Rookie seeks advice

[Bob_S]

After the end of your 1st trip, do keep some of the money in time for your next trip if you are planning to go back again.

That's right.  You will be using it again, so it doesn't hurt to land with a little of the local currency already in your pocket.  Unless the local economy is in freefall, you'll lose more from the transaction fees than you would in currency fluctuations anyway.  We got a couple hundred dollars in Yen stashed in a drawer for our next trip to visit the in-laws.

[thekfc]

That's right.  You will be using it again, so it doesn't hurt to land with a little of the local currency already in your pocket.  Unless the local economy is in freefall, you'll lose more from the transaction fees than you would in currency fluctuations anyway.  We got a couple hundred dollars in Yen stashed in a drawer for our next trip to visit the in-laws.

I was saving a few notes & the wife was also planning on saving a few notes for future visits.

However, in December 2010, the government that they were releasing new banknotes and the old ones would only be valid for 3 more years.  So we end up exchanging our notes in Manhattan - we kept a few notes & coins for souvenir.

[whitey]

Jason, there's no problem exchanging money in the airports, but I believe the exchange rates are not as good as the ATM's and banks.  There's no security issues using the money exchange in the airport, beyond the normal.  There are also ATM's that you can use in the airports.

I never bring my smart phone, but I know people who do.  They are becoming much more prevalent in Colombia in the larger cities, especially Bogota and Medellin, but it makes you more of a target and cell phone theft rate is VERY high in Colombia.  An iPhone would make a pretty tasty target.

You can pick up a cheap new Nokia in Colombia for between $50.000 and $75.000 (roughly $US28 to $38) - it's a good investment, especially if you are planning to come back.  Used phones can be had for even less.  Alternatively, if you have a cheaper phone yourself that will work down there, you can buy a chip for about $3.  Charging your phone with minutes is very easy - you can't swing a dead cat in Colombia without hitting 2 or 3 guys selling minutes.

Good luck!

[robert angel]

It's funny, yet sad, how the Filipino govt. fairly frequently rolls out new coins and paper money, eventually making the 'old' money worthless. In the boarding house my wife lived in, they had a large wooden chair that was covered with different obsolete Filipino coins that were worthless, but sort of pretty.

 
Many nations at various times in their histories, have suffered hyperinflation, including the USA, Philippines, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico and others, as included in this link:

 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation#Germany

 
I collect rare and unusual money and have half billion German Deutchmark notes from after WWI, when they had hyperinflation. Incredibly, they made much larger notes:

 
>>Germany went through its worst inflation in 1923. In 1922, the highest denomination was 50,000 Mark. By 1923, the highest denomination was 100,000,000,000,000 Mark. In December 1923 the exchange rate was 4,200,000,000,000 Marks to 1 US dollar<<
 
I have money from various wartime occupations, money with long gone dictators and regime's visages upon it, bills made of plastic, other strange materials and odd fabrics, coins of all different shapes and materials, etc.

 
Maybe the weirdest 'money' is Cambodian Khmer Rouge 'bank notes' (they didn't want to call it money). The Khmer Rouge, besides trying to kill off anybody remotely intellectual (meaning if you could read) decided to roll back the calendar to the year zero, outlawed 'money' as we know it. They tried to empty the cities to become an agrarian state and from 1975 to 1980, perpetuated genocide on their own population.

 
Some find collecting such weird and most of it doesn't really appreciate in value, but I do bring out some to show young folks just how 'out of wack' our world can get and remind them how it really could happen again. If the US dollar ceased to be the world's singular 'reserve currency', bad things could quite possibly happen here, especially with all the US treasury bonds certain nations abroad hold....

[vikingo]

Jason, I have a feeling you struck gold. I can't think of many colombianas who would chose Isla Baru over San Andrés. She is giving you a very nice first impression.
You need to learn at least those following phrases in Spanish in order to say something to her friends and family as to not appear like a complete moron and I will put a accent mark on every word for your pronounciation (some words like Bogotá use them officially, most words don't), or they won't understand what you're saying:
múcho gústo - nice to meet you
buénos días - good morning
buénas tárdes - good afternoon
buénas nóches - good night,      Note: día is masculine, tarde and noche are feminine
cómo está? - how are you (talking to one person)
cómo estádos? - to several persons in a group
The last two are the polite formal 'usted' form you can use with anyone in Bogotá, even children, it is very much in use amongst family members there as well, sometimes from parents to their children.
cómo estás? - how are you (informal)
cómo han estádos? - how are you, to several friends (informal) (the H in han is silent)
Hay múcho calór en Cartagéna - its very hot in Cartagena, (the H in hay is silent)
Es frío en Bogotá - its cold in ...
Avoid the expression 'tengo calor' - I am hot, as it could be taken the wrong way.
In formal Bogotá the two most important words are 'por favór' and 'grácias', please and thank you.
And finally 'lo siénto' - I'm sorry. Or 'lo siento mucho' - I'm very sorry.
 
Jason, you don't need to bring any dollars at all, two debit cards kept in different locations for safety will get you by and you will get the best exchange rate at any ATM.
The ATM Servibanca (light green color) will give you the most amount 780.000 pesos.
At some ATM's you can insert your card several times and each time you receive the same amount of cash, but you pay the ATM fees each time too.
Safest place to use an ATM is in a large store, but spend some time in the store after the withdrawal.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
:

[InnocentVixen]

múcho gústo - nice to meet you
buénos días - good morning
buénas tárdes - good afternoon
buénas nóches - good night,      Note: día is masculine, tarde and noche are feminine
cómo está? - how are you (talking to one person)
cómo estádosn? - to several persons in a group
The last two are the polite formal 'usted' form you can use with anyone in Bogotá, even children, it is very much in use amongst family members there as well, sometimes from parents to their children.
cómo estás? - how are you (informal)
cómo han estádos? - how are you, to several friends (informal) (the H in han is silent)
Hayce múcho calór en Cartagéna - its very hot in Cartagena, (the H in hay is silent)
EsHace frío en Bogotá - its cold in ...

• Avoid the expression 'estoy caliente' to say I am hot, since it's correct translation but what the native speaker will understand is 'I am horny' to say 'tengo calor' is fine, just avoid the word caliente unless you mean to say horny that is, or if you are talking about the soup/coffee being hot...

In formal Bogotá the two most important words are 'por favór' and 'grácias', please and thank you.
And finally 'lo siénto' - I'm sorry. Or 'lo siento mucho' - I'm very sorry.

This is a very useful list I think, I took the liberty to make some corrections and notes, the red is supposed to be eliminated but left it there so you can tell what the correction was, I hope it's not confusing. Best of luck~

[vikingo]

Vixen, your corrections are easily understood and very much appreciated. Thank you!
I just discovered this website which may also be of some use to a first time Spanish speaker:
 
http://spanish.about.com/od/spanishfortravelers/a/greetings.htm
 
As a reward for helping me out with my mediocre Spanish, I am sending you
this song from a famous Italian singer who has been totally blind since the age of 12. I'm sure you've heard of him. He also sings in Spanish and English.
Sometimes the youtube website will turn on automatically as well and you will get an eco, so either it or this site needs to be turned off. But you know that already.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcrfvP11Hbo&feature=related
 
 


Lyrics in Spanish and English:

http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?letra=1412941

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/a/andrea_bocelli/con_te_partiro_english.html
 

[JasonA]

Hey, Everyone!!
 
Just got back to Nashville...   safe 'n sound!! Ha!!  It was a great trip: Bogota to Cartagena to Mucura Island (Punta Faro Resort) and back.  I am tired and have to work in the morning. I will try to type up a trip report in the next few days and give you all the details.
 
Thank you to all the posters on here that gave such great advice! It helped a lot!!

[whitey]

Glad to hear you had a good time, Jason ... looking forward to hearing more.

You realize that you are ruined now and hooked for life ... already thinking about your next trip ..?