General Info

[QUOTE=Ezyngo;1216614]Affirmative. My new girl is from Guarne. 30 minutes from Medellin. Check it out.[/QUOTE]Thank you for the reply, have you actually been there? Does the track have a website?

I think this would be a great way to spend a day, I love the track because it is a full day of entertainment, and it is something different.

There is only so many chicas, discos, bars, and ecotours I can do. The reason I travel so much is that I like the change of scenery and experiences.

I find it quite odd that in Colombia, a country that is so deeply cultured around horses has an extreme lack of race tracks. Especially in Medellin, where they have the Horse Parade (The Cabalgata). Pablo Escobar used to own dozens of race horses. I have also seen posters of horse shows around Colombia.

If anyone of you have a link to the track website, or have actually been to this track, I'd really appreciate to hear from you.

OD

Kidnapping is alive and well! If you are of some value or high profile you better watch your ass! They want you their going to get you. The trick is to be LOW profile in Colombia.

[url]http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57323558/abducted-major-leaguer-wilson-ramos-rescued/[/url]

Hi guys. Have not been to Colombia in almost 1 year. Returning for thanksgiving. Any advise where I can purchase custom shirts in Bogota? Cannot find info on this forum. Thanks.

[QUOTE=MiamiHeatLuver; 1216903]Kidnapping is alive and well! If you are of some value or high profile you better watch your ass! They want you their going to get you. The trick is to be LOW profile in Colombia.

[url]http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57323558/abducted-major-leaguer-wilson-ramos-rescued/[/url][/QUOTE]1) it took place in VENEZUELA.

2) FARC not mentioned in article.

3) the media never tells the whole story

[QUOTE=Bango Cheito; 1216963]1) it took place in VENEZUELA.

2) FARC not mentioned in article.

3) the media never tells the whole story[/QUOTE]1) No shit, who said it took place in Colombia?

2) "Five men were arrested in the kidnapping, including a Colombian "linked to paramilitary groups and to kidnapping groups," El Aissami said." You want to bet there are strong FARC ties or were just talking semantics here?

3) I like the media to get a general essence of the story. I'm sure Chavez has his fingerprints on this in some way.

[QUOTE=MiamiHeatLuver; 1216970]1) No shit, who said it took place in Colombia?

2)"Five men were arrested in the kidnapping, including a Colombian "linked to paramilitary groups and to kidnapping groups," El Aissami said." You want to bet there are strong FARC ties or were just talking semantics here?

3) I like the media to get a general essence of the story. I'm sure Chavez has his fingerprints on this in some way.[/QUOTE]If the article mentioned "paramilitary" groups in Colombia then that would not be los Farc. Paramilitary groups are alive and well in Colombia. Since they lost funding from the wealthy and government they have had to branch out in other areas searching for the lost revenue. Same rules that apply on Wall Street.

Thank you, the paras are groups who were formed to GET RID OF FARC!

And really a paramilitary could be just about ANYONE. Any police-army-military etc. Moonlighting as a vigilante or merc qualifies.

Anyways, aside from the guy hearing what he THOUGHT was a Colombian accent this story has nothing whatsoever to do with Colombia.

Yeah besides the hunt to look for the other 4 Colombian men involved, I don't see what this has to do with Colombia either.

"The authorities were still searching for at least four Colombian men who escaped during the rescue, El Aissami said. He did not say whether anyone was wounded in the gun battle."

[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/13/wilson-ramos-baseball-kidnap-rescue[/url]

And here are comparitive studies of the likes and differences between the Farc and Paramilitary groups in Colombia.

[url]http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2009/06_criminality_saab.aspx[/url]

"After the fall of the Medellin and and Cali drug cartels in the early 1990s and the subsequent disorganization of the drug market, the AUC and FARC were presented with a unique opportunity to expand their illegal activities. The paramilitaries used the new environment to solidify their participation in the Colombian drug industry and international trafficking and to expand their 'in-house' drug capabilities. FARC remained primarily focused on the domestic protection and production of cocaine and strengthened its links to international criminal organizations to move and distribute drugs."

[QUOTE=MiamiHeatLuver; 1217054]Yeah besides the hunt to look for the other 4 Colombian men involved, I don't see what this has to do with Colombia either.

"The authorities were still searching for at least four Colombian men who escaped during the rescue, El Aissami said. He did not say whether anyone was wounded in the gun battle."

[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/13/wilson-ramos-baseball-kidnap-rescue[/url]

And here are comparitive studies of the likes and differences between the Farc and Paramilitary groups in Colombia.

[url]http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2009/06_criminality_saab.aspx[/url]

"After the fall of the Medellin and and Cali drug cartels in the early 1990s and the subsequent disorganization of the drug market, the AUC and FARC were presented with a unique opportunity to expand their illegal activities. The paramilitaries used the new environment to solidify their participation in the Colombian drug industry and international trafficking and to expand their 'in-house' drug capabilities. FARC remained primarily focused on the domestic protection and production of cocaine and strengthened its links to international criminal organizations to move and distribute drugs."[/QUOTE]So fine. That means that Colombian kidnappers now have to do their biz IN VENEZUELA instead of Colombia. Has NOTHING whatsoever to do with travel risk to COLOMBIA!

The paras and FARC both deal in cocaine, but they have been fighting each other for the past 30 years. That's the ONLY thing they have in common.

[QUOTE=Bango Cheito; 1217216]So fine. That means that Colombian kidnappers now have to do their biz IN VENEZUELA instead of Colombia. Has NOTHING whatsoever to do with travel risk to COLOMBIA!

The paras and FARC both deal in cocaine, but they have been fighting each other for the past 30 years. That's the ONLY thing they have in common.[/QUOTE]What are you talking about? What it says here is that Colombian paramilitary groups are now expanding their reach into Venezuela as well. (they have probably operating there for years with Chavez's assistance which explains easy border crossing) did they all of a sudden become innocuous and stop all threatening activities in Colombia? LOL.

The paras and FARC are both heavily involved in kidnapping, money laundering, drug dealing, extortion. They probably leave each other alone I'm not sure, where did you see they have been fighting each other for 30 years? I would like to read about that.

[QUOTE=MiamiHeatLuver; 1217262]What are you talking about? What it says here is that Colombian paramilitary groups are now expanding their reach into Venezuela as well. (they have probably operating there for years with Chavez's assistance which explains easy border crossing) did they all of a sudden become innocuous and stop all threatening activities in Colombia? LOL.

The paras and FARC are both heavily involved in kidnapping, money laundering, drug dealing, extortion. They probably leave each other alone I'm not sure, where did you see they have been fighting each other for 30 years? I would like to read about that.[/QUOTE]No dude, Chavez has been accused (probably rightly) of collaborating with the FARC NOT the paras.

The whole para thing started 30 years ago with the AUC, which was formed by a bunch of wealthy Colombians with the help of Israeli mercs because they thought the government was being too soft on the rebels and wanted to end things once and for all.

The paras are NOT famous for kidnapping, the FARC and to an extent the ELN have been (although that's really a thing of 15-20 years ago now). The paras have been accused of such things as torture and mass killings in towns they believed were sympathizing with the guerillas.

The paras are extreme right, and the guerillas extreme left, which means if Colombian paras are operating in VEN, Chavez has absolutely no control over his own country, because those are NOT the kind of people he gets in bed with. Please get your facts straight before posting.

[QUOTE=Bango Cheito; 1217372]No dude, Chavez has been accused (probably rightly) of collaborating with the FARC NOT the paras.

The whole para thing started 30 years ago with the AUC, which was formed by a bunch of wealthy Colombians with the help of Israeli mercs because they thought the government was being too soft on the rebels and wanted to end things once and for all.

The paras are NOT famous for kidnapping, the FARC and to an extent the ELN have been (although that's really a thing of 15-20 years ago now). The paras have been accused of such things as torture and mass killings in towns they believed were sympathizing with the guerillas.

The paras are extreme right, and the guerillas extreme left, which means if Colombian paras are operating in VEN, Chavez has absolutely no control over his own country, because those are NOT the kind of people he gets in bed with. Please get your facts straight before posting.[/QUOTE]

I add a lot of links because I read a lot and I like to supply my sources. Yeah I know the ole adage "you shouldn't believe everything you read but what else do we have to go by?

I know Chavez has been accused of and probably IS working with the FARC http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/18077-santos-to-speak-with-chavez-about-farc-in-venezuela.html

I would even go as far as to say he probably hires some para (black ops style) as well to do some of his assassinations attempts on his Presidential opponents Like Maria Machado.

This was very brazen. [url]http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t2#/video/world/2011/11/14/tsr-assissination-attempt.cnn[/url]

Paramilitary groups not famous for kidnapping? That's all their famous for including assassination, drugs and extortion. Who do you think they are claiming is responsible for kidnapping the Washington Nationals player?

As for you comment that kidnapping was a thing of the past? I think was insanely misleading. Kidnappings are UP in Colombia 2011! [url]http://insightcrime.org/insight-latest-news/item/1362-kidnapping-growing-in-colombia-rebels-target-oil-workers[/url]

Please get you facts straight before you post things like insinuating kidnappings are a thing of the past "the FARC and to an extent the ELN have been (although that's really a thing of 15-20 years ago now)"

Kidnappings are alive and well in Colombia it's just that no high profile targets have been accosted YET but try and explain to any of the kidnapped oil workers families that they don't get the nationwide press notoriety because their husband was not "high profile and just an "oil worker"

Phew, That's enough for me tonight.. RD 2 tomorrow.. lol

Anyone have any info on a bus from CTG to MDE? How long a trip, price, and safety. The airfares have went up since the last time I did this trip so looking to save a few bucks. Who better to give it to, the airlines or the Chicas?

[QUOTE=John Gault;1217517]Anyone have any info on a bus from CTG to MDE? How long a trip, price, and safety. The airfares have went up since the last time I did this trip so looking to save a few bucks. Who better to give it to, the airlines or the Chicas?[/QUOTE][url]Http://www.expresobrasilia.com/ingles/coberturayrutas.html[/url]

It's safe and like 14 hrs. Try and take a night bus and a sleeping pill.

[QUOTE=MiamiHeatLuver; 1217541][url]Http://www.expresobrasilia.com/ingles/coberturayrutas.html[/url]

It's safe and like 14 hrs. Try and take a night bus and a sleeping pill.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the info.

One the things on my to do list is to get a BJ on a bus or plane. I have had a few driving a car. What better place than Colombia?

Almost forgot, make that a BBBJ.