General Info

Get a quad band phone, as you'll be able to use it whereever GSM is available, including AT&T/TMobil in the US. I got a quad band Moto Razr V3 from Amazon.com also, and it works fine. My novia helped me get a SIM card. The Motorola website also sells unlocked phones, for a little more. You want want to consider buying it from them as you'll have the Motorola OEM warranty. Also my phone was set to some weird oriental language and I would have had trouble setting it to English. My novia asked the sales person who sold me a SIM card to help. She opened up a similar brand new phone and by comparing the menu commands side by side was able to switch it to English. With my limited espanol, I would have had trouble explaining/asking for this kind of help.

Buena suerte

[QUOTE=Ted Nugent]Can anyone help me with a basic issue?

I've always hated cell phones, I still hate cell phones and I always will hate cell phones.

As a pragmatist, however, I finally admit and recognize that a cell phone is nearly a necessity in Colombia.

Amazon.com now offers unlocked cell phones with a 90-day warranty. I want to buy an unlocked cell phone for usage in Colombia.

What type of unlocked cell phone should I buy for usage in Colombia?

What GSM frequency is used in Colombia?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Ted Nugent]Amazon.com now offers unlocked cell phones with a 90-day warranty. I want to buy an unlocked cell phone for usage in Colombia.

What type of unlocked cell phone should I buy for usage in Colombia?

What GSM frequency is used in Colombia?[/QUOTE]You can also shop around for unlocked cell phones on eBay. Colombia uses the same GSM frequencies as the U.S. so almost any modern GSM phone that works in the states should work down there as long as it's unlocked. But follow kdogg's advise, a quad-phone is usable pretty much anywhere, including the EU and Asia.

I hate cell phones too. . . the phones may be relatively cheap there, but calls are expensive especially Comcel which has the best coverage (at least in Medellin, could be different in other cities). So yes, get a cheap cell phone, but also use the street vendors where the prices are 200 to 300 pesos a minute. Those are the cheapest rates that I've seen out there. Calling from your cell will be significantly more than that, especially with Comcel.

By the way, I still use my Skype account whenever I can even IN Colombia because the highest rate I've been charged is 10 cents a minute (about 200 pesos) for cell phones. So try to make as many cellular calls as you can from your laptop when you're still in your apartment, or from the street vendors. If your apt. has a land-line, you can make local calls of course to other land lines but it's not common to be able to call cell phones from a land line, just too expensive for most Colombians, that's why I say just use Skype in your apartment for calling cell phones. You can make any type of call if you're staying in a nice hotel but you will pay premium for that.

I'd advise NOT to bring an expensive phone, I lost my Motorola SLVR L2 partying late one night with my buddies, which I got for around $75 on eBay. At least it wasn't my $300 Nokia smartphone but it still was an ouch. As much as Colombians love their fancy cell phones, it's just not worth the potential grief and cost for foreign visitors to bring a top-of-the-line cell, you're going to end up worried half the time about losing it or having it stolen. There are other ways to impress your colombiana date. ;)

[QUOTE=MiamiHeatLuver]Im thinking about spending next summer in COLOMBIA between MDE and CLO, Is it worth trying to ship my SUV down there? I mean fly to SANTA MARTA or CTG or Baranquilla and pick it up, then drive it from there. Im thinking ALL the $$$ i will be spending on TAXIS and flights or buses will be recouped on the shipping process.. Of course there will be some kind of contract that I will be sending it back upon my departure.. Ive never seen this brought-up here in the forums and if anybody has any link or info, it would be much obliged. Or if its just NOT worth it.. regards![/QUOTE]Don't mean to rag on you but weren't you boasting about a 3 pop TLN for 90K pesos? But now you're willing to spend 9 million pesos (or more!) to bring an SUV to Colombia?? It's funny how some guys will haggle with a puta for 10K pesos (pride and ego thing I guess) but the wallet is wide open for other stuff. :) I think the import duty/tax for cars is 20 or 30 percent so that alone is crazy not to mention the cost of transporting it and dealing with the locals involved in the whole process. Yuck, not my idea of a fun vacation. If you want to blow millions of pesos, better off using a private driver all the time or just fly between the cities.

You live in Miami right? If you've flown on Avianca and have a freq. flyer account with them, you should have enough miles for a free internal flight or two. I have 30K plus miles on Avianca and if I had an extended stay, I'd definitely use them up to get me around.

Also, as someone mentioned already, the roads between the cities can be pretty iffy in some spots. Why risk damaging your car on unfamiliar roads? And let's not forget the crazy local drivers whether camionetas or cochecitos. Ever went with a group of friends out to a finca for the weekend? I can't imagine driving those roads myself, too stressful, I'd gladly take the bus which is far far cheaper. Who wants hassles when they're on vacation?

Finally, you mentioned once you're part Asian. An Asian looking guy driving an SUV on rural roads from Cali to Medellin?? That ain't low profile. I know Colombia isn't as dangerous as it used to be, but I'd say it's still the smart thing to do to keep a low profile, especially if you plan on staying for a couple of months.

[QUOTE=Phunluv]Don't mean to rag on you but weren't you boasting about a 3 pop TLN for 90K pesos? But now you're willing to spend 9 million pesos (or more!) to bring an SUV to Colombia?? It's funny how some guys will haggle with a puta for 10K pesos (pride and ego thing I guess) but the wallet is wide open for other stuff. :) I think the import duty/tax for cars is 20 or 30 percent so that alone is crazy not to mention the cost of transporting it and dealing with the locals involved in the whole process. Yuck, not my idea of a fun vacation. If you want to blow millions of pesos, better off using a private driver all the time or just fly between the cities.

You live in Miami right? If you've flown on Avianca and have a freq. flyer account with them, you should have enough miles for a free internal flight or two. I have 30K plus miles on Avianca and if I had an extended stay, I'd definitely use them up to get me around.

Also, as someone mentioned already, the roads between the cities can be pretty iffy in some spots. Why risk damaging your car on unfamiliar roads? And let's not forget the crazy local drivers whether camionetas or cochecitos. Ever went with a group of friends out to a finca for the weekend? I can't imagine driving those roads myself, too stressful, I'd gladly take the bus which is far far cheaper. Who wants hassles when they're on vacation?

Finally, you mentioned once you're part Asian. An Asian looking guy driving an SUV on rural roads from Cali to Medellin?? That ain't low profile. I know Colombia isn't as dangerous as it used to be, but I'd say it's still the smart thing to do to keep a low profile, especially if you plan on staying for a couple of months.[/QUOTE]

How can you "rag" on me? I dont even know you! I try not to take any information shared here personally. How you can let some words written about you(sometimes condecending) in a sex-forum bother you is beyond me. First of all, the bringing my car down, it was just a question, and I dont know if other people have done it or if its feasable monetarily wise. I dont know or didnt know if it would be 9mil pesos if thats what you say it is plus shipping. People told me hear that its not worth it so most likely I will shun it. I have driven all over Peru and have been to Colombia long enough and enough times where I was ready to give it a shot. 2nd 80 TLN should be comon ground, Not a boast. lol, funny I dont remember a "gloating" tone in that post, just stating the facts. p.s I fly A.A. because of the miles I get using my A.A. business credit card. lol

[QUOTE=Phunluv] ...
I hate cell phones too. . . the phones may be relatively cheap there, but calls are expensive especially Comcel which has the best coverage (at least in Medellin, could be different in other cities). So yes, get a cheap cell phone, but also use the street vendors where the prices are 200 to 300 pesos a minute. Those are the cheapest rates that I've seen out there. Calling from your cell will be significantly more than that, especially with Comcel ...
[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure what the hatred of cel phones is all about ... but ...
I personally love the cel phone. You're right, the useage rates can be high, big deal, just don't chat away.

I'm saying the obvious here, but the cel is great for storing chicas numbers and info, taxistas, etc, etc.

Like you say, use the street vendor phones to make your calls when able, but have your cel to store your info and have as a backup.

I actually have 2 colombian cels. One I keep as a backup to store important numbers just in case the other gets lost / stolen.

Make sure you're good at putting the cel on silent mode though. Don't want to have your cel ringing away when you're with another chica :)

One of the first things I get for a new guy I bring to Colombia is a cel phone ... almost essential if you're into meeting and going out with various chicas.

Take care amigos :)

Gents,

I hope someone can assist:

A friend of mine has a container full of furniture that he wants to bring to Medellin. He has been told of a few places that supposedly can do it. However, he has some reserves about who to go with.

So the question is: Has anyone (or anyone you know) actually had a container shipped to Colombia successfully and with little to no problem? If so can you post something here or pass along a contact number or email to my friend to get some general info as to who was used and how they did. Or you can e-mail me at [email]cuba_nut@yahoo.com[/email]


Thanks,


Cubanut

[QUOTE=Cubanut]Gents,

I hope someone can assist:

A friend of mine has a container full of furniture that he wants to bring to Medellin. He has been told of a few places that supposedly can do it. However, he has some reserves about who to go with.

So the question is: Has anyone (or anyone you know) actually had a container shipped to Colombia successfully and with little to no problem? If so can you post something here or pass along a contact number or email to my friend to get some general info as to who was used and how they did. Or you can e-mail me at [email]cuba_nut@yahoo.com[/email]


Thanks,


Cubanut[/QUOTE]

This place was given to me by ACUERPADO! [url]www.seaboardmarine.com[/url]

[quote=ricker]i'm not sure what the hatred of cel phones is all about ... but ...
i personally love the cel phone. you're right, the useage rates can be high, big deal, just don't chat away.

i'm saying the obvious here, but the cel is great for storing chicas numbers and info, taxistas, etc, etc.

like you say, use the street vendor phones to make your calls when able, but have your cel to store your info and have as a backup.

i actually have 2 colombian cels. one i keep as a backup to store important numbers just in case the other gets lost / stolen.

make sure you're good at putting the cel on silent mode though. don't want to have your cel ringing away when you're with another chica :)

one of the first things i get for a new guy i bring to colombia is a cel phone ... almost essential if you're into meeting and going out with various chicas.

take care amigos :)[/quote]i agree with you 110% about the importance of cell phones. maybe hate is too strong a word, i'm just not a chit-chat type of person so i've never really cared for cell phones. it's just one more thing to carry and keep track of which i find annoying sometimes, i like a simple life. :)

notice how you rarely see colombianos blab away on their cell phones unlike the states. many chicas want that flashy motorola razr, but they'll rarely call you on it, just "timbrar" ha! even high-estrata colombianos, they love to sport their flashy phones, but when it comes to having minutes, well that's a different story. ;)

just a pet peeve of mine, imho the cell phone business is a racket in that country. everything else in colombia is so affordable like food, taxis, and chicas. it's just crazy to me that hiring a taxista for an hour costs far far less than 60 min on a cell. at least that's the way i look at it! people don't want to overpay the chicas. . . i say yes to that of course but i don't want to make the cell phone companies rich either, you can easily blow a lot of money in minutes because all these chicas expect you to call them, they will usually only "timbrar" you.

yes, do bring a backup phone and do know your silent mode. i also keep all important #s and contacts online and on my laptop, not to mention a hard copy.

[QUOTE=MiamiHeatLuver]First of all, the bringing my car down, it was just a question, and I dont know if other people have done it or if its feasable monetarily wise. I dont know or didnt know if it would be 9mil pesos if thats what you say it is plus shipping. People told me hear that its not worth it so most likely I will shun it.[/QUOTE]I figure your SUV would be valued at least 20K USD so that's $4000 in import taxes given a 20% rate but it could be way higher, say 30%, I honestly don't remember. That's where I got the 9 million COP estimate. But it could be even way higher than that which is just crazy. Just think of all the 80-100K COP TLNs you could get for that kind of money!! ;) As for the other stuff, it just seemed amusing the juxtaposition of a 90K COP TLN and the $money$ (and hassle!) involved in importing a car, that's why I posted, no offense intended.

i hope nobody in admin minds, but this would be an appropriate place to plug the discussion forum at [url]www.colombianblog.com[/url] ... i mod the "moving to colombia" section there and am very proud of it, it's an excellent resource.

my personal take as somebody who is just some months away from moving to colombia more or less permanently--- take as little with you as possible, there is almost nothing in colombia that you can't buy at the same price or cheaper than the us. at any rate, twice moved = once burnt down in the best of circumstances. and colombian customs is a ***** from hell on wheels and steroids, horror stories abound about people getting shit permanently confirep001ed and auctioned off.

as for shipping a new or even fairly new suv

-it won't fit in practically any colombian parking space and won't even fit on some roads
-it will get trashed all to hell within a year if you use it for going back and forth from the coast
-there's a possibility that it may be stolen
-unless you are used to driving in a place like colombia you also have an elevated risk of getting into an accident
-you will not save money over other methods of transportation. gas is expensive in colombia and so are tolls etc. for many destinations, unless you are filling your car up with people and getting everybody to split the costs (fat fucking chance of that), you can wind up paying more to get there by car than you would getting a ticket on a top of the line bus to the same destination, this not taking into account wear and tear or any other of the above points.

Thanks to all those who helped regarding cell phones in Colombia. Based on the input, I guess I'll buy an unlocked black Motorola RAZR in the U. S. And buy a SIM card in Colombia. Thanks, Cachorro, for the tip about the passport and photocopy. You saved me a runaround.

Ricker, I realized a long time ago that people (especially Colombians) don't understand why I hate cell phones. For example, let's say I go to a popular American sports bar. When I go to a sports bar, I go to watch sports or to talk to the people I'm with (or both). I guess I'm weird because everybody else in the bar isn't watching sports or talking to the people that they are with. It seems like everyone is having separate inane conversations on their individual cell phones with people that aren't there. To me, that's absurd.

Start listening to the ubiquitous cell phone conversations of Americans that take place around you all day, everyday. What percentage of those conversations are intelligent or constructive?

In Colombia, the situation is even more absurd. You see Colombians with the latest and greatest cell phones, but they don't have 20K pesos in the bank. They don't even have money for usage of their cell phones. It seems like their priorities are a little screwed up.

Image is everything in Colombia.

And it's not just cell phones. Has anybody noticed the "Old Parr" craze in Colombia? I'm not a scotch drinker, but I doubt that that Old Parr is a good brand of scotch. Any scotch drinkers here? Colombians are adamant that Old Parr is the apex of the liquor universe. Of course, they erroneously call it whiskey instead of scotch. Don't bother trying to inform them that Chivas is a better brand of scotch. And trying to explain that you prefer rum (or vodka or gin) is wasted effort. If you don't buy a bottle of Old Parr, then Colombians assume you must be destitute. Despite the fact that you've been partying every night in Colombia for months.

At any rate, I admit defeat. I am a pragmatist. I am officially laying down my sword, and I am going to become a superficial slave to fashion like most Colombians. I am going to buy an unlocked black Motorola RAZR for usage in Colombia. I am tired of explaining to Colombians that I am not destitute because I dislike cell phones. Which ought to be obvious due to the length of my stays in Colombia and my choice of hotels, but Colombian analytical abilities are often lacking. In fact, phone calls to cell phones from my hotel room are far more costly than buying a cell phone and using a cell phone.

Sorry for the rant, and thanks again to those who helped.

[QUOTE=Ted Nugent] ... Ricker, I realized a long time ago that people (especially Colombians) don't understand why I hate cell phones. For example, let's say I go to a popular American sports bar. When I go to a sports bar, I go to watch sports or to talk to the people I'm with (or both). I guess I'm weird because everybody else in the bar isn't watching sports or talking to the people that they are with. It seems like everyone is having separate inane conversations on their individual cell phones with people that aren't there. To me, that's absurd.

Start listening to the ubiquitous cell phone conversations of Americans that take place around you all day, everyday. What percentage of those conversations are intelligent or constructive?

In Colombia, the situation is even more absurd. You see Colombians with the latest and greatest cell phones, but they don't have 20K pesos in the bank. They don't even have money for usage of their cell phones. It seems like their priorities are a little screwed up.

Image is everything in Colombia ...
[/QUOTE]

Like I said before, for me having a cel phone is essential. I don't carry one for image, I carry one because it's a great tool to have.

However, you are sooooo right on about some people who just have to be talking on their phones ... everywhere. And why do they have to talk so loud? Like we all want to hear their conversation.

It's not the cel phone that's ridiculous, it's the dummy that's using it :)

[QUOTE=Ted Nugent]Thanks to all those who helped regarding cell phones in Colombia. Based on the input, I guess I'll buy an unlocked black Motorola RAZR in the U. S. And buy a SIM card in Colombia. Thanks, Cachorro, for the tip about the passport and photocopy. You saved me a runaround.

Ricker, I realized a long time ago that people (especially Colombians) don't understand why I hate cell phones. For example, let's say I go to a popular American sports bar. When I go to a sports bar, I go to watch sports or to talk to the people I'm with (or both). I guess I'm weird because everybody else in the bar isn't watching sports or talking to the people that they are with. It seems like everyone is having separate inane conversations on their individual cell phones with people that aren't there. To me, that's absurd.

Start listening to the ubiquitous cell phone conversations of Americans that take place around you all day, everyday. What percentage of those conversations are intelligent or constructive?

In Colombia, the situation is even more absurd. You see Colombians with the latest and greatest cell phones, but they don't have 20K pesos in the bank. They don't even have money for usage of their cell phones. It seems like their priorities are a little screwed up.

Image is everything in Colombia.

And it's not just cell phones. Has anybody noticed the "Old Parr" craze in Colombia? I'm not a scotch drinker, but I doubt that that Old Parr is a good brand of scotch. Any scotch drinkers here? Colombians are adamant that Old Parr is the apex of the liquor universe. Of course, they erroneously call it whiskey instead of scotch. Don't bother trying to inform them that Chivas is a better brand of scotch. And trying to explain that you prefer rum (or vodka or gin) is wasted effort. If you don't buy a bottle of Old Parr, then Colombians assume you must be destitute. Despite the fact that you've been partying every night in Colombia for months.

At any rate, I admit defeat. I am a pragmatist. I am officially laying down my sword, and I am going to become a superficial slave to fashion like most Colombians. I am going to buy an unlocked black Motorola RAZR for usage in Colombia. I am tired of explaining to Colombians that I am not destitute because I dislike cell phones. Which ought to be obvious due to the length of my stays in Colombia and my choice of hotels, but Colombian analytical abilities are often lacking. In fact, phone calls to cell phones from my hotel room are far more costly than buying a cell phone and using a cell phone.

Sorry for the rant, and thanks again to those who helped.[/QUOTE]

Everything you said is 100% true and full of irony, especially the part about wanting/having the RAZR and not having lets say 5mil in their pocket and the old parr craze is in full effect! ALSO if you notice EVERYTHING in Colombia is LABELS,, even though 99% is fake bullshit from el centro they dont know the difference between a $100 button down Banana Republic shirt and 10mil copia armani exchange made in china tee.. oh the Irony! he he lol

Oh guys for fucks sake don't turn this into a thread slagging Colombia.

Point of FACT, this is a monger board, people on it are not generally going to get a good appreciation of the Colombian mindset by hanging around 18 year old grillas.

People all over the Earth act like that, Colombia hardly has a handle on it or is ANY worse than any other place on in the planet. NYC's providers are just as bad for having the latest cellphone and can't afford the minutes, constantly changing numbers because they can't pay the bill etc.

Anybody who thinks Colombia is worse than the US in terms of people knowing to manage their money is totally fucking ignorant about the US!!!

And I don't know a single Colombian who would touch Old Parr. Once again, statements like that just indicate what kind of company you are keeping. When we go out in Bogota, i flat out refuse to order imported liquor, and not once has anybody complained. We always go for a bottle of Caldas or Cristal.

Found something both stupid and amusing at the same time!

[url]http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Colombian_Women[/url]