Archive for March, 2010

Accommodation | Lodging | Apartments | Rooms for rent in Bogota, Colombia.

Martha and her family will do their very best to make you feel comfortable with their accommodation and lodging. They will make sure that your stay in their luxury apartments in Bogotá is going to be a very pleasant experience. Martha offers a very flexible package, you can even rent her apartment or room on a daily basis. You will surely feel at home in these accommodations. Martha’s apartment in Bogotá, Colombia are very modern, the apartments are fully furnished with 3 beautiful spacious bedroom. In fact the apartment and rooms for rent, and the building itself is only 3 years old. Every room on Martha’s apartment has a high speed WiFi Internet connection and TV. The kitchen in the apartment is equipped with an iron, ironing board, toaster, blender and a microwave.  All you really need to bring with in Bogotá is your laptop and suitcase.  Again, Martha will rent you rooms in her apartment by the day, week and month, or you can rent the entire apartment.

A transport hub or transport interchange is a location where passengers and cargo are exchanged across several mode of transport. Hubs make out the center of spoke-hub distribution paradigms, allowing passengers and cargo to be transported from one place to another without a direct service. Some transportation hubs also allow transport to be exchanged between the same modes of transport, while others allow transport to change mode, permitting the operator to take advantage of several modes’ strong sides.

Many types of hub exist; in public transport this includes train stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stop, airports and ferry slips, while in private transport the parking lot functions as a hub. In freight transport hubs are classification yards, seaports and truck terminals, or combination of these.

Public transport

The nature of public transport makes it necessary for people to change transport modes throughout the journey. The first hub a passenger often will come across is a bus stop where one changes from pedestrian to bus. But often public transport is built around a network of different transportation methods, each serving different functions with varying frequencies, distances, speeds and stopping patterns. Typical transportation hubs in public transport include bus stations, railway stations and metro stations.

Interior of South Station, a major MBTA, Amtrak and Greyhound transportation hub in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Modern electronic Passenger information systems and journey planners require a detailed digital representation of the stops and Transportation hubs including their Topology. Public transport data information standards such as Transmodel and IFOPT have been developed to provide a common terminology, conceptual models and data exchange formats to allow the economic, large scale collection and distribution of stop and interchange data.

Airports

Main article: Airline hub

Airports have a twofold hub function. First of all they make it possible to concentrate a lot of passenger traffic from large areas into one place so the airlines have a good market. This makes it important for airports to be connected to the surrounding transport infrastructure, including roads, bus services and some places also railway and rapid transit systems.

Secondly some airports also function as intra-modular hubs for the airlines, or airline hubs. This is a common strategy among network airlines who fly only from limited number of airports and usually will make their customers change planes at one of their hubs if they want to get between two cities the airline doesn’t fly directly between. Airlines have extended the hub-and-spoke model in various ways. One method is to create additional hubs on a regional basis, and to create major routes between the hubs. This reduces the need to travel long distances between nodes that are close together. Another method is to use focus cities to implement point-to-point service for high traffic routes, bypassing the hub entirely.

El Dorado International Airport

El Nuevo Dorado International Airport, previously called El Dorado International Airport, is an international airport located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is the largest Latin American airport in terms of cargo movements 585,598 tons (2007) and the fourth in terms of passenger traffic, only behind Mexico’s Benito Juarez International Airport, and the two main airports in São Paulo,São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport and Congonhas-São Paulo International Airport, transporting 12,763,979 passengers in 2007; as well as the largest airport in Colombia and the main international and domestic air gateway in the country, serving as an important hub for Avianca (the national flag carrier of Colombia) and AeroRepública.  It is managed by Opain (acronym of Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional), a consortium composed of Colombian construction / engineering firms and the Swiss Flughafen Zürich AG. Opain will also operate the airport for the next 20 years.

El Dorado is, politically and economically, the most important airport in Colombia and serves as the nation’s primary international gateway. It handles all domestic and international flights into Bogotá, D.C. and boasts the world’s third largest landing field 6.9 km² (1,705 acres) of land. El Dorado is located about 15 km (9.3 mi) west of the city center. The airport enjoys a connection with Avenida El Dorado (Calle 26) one of Bogotá’s fastest runways which runs across the city in the east-west axis onto the city center and permanent public transportation (buses and taxis). It is expected that in year 2008, will start the construction of the TransMilenio, which will connect the airport with the massive transportation system of the city.

Facilities

The airport has two passenger terminals, the main terminal, El Dorado, named after the famed legend of El Dorado, was built in 1959 and handles all international arrivals, as well as all other airlines and all of Avianca’s international flights. Check-in counters, ticket counters, immigration office and customs are located on the lower level while information boards, information office, waiting rooms and emigration are located on the upper level.

The main building has two concourses, the national concourse and the international concourse. The national concourse has 11 gates and additional 5 for regional flights. The international concourse has 9 gates. This main building has a passenger area of 54,000 m² (581,251 square feet) and provides different services such as travel agencies, drug stores, restaurants and cafeterias, book stores and craft shops, ATM machines and Duty Free shops. Telecom offers telephone service for international and national calls, as well as fax and Internet service. At the national and international arrivals, passengers can find tourist information offices and transportation services within the city.

The second terminal is the Puente Aéreo Terminal (Air Bridge Terminal, in English) which opened in 1981, is a privately owned terminal that exclusively serves Avianca’s and its subsidiary SAM’s, domestic and regional flights. Initially, the terminal exclusively served passengers on the Miami, New York-JFK, Cali, Medellín, Pasto, and Montería routes. Newly renovated (Oct, 2006), after an investment of 7.5 million dollars El Puente Aéreo has become the most modern domestic terminal in Latin America. The terminal handles a total of more than 120 daily flights which carry up to 12,000 passengers per day. It adds, as well, a constructed area of 4,416 m² (47,533 square feet) and 14 domestic gates. Some of the benefits of the Puente Aéreo Terminal include record connecting times between domestic flights.  The terminal also provides additional services for travelers and visitors, such as access to shopping facilities, national and international calls, taxi services, ATM machines, restaurants and fast food restaurants and book shops.

Bogotá Travel and Tourism

“Colombia – the only risk is wanting to stay longer” is the country’s official tourism slogan.

Bogotá, the mountain capital of Colombia is a busy city with spectacular colonial churches, museums and a vibrant cultural life. This modern and multicultural city has excellent opportunities for entertainment and shopping in Bogotá. There is a very vibrant nightlife in Bogotá and many festivals are held in the green parks of the city. The magnificent Andean Mountains offer excellent climbing and trekking around Bogota.

With a population of about 8 million people, Bogotá sits approximately 8,660 feet (2640 meters) above sea level in the Andean Highlands. Orientation is relatively easy, as the mountains to the east are generally visible from most parts of the city.   Bogotá is a city of contrasts, and as such it offers a unique experience to its visitors. Prepare to find a hectic balance between the new and the old; the peaceful and the frantic. Encounter century-old plazas and churches shadowed by towering skyscrapers. Find peaceful tree lined bicycle routes cut through by wild-traffic avenues.

Bogotá is a city with many layers. From internationally recognized universities to regional offices for multinational companies, Bogotá is Colombia’s capital for official business dealings. It is a city that caters to a population that has been exposed to European and North American influences, which ensures that anything from traditional dishes (Ajiaco) to sushi or fast food restaurants can be found. It’s one of the most modern and metropolitan cities of South, Central America and the world. Bogota is divided by 4 sections: The south which is mainly the poorer section of the city , El Centro, which translates “Center” in english is where the main financial headquarters are established, it’s pretty similar with downtown found in North American cities. El Occidente which is where Bogotá’s main middle and some upper class lives, and The North which is where most of the affluent live and where you will find many upscale boutiques, cafes, nightclubs, and many new multinational headquarters.

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Districts

North Bogota

Santa Barbara, La Carolina, El Chico, Contador, El Retiro, El Nogal, Los Rosales, Lisboa Antigua, La Calleja, La Bella Suiza, El Lago, Cedritos, Usaquen country

Central Bogota

Chapinero, La Candelaria, www.lacandelaria.info El Centro, Barrio Egipto, Teausaquillo

Occidente

El Salitre, Alamos Norte, Modelia, Normandia, Los Heroes, Centenario, Tintal, Fontibon

Sur

Restrepo, Ciudad Kennedy, Americas, Galan, Ciudad Bolivar, Claret, Ciudad Tunal,

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Get in By Plane

The city is served by El Dorado International Airport (~20 minutes from downtown in a taxi), that receives several flights daily from New York, Atlanta, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Newark, Paris, Sao Paolo, Madrid, Mexico City, San Jose, Lima, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Panama City, Quito, Guayaquil, Oranjestad (Aruba), Willemstad (Curaçao) among others. Tourists can also take advantage of the convenient connections and direct flights from Los Angeles, Washington, Toronto, Santo Domingo, San Juan, Punta Cana, Valencia (Venezuela), Manaos, Havana, Montego Bay, Rio De Janiero, Santiago de Chile, Santa Cruz, La Paz, and London, Frankfurt and Orlando will count so soon with direct and frequent flights from Bogota other South and Central American cities. Many international airlines such as Delta Airlines, Continental Airlines, Air France, Air Canada, American Airlines, Iberia, LAN, Mexicana Airlines, Varig, Copa Airlines, Aerolineas Argentinas, Spirit Airlines, TACA, Aerogal, Air Comet among others and from soon JetBlue, Santa Barbara Airlines, US Airways, among others, serve El Dorado. Domestic flights are served by many airlines including Avianca (main Colombia airline), AeroRepublica (an Continental-owned domestic airline) and Aires. Domestic flights of Avianca are served from the Puente Aereo terminal, next to El Dorado terminal, and features WiFi access to the Internet from almost every location. Taxis are regulated, reasonably priced and safe from the airport. El Dorado Airport is under a complete makeup, which will end in 2012 and will make it bigger and more comfortable. El Dorado is also the third busiest airport in Latin America and the largest by cargo movement. A taxi ride from the airport to the center takes approximately 15 minutes.

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By Bus

The safety of bus travel in Colombia has greatly improved in recent years. However, foreigners should take precaution of not traveling to areas of unrest and travel only during the day. Do not carry large amounts of cash with you as robberies are known to occur along some routes. Service in the ‘upscale’ buses is very good and they are very comfortable. Pick the most expensive service (just a couple of dollars extra) as these buses tend to be newer and better mechanical condition. Bogotá is also building 2 new terminals, one located far south and one on the north corner to serve buses going on those directions.

Currently buses run in and out of Bogotá’s main station, El Terminal de Transporte de Bogotá. The station is clean and has standard amenities. Located at Calle 33 B, No 69-59, Multiple bus companies have regular routes to destinations around the country. To get there from the airport you can take a short taxi ride.

The Terminal is divided in several color-coded areas that indicate the destinations to which companies in that area travel to. Yellow= South Blue=East and West Red= North Purple=Packages

Search Engine by Destination Destino=Destination Empresa=Bus Company. Simply enter destination and a list of companies serving that route will return along with average prices.

Some common bus companies in Colombia that are found in this Terminal are:

Expreso Bolivariano – This company has one of the most extensive networks. Some international destinations as well.

Coomotor Mostly destinations in Southern Colombia

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Get around

The city of Bogotá is built on a grid system. Carreras (streets) are abbreviated as Cr, K and Crs and run parallel to the mountains from South to North.

The Calles (also streets) cross the Carreras and run from East to West. Calles are abbreviated as C, Cll and Cl.

Avenidas, abbreviated as Av, are usually larger and main streets. The numerical system for the Avenidas is used but some have names that are more commonly used such as Avenida Jimenez. Each address consists of a series of numbers, for example: Calle 16 # 2-43. This indicates that the building on Calle 16 is 43 meters from the corner of Carrera 2 towards Carrera 3.

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By Transmilenio

Transmilenio is the most important massive transport system, as of June 2007, the system runs throughout 8 lines, covering Av. Caracas, Calle 80, Autopista Norte, Av. Jiménez, Avenida NQS , Calle 13, Av. de las Américas, and Av. Suba.

“It’s hard to believe until you’ve seen it for yourself, but the city bus can, in fact, be a sleek,  fast,  efficient, and first-class way to get around town. Unfortunately, you can’t find that kind of bus service in any U.S. city. You’ve got to travel down to Bogotá, Colombia, and ride the TransMilenio bus-rapid-transit system.”

“As you step aboard your first TransMilenio vehicle, it hits you pretty quickly. “

The vehicles used in that systems are articulated buses,those are fast and safe but could be full in afternoon times, the system uses different kinds of stations, the simples offers bus services at the right and left sides (north-south;east-west), the intermediate stations, which are located usually in middle points and have complete services as elevators, station libraries, bikes parks, restrooms, and alimentadores services (buses that reach zones the articulated buses don’t) and the portals, there’re 7 in the city, and are the arrive and deparure place of the buses, are located near the entrances to the city. In addition to feeders and articulated buses, intercity buses from the metropolitan area also arrive at these stations. The portals also offers the alimentadores service.

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By Taxi

Taxi cabs are ubiquitous and affordable. They can be flagged down anywhere. They can also be called by phone, you can call 311-1111 or 411-1111. If calling for a taxi, the driver will want to confirm that it is you who called by asking for a “clave” (key), which is always the last two digits of the phone from which you called to request the taxi. Each taxi has a meter which increments one tick every 1/10 kilometer or 30 seconds and starts at 25 ticks. The rate chart is printed on a card in the taxi. Nearly all taxi drivers are honest, but be sure the taxi meter is started when you begin your trip. Tipping is not necessary. There are surcharges for the airport, holidays, etc. (Details are printed on the fare card.) Surcharge for ordering a taxi arriving at your house is currently 600 pesos, surcharge after 8 pm is 1.500 pesos, even if you are starting your trip before that time. Holidays and Sundays are also charged with 1.500 pesos. Lock the doors of the taxi, especially after dark.

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By Bus

Bogota’s new Transmilenio rapid bus service is extremely affordable, clean and efficient and carries commuters to numerous corners of the city. There are some main routes that are not yet reached by Transmilenio.

Privately owned buses cruise all the main thoroughfares and many side streets, and are the principal form of transport for the working class and student class. Though they do follow specific routes, they do not have bus “stops”; you merely call to them like taxis and they will stop for you where you are standing. Placards in the large front windows list destinations, either neighborhoods or main street names. Upon entering you will be asked for the fare; if you are not traveling alone you may be asked “Para ambos?”, for example, meaning “For both?”, to see if you are paying for just yourself or for your companion. Then you pass through a turnstile to the seating areas. The buses come in three sizes, usually, long (like a school bus), medium and small (called busetas). All have turnstiles. To exit these buses you go to the back door and either push a button located usually on one of the hand rails or next to the exit, or simply call out “Aqui, por favor!” or “Pare!” (Stop!). Passengers are often expected to embark and disembark even from the middle of the street.

Sometimes vendors are allowed to enter the buses to sell candy or small gift items (occasionally donating one to the driver for the privilege). Or, you may find entertainers such as singers or guitar players, and even the more creative of the street beggars who will regale you with a long, poetic story of their sad situation before asking for donations. Even in the smallest buses, cramped full of people standing and sitting, it is a common sight. Interestingly, a recent Grammy-nominated singer named Ilona got her start performing on buses around Bogota.

The cost for riding on a private bus ranges from 1000 to 1200 Colombian pesos.

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By Colectivo

Colectivos cover practically every major route of the city, and can generally be flagged down at any point on a main road. Watch these small buses for lists of destinations displayed on their windshields, or ask the driver (in Spanish) if he passes the neighborhood or intersection you are going to. Not very comfortable, but they are faster than a common bus and it’s also used as a shuttle for routes that don’t have so much affluence, it can take you almost anywhere.

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By Bicycle

Renting a bike and having a ride on Bogota’s modern Ciclo-Ruta is a very exciting and healthy way to get to know the city and get closer to the people. There are certain rules that must be followed: Helmet must be worn when riding, also a reflective vest must be worn. The bicycle must have reflective panels in the wheels and back. On sundays and public holidays many main and secondary roads are closed to serve ciclovia from 7AM to 2PM, a special feature of Bogota, where people can walk, ride bicycle, enjoy inline skating or just dance.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

The Bogotá School Community believes that the success of our students depends on a strong partnership between the schools and parents/guardians. Throughout the year, school personnel provide opportunities for community members to visit the schools, speak to the teachers, and witness the creative and athletic talents of our student body. Additionally, there is an ongoing school wide effort that supports charity and citizenship. Students participate in an assortment of activities, school based organizations and municipal programs that encourage community awareness. The vision of the school district is to work with parents in developing the skills of each child; skills that are based upon intellectual curiosity, self confidence, and compassion for the human spirit.

The Bogotá Public Schools are comprehensive community public school district serving students in Kindergarten through 12th grade.  Public education Colombia is free and compulsory for students coursing Primary Studies (Básica Primaria) consisting of five years, from first grade to fifth grade. Classes begin in February and finish in November. Students usually begin primary at age of six, and finish it at age of ten. Secondary Studies (Básica Secundaria) are not free and consists of four years, from sixth grade to ninth grade. Classes begin in January and finish in November. Vocational Middle (Media Vocational) is the final level, is not compulsory but required to apply for superior studies. It is composed by tenth and eleventh grade. During the eleventh grade students apply for the ICFES test, similar to the SAT test, which is needed to apply for superior studies. Public schools in Colombia usually attend only half a day, since there are so many kids and so very few schools and teachers, they divide the day in two, having one set of kids attend in the morning from 7 to 12 pm and one set in the afternoon from 1 to 6 pm, having like two schools in the same facility. The government has started a night school program for those students who work during the day, though. Some teachers may work at two or three different schools during the day or at the same school during the whole day. The students can go to classes in the morning, from 7 AM to 12 PM, in the afternoon, from 1 PM to 6 PM, or at night from 6:30 to about 10:00 (some night schools hours may be shorter). Most students of public schools are from low income families and cannot afford superior studies. Such students can choose a free course in the SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje) or study in educative corporations (corporaciones educativas) which offer very few titles of universities, and technical degrees. There are only a few public universities where students can get an education for free or very little money.

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PRIVATE EDUCATION

Private education in Colombia is more reliable than public education, but is more expensive. In intermediate and small cities, monthly costs can range from USD 50 to USD 400. In bigger cities, costs can be USD 300 or more, however, the most expensive schools are not always the best. The classes begin in the morning (usually at 6:30) and finish in the afternoon between 1:30 and 2:30 pm. The school year starts in January or February and finishes in November, for Calendar school. The school year in calendar B schools begins in August and finishes in June. Most schools expect from children to learn to read and write before beginning primary and most schools are bilingual, however, all schools, public and private must teach English as a second language. The teaching of English is more intensive in private schools; some students are fluent before beginning middle vocational studies. Most private schools assure that all the students can apply for superior studies in a normal university. Due that most students come from middle and upper class families, they can afford superior studies. Private universities are expensive, a semester can cost USD 1500, and most private universities are located in Barranquilla, Bogotá, Medellín and Cali.