bienvenido a Bucamaranga

[dennislevy]

I arrived in Bucamaranga on the 8th and stayed at the Hotel El Pilar (calle 34, numer 24-09 for 4 days. I got them down to 80,000 from 93,0000 for a couple, Internet is free, breakfast is included, very good chow and a nice hotel...and hot water!!!!
 
I came to meet a woman it didnt work out...and she left in a huff on the morning of the 12th and although I was polite, I was relieved.....we simply didn t emotionally  match up  I stayed one more night at 45,000 same room.....
 
Bucamaranga  is a very green city, lots of trees, lots of parks.....not particualarly cheap....but I probably did better wth the hotel then say for an equvalent value in Laureles in Medellin.
 
Prices seemed to be the same as Medellin. but i I found ONE good deal...a chicken sandwich with French fries and a small side of salad for 6300 pesos in the restaurant of the Hotel Austirias...a few blocks form the Hotel del Pilar. 
 
I had heard heard about a very nice hostal in cañaveral in Floridablanca with is next to or part of Bucamaranga. 
 
Off the Cañaveral  exit on the highway through Bucamaranga is an Exito and the La Florida mall and a neighborhood of streets with nice and not particularly expensive restaurtants. The hostal called Hostal Don Juan Por Turismo and Salud is located at Calle 32, numero 26-38 in Canaveral-Floridablanca...remember its not in Bucamaranga proper.
 
This hostal is a jewel. The owners rent three rooms in their home...I had a very large immaculately clean room with two beds for 40.000 pesos and the bathroom is 15 feet away from my room, large and clean with HOT water.
I can walk down the block to a panderia and there are a bunnch of decent restaurants on the street.
 
The owners are Jorge and Marta. They lived in the USA for 8 years, Jorge speaks good English, Marta speaks close to impeccable English. Jorge is gregarious and friendly...he and I have discussed Colombian women, Colombian culture and Wordl War all in Spanish.....and we ve played chess.
 
Yesterday was my birthday, 58 and I arranged a first date for coffee at 10 AM in the morning. I just wanted to spend part of my birthday not alone!
 
But there was the all important chemistry  and t turned into a lot more, so I had a lovely birthday. We met for coffee in the morning , lunch yesterday, went to dinner  last night and lunch today and the total tab was 75,000 peso call it $43.00 USD for three coffees and 6 meals!!!!! 
 
The lady was my guest for the night and asked me to keep her company this morning, she is a functionary for a civil notaria (something like City Hall) and she had to talk to two guys trying to do a land deal.....and give them the offical description of the boundaries. 
 
She had never met either of them before , so she felt comfortable with me there although she and I had met just 24 hours before!  I just sat in a chair, read a book and listened to the conversation at the dining room table of the prospective buyer and smiled....at the polite bitching about the boundaries. When land is involved...its the same in English or Spanish!
 
After the meeting....the prospective seller drove us to the pubelo of Floridabanca and the lady and I had lunch in a comida typica restaurant, big....wooden tables and the ever present white plastic lawn chairs, not elegant but VERY good chow, we split a big platter of grilled churrasco the equvalent of flank steak, but juicy and with some fat....a big portion of yuca with a slighty spicy sauce ,  a large green salad and two 350 ml Cokes for 20,000 pesos...thats 2 large steak lunches for about 12.00 US.
 
And after we walked over to the town square and park, full of life and people I stopped in front of the statue of Bolivar and with a straight face asked her Who is Bolivar?   She looked at me for a second, I cracked up and she realized I was joking
 
All in all a lovely birthday......
 
 

[whitey]

I always enjoy reading your vignettes of life in Colombia Dennis ... Happy Birthday!

[Dan Las Vegas]

Happy Birthday Dennis,
 
Keep up the trip reports, it is great to hear about places most of us never have visited in Colombia. 
 
Dan LV

[V_Man]

Happy Birthday Denis!

[dennislevy]

Thank you for the b day wishes!

I m leaving Bucamaranga today and heading towards Pereria.

I was here 14 days...and all in all I liked the city quite a bit.  i think its the most liveable place I ve seen in Colombia in terms of overall quality of life. Its a city perched in a valley and on hills.....the prices are in line with Medlelin.

I met 4 women in Bucaramanga, three of the four came from Cupido. one I arranged to meet here, that lasted 3 and a half days, I had a lovely day or so tryst on my birthday, a third date was one and out.....the owners of the hostal set me up with a niece...2 hours at the Crepes and Waffles in Mega Mall, 45,000 pesos later.....and I politely cut her and there was no real chemistry fo rme.

he fourth is a 51 year old widow, just a GREAT woman. I had three date with her. Her life is instructive for gringos who REALLY want to understand something about what some Colombian women go though.

She is one of nine children, she  married at 18, was widowed at 36 with three kids, her husband was shot and killed in a car jacking in Bogota. All three kids have graduated or are attending university... The year after her husband was kileld......she met a Colombian, a professional civil servant fairly high up who wanted to have children but not a marriage, So,  they had a daughter together who is now 14. He financially supports his daughter (now 14) completely and sees her aobut 6 times a year, the daughter lives with her mom in Bucamaranga, he lives in Bogota

23 years ago, the woman s father and an older brother were kidnapped from their house inear a small pueblo in Santander by guerillas and or bandits and when they refused to go with the gueriallas they were executed.....on the spot.

So this woman has lost 4 important men in her life... three by violence. When you re talking with Colombian women, never underestimate or disregard the effects of La Violencia in their lives...

She was very affectionate but prevenida  and if I want to see if there  can be  more...then I have to return to Bucamaranga.

I don t blame her...and I completely respect her.   

The only negariuve about Bucamaranga, some women are quite beautiful but overall women I thought that women have stern hard faces...

 
 

[AndyLee]

You know, I've noticed recently, rather obviously, that Gromit and Researcher both have similar skills in satire and photo manipulation. Why does that seemingly innocent observation, made without any forethought or justification on my part, still seem to make me feel uneasy?

[AndyLee]

As far as I’m concerned grommit is one of the good guys too…I hate to see you guys fight over nothing, important…why don't you boys just let it go and be buddies, you both have probably had too much red wine and coffee through the years so you can have a tandem teeth whitening session amongst the stone faced babes of Bucamaranga.


Fathertime!

right on FT.....let's have civility, it's better for the forum.

[AndyLee]

Andy.
 
I didnt start this....
 
and I hope that I am always a civil poster...
 
I like you, we ve had great phone conversations, we ll meet soon.  I am not asking you to take sides. if you want to maintain a friendship with Gromit/Tinto/Pablo thats your choice....and it wont affect my friendship with you.
 
Dennis
 .

Thanks Dennis, I'm looking forward to meeting you. Enjoy your stay in Medellin.
andy

[Researcher]

        I have looked over this thread for some reason.Didn't see it until now.

       Happy belated birthday Dennis.

       Maybe Charles Muntz met the wrong Dennis in Bogota......

       



       Researcher

       

[robert angel]

Happy belated birthday, Dennis!
Most of your posts are gifts to others, in and of themselves and I salute you for those contributions.

[robert angel]

Re:
>>Johnny Unitas, the legendary quarterback had an ongoing feud with his head coach, Don Shula. The reasons for the feud were varied but when Unitas was released by the Colts, someone asked him what he really thought about Shula.
 And Unitas replied....

If he (Shula) was on fire, I wouldn't walk across the street to piss in his throat.
 
I wish I could take credit for that line!

Dennis, That is funny! I'm not sure if Unitas (great ball player!) said it first, but this is similar:

"If my competitor was drowning, I'd stick a hose in his mouth and turn the water on". ~ Ray Kroc, Founder of McDonald's, speaking about competition.

Speaking of MacDonald's and  said almost as sweetly, but with even less tact, was San Diego and former Yankee (plus 9 other M.L.teams) pitching ace 'Goose' Gossage, who angry at his manager, spited him in public and at the same time, felt compelled to insult the team's owner, Ray Kroc's widow, Joan Kroc with this gem:

"She's poisoning the world with her hamburgers."

15 years later, I still remember laughing at that one. Some people.....
 

[dennislevy]

Robert
 
I am a huge baseball fan....I remember the Goose well.  But one my favorite sports insults was Dallas Cowboys linebacker Hollywood Henderson s comment  about Steeler QB Terry Bradshaw before a Super Bowl
 
he s so dumb, he couldnt spell CAT if you spotted him the C and the T.
 
Bradshaw threw three or four touchdowns and was the MVP of the Super Bowl, I want to say 1974 or 75.....  Henderson faded into anonymity but won a huge mult million dollar lottery a few years ago.
 
Robert, after all that vitriol, its nice to have a pause...thank you.
 
i certainly dont think I disprected the women of Bucamaranga. I saw some beauties...and some were young.....but many mature women seemed to have stern faces...and the strenth of character of santanderinas is a national stereotype in Colombia
 
I did like the city quite a bit, its tranquil....much less congested then Medellin
 
Thanks again!
 
Dennis

[michaelb]

 And Unitas replied....

If he (Shula) was on fire, I wouldnt walk across the street to piss in his throat.
 

One of my favorites along that line:

Drill Instructor: So I suppose when I die you're going to come to the cemetery to piss on my grave?

Recruit: No, Sergeant. When I get of of the army I never going to wait in line again.

[robert angel]

Dennis, Dan's probably gonna want to kill me, for doing this, but Yogi did say (supposedly) a lot of memorable, funny stuff. So did Satchel Paige--as the great Casey Stengal said: "You can look it up".
Naturally, really in person, Yogi's a very intelligent person and above all, by those who know him, a helluva  'nice guy' too. as a kid, my dad used to slide down the shute where they dumped the coal into the old Yankee Stadium, about a 120 foot, steep slide into the bowels of the old park, to get in free to see his beloved 'Bronx Bombers" for free.

Yogi Berra's second claim to fame is for being one of the most quoted figures in the sports world. He is credited with coining the deceptively simplistic observation, "It ain't over till it's over." But he's also known for his flubs. Here is a collection of the most notorious of these. 


 

• "This is like deja vu all over again."
   
• "You can observe a lot just by watching."
   
• "He must have made that before he died." -- Referring to a Steve McQueen movie.
   
• "I want to thank you for making this day necessary." -- On Yogi Berra Appreciation Day in St. Louis in 1947.
   
• "I'd find the fellow who lost it, and, if he was poor, I'd return it." -- When asked what he would do if he found a million dollars.
   
• "Think! How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"
   
• "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."
   
• "I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early."
   
• "If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else."
   
• "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him."
   
• "You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six."
   
• "Baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical."
   
• "It was impossible to get a conversation going; everybody was talking too much."
   
• "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting."
   
• "A nickel isn't worth a dime today."
   
• "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded."
   
• "It gets late early out there." -- Referring to the bad sun conditions in left field at the stadium.
   
• "Glen Cove." -- Referring to Glenn Close on a movie review television show.
   
• Once, Yogi's wife Carmen asked, "Yogi, you are from St. Louis, we live in New Jersey, and you played ball in New York. If you go before I do, where would you like me to have you buried?" Yogi replied, "Surprise me."
   
• "Do you mean now?" -- When asked for the time.
   
• "I take a two hour nap, from one o'clock to four."
   
• "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
   
• "You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough in the second half you give what's left."
   
• "90% of the putts that are short don't go in."
   
• "I made a wrong mistake."
   
• "Texas has a lot of electrical votes." -- During an election campaign, after George Bush stated that Texas was important to the election.
   
• "Thanks, you don't look so hot yourself." -- After being told he looked cool.
   
• "I always thought that record would stand until it was broken."
   
• "Yeah, but we're making great time!" -- In reply to "Hey Yogi, I think we're lost."
   
• "If the fans don't come out to the ball park, you can't stop them."
   
• "Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel."
   
• "It's never happened in the World Series competition, and it still hasn't."
   
• "How long have you known me, Jack? And you still don't know how to spell my name." -- Upon receiving a check from Jack Buck made out to "bearer."
   
• "I'd say he's done more than that." -- When asked if first baseman Don Mattingly had exceeded expectations for the current season.
   
• "The other teams could make trouble for us if they win."
   
• "He can run anytime he wants. I'm giving him the red light." -- On the acquisition of fleet Ricky Henderson.
   
• "I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?"
   
• "It ain't the heat; it's the humility."
   
• "The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase."
   
• "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours."
   
• "I didn't really say everything I said."

 
 

[Osa]

all nonsense aside, I actually enjoyed this trip report

[Flyboy777]

Dennis...


Probably been asked and answered already but....  In your travels around Colombia, have there been areas, cities, regions that you sensed a little "bad juju" regarding the possibility of Farc or the like?   I would imagine the big cities are mostly safe but the smaller cities you occasionally get to....


FB777

[benjio]

Flyboy,
 
I know this question was for Dennis, but I've also been all over Colombia during the last couple of years. Pretty much everywhere except Medellin. The only place that gave me a milky feeling in my stomach was Palmira. There I saw a group of guys with AK's just walking around and they definitely were not Colombian Army or Police. But I will admit I was once again in one of those barrios I had no business being in. I have a bad habbit of doing that. Thank heavens it hasn't caught up with me.

[dennislevy]

Flyboy
Sorry it took me so long to answer your question.

Ive never seen an outward manifestations of FARC...they are Colombian men and guerillas....and any number of men I passed in the street wherever I ve gone may have been members. But no specific FARC juju...I was warned that I should not go to Ayapel...(in Monteria) becuase it was a FARC red zone. see my trip report...Adios Ayapel....

I was there forssomething like 10 days, never had a problem.

In Colombia here is a pervasive presnce of  men with guns..several types of police, army, private security guards, private seciurity guards attached to armored trucks carrying money.

You just get used to it.

Urribe s program for internal  ecurity has improved the country......there is no doubtt of that. 50% of the time when i travel by bus......the bus gets stopped for a security check....I and the Colombian men stand with our hands on the side of the bus, I get politely patted down....and my passport gets handed back to me wiith a very polite.....gracias,muy amable,señor.

I ve been apprehensive a few times...but it wasn t specificlaly because of FARC, once in Bosa, a giant and very poor sector of South Bogota, once in Choco....and I had the downright heebe jeebies at two football matches in Bogota and Medellin (which I posted about)


.       

[utopiacowboy]

"So this woman has lost 4 important men in her life... three by violence. When you re talking with Colombian women, never underestimate or disregard the effects of La Violencia in their lives..."

You're right. Quite common. My wife lost her father, her husband and a brother-in-law to violence. I would say that everyone in Colombia has a similar story. OTOH many Americans can't name anyone who has been touched by violence - I can't.