Latest Posts

Extending a visa: how to get a salvoconducto in Colombia

February 19, 2019 // 8 Comments

Every now and again in one of the Expat groups on Facebook, someone will ask about how to extend a Colombian visa. So I decided to collate the information on Facebook into this blog post in the hope that it might help others. Dutch expat, Fetze Weerstra, found my blog post and read about the salvoconducto, which many people had mentioned on Facebook. The [more]

Close encounters with hummingbirds at the Observatorio de Colibries

July 16, 2018 // 2 Comments

I entered Victoria Lizarralde’s garden, also known as the Observatorio de Colibries (Hummingbird Observatory), and heard the unmistakeable ‘buzz’ of a hummingbird whizzing past my ear. On a cool, damp Sunday morning I had joined a small tour group led by Andes Ecotours and travelled 45 minutes up into the mountains from Bogotá. We headed for a wooden shelter [more]

Bogota’s La Macarena neighborhood

July 10, 2018 // 0 Comments

For my second post in a series about Bogota’s neighborhoods, I’m writing about the colourful La Macarena. When you’re doing your research about where to live in Bogota, La Macarena is one of those neighborhoods which will come up again and again, along with Chapinero, Rosales, Chico and Parque de la 93. Just up the hill from Bogota’s Centro [more]

Quinta Camacho neighborhood

May 22, 2018 // 12 Comments

I’ve decided to add a section to the blog devoted exclusively to Bogota’s neighborhoods. In each post I’ll talk about what I like about each neighborhood and what they have to offer. I’m starting off the series with my favorite neighborhood: Quinta Camacho. Quinta Camacho neighborhood: Between Calle 67 and Calle 72, and Carrera 7 and Avenida [more]

Things to do in Bogotá when it’s raining

May 15, 2018 // 9 Comments

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to state that Bogotá has received more than its fair share of rain over the last month or two. The wettest times of year in the Colombian Andean region are, roughly, from April to June and September to November (though it’s not an exact science!). During these months it’s common for the day to start out sunny and [more]

Bogotanos: Humans of Bogotá

April 16, 2018 // 1 Comment

It is often said that you can learn much about a place by getting to know the local people. The natives of some big world cities have a reputation for being cold and unfriendly. This is not the case in Bogotá. In most cases, Bogotanos or rolos will try to be helpful. The main difficulty will be the language barrier if you don’t speak Spanish, as not even [more]

My experience of the healthcare culture in Colombia

April 10, 2018 // 5 Comments

I recently wrote a post outlining how EPS coverage and private healthcare in Colombia works, but I thought I’d save my anecdotes for a separate post. My overall opinion is that Colombia has good healthcare options for those who can afford it. But as the culture around healthcare can vary from country to country, I thought it might be helpful to relate some of [more]
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