Colombian Culture, Colombia Adoption and Raising Colombian Kids

Every year in June, the town of Calarcá, Quindío, hosts the annual YIPAO parade and festival. The term Yipao is actually derived from the English word for JEEP, as the festival pays homeage to the American made Jeep Willys that have become a symbol of the coffee growing region. In the mid 1940's, the first jeeps began to arrive in the region. Originally, they were imported by the Colombian Ministry of Defense, but soon the farmers in the coffee growing region began to purchase them because of the ease with which they traversed the difficult roads in the area. Soon, they were the main source of transportation for all sorts of agricultural products. The festival last for 5 days and culminates in a parade of Willys and a competition. The parade has beeen listed in Guinness as the longest Jeep parade. The competition has several categories and prizes are awarded for: 1. The best transporation of agricultural products. In this category you will see Jeeps loaded with such items as coffe...

A few months ago, back in the States, our car got a flat tire. We were told that it would be impossible to fix the punctured tire. In Colombia, however, a similar puncture on the same type of tire can be easily fixed in just a few minutes. This little detour was fixed in 15 minutes, no appointment, no waiting. AMAZING! Oh, and did I mention it was 6:45 am. Double Amazing!!

One of the most practical ways to get around Bogotá is on the TRANSMILENIO. Here is a HOW TO GUIDE for getting on the Transmilenio. Step #1 Go to the ticket booth at a Transmilenio Bus station. [There are 3 kinds of stations: PORTALES (Main -- located at the beginning and end of the line); INTERMEDIAS (Intermediate -- found at major intersections); and SENCILLAS (Simple -- found along the route approximately every 1/4 mile). Maps of the routes can be found here: http://www.bogota-dc.com/trans/transmilenio.html Step #2 Purchase your Bus tickets at the Taquilla . Currently the price is $1600 (in 2010) pesos per person, and includes transfers to other buses (ALIMENTADORES) that are located in the station where you get off. If this seems confusing get someone at the hotel where you are staying to tell you where to get on and where to get off or shange buses to get where you are going. We relied heavily on our friends, whom we affectionately call the Tomato and his wife, to explain to us ...

NO matter how many times I have flown into Bogotá, I always forget what a nightmare it is to get through immigration and customs. The night that we arrived 5 planes had arrived within 20 minutes and the line to go through immigration stretched the entire length of the corridor. So, I am going to give you the low down on making it through immigration as quickly as possible. 1. There are 4 lines. If you have children under 6, you can go through immigration quicker by going to the far left and walking past everyone until you get to the end of the shorter line. Here is a picture those are my boys walking past everyone. (There are bathrooms on the left near the front of the line, if you need them. I am happy to report that this time there were toilet seats and toilet paper.) 2. You will eventually make it to the front of the line. Make sure to have your passports ready. You will give them to the person at the booth marked DAS. Here is a tip based on our experience. There has be...

Let's face it, some cars seem more sturdily built than others. Recently, I was at the Honda Dealer getting a recall on my Odyssey fixed. While I was there, I tried out the new FIT. BACKGROUND: When you climb into the Odyssey, it takes some muscles to close the door. You give the door a big yank. Well, I gave the FIT's door a big yank -- out of habit -- and the whole car shook. Instantly, I was teleported mentally to Colombia. I remembered an experience from my first trip. Hubby and I were in a rainstorm in Bogotá waiting for a cab with friends. I had been in Colombia just a few hours. When the Cab pulled up, my husband and our friends climbed in the back, so that I could sit shotgun and see better. I was eager to get out of the rain, and as I yanked the taxi door shut, the whole car shuddered. GASPS!! came from the Taxi driver, our friends and my husband. "What? Sorry!" I truly didn't believe that shutting the door a little forcefully deserved the...

On just about any bus, at any time of day, you may well see someone get on with a guitar, accordeón , or radio. Sometimes, a whole band will get on the bus. The performers will typically begin to play and sing, with the hope that you will give up some coins in return. These performers, often called CANTANTES (singers) or MUSICOS (musicians), not only perform on buses , but also on the street and in parks. For most, performing is their livelihood. It would be wise to keep a few coins in an easily accessible pocket to help support these performers. We plan on giving our boys some of their own coins so that they can decide which performers to share their money with. The CANTANTES perform all genres of music -- Rap, Vallenato , Rock, Folkloric, Salsa, even Opera. Here is a video collection of bus performers in Colombia. Rap Opera Vallenato Folkloric

BUS ETIQUETTE #2 -- VENDEDORES (Salespeople) Riding in a Colombian bus is a cultural experience in an of itself. I think that you shouldn't leave Colombia without riding a bus somewhere at rush hour or lunch time. One of my favorite things is the VENDEDOR (salesperson). This person gets on the bus with a backpack full of something he wants to sell -- colored pencils, candy, books, magazines, miracle drugs, soaps, lotions, etc. He will hand out a number of the items to people sitting on the bus. If one is offered to you, YOU TAKE IT! Even if you do not plan to buy it! You hold it in your hands while he gives his speech about the product. Some vendedores are hilarious. Others try to appeal to your humanitarian instinct. One time, a lady got on to say, "I have lost my house and my child is in the hospital, my husband died a few months ago and I am dying of cancer, etc" I'm not always sure how much of what they is true. Anyway, they speak really fast so that they can ge...

Taxis are another great way to get around Bogotá. There are multiple services. It is best to call ahead and have a cab sent to where you are to pick you up. When you call they give you a "SECRET CODE" which you can use when the taxi shows up so you can be sure it is a taxi from a reputable company -- this keeps you safe :) A really helpful site when looking at public transportation in Bogotá -- buses and taxis -- is found in both English and Spanish at: http://www.bogota-dc.com/trans/bog-tra.htm This site gives you the latest rates, you can hire a taxi for 1 hour at the rate of $14,000 pesos -- about $7.50 US. There is also an added fee for a trip from the airport -- $3,200 (less than $2 US). This also means a ride from the airport shouldn't cost you more than $10. So, don't get ripped off by your agency. You can always send them a link to this site. I heard of one agency charging $30 for a trip from the airport to the hotel. NOT COOL!! That extra $20 can be very usef...

In a city where there are over one million vehicles, and the streets aren't exactly wide and well planned thoroughfares , there was a need to create a plan to reduce traffic congestion. The transportation solution included the TransMilenio bus system, the new subway, and an interesting system (borrowed from Mexico City) which has come to be know as Pico y Placa . Pico y Placa means that you cannot drive your car on certain days of the week -- based on the last number on your car's license plate. It applies to all vehicles, public and private. For example, cars whose plates end in a 3, 4, 5, or 6 cannot circulate from 6 am until 8 pm on Mondays for the year from July 2009 until June 2010. A violation of this law will cost you over $100 US and you may have your car impounded. This rule often puts a damper on some adoptive families that rely on certain drivers. Inevitably, a driver will be unable to circulate 2 days of the week. This is why getting a handle on public transpor...

El Dorado Airport can be crazy. CRAZY I tell you. You need to go three hours before you flight. It doesn't always take three hours but many, many times I've gone three hours before my flight and barely made it to the gate on time. This is especially true if you are going on an early morning flight. Here's what you can expect when you leave the country. 1) Bring with you a copy of the Sentencia and the birth certificate. Our facilitator made us a little airport packet. Immigration will ask to look at this, sometimes they keep it! (Yet another reason to get lots of notarized copies of everything). It is their right to do that. 2) There are some weird airport exit taxes in Colombia, sometimes they are included in your ticket, sometimes not. I don't understand the rules and never have, but regardless the airport personnel will help you figure it out. They usually send you to get your passport stamped at this special " Impuestos " window and then someti...

There are two ways to get around Bogota that are easiest for those who are new to the city: Taxis and Transmilenio. There is also a really extensive bus system but since there are not maps available I wouldn’t suggest it for foreigners. Transmilenio –This is a hybrid between a subway/bus system. The busses run on fixed routes that are completely separate lanes from other traffic. These routes have platform stations where you buy a ticket and wait as if waiting for a subway. Transmilenio is safe, clean and fast. According to my husband, it has dramatically changed the traffic situation in Bogota. Taxis –The easiest way to get around. Compared to taxis in the U.S., Bogota taxis are dirt-cheap. To understand how the billing works look at the taximeter at the front of the taxi. The number will correspond to a price that is listed on a laminated sheet attached to the back of the seat. This sheet should also have a picture and information about your taxi-drivers registrat...