Anyone in Bucaramanga?

Hi Rob and welcome to Expat.com!

A longer introduction maybe?

Francesca

Hi my name is rocio i speak english.

Hi Rob,

I have been talking a lot with Mike who lives in Manizales he has helped me in really coming to understand some of the nuances of being a Gringo in Colombia.  My plan is to retire to Colombia in 2016.  In the meantime I want to prepare for that eventuality by learning the secrets of integrating into Colombian culture. This web site is rich with people living in Colombia who, like yourself, reach out.  But it is helpful to get the wisdom of those who are living it.  I would really enjoy writing you every once in a while to learn from your experiences.

Good Luck,

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Someone Colombian (perhaps Rocio?) will have to clarify if I qualify as a gringo here! I heard somewhere that they usually only apply it to those from the USA and not to Brits? My wife is from Bucaramanga, and she doesn't know.

I've been having some fun with the banks lately. I'll happily share that information hopefully very soon when I've got it figured out!

I'm still getting up to speed with the Spanish language. I'm hoping some things will make more sense when I'm abit more tuned in. At least I think the Colombian accent is generally very clear which helps.

Cheers

Rob

Hi Rob,

I am looking to move to Colombia next year and would love to hear your experience.  how is work, life, accomodation etc. My first stop would be most likely bogota and then bucaramanga. Can't wait!

Cheers,

Laura

I like Bucaramanga. It's a smaller than Bogotá, but it's also crowded perhaps because it sits on a Meseta next to the eastern cordillera of the Andes so space to expand is at a premium. There is building work going on all over the place, mostly new apartment blocks. Some look to be of good quality and it's possible to find places with a good view as the city slopes from east to west. There are some very pleasant neighbourhoods like Cabecera, as well as a fair share of dodgy barrios which are probably best avoided. The chaotic traffic is probably the biggest risk – same as Bogotá.

There are plenty of nice restaurants, though you have to search a little more if you don't always want large amounts of meat! Bumangueses are not the healthiest eaters in the world, but you can find loads of great fruit & veg in the market, and decent fish too.

The climate is certainly better than Bogotá, which they call “la nevera” or the freezer! It's around 20-25 C year round here so never cold, and not often hot. The temperature is perfect for me, though the sun can be brutal at mid-day. We've been getting plenty of rain lately, but it's not caused problems in the city. The roads are not too great outside the city mainly because of the high mountains. They can often be blocked for a while in “winter” as they call the wet season. It can take between 5 and 8 hours to get to Bogota by road (about 50,000 COP on the bus) because of all the heavy trucks going slowly in the mountains, but you can also fly fairly cheaply (less than 200,000 COP I think).

As for jobs, it's hard for me to say. The city is vibrant and seems prosperous, but no doubt there far fewer jobs than in Bogota as it doesn't have the international companies like the capital. Very few people speak more than very basic English, and they are desperate for good teachers. What kind or work do you want? How is your Spanish?

What's your reason for wanting to come to Bucaramanga?

Hi Rob, I'm new in this forum, and I've just found your post. Well definetely all english speakers are called "gringos", and that is not only in Bucara but in Colombia as well...
regards,
Mauricio
(moderated: no free ads please)

Rob, I am glad you are enjoying the City of Parks.  Insane traffic, nice people, very different approaches, but a great place to be.  I love the climate, especially higher in the city.  I'll be there next week sometime, if all goes as planned, and I look forward to it and hearing from you, perhaps, before we arrive.  We are seriously looking forward to a hamburgesa at Mercagan, not a long walk from the apartment.  It will maybe  take awhile to adjust to the hills, but it will be nice to be there.

Hi Rob hows it going, how are you finding bucaramanga?

I have just moved to Bucaramanga, i got married here over a year ago but finally moved here. (well until jan then back to spain to move the house over)

How are you finding everything?

have you found an expat group?

infact does anyone know of anyone who plays football here in bucara?

Rob,

Can I please contact you by email? I have some questions about the city.

Thank you,

Brian Moody

Hi,
I'm moving to floridablanca in two weeks.  My wife is una Bogotana, but we are moving from the USA.  I would very much like to get plugged into the gringo community as well as make some colombian friends!  The hardest part of moving is building a portfolio of amigos, or life is not very exciting.  I have two wonderful kids, I love restraunts with lots of meat, so Rob - I guess I am lucky.  I am an engineer by trade, but I am questioning my life path and teaching sounds difficult/wonderful.  I think I would have the personality for it - engineers are hard to work with for me, sometimes not practical at all.

I would love to volunteer at the church as well, to help my spanish along and meet folks, but I am not sure if my spanish is good enough to start even there.

Feel free, anyone, to shoot me an email!!!

Thanks,
Jacob

Hi Jacob,

Good luck with the move. You will love it here. Well i say here, I'm now back in Spain for a month or too then back to wonderful bucaramanga.

teaching English is a way to help the community if you wanted to do volunteer stuff, and you can of course teach to earn money. (I run an english teaching school)

I know some English guys that run a small football charity for the poor kids, it's lots of work but they love it.

Making friends and breaking into a Colombian social circle can be hard sometimes but worth the effort.

Give me a shout when you have settled in..

Rachel was going to organise a get together of expats in Bucara... Rachel whatever happened to it? or did I miss it?

Jacob, hope the move goes smoothly and welcome to Santander! I'm sure you'll like Floridablanca and the rest of the Department, but no doubt it can take some time to adapt.

Don - Rachel & I met up in Cabecera before Xmas. Perhaps it could be good to have a meet-up again when Jacob has arrived and settled in, and when you are back?

Hi Jacob, Rob, Don,
Somehow I missed these messages last month! It would be great to schedule another ex-pat meet up. Jacob, are you guys here and settled in? Don, are you back?
Kasa Guane has a terrace and is Colombo-British owned so it might be a nice spot to make some other connections as well.
Let me know when you are available and we can set something up.

Hi all,

no not back yet, busy sorting the house out. I'm back in April.

Kasa Guane is a good place, I know the owners. You will find a few more expats, mainly back packers who are here for a few months. The turn over as you would expect of expats there is pretty high. I have made a few connections from having beer there at the weekends.

Either way I don't mind where we meet, but as I said I'm not back until April

Hey,
Still have some work before I am 'settled-in' proper, so April sounds good.  Right now I am searching for furniture, a car and trying to learn spanish overnight.  My brain is jello right now, and I am afraid I would leave an impression that I am a jibbering idiot right now. 
First apartment was a disaster, so we moved again.  We are now in Tamaca.

Later,
Jake

I know the feeling well. It's pretty overwhelming at first!
April sounds like a good time for everyone.
We have been "searching for furniture" (an apt way to put it, the market here is strange) too as we just moved into an apartment as well, so let me know if you are looking for anything specific. We may have some info.
Good luck settling in!

HI all,

Sounds great to meet up in April.

Hey i don't know if I have told any of you this.

I run a website about Colombia, Started a while back when I started coming to Colombia and everyone was asking me what it was like so I jotted a lot of my experiences down. One section which is pretty useful for people who have not been to Colombia before is a section call "First impressions of Colombia"

Would any of you mind completing the same questions on that page and for it to be published on the site.

If you wish to add any more content please let me know.

[Moderated: No free ad pls on the forum]

Don

Don, message me the site info.

Hello Bucaramenses! (es así, no?!
I'm from the US and have been living in Cartagena for the past ~1.5 years and am planning my first trip to Santander during Semana Santa. I want to check out Bucaramanga but also do the ~3 day hike from Cabrera or Barichara through Guane, Villanueva, Jordan, Los Santos and Chicamocha Canyon at the end. Has anyone done that or have any information on (economical) accommodations along the way? (I speak Spanish.)
Thank you for any recommendations/advice and if I can help anyone with Cartagena, let me know!
Thank you!
Barbara

So, any thoughts on the get together?  I might recommend Canaveral as a place to meet-up somewhere.
-Jacob

How about Chicamocha Pub?

Or we go to Humo BBQ sometimes, it's owned by a guy from the States and a lot of expats go there.

Hi all how's it going' so when are you all thinking of getting together? I'll be back next week

I could really go for some TX BBQ, if I may request but either works, Don - what day works for you?

Count me in. I'm happy with any venue/day.

Hi Guys,

I'm finally back after 3 months of packing up my house in Spain, what a pain in the ass.

So I'm up for meeting up any time you fancy. I might be out this Friday, in fact might go and see some friend in Kasa Guane if anyone fancies a beer there.

Hey some of you might be able to help me, i have a website call show me Colombia and I'm writting an article , 101 reasons to love Bucaramanga. I was inspired by a girl who wrote the same but about Bogota.

Fancy helping me?

(Moderated)

Okay, so how about this Saturday at Humo BBQ at 4pm - I know that is a bit early, but I was thinking to take the kids.  Plus, I bet it is easy to find a beer there anyways.  Let me know if that is strange for you guys or if a better time would suit.
I really am looking forward to some americanish food.... We have hired help, so I had to explain buffalo wings to her and instruct her to quit making damn soups out of my wings every time I buy them - haha!  Maybe this time I will get to fry them after all.
-Jacob

Hi Mate,

Not sure I can make it that early, I'm in the process of moving house / buy the contents of a house and decorating so my Saturday would be pretty busy during the day.

Oh not to mention I have a first communion on saturday

I can make Saturday.

You have my sympathy regarding the chicken!

M
Hola
My name is John.
I'm an English teacher here in Bucaramanga.
Look forward to talking to you.
[email protected]

Okay, I am not even sure if I can make it anymore... family life is sometimes crazy.  I think Rob was the only one to respond, PM me and I will respond with my contact info!

Hello,

I am currently in Idaho but I'll be moving to Bucaramanga on 4/29.  I'd love to meet up with you guys.

Josh

Hey Josh, What brings you to Bucara?  See you around!

My mother was born in Colombia but I grew up in the states.  I've decided to live with some distant family in Bucara for the summer.  I don't really have any plans for the summer except volunteer my time and work on speaking spanish.  I should be living around Floridablanca.

Hey everyone

I have some how missed some of these messages :s

When are we all going to get together?

hey John where do you teach english?

Hey everyone,

Hows things?

Just to let you all know I have created a networking group in facebook for Bucaramanga if you are interested. I can't put a link here so just search for Networking Bucaramanga

Don