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 Topic: Tips & Tricks for TravelersThe new items published under this topic are as follows.
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Taking a taxi is cheap in Cartagena, but not always: As there are no taximeters in Cartagena drivers charge based on an official table. Unfortunately drivers like to overcharge visitors though the fares are clearly defined in an offcial pricelist. Drivers are obliged to carry this "lista de precios", but they usually don't. There are some little tricks to avoid problems: The most important part is to understand pricing scheme while moving by taxi in Cartagena.
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Colombian immigration laws permit a maximum stay of 6 months per year as a tourist. Visitors of most countries do not need a visa in advance but get the visa stamped into their passport upon arrival. Be aware that the immigration officer decides about the initial period of your stay: 30, 60 or 90 days. If you plan to stay more than one month you should advise the officials on arrival - before your passport gets stamped! - If you wish to stay longer than the period authorized on your initial entry stamp you should go to an immigration office and ask for an extension. Do this in time, a few days before your visa expires as there is some paperwork involved: You might have to give fingerprints and you will have to pay a fee of roughly USD 40 to a bank account. Be aware that Colombian authorities are very strict with these dates - Whenever you pass your maximum stay you will be fined before you can leave the country!
If you need a visa extension in Cartagena you will have to go to the foreigners department of local DAS office in the "Pie de la Popa" neighbourhood.
Immigration Office Cartagena:
DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad)
Extranjería
Carrera 20 B No. 29-18 Pie de la Popa
Tel: 6568003 - 6560646 - 6562524- 6664665
Open from 8-12 and 2-5, monday through friday.
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Banks are closed until tuesday, "Porro" music playing everywhere: The "Fiestas de la Independencia de Cartagena" - (Cartagena Indepence Festival) has started. Today, Thursday, is the day of the biggest parade, "El Bando". Carnaval groups from all over Colombia as well as the local beauty queens will present themselves to the public: Best place to watch, drink and dance is Avenida Santander, the main street between Cartagena's city wall and the sea. The party starts at 2PM and will continue until next monday.
The "Fiestas de la Independencia de Cartagena" is an local event, not no be mixed with the national beauty competition, "Concurso Nacional de Belleza". Both events are held at the same time. While the first is an popular event held as a tribute to the independence of Cartagena, the second is an commercial event which ends in the most important national TV show on monday night, when international stars accompany the coronation of next Miss Colombia. - The popular "Indepence Queen" of Cartagena will be crowned already one day before in an mass event on Plazas de los Coches.
The fiesta of Cartagena is wild: If you want to take part don't take cameras, watches and wear old clothes. Peolpe throw paint, oil, powder and fireworks. While todays "Bando" is the biggest and most popular event of the festival there are several other parades during the next days. The most tradional and maybe most beautiful parade is the "Cabilde de Getsemaní" on Sunday. The parade ends on Plaza Trinidad, where exactly 196 years ago the indedepence of Cartagena was declared.
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In only two months the forum members of Peter Van Dijck,s Poor But Happy Colombia Guide put together an impressive collection on travelers information on Colombia. The Cartagena section is not very extensive but the guide offers excellent general information on Colombia as well as very detailed sections on Bogotá and Medellin. The guide will be updated continuously in an collaborative work of forum users and provide up-to-date travelers information. You may order a printed version or just download free and print yourself at http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/files/guide1.pdf.
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Visitors' advice: 25 things you should be wary of in Cartagena
1.Never, ever change money on the street. Unlike other South American countries, there is no blackmarket, and it is not safe or recommended. Getting short-changed or handed fake bills, or having your wallet snatched from your hands in broad daylight are common scams. Cartagena has plenty of banks and casas de cambios. Many large hotels and emerald shops will change dollars, and most of the larger businesses accept US dollar bills. Exchange rates for other currencies are very poor.
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Plaza de Trinidad, Cartagena's oldest square actually hosts a very special cultural event: Sponsored by the German embassy and realized by the local Casa Cultural Colombo-Alemán you can watch fotball-related movies at no charge. Beer gets provided by the cornerstores at unbeatable prices. Hamburgers, hot dogs and arepas you will find at the stands around the plaza. The series is to be continued in Casa Bolivar, though without food, drinks and the lovely neighbourhood athmosphere of Plaza Trinidad. Anyhow a must, not only for footbal enthusiasts!
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.. it won't help you that much! Wherever you took your classes, you will have to re-learn some basic expressions if you want to survive with the "Costeños". Don't even try to get along with your "Castellano" if you are on the Colombian Coast, never use the expressions learned in Cartagena if you are NOT on the coast! Words like "chévere" (="cool", "excellent") might be understood in Bogotá, but there are more local slang words that you shouldn't even try to translate. Some friends from Barranquilla just published the "El nuevo Diccionario Costeño"
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Barranquilla is just about one our by car from Cartagena. Though this city is not a mayor tourist attraction it is worth to visit: Barranquilla is the most important coastal town, celebrates its famous "Carnaval de Barranquilla", has an international airport and is the home town of Shakira as well as the national footbal team. As the distance from Cartagena is very short its common to do a daytrip to the nearby capital.
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El mapa del Centro de Cartagena está disponible para la descarga en versión PDF. Requiere un lector PDF como Acrobat Reader o símilar. Por favor tenga en cuenta que el archivo es propiedád intelectual de LOCIR. Puede usarlo, pero no de redistribuirlo o republicarlo.
Descargue el mapa Aquí.
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Cartagena
