Where to stay in Bogotá? Part 2

By -
When my husband and I received the referral for our son in May of 2010, we considered staying at Zuetana again, but ultimately decided to rent a private apartment for several reasons. The first reason was that we knew we were probably looking at a long stay and we wanted to be as comfortable as possible -- with our daughter we ended up in Bogotá for 9 weeks, and with our son we were there for 7 weeks.

For us, this meant that the kids needed to have separate rooms so as not to disturb each other during naps and at night. My husband needed an office since he was going to be working during our stay in Colombia, and it also allowed us to have a "family room" where my husband and I could hang out at night, watch TV, talk on the phone, etc... and not worry about waking the kids.

The second reason was that we knew renting an apartment would give us a little more privacy. We could walk out into the hall wearing our PJ's (or less!) and not have to worry about it, and we wouldn't have to put up with a lot of noise and hubub.

The third reason was that after doing some research and comparing prices, we found the apartment to be much more affordable than the adoption hotel. Plus, it came with great amenities such as a Vonage phone line that allowed us to make free unlimited calls to the U.S., a computer with free dedicated Internet access, and the best part- a maid who came every day except Sunday and cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and even grocery shopped for us!!

To be fair, the downside of renting an apartment is that it is a little more isolated. If you are a really social person, you might like the aspect of having other families around at the adoption hotel to talk to and do activities with. On the other hand, though, I think there is something to be said for having some quiet, private family bonding time during those initial weeks of becoming a new family, especially if you are adopting older kids or sibling groups.

I want to also mention that we felt very safe in the apartment. It was located in a very good neighborhood, and it was guarded by private security 24/7.

For anybody that may be traveling to Bogotá to adopt in the near future, here are some links to check out for some apartments that can be rented. Hopefully this information will prove to be useful and help you make the best decision for lodging accommodations for you and your new child/children!



http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p266996
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p247092
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p247091
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p330608

Comments

Ed Lebert said…
I couldn't agree more. We wish we would have rented an apartment when adopting our four kids. Nothing bad to say specifically about our hotel, Las Palmas, except that it wasn't a good way to live as a new family of 6.
January 13, 2011 at 10:06 AM
Carolina D. said…
We also rented an apartment in Bucaramanga, we could've stayed with family but decided against because of privacy and bonding.
We were very glad to have done so, it made us feel more like if we were "home".
We will do it again if we decide to adopt in the future.
January 13, 2011 at 11:20 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Muisca Indigenous Names, from Hunza (Tunja)

By -
In response to this week’s posts on names, I have received several e-mails asking about the names of famous Colombians and their stories and about Indigenous names. I plan to spend the next three days sharing some of them. Also, I will continue to post more in the future and you will be able to find them all by clicking on the NAMES link the LABELS section to the right of the blog. Name: AQUIMÍN ( pronounced: ah key MEAN) or AQUIMINZAQUE (pronounced: ah key mean ZAH kay) When the Spanish arrived on the plains of Bogotá, 1536, they found a great nation. In fact, it was the third largest group of indigenous inhabitants in America. They called themselves the Muiscas , which meant ‘the people’. Their language was called Chibcha . The Muiscas were not a united group, but rather a collection of city states. The majority of the power was held by two main cities – what today are called Bogotá and Tunja (in Boyacá). These two cities were mortal enemies and each enlisted the loy
Read more

Popular Colombian Names

By -
Recently, I was asked to write a post on Colombian names, and popular Colombian names. I had a hard time finding a list, but eventually I did find one. According to I.N.E. - Instituto Nacional de Estadística, -- unfortunately, when I found this it doesn't say the year -- the most common Colombian boys names across all ages are: 1 JUAN CARLOS 2 CARLOS ALBERTO 3 ALEXANDER 4 ANDRES FELIPE 5 LUIS FERNANDO 6 DIEGO FERNANDO 7 JHON JAIRO 8 CARLOS ANDRES 9 ALEJANDRO 10 JUAN DAVID The girls are: 1 SANDRA MILENA 2 LUZ MARINA 3 CAROLINA 4 PAULA ANDREA 5 CLAUDIA PATRICIA 6 MARIA EUGENIA 7 PAOLA ANDREA 8 DANIELA 9 LILIANA 10 MARTHA CECILIA Just as here, names go through ebb and flow. Fourteen years ago when we were married, I attended several baby baptisms and met numerous friends of my husband. At the time, it seemed like everyone was naming their kid Juan CAMILO (boy) or Maria CAMILA (girl). I met dozens of them. Then, about 7 years later, I heard tons of SANTIAGO, JULIAN, SEBASTIAN and FE
Read more

La Madremonte

By -
Image
The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad
Read more