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Colombia

Safety

Safety in Colombia
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

People’s Opinions

  1. Cartagena: Cartagena is safe. I would suggest going around with a local the first time you venture out. Taxis are safer than buses but you shouldn’t shy away from taking a bus. When you take a bus the vendors try to hand you what they are selling so politely say no gracias and keep your hands in your lap. Beaches were safe, when we went in the water.. have one person stay behind and keep an eye on your belongings. We were in every night by 10pm.
  2. Cartagena: Cartagena is safe. I would suggest going around with a local the first time you venture out. Taxis are safer than buses but you shouldn’t shy away from taking a bus. When you take a bus the vendors try to hand you what they are selling so politely say no gracias and keep your hands in your lap. Beaches were safe, when we went in the water.. have one person stay behind and keep an eye on your belongings. We were in every night by 10pm.
  3. Bogota (Buena Vista) – We never went anywhere without an escort from the church and we didn’t have any safety issues. The public buses get really crowded, so be smart about what you bring and watch your bags. We visited lots of schools and were reminded to be mindful of our bags around the kids, but we didn’t have any problems. We were told the water was potable, but filtered it all month with our WR filters per Adventures recommendation.
  4. Bogotá (Santa Cecelia) -a local has accompanied us everywhere for safety reasons(even on our off days). Use common sense when out for ministry and recreation, and don’t make yourself a target.
  5. Bogota! We had an escort from the Buena Vista church every where we went. Remain vigilant about your bags on public transport, but we were fortunate not to have any safety issues this month.
  6. Two girls had things stolen on the bus ride to Bogota: a computer and a backpack. My team is in Cartagena and one teammate had his backpack stolen at the soccer field with his water bottle, Bible and journal. One teammate had a necklace ripped off her neck while walking down the middle of the street in our neighborhood. You need to be aware of your surroundings and not carry anything unnecessary with you. Money belts are a good idea, zipper pockets/hidden pockets, etc.

Health

CDC Travelers Health | Colombia

Health in Colombia
Any special health concerns?

People’s Opinions

  1. There is a hospital in Boca Grande that we went to and did not have to pay anything for a consultation but take a local as they wanted to charge $75 and no one spoke English.
  2. There’s a clinic at the bottom of the mountain, about 10 minutes from Buena Vista church. It cost one of our members $55.000 for a consultation at this clinic, which also included an analysis for a stool sample. I paid $45.000 for an x-ray of my foot at the lab.Our hosts have said that the water is clean, but at the Buena Vista church we used the filters for water. That said, I drank sink water often and had no problems.
  3. We have had to go the clinic twice for different reasons. There is a really nice clinic and pharmacies close to Alex’s house (Cartagena), about a 20 minute walk. $7 for the clinic fee to be seen.

Visa Info

U.S. State Dept Visa Info | Colombia

Visa Info in Colombia
Do you need one? Where did you get it? Cost? Resources/sources:

People’s Opinions

  1. No visa needed for US citizens. Canadians have a visa…check the cost before hand.
  2. Canadians must pay $80 reciprocity entry fee.

Currency Info

Currency Info in Colombia
Name of currency? Where can you exchange money?

People’s Opinions

  1. Mall Plaza el Castillo has a ton of ATM’s. There are also ATM’s in old town.
  2. There were no ATM’s in or around San Francisco but there are numerous ones in Old Town. The Mega Tienda up the street allows for credit card purchases which is convenient as purchasing food and water can turn into a daily affair.
  3. The currency is the peso also use the $ when referring to pesos. We had trouble finding ATM’s so if you fid a working one I would takeout as mush as you need for the month.
  4. It’s not just Schwaub cards that have been denied. I’ve been lucky to find one working ATM for me. If one doesn’t work for you, go onto the next one.
  5. If you have a Schwab Card, be prepared for it to be denied and have a back up option. There are ATMs dispersed pretty well throughout the city, but several of us have had our transactions denied, just keep trying different ATMs.

Communication

Communication in Colombia
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

People’s Opinions

  1. Good cell reception with Claro everywhere.
  2. Buena Vista church has Wifi. Cell reception was great, though I know the Santa Cecilia church had issues with reception. We all used Claro chips.
  3. d town has many cool cafes with wi-fi. You will love old town.

Transportation

How did you get to Colombia….

Transportation in colombia
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

People’s Opinions

  1. Took a bus from Cartagena to Medellin. Caratagena’s bus station is on the east side of the city, 30-45 min taxi ride from the airport. When we arrived at the station, our taxi driver directed us to a contact he had with Rapido Ochoa bus lines. The initial price per person was 136,000 COP but we easily negotiated down to 100,000 because our group had 8 persons. The bus was clean, comfortable, well air conditioned, had a restroom in the back, and even played two movies on its drop down screens. It took about 14 hours to reach Medellin. Be prepared, the bus drivers drive aggressively and will constantly pass semis and cargo trucks on the narrow two lane road. A large portion of the drive is over the mountains, which is when the drivers are most gutsy to pass slower moving vehicles on hair-pin curves.
  2. Some good long distance transport companies are Expreso Brasilia and Copetran.
  3. Cartagena: A cab costs about 10 or 12 mil to go to Old Town or Boca Grande. It is very difficult to get back to San Francisco however as most taxis are scared of the area. Alex has numerous friends that we used including one who drives a 15 passenger van. This was very useful to and from places for two teams on an off day. The cost was roughly 30 mil one way to Old Town.
  4. Transmilenio is what we typically used. To get down off the mountain you’ll take a free bus to the main interchange platform where you’ll pay about $3800 (round trip) to hop on a TransMilenio bus. It’s like a subway system, so you can change routes and buses several times on the same ride card. We always gave money to our hosts to put on their ride cards (and paid for their transportation too, we try and be cognizant of the fact that they are giving their time to show us their city). The buses were always clean and seemed safe, though a bit crowded at times because there had recently been conductor strikes.We caught taxis, with our ministry contact, several times. They’re clearly marked with registration plaques and meters. It would be about $4000 to descend down the mountain from Buena Vista to the Union Colombia school (near the bridge on the main road).We took a Flota (smaller bus) out to a small town called Sopo on our off day, and that cost $8000 round trip. Safe and clean.
  5. Cartagena with Alex Rocha- you will take Colectivos (Jeeps) for local transportation about 50cents per person, walk, or use one of his friends to take you in a taxi or van. he will help you arrange transportation for safety.

Culture

 
Cultural Norms and Sensitivities

Culture in Colombia
Anything Racers need to be aware/respectful of? Suggestions/Recommendations?

People’s Opinions

  1. We were served cow stomach today. Our hosts were excited to be preparing it for us, so just be cognizant that at times you may be eating portions of meat you’re not accustomed to but that they have gone above & beyond to prepare for us.Other points to be aware of: Buena Vista members generally don’t really dance, celebrate Halloween, and they don’t consume alcohol. They also generally only listen to worship music, they’re OK with secular music, but I’d suggest mindfulness with large groups of children around.
  2. Loud music is playing everyday in the neighborhood. So get ready for birthday parties and dance parties daily. Alex and his family and friends are wonderful! They will answer any question you have about the culture and by their example you will get to learn so much about the Colombian culture. Alex is a tour guide, so he can teach you so many things.

Shipping / Mailing

DHL | Colombia

Shipping / Mailing in Colombia
Company used and contact info? How did you get packages to them?

People’s Opinions

  1. There are two DHL’s in Cartagena. One is located about 2 miles from the youth center and the other is in Boca Grande.

Tips

People’s Opinions

  1. Hotel Belmonte in Ipiales – if you cross the border from or to Ecuador, they are the bomb. They treated us very well and are close to our budget. However they speak almost no English.
  2. Buena Vista: There are some good hammock trees out in the backyard, just ask Pastor or Pastora to open the door in the sanctuary.
  3. Cartagena- you can do laundry at Alex’s house, but you have to be creative in finding places to hang it up to dry. Make sure Merci helps you with the machine otherwise you will have water all over the floor.

Additional Info

Additional Info in Colombia
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?

  1. Bring lots of children’s games/ideas/songs/skits. The children of San Francisco will steal your heart and they are always looking to learn something new.
  2. The Buena Vista community is one huge family and loved us so well. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by love and start brainstorming early on ways to love them well and give back. Insist on helping them clean the kitchen and the sanctuary on Fridays.
    If you ask, they’ll also teach you how to make empanadas on Sundays in the kitchen and Arepas at the Pastora’s house. ENJOY!
  3. Off day activities: Cartagena is beautiful! Beaches, history, street venders with yummy food! Make the most of this beautiful city and the Rocha family. Bless this family and community any way you can!