Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, Cartagena. You can't miss it!
The Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas is the greatest and strongest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in their colonies. The original fort was constructed between 1639 and 1657 on top of the 40m-high San Lázaro hill, and was quite small. In 1762, an extensive enlargement was undertaken which resulted in the entire hill being covered over with this powerful bastion. It was truly impregnable and was never taken, despite numerous attempts to storm it.
A complex system of tunnels connected strategic points of the fortress to distribute provisions and to facilitate evacuation. The tunnels were constructed in such a way that sounds reverberate all the way along them, making it possible to hear the slightest sound of the approaching enemy's feet, and also making it easy for internal communication.
Some of the tunnels are lit and are open to visitors - a walk not to be missed. Take a guide if you want to learn more about the curious inventions of Antonio de Arévalo, the military engineer who directed the fortress's construction.
The fortress is just a 20-minute walk from the old town, or take a local bus from the Parque del Centenario. There is a statue of Blas de Lezo in front of the fortress.
Read more about Cartagena on Lonely Planet.
TRAVELLING ALONE IS FUN: WHAT TO DO IN BOGOTA?
Knowledge in any means is helpful to expand your horizons. Reading books on literature, science and technology etc is not the only way to learn something. Traveling is something which not only provides knowledge but also gifts us with a package of experience and adventure. While most of us love to travel with a herd of great pals, traveling alone can be a lot of fun too and can in fact turn into life’s biggest adventure. Time is like an alcoholic spirit which vanishes with the flick of an eye. Today’s fast life is like a punishment for the youth and is increasing the stress. Hibernation of self is very necessary to relieve ourselves from the hectic life. Traveling alone helps one to understand oneself and discover new thoughts. It gives a sense of responsibility, self-reliance and independence. One can also know their likes and dislikes and the way they react in a particular situation. Visiting an unfamiliar place on your own allows you to know yourself better. This is the perfect time to rekindle with the most loyal company you could ever have in your lifetime – your own self.
One of the best places to explore today is Bogota. Bogota is the capital of Colombia and is famous for its picturesque architecture and unique culture. It is the largest city in Colombia with an altitude of 2,640 meters making it the third-highest major city in the world. It is also said that Bogota is about 8,500 feet closer to the stars. It is most famous for its magnificent Andean views and wonderful spring-like weather. Traveling on your own to Bogota can open up an adventure that you could only imagine.
Hop on to your Bogota-bound plane and make sure you do all of these!
1. Explore the Sabana – Take out time to go far away from the regular city life. For people who love to take risk can go for an adventurous trip near Suesca. It is a paradise for rock climbers. You can experience rock climbing, river rafting and hiking with an additional package of beautiful views.
2. Get a plastic surgery – Travel alone and surprise your friends back home with a sexier and beautiful you. Medical tourism is one of Bogota’s biggest prides. In fact, Bogota is among the world’s top three leading countries offering world-class cosmetic surgery. A plastic surgery in Colombia will cost only around 25% of what the developed nations charge. There is no compromise on the quality of the treatment. The patients are provided high quality service with world-class medical facility. A $32,000 Brazilian butt augmentation in the United States can only cost you $5,000 in Bogota. This is due to the low cost of labor. The patients are treated by highly qualified professional doctors and therefore the risk factor attached to the low cost is also diminished. And when we are talking about the plastic surgery in Bogota, a medical tourism company that needs mention is Cosmetic Harmony. Cosmetic Harmony specializes in complete cosmetic surgery packages, including cosmetic procedures, travel, accommodations, transportation to medical appointments, a bilingual personal assistant and medications.Cosmetic Harmony uses only FDA-approved materials.
Read full article on Colombia Travel.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Nightlife in Bogota: The Best Opportunity to Meet the Locals
As most guide books state, the best you can find in Colombia is people. Also tourists that have stayed in the country advise new visitors to try to get in touch with locals because they are amongst the friendliest people on earth, thus before going somewhere, it is important to know which are the best places not only to have fun but to meet people.
As all the big cities of South America, Bogota has a very rich nightlife with the right atmosphere to meet the locals, therefore there are many web sites that give information about restaurants, bars, cinemas, discotheques, shows, theater and all the events that are considered special each week.
It is well known that the best areas of the city to enjoy through the night are in the north part of the city, some examples are El Parque de la 93 which is located in one of the most exclusive zones of the city between the 93A and 93B streets and the 11th A and 13 avenues; La Zona Rosa which is the main nightlife zone of the city because it comprises a great number of bars, restaurants and nightclubs that can that please every taste; La Calera which is a route through the east hills of the city and has a wide variety of restaurants and nightclubs; and the called Zona T in Chapinero with an amazing range of establishments.
Read full article at Colombia Travel.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
If you're already in Colombia, and you wanna go to the movies, check this out!
The latest film out of Colombia is based on the true story of a priest in a rural town whose passions include a search for justice in an area that, like so many in this civil war-torn country, is hemmed in by armed groups, whether far-right paramilitaries, leftist guerrillas or state security forces.
Gabriel is an idealistic 33-year-old priest who stands up to inept local officials as well as the heads of the armed group that holds real power in the town.
Once an irregular armed group, on the left or the right, has gained control over an area, it begins to interfere with government decisions to forward its own interests – an all-too common scenario that forms the backdrop for the film "La pasión de Gabriel" (Gabriel's Passion), whose star, Andrés Parra, has already won a Best Actor award for his performance as Father Gabriel, at the 2009 Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico.
As believing in God as he is ingenuous about earthly matters, he believes he can bring about equality, peace and respect for decisions reached by the local community, and ignores warnings to stay out of things.
The warnings become more pointed as Gabriel insists on the need to repair a bridge linking the town with another town. But the armed group that controls the area is opposed because it knows that as soon as the bridge is built, the army will come in, and fighting will break out.
In effect, once the bridge is repaired, thanks to the efforts of the priest and the community, the army arrives, asserts its authority, asks barbed questions, issues threats and warnings, and finally leaves.
Read more comments on the movie at IPS News.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
COLOMBIA: Would you take the risk? video
Would you take the risk to travel to Colombia? Have you been informed certainly? Watch this video till the end and know what Colombia means...
COLOMBIA IS PASSION!!!! BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, BRIGHT CULTURE AND AMAZING LANDSCAPES.
And search for more videos of Colombia in Youtube.