Safety in San Andres Island, 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
San Andres is a touristy island and for the most part pretty safe. If you stick to the buddy system you can go and do just about anything worth doing. Just stay away from the area around the Airport unless you are with a ministry contact (nothing worth doing around there anyways).
Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in San Andres Island, Colombia Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
People’s Opinions
We did ministry a few nights on the beach front evangelizing. We did some door-to-door evangelizing a few times and hosted a party at the church.We also worked with another pastor on the island. We were in charge of both the youth service and the main service on Sunday and we also worked at a hotel, serving the hotel staff and praying with them.
We did a lot of door to door prayer. Some weekends the youth from the church would preform street dramas and we would go out into the crowds holding signs and we would pray for people and hug people. We also went to a Juvy for a few days and we put on a spa for workers in a local hotel. I would totally recommend the world race sending another team to this island.
Lodging
Lodging in San Andres Island, Colombia Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
We stayed upstairs in our hosts church. Two rooms. Smaller room for girls with bunkbeds and a fan. Big room for the guys with bunkbeds that also doubles as the common room. Cost per night was $4.5 per person. We were allowed to use their wifi. There were also nice showers and toilets.
Food / Meals
Food / Meals in San Andres Island, Colombia What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
Good sized meals were provided by the host at $3 per day. They also accommodated for a gluten allergy. Don’t eat any salads outside of the ones provided by the host.
Transportation
Transportation in San Andres Island, 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
We flew into the island from Cartagena and we were picked up in a van by our host. Except for a few times we did ministry more than 2 miles away we have pretty much walked everywhere. There are a lot of taxis that drive around but the thought to use one hasn’t even crossed our minds.
Medical
Medical in San Andres Island, Colombia Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
People’s Opinions
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Communication
Communication in San Andres Island, Colombia Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
We got sim cards when we were in Cartagena for about $1. You can get cell reception on the whole island. Wifi is provided by the host.
Financial
Financial in San Andres Island, Colombia Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
People’s Opinions
Our host walked us around the town on the first day and showed us where the best ATM to use is. A lot of places don’t accept credit cards or have a minimum charge of 30m pesos so it is best for each person to exchange some.
Translators
Translators in San Andres Island, Colombia List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
People’s Opinions
We did have a translator while on the island. Her name was Mary and she attends the church where we stayed. She was with us during our ministry time. We had 2 girls who understand and spoke a little spanish, so a translator was not always necessary.
Most of the island speaks Spanish. We had a Spanish speaker on our team so she served as our primary translator. The host does not speak any english.
Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in San Andres Island, Colombia What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
For any coffee lovers, we frequented a little local shop called Coffee Break. It was about a 10 minute walk.For any ice cream lovers, we frequented SevenColours, located on Raizal Road. Only 2 blocks from Coffee Break.On off days we would frequent the beach (CocoLoco without the Loco). The host also got a taxi one day and took us to the other side of the island where they have a slide and a diving board that you can go on that go into the ocean. We also took a boat to the smaller islands.
If you have any coffee drinkers Juan Valdez coffee shops is where you want to go. You can get large drinks for $2 or less. It is also a chain restaurant making it much more trusting. On one of our off days we took a boat ride to one of the smaller islands just off the coast and we hung out on the beach with hammocks. The beach is about a 1 mile walk away from the church and there are also several good hammock spots, shops and restaurants along there. I would recommend Cafe Cafe.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in San Andres Island, Colombia Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
People’s Opinions
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Tips
People’s Opinions
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Additional Info
Additional Info in San Andres Island, Colombia Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?