Posts Tagged ‘Colombia’
Business Etiquette in Colombia
Colombia began to experience significant economic growth in 2002, according to the CIA World Factbook. New economic policies, trade agreements and increased security have spurred foreign interest and investment.
However, due to continued drug trade and kidnappings, Colombia remains a dangerous country in which to travel.
Foreign businesspeople should be aware of the customs and proper etiquette in Colombia, but they should also pay close attention to safety and security while visiting and conducting business.
Safety in Colombia
The U.S. Department of State has issued travel warnings for citizens traveling to Colombia since 2005.
The department’s website states that, “While security in Colombia has improved significantly in recent years, violence by narco-terrorist groups continues to affect some rural areas as well as large cities.
The potential for violence by terrorists and other criminal elements exists in all parts of the country.”
Dress and Appearance
Business attire is formal in Colombia. Wear a dark suit, white shirt and tie to meetings. Colombians are impressed with quality clothing. Avoid flashy fabrics or patterns and choose high-end materials and premium construction. Polish leather shoes prior to meetings.
Conversation
Colombians are warm and friendly and communicate often with body language. Personal space tends to be much closer than in the United States; do not back away from your hosts, however, as this will be offensive. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Business attire is formal in Colombia, Colombia, Etiquette in Colombia, Foreign businesspeople
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Aug 23rd, 2010
Risks of Doing Business in Colombia
Colombia’s image as a dangerous, war-torn country persists in the international media, despite considerable improvements. The Unidas party’s security and free trade policies during the 2000s have made Colombia a more hospitable place to do business.
Paramilitaries have demobilized, the leadership of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–FARC, the main guerrilla group–has been largely imprisoned or killed, and the widespread deployment of the army has lowered crime.
Furthermore, Unidas’s liberalization of the trade regime and alliance with the U.S. facilitates foreign investment and has considerably eased the economic risks of doing business in Colombia, according to the U.S. Commercial Service.
Corruption, Inflation and Counterfeits
The risks of doing business in Colombia now reflect the normal political and economic risks of doing business anywhere between Buenos Aires and Boston. Political corruption persists at all levels, threatening the reliability and impartiality of the judicial system and other government offices.
Due to historical trends, the risk of high inflation should be considered before making any long term investments, but in the past Colombia has controlled inflation better than most countries in the region. If a business plans on dealing in U.S. dollars, personnel must become savvy to the tactics used by Colombian counterfeiters, who use sophisticated equipment and produce up to 15 percent of the world’s counterfeit dollars, according to the BBC. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Colombia, The risks of doing business in Colombia
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Aug 16th, 2010
Youth Hostels in Colombia
Colombia, despite its turbulent past, has become a vacation hot spot for travelers of all types. Football fans can catch a match in almost any major city, hikers and bikers will find trails in beautiful forests or on small mountains in Bogota and Cali, and history and culture enthusiasts can explore the torrid history of Medellin, home of Pablo Escobar. With so much to see and do, accommodations can start to get expensive.
Destino Nómada
Opened in 2009, Destino Nómada is one of the newest hostels in Bogota. Centrally located in the city’s Candelaria district, Bogota’s historical center, the hostel offers easy access to many of the most popular attractions. Near the hostel are Externado and La Salle Universities, making the area a safe haven for student-aged locals and travelers.
The hostel staff has all sorts of information about the city and organizes daily activities for guests. The hostel also has an on-site bar, cafe, restaurant and mini-supermarket for your convenience and enjoyment.
Hostel facilities and amenities include kitchen, barbecue area, common area, TV room with DVD selection, games room, laundry facilities, lockers and free Internet and Wi-Fi access.
Destino Nómada
Calle 11 No 00-38
Candelaria
Bogota, Cundinamarca
Colombia, South America
011 (+57) 1 352 0932
destinonomada.com
Tags: Colombia, Destino Nómada, Hostels in Bogota
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Aug 6th, 2010
Colombia Travel Tips
Once a dangerous country plagued by drug crime, guerrilla warfare, paramilitaries and civil unrest, Colombia is currently experiencing a level of peace that has allowed tourism to thrive. Cautious travelers can experience the varied countryside full of mountains, jungle and coast, along with rich archeological and cultural sites.
Entry and Exit
1. A passport is required for travel to Colombia, although U.S. citizens need not have a tourist Visa if they are staying fewer than 60 days. A round-trip ticked is advised. There is an exit tax that must be paid when leaving Colombia by air. Some airlines include this tax in the cost of their tickets, but be sure to check with your airline. Otherwise the tax must be paid in cash at the airport before departure.
Tourist Warnings
2. Although crime has decreased over the last decade, Colombia can still be a dangerous place for travelers. Kidnapping is on the wane, but kidnappings do still occur. Criminal organizations use kidnapping to for political pressure and ransom, and foreigner travelers are no exception.
Travelers should stay up-to-date on the current safety warnings posted by the U.S. Department of State by calling (888) 407-4747 or checking the Travel Alert website. See the Resources section for a link.
Tourists can be particular targets for criminals. Robbers will sometimes approach tourists after they have taken money out of ATMs, frequently using motorcycles for quick getaways. Be sure to use ATMs only indoors and be aware of your surroundings.
Be sure to only use taxis that you have called or have asked to be called for you. Taxis hailed on the street, especially by lone travelers, can often be traps for unsuspecting tourists.
The taxi driver may be involved with other criminals in overpowering passengers and robbing them of their valuables, including kidnapping the passenger and forcing them to withdraw money from ATMs. This type of crime is less likely to occur when passengers call a taxi via a dispatch service as there is a record of the call. There is a higher incidence of this criminal activity in Bogota.
Criminals have been known to use drugs added to food and drink to incapacitate travelers, providing easy opportunities for theft and sexual assault. Remain vigilant when dining out. Do not leave your food unattended and do not accept drinks or food from strangers.
Beaches
3. Travelers to Colombia should check out the country’s beautiful beaches, with Santa Marta being perhaps the most well-known. On the Caribbean in northern Colombia, Santa Marta was founded in 1525 by the Spanish. The beach is right near town with lots of vendors and tourists and activity.
When you crave an escape from sand and sea, visit the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, the site of Simon Bolivar’s death. Bolivar was called The Liberator for his work freeing Colombia from the control of the Spanish. Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino is now a museum honoring Bolivar.
Tayrona National Park is a treasure of local wildlife and scenery. There are howler monkeys, iguanas, jaguars, lizards, toucans and lots of tropical fish. Snorkeling, swimming, and even Tayrona Indian ruins are also part of the scene.
Lost City
4. Located in the cloud forest of Colombia, Ciudad Perdida–or, literally, Lost City–offers travelers an unforgettable journey into the past. Built around 800 A.D. but only discovered in 1972, Ciudad Perdida is only accessible by hiking.
The hike takes six days and travel arrangements can be made in Santa Marta through Turcol, a company licensed to take travelers to the park and ruins. The city was built by the Tayrona people and includes drainage systems, houses and bridges built of stone. The trek can be difficult, so bring rugged hiking boots, bug spray, comfortable clothing and a water bottle.
Tags: Colombia, Travel to Colombia, Travelers to Colombia
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Aug 3rd, 2010
Nightlife in Cali, Colombia
For spring breakers and those hoping to have fun, there may be no better place than Cali, Colombia. This little slice of South American life is known for its nightlife, including bars, nightclubs and other late night activities. The city even has an area known as “Party Street” for its high concentration of bars and clubs.
Party Street
1. The area along Avenida Sexta is also known as party street by locals and tourists. The local nickname came about because of the large number of bars and other late night attractions. In addition to bars and clubs are several salsa clubs and restaurants, Latin clubs, discos and hip-hop clubs. It’s one of the most famous areas in Cali and one of the first places to stop late at night.
Salsa Clubs
2. Salsa clubs are a great place to go if you want to experience local flavor since the clubs are a favorite among locals. Latin music pounds throughout the club and if you don’t have any experience, you can watch a few regulars and even ask for a few pointers. Estadero Momentos is a nice place to go because the club has a large dance floor, couches for relaxing in between dances and drinks made with locally produced rums such as Ron Vejo de Caldas.
Live Music
3. Colombia might not seem like the best place to hear blues, but at the Blues Brothers Bar, live bands play blues music fairly frequently. The club is owned by a former Irish immigrant who loves interacting with tourists and those visiting the club. Kukuramakara is another great place for live music. The bands start at 11 p.m. every night. If you purchase a bottle of liquor, you get a free table for you and your friends.
Nightclubs
4. If you’re looking for a night full of dancing, drinking and meeting new people then you should check out some of the nightclubs in Cali. Caliwood plays salsa and Latin style music and the dance floor is almost always full. There’s also Yavanna, with a nice mix of people and a diverse range of music played every night. Many of the best nightclubs in Cali are located right on party street, or on one of the side streets lining the area.
Warning
5. When you decide to visit Cali, Colombia make sure to follow some specific guidelines to stay safe. Keep an eye on your drink at all times to prevent anyone from slipping something inside it. Avoid drinking too much since it can impair your judgment and lower your inhibitions. The main thing to remember is that you’re in Colombia, which has a reputation for rough and dangerous criminals and a high crime rate.
Tags: Cali, Colombia, Late night activities, Live Music, Nightclubs in Cali, Party Street, Salsa Clubs
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Jul 26th, 2010
About Colombian Traditional Food
Colombia, located in the northwest part of South America has a rich multicultural heritage. The people have Native American, Spanish colonial and African roots. Colombia’s traditional recipes vary based on both the heritage of an area as well on its climate which determines the foods that are easily available.
Identification
1. Corn is a staple in all parts of Colombia. The ripe kernels are traditionally ground by hand into a coarse flour which is mixed with water to form a thick dough. This is cooked like a pancake until the outside is crisp but the center stays a bit mushy. They are called arepas and widely available.
Another traditional corn meal recipe is more elaborate when eggs and either sugar or spices are added to the arepa dough and then fried. The Colombians use immature or “young” corn also to make traditional recipes. The corn is pureed and then mixed with sugar, eggs, and salt before being fried in oil. This young corn is also commonly found in soups.
Geography
2. Indigenous Colombians and descendents of African slaves live on the northern coasts along the Caribbean Sea where the land is low lying, hot and close to the rain forest. Many modern Colombians continue the older culinary traditions by serving fried sliced plantains, called tostones, and using coconut and coconut oil.
They farm cassava, bananas, plantains, corn and beans and for meat they hunt all kinds of game. Peccary, tapirs, deer, turtles, monkeys and most birds are eaten. This area also produces a fatty ant which the people catch and fry. This dish is called culonas.
Features
3. The Cauca Valley of western Colombia has a semi-tropical climate, so bananas, cassava and plantains grow well there. One favorite food resembles a tamale but the spiced meat, green pepper, onion, olive, and raisin stuffing is folded into a green plantain leaf. Baked or stewed, this is called hallacas.
Types
4. The capital of Colombia, Bogota, is located in a more temperate, mountainous area where potatoes grow well so this vegetable is a staple ingredient of the region. Papas chorreadas are boiled potatoes covered in a cream sauce with onions, tomatoes, cheese, chiles and coriander. Another potato recipe is a chicken potato and avocado soup called Ajicao Bogotano.
Considerations
5. In the Orinoco River Valley of Colombia where there is rich grazing land, farmers raise cattle but the meat tends to be tough so traditional Colombian recipes for beef involve long cooking times and strategies to make the meat tender and flavorful. First the meat is cut into small pieces.
Then it is simmered for several hours before being roasted and basted for even more hours. If a traditional Colombian cook wants to roast a large piece of beef, she will stuff it with garlic, carrots, onions and pieces of bacon. First the stuffed roast will be simmered and then roasted until it is tender and all the flavors have spread throughout the meat.
Tags: Avocado soup called Ajicao Bogotano, Colombia, Colombia's traditional recipes, Corn is a staple in all parts of Colombia, Culinary traditions
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Jul 22nd, 2010
History of Colombia
Since the beginning of the periods of Conquest and Colonization, there were several rebel movements under Spanish rule, most of them either being crushed or remaining too weak to change the overall situation. The last one which sought outright independence from Spain sprang up around 1810, following the independence of St. Domingue in 1804 (present-day Haiti), who provided a non-negligible degree of support to the eventual leaders of this rebellion: Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander.
In a movement initiated by Antonio Nariño, who opposed Spanish centralism and which led the opposition against the viceroyalty. After the independence of Cartagena in November 1811, two independent governments formed which fought a Civil War, a period known as La Patria Boba. The following year Nariño proclaimed the United Provinces of New Granada, headed by Camilo Torres Tenorio. Despite the successes of the rebellion, the emergence of two distinct ideological currents among the liberators (federalism and centralism) gave rise to an internal clash between these two, thus contributing to the reconquest of territory by the Spanish, allowing restoration of the viceroyalty under the command of Juan de Samano, whose regime punished those who participated in the uprisings. This stoked renewed rebellion, which, combined with a weakened Spain, made possible a successful rebellion led by Simón Bolívar, who finally proclaimed independence in 1819. The pro-Spanish resistance was finally defeated in 1822 on the present territory of Colombia and in 1823 around the Viceroyalty of time.
The Congress of Cucuta in 1821 adopted a constitution, whose main goal was to create the Republic of Colombia, now referred to as La Gran Colombia, which also included present-day Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador. [29] However, the new republic was very unstable and ended with the rupture of Venezuela in 1829, followed by Ecuador, in 1830.
The Venezuelan Simón Bolívar had become the first President of Colombia, and Francisco de Paula Santander was Vice President; when Simón Bolívar stepped down, Santander became the second President of Colombia. The rebellion finally succeeded in 1819 when the territory of the Viceroyalty of New Granada became the Republic of Colombia organized as a union of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela (Panama was then an integral part of Colombia).
Tags: About columbia, Colombia, Colombia City, Colombian Lifestyle
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Jun 18th, 2010
Geography of Colombia
Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by Panama and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west by Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean.
Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of the world subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, Colombia is dominated by the Andes mountains. Beyond the Colombian Massif (in the south-western departments of Cauca and Nariño) these are divided into three branches known as cordilleras (from the Spanish for “rope”): the Cordillera Occidental, running adjacent to the Pacific coast and including the city of Cali; the Cordillera Central, running between the Cauca and Magdalena river valleys (to the west and east respectively) and including the cities of Medellín, Manizales, Pereira and Armenia, Quindío ; and the Cordillera Oriental, extending north east to the Guajira Peninsula and including Bogotá, Bucaramanga and Cúcuta. Peaks in the Cordillera Occidental exceed 13,000 ft (3,962 m), and in the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental they reach 18,000 ft (5,486 m).[18] At 8,500 ft (2,591 m), Bogotá is the highest city of its size in the world.
Tags: Colombia, Colombia City, Colombia Holidays, Colombia Travel, Colombian, Colombian Lifestyle
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Jun 15th, 2010
Travel to Cucuta
During the pre-Columbian period, the area currently occupied Cúcuta was populated by indigenous Motilones Chitareros and belonging to the Chibcha linguistic family and Caribbean descent. The tribes were characterized by nomadic customs and practiced agriculture and handicrafts. These indigenous people settled on the banks of the rivers Zulia, Tarra, Sardinata, Catatumbo, Pamplonita and Tachira.
During the early seventeenth century much of the valleys of Cucuta were owned by Captain Cristóbal de Araque Ponce de Leon. The land passed by inheritance to his son Fernando de Araque Ponce de Leon, who owned all the territory between the Valley of Cucuta to the town of San Jose, jurisdiction of the city of San Faustino. These fields had been donated to the master Araque by the Governor of the Province of Mérida New Cries of the (local authority as part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada) by means of vouchers issued the September 9, 1630.
The constant hostility of the Indians of the town of Cucuta Motilones against the inhabitants of the valley and their economic ambitions, were key factors in the past requested the construction of a parish that had the name of San Jose and dwell in the kingdom if they obtained license Spain.
Whereas white neighbors to the people of Cúcuta would request the erection of a parish and they had chosen Guasimal site on the banks of the river Pamplonita, Juana Rangel de Cuellar won the June 17, 1733 average stay in cattle ( 782 hectares) on the site Tonchala, which had a value of 50 patacones, [20] for the construction of a church and a place for Spanish families to settle in what is now the Barrio San Luis. It was the seat stay most notably agricultural and livestock Rangel de Cuellar, a prominent family descended from Captain Alonso Pamplona Rangel, founder of the Palmas Salazar in 1583.
Tags: Colombia, Colombia City, Colombia Travel, Colombia Travel Advices, Cucuta, Culture, Good Hotel in Bogota, travel in colombia, Travel t cucuta
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Jun 12th, 2010
Visit Colombia
Most people who have not traveled to Colombia mistakenly think that is a dangerous country, full of drugs, guerrilla and jungle. However, people traveling to Colombia discover a very different country. Large numbers of tourists said to Colombia as a favorite in Latin America. Much of the country is perfectly safe to travel but there are some areas where it is necessary to take some precautions.
Colombia is one of the few countries in Latin America where tourists can enjoy almost any landscape, beautiful beaches, tour the woods, cabins in the forest, mountains and deserts, archeological ruins and colonial towns, nightlife and fashion in modern hotels towns, whale watching, diving and hiking, extreme sports and the warmth and kindness offered by Colombians. Easily could be two months traveling around Colombia, but for those with less time, this travel guide will help you decide which is the ideal place to visit on your vacation.
The most important tourist destination in the Colombian Caribbean coast is Cartagena, which is surely the most beautiful colonial city in all Latin America and the destination for those traveling to Colombia. Nearby you can find beautiful beaches in Islas del Rosario and Tayrona Park (perhaps the best beaches in South America). A 4 hours from Santa Marta Cartagena find the starting point for a wonderful tour of six days through the jungle toward the spectacular ruins of Ciudad Perdida.
Tags: About columbia, Colombia, Colombia Travel, Tourism, Tourism in Colombia, Tradition In Columbia, Travel to Colombia, Traveling to Colombia, Visit
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Jun 9th, 2010