 Who
would want to live in Cartagena? Anyone who likes to live on the
cusp. [the dividing line between 2 very different things]
- Cartagena's culture exceeds that of many locations in latin America,
there is art, both visual and literary, [the writer Gabriel García
Márquez has a house in Cartagena, there is the well known Cartagena
Film Festival which is held each year, and the plastic arts that I saw
in the museums and galleries were of good standing and fairly prolific
for a city of less than a million souls.] In addition, there is architecture,
there is food, wine, beaches, boating, wind surfing and the pleasures of
the flesh. There is also the possibility of becoming a casualty of Colombia's
35 year old civil war, a decidedly more interesting end then being run
over by a Ford Taurus in Chicago. Statistics show that 80% of the
death toll of Colombia's civil war consists of non-combatants, so you could
become an interesting statistic without much effort. Just leave town in
a car traveling in most directions and you'll run into a war of sorts.
Living in Cartagena is like living in Cape Town. It's a nice place
to live, but you can't leave the city proper because you're surrounded
by a ring of danger, both real and imagined. Cartagena began as a
walled city and after five hundred years it is, in an oddly unique way,
still a walled city. To be sure, expats live in Bogota and Medellin.
[Since this article was written Medellin has become an expat haven with
numerous expats moving there to take advantage of lower prices, the excellent
weather, and the fact that there has been a significant drop in criminal
problems over the past few years.] - How
To Disappear In Six Easy Lessons - Guerrillas In Our Midst - The Walled
City Of Cartagena - by Roger Gallo |
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 Real
Estate In Colombia - Current Listings
- Is
Colombia a good place to invest in Real Estate? Colombia has lower prices
than most nations in South America. It is becoming more attractive for
foreign real estate investors and retirees. As crime and violence diminished
Colombia becomes a better place to live, we believe that Colombia real
estate can be an exceptional investment. - The arrival of foreign
visitors to Colombia has jumped 65% since 2002, to 925,000 last year, according
to Carlos Alberto Zarruk, Colombia's deputy minister for business development,
who oversees tourism. |
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 Nightlife
in Medellin - During university spring
break most students and their families tend to travel and visit other family
members, which then cause the city life to slow down. Parque lleras is
by far the most popular area for foreigners to go out and enjoy a night
full of drinking and partying with people from all different backgrounds.
Each street is jam packed with restaurants, bars, pubs and discotecas.
All sorts of music can be found at these places from your typical Latin
dances such as salsa to crossover music, reggaeton and even 90’s American
rock. It is typical to see a lot of girls and the wealthier class.
This is a perfect opportunity to mingle and become more immersed. When
taking a stroll through the park you will quickly identify the places which
most appeal to you. It is important to keep in mind that the
drinks are somewhat expensive and that many clubs/discotecas charge a cover
fee. For those looking to wander and party around in a fun zone while
enjoying the sight of beautiful women, dancing and meeting others; Parque
Lleras is the place for you. MORE
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 Social
life for expats in Medellin, Colombia
- Parque Lleras is the best place for visitors to meet up with others,
as within this park you will find a diverse atmosphere of people from all
over the world as well as natives. There are many bars/restaurants/danceclubs
such as Office Licor, Divino Cielo, Juan Valdéz, Bascilia, Hooters,
and Thaico. Here you can dance to salsa, bachata, merengue, vallenato
and reggaeton. Other popular social areas in Medellín include
Rio Sur, La Strada and Barrio Colombia. Rio Sur offers a more quite
setting with classier bars situated outside which allows for a beautiful
time with a group of friends or with a partner. La Strada is an elegant/higher
class area which has very nice bars and restaurants. Here you can
find many successful business people both native and foreign. Barrio
Colombia is situated in the industrial zone. These dance/nightclubs
are directed towards a full night of dancing and hardcore partying which
consists of crossover music. MORE
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 China
Loves Colombia – The USA?
- In May 2004, the United States initiated negotiations with Colombia to
establish a free trade agreement. Referred to as the Colombia Trade Promotion
Agreement (CTPA), negotiations were successful with the agreement being
drafted and signed on November 22, 2006 by both the United States and Colombia,
pending Congressional review and final approval by both Colombia and the
U.S. Colombia’s unanimous Congressional approval came in 2007, with a few
minor amendments. Colombia’s Constitutional Court review concluded that
the Agreement conformed to Colombia’s Constitution and signed their approval
in July 2008. Since that time, the “agreement” has essentially been held
hostage by the U.S. government, awaiting congressional approval … in other
words, pending U.S. demands and “ransom”. If and when implemented, the
CTPA would eliminate duties on nearly 80% of U.S. exports of consumer and
industrial products to Colombia. Additionally, 7% of U.S. exports would
receive duty-free status within five years of execution. Ten years after
implementation of the agreement, additional duties and fees would be dropped.
Colombia would be able to join the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Information
Technology Agreement (ITA), which would eliminate Colombia’s trade limitations
on information technology products. |
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 Investing
in the rapid growth of Colombia
- Are you looking for the next land of opportunity? Does talk of massive
government debt, bankruptcies, foreclosures and unemployment have you singing
the blues? Escapeartist is about to provide you with an insider tip to
the next ‘in’ location. We are talking about a location where all the smart
money is moving to, a country vast with resources, a beautiful culture
and probably the most attractive women on planet earth. (It’s true) – Names
like Sam Zell (Billionaire) and Carlos Slim (Billionaire) and many others
are investing in Colombia right now. Why are they investing? Why are tourism
rates in Colombia skyrocketing? Why is the Colombian stock market returning
double digit returns? Why is Colombia leading the Latin American rim in
attracting foreign direct investment? Escapeartist has the insider scoop
on Colombia and we are going global with it! – We were on the front lines
of Costa Rica, Belize, Dominican Republic, Argentina and NOW Colombia!
Escapeartist has partnered with Investment Group Colombia to provide our
readers with authoritative articles that are written by Escapeartist readers
who actually live the Colombia Escapeartist Dream right now.
Escapeartist over the next few months will be providing special coverage
of Colombia and we will be getting the truth from the ‘frontline’ early
adopters, the market mavens, pioneers of the international Colombia lifestyle! |
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 Realizing
the quality of life that Colombia offers
- Imagine waking everyday to fresh air, clear sunny, skies,
and 70 to 80 degree temperatures…365 days per year! Add to that, being
surrounded by landscapes of varying shades of emerald, lime,
jade, and chartreuse greenery and crystal clear, cool, cascading waterfalls,
fed by warm tropical rains that fall mostly in the dead of night… and hearing
the wonderful and unique songs and calls of colorful exotic birds and animals.
And imagine too, feasting on an almost endless variety of fresh exotic
fruit or juice for breakfast–lulo, mango, papaya, maracuya, tomate de arbol,
mora, nispero, melon, pitaya, curuba, guayaba, zapote,
sandia, granadilla, tamarillo, baby banana, cherimoya, et al…
and sipping truly fresh-from-the-local-mountains coffee. These are all
things you can commonly experience living in the beautiful land of Colombia.
Or, if you prefer, you may choose to wake each morning high aloft a multi-story
apartment or condo building overlooking endless miles of sandy beaches,
with crashing waves and expansive vistas of the Atlantic Caribbean Seas…
temperatures here, a bit warmer, but moderated by almost constant
off-shore breezes… fresh seafood and fish for lunch… maybe snorkeling or
scuba diving a pristine coral reef in the afternoon… enjoying fine dining
and learning salsa dancing in the evening. |
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 Next
Thing You Know Jed was a Millionaire… in Colombia - By Jim Sikora
- With our continued interest and dedication in providing you with
the true picture of Colombia, Investment Group Colombia here explores the
latest news regarding one of the more promising investment fields, crude
oil production and mining. Now ranked number one as the country
that best protects its investors and number three as the most business
friendly country in Latin America, Colombia is attracting billions of dollars
in outside petroleum and mining investment funds. This is the result
of low tax and royalty rates as well as liberal and attractive business
incentives for both private-sector producers and investors. Ranked behind
both Brazil and Venezuela, Colombia is now South America’s third-largest
oil producer and is projected to be producing in excess of 1.2 million
barrels of crude per day by 2012. According to government sources,
that is nearly twice current production levels. Colombian oil industry
association president, Alejandro Martínez, said in April that the
nation’s daily production average would reach 800,000 barrels per day (bpd)
for 2010. State-owned Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) is responsible for 82 percent
of current production. Ecopetrol stated earlier this week that in
April of last year it broke an 11-year-old export record, selling 403,510
bpd of crude oil and refined products. The previous record had been
established in July of 1999, with Ecopetrol exporting 398,275 bpd of oil
and refined products. Ecopetrol is the fourth-largest oil company
in Latin America behind Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., Petrobras and Petroleos
Mexicanos. |
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 Into
The Amazonian Badlands - Remote Amazon - Outlaw
territory is where we were headed. After the 84th km the National Police
and Marine patrols became more frequent and visible. The land begins to
roll into the foothills of the Cordillera Azul that will itself rise into
the Andes 300 km to the West. It was the week before Christmas and six
years after the first time I had set eyes on this land. I fell in love
with this hill country back then even though, unbeknownst to me, the place
was off limits to US government personnel. The notable exceptions being
the usual CIA operatives and Special Forces “advisors”. However, I was
and am a civilian contractor and therefore not subject to the same restrictions
as visiting royalty. Peasants are expendable. I love it still, the sense
of newness and adventure as fresh as six years ago. At one time in the
past, this part of the country was under the control of the Sendero Luminoso,
idealistic, cold-blooded Maoist rebels. Zona Roja. Indian Country, a term
used by the grunts of another war in another land to describe hostile territory.
An apt expression in that the area in question greatly resembles the Central
Highlands of Vietnam. |
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 Quality
of Life and Cost of Living in Bogota - When
I retired a few years ago I discovered that for the most part, old people
in the US are forced into doing old people things, generally with other
old people. I knew I wanted more than that. I had lived for the previous
15 years on a beautifully wooded ranch in a pretty rural area near Houston
in Texas, but by the time I stopped work, it was surrounded by upscale
subdivisions, shopping malls and Walmart. Prior to my retirement,
I had travelled much of Europe, Central and South America, and was always
evaluating potential retirement locations. When I realized that my Company
was going to force me into retirement (I love them for it), I spent a great
deal of time surfing the net, my favourite site being escapeartist.com
reading articles, and trying to determine the real cost of living in various
countries. It really is impossible unless you actually go to these
places, and stay for at least three weeks. I went to Panama, Chile, (I
really liked Chile), Costa Rica, Mexico (the colonial towns), Guatamala
(yuk!), Spain, and Canada. My eventual selection was based on family
situation and climate. I am married to a Colombian and came to know
Bogota really well through Christmas and other holiday visits. Although
the city has a reputation for crime, drugs and violence, I felt that it
was an exaggerated perception; there are many population centres
in the United States that suffer just as much from these afflictions. |
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 Private
Trust Banking – 21st Century Offshore Banking-
Imagine the setting: A beautiful tropical island, no clouds in the sky
and palm trees gently swaying in the breeze. Wealthy, well dressed
people are sipping an exotic cocktail in the shade, their luxury yachts
nestling in the harbor. An expensive car pulls up and a man with a white
suit steps out with a large suitcase which he proceeds to take into the
bank opposite the sidewalk. The scene cuts to the manager´s office
where the well-dressed man clicks open the case to reveal stacks of 100
dollar bills …. A sly smile creeps across the manager´s face …..
A good setting for a 007 movie maybe, as well as being many people´s
image for how the offshore banking industry works. However, that particular
scenario does not exist – indeed it never has and the fact that it remains
a popular idea in Hollywood movies and works of fiction only goes to prove
how poor general understanding of the offshore industry actually is. MORE
>>> |
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 Under
The Shade Of The Mango Tree - Into The Colombian Amazon
- Lying on the edge of Europe facing out to the Atlantic Ocean sits Ireland,
one of Europe’s smallest countries and often described as ‘The Emerald
Isle”. A beautiful country characterised by vibrant, colourful cities
set amidst endless unspoilt green fields, Ireland is now officially the
best place in the world to live. Combining increasing wealth with
traditional values gives Ireland the conditions most likely to make its
people happy, according to the Economist’s quality of life assessment for
2005. Add to this its longstanding reputation for a green and clean environment
and Ireland has become a very desirable spot to live in. Already
60,000 Americans have claimed a piece of Irish soil as their own, planning
to live out their days in the Celtic gem and many of our Europeans neighbours
are following suit. Property Market Overview - Ireland’s desirability comes
at a cost. Increasing wealth, resulting from the Celtic Tiger boom years
has pushed property prices up to one of the highest levels in Europe. Consequently,
property in Ireland is not cheap. A recent International Monetary Fund
study revealed that Irish house prices are overvalued by 10-20%. |
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 Viva
COLOMBIA: Heart of Heaven, Heart of Hell - The Pros and Cons of Living
and Working in Colombia - There’s an old saying
about Colombia,“When God was creating the world, He put gold into South
Africa, some was left over, so He threw it into Colombia. "He put coal
into Appalachia, but there was some left over, so He threw it into Colombia.
"Then God distributed minerals like Iron and Nickel, again there were some
left over, so He threw them into Colombia. "Brazil received tropical fruits
and Emeralds, there were some of these left over too, so He threw them
into Colombia. "The Middle East got a pot full of oil; the remainder God
poured into Colombia. "Flowers went into the South Pacific islands, there
were some of these left over as well, so He threw them into Colombia."
"Wait a minute," a watching angel said to God. "Do you realize that you’re
making Colombia one of the most powerful nations on earth?" "Yes,"
God replied, "but don’t worry, I haven’t given them their politics yet."
Americans are very afraid of going to Colombia and for good reasons. In
recent years, inflation has devalued the peso by half, a virtual civil
war has been waged unchecked for nearly 40 years, rates of crime and violence
have been among the highest in the world at times, and of course, there’s
the “drug problem”. So why would anyone consider coming here? |
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 Retiring
In Cartagena In Colombia - Colombia, are you
nuts? You might well ask this question if you haven’t visited this enchanting
city and not many North Americans have. Cartagena is a jewel in the Caribbean
and I’m not the only one who feels that way. Cartagena is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and is a favorite vacation and retirement destination for
many thousands of Europeans and Colombians. Let’s put one thing to rest
right now, Cartagena, Colombia is a very safe place to live or visit. In
fact, it is far safer than many cities in North America. Perhaps if you
knew a little bit about the city and its history you’d understand why it
is so special. Cartagena de Indies, Colombia is named after the famous
city of Cartagena, in Spain. It was founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredia
as an Amerindian trading post and it prospered and started to grow. In
1552 fire reduced the small town to ashes and Governor Heredia (the same)
decreed that all buildings be made of stone from that point forward. This
decree is one of the reasons so many colonial buildings have survived to
the present day. Because of its well-protected harbor Cartagena became
the staging area for the Spanish treasure fleets. The plundered treasure
from Peru and Ecuador was ferried up the Pacific coast to Panama, taken
across the isthmus by mule train (no canal in those days) and loaded on
the Galleons which then made the short sail to Cartagena where they were
provisioned and picked up more treasure brought down the Rio (river) Magdalena
from the interior of Colombia. In order to protect the ships carrying these
goods, so they would not have to sail out into the Caribbean and down the
coast, the Spanish built a canal from the mouth of the Magdalena to Cartagena
114 Kilometers long. |
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 EscapeArtist
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Live & Invest Offshore - Get the real facts from the best; including
Doug Casey, Bobby Casey, Bob Matthews, Global Asset Advisors, Inc., Jeff
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 Live
In Colombia - We'll Show You How - Take
this opportunity to learn the other side of the news about Colombia. Uncover
the reality of modern Colombia, a spirited, enchanting country full of
culture, opportunity and breathtaking natural wonder. Find out why you
might want to focus your travel plans, your tourist dollars and even your
serious attention on this memorable and affordable country. - Picture a
charming, intoxicating land of pleasures, with orchids growing, waterfalls
cascading, and humpback whales breeching in its waters. - The Colombia
You Haven’t Heard About! |
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 Self
Service Shipping to Colombia - Ubox we ship
- Save over 40%! on international shipping. Door to door , Door to port
, Port to port. Professional services with discount prices. Call today
for a free shipping quote 866.566.9350 |
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 Medical
Tourism In Colombia Safe Overseas Medical
Tourism Offshore Medical Tourism WorldWide. Find Safe Clinics, Read Reviews,
Active Discussion posts. Members and providers can communicate directly
and exchange information freely. |
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 Yachts
For Sale In South America Yes, Boats, Barges
and Yachts for sale in Ecuador and other parts of South America. the online
Yacht Broker. - If it floats on water it's in the Yacht Broker - Buy or
sell a yacht, sportsfishing vessel or sailboat - List your boat for free!
- ALSO: Yachts
For Sale Worldwide |
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 Why
Do Expats Pay So Little in US Tax? -
The simple answer is that we don’t live in the USA so why should we have
to pay any US tax at all! The fact is that the US government taxes
expats and has for nearly 100 years. One look on the inside of your
US passport and you will see that you are required to file each year. One
look at the US deficit will show you that the IRS is using every method
possible to track down every last nickel they can find! BUT THAT
DOESN’T MEAN YOU WILL OWE ANY US TAX! US expats are one of the only demographics
I can think of where the middle class gets more tax advantages than the
Warren Buffets of the world. How is that? Well the middle class is
the working class and workers EARN their income – unlike the rich who get
it via capital gains which have a low tax rate. Earned income abroad
has some very special tax breaks that mean that you can earn a 6 figure
income abroad and have ZERO US tax liability! I will explain. |
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 More
Articles On Living & Investing In Colombia
- and thousands
of articles on living and investing overseas in countries around the world;
including numerous articles on international real estate - Most of our
articles start in our international relocation magazines; but we keep them
in an archive so that visitors can access them - - access is free,
and free is a very good prices - Click
here to visit our relocation reference library - This library is filled
with facts, contacts, suggestions, inside information & offshore information,
artist havens & tax havens .... We sincerely hope you make your
escape and that you find your Shangri La, or your Shangri Lil ... and that
special place in the world that sets your heart on fire... We're
willing to show you the routes |
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