next visa will be the residence one

gorgonabob comments on Join me - learning Spanish in Medellin, daily, on quiet balcony

the teacher owns the hostel.. if that helps you

gorgonabob comments on Join me - learning Spanish in Medellin, daily, on quiet balcony

13.000 pesos each in a group is the price..... of the above hostels language lessons..if two or more learning... 18.000 pesos per hour private lessons i doubt you will find cheaper.....

gorgonabob comments on Lonely Planet Colombia

its a lot thicker than the last with a lot more info and as i said the author has 'been around' colombia for more than two years..... and travelled to a lot of off the beaten track places... the footprint colombia guidebook writer is also a good bloke.. and knows colombia.. albeit less than the lonely planet writer... both are good... but the lonely planet colombia book probably had a lot more research and time on the ground.. the authors i would say spent over six months in colombia researching the book

gorgonabob comments on The Barking Spider! New Pub in Medellin

ill be in tonight.... sounds good.. got any white beer beside decent stuff.. been a bit scarce lately.... you can put up a flyer in my place also if you got any.... kelvin, black sheep

gorgonabob comments on big news in Medellin

it is big... i hope there wont be a run on the lamb today and itll be all gone by the time i get there...though the idea is to get people to buy the lamb and theyll keep supplying it... but youre right this is probably the biggest news of the year in medellin

gorgonabob comments on big news in Medellin

i wouldnt worry about that.... could have a wednesday rack of lamb barbie... at double price

gorgonabob comments on Airfares - new flight Medellin - Quito

the airline website

gorgonabob comments on What jobs are expats in Colombia doing for work other than ESL and backpacker Inns?

it is illegal for a non colombian resident to work in a hostel.... DAS would not look on that too kindly, probably more on the company that employs you than yourself... youll have to find a job that will go to the trouble to get you a work visa... not the easiest thing.. or start your own business..