Travel Tales From a Colombian Abroad
Since I’m used to spending Christmas in Medellín or Texas, Christmas in France is… a cold one. But only in temperature, since like in many places, Christmas transforms cities and the spirit of its people. Cities seem to be a little louder and warmer than normal.
An Autumn in Paris. It sounds like the title of a movie, and that is exactly what you feel when you spend a couple of autumn days in the City of Lights.
In a previous post I explained how China requires a visa for most citizens to enter the country, however, there’s a small loophole to that. China has in place a 72-hour and 144-hour transit visas. The really interesting visa is the 144 hours one, equal to 6 days, and was implemented to increase tourism in the area. The policy was put into place this year (2016) and covers only the cities of Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. However, only nationals of certain countries can enjoy this special transit visa. The downside of this visa is that you cannot leave the city it was delivered in, but on the other hand, Shanghai is big and interesting enough for you to spend 6 days there. The 72-hour policy only includes 18 cities for the moment, and you are required to leave through the same airport you entered. Three days might seem short, but if you’re wanting to visit say, Beijing, while avoiding all the visa hassle it may already seem like the better option. One important thing is that, upon arrival in order to obtain either visa you must make sure you have a ticket confirming your flight to your final destination. So if […]
![Shànghǎi - Futuristic City [Ciudad Futurista]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_0774.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Unfortunately our trip to Shanghai was very short, we were there for only 3 days taking advantage of the fact that we had some friends that lived there. Our final destination was actually Vietnam. To travel to China most people need a visa (Colombians, French, Americans , etc.) however you can do transit through the country for a total of 144 hours. So luckily we didn’t have to deal with that! But you do have to get a special permit upon arrival, showing you’re there for the less than the hours permitted.
![Bilbao, Basque Country [País Vasco]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/img_1943.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
A major city in the autonomous community of the basque Country and the city of pintxos! When we arrived to Bilbao we didn’t have an exact plan on what to do, besides the Guggenheim Museum. And that is exactly what I love about Spain, you don’t really need to do a lot planning… just pack your bags and go. The rest just happens!
![Opinion - The Peace We All Want [La Paz que Todos Queremos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/286136_10151075699001059_1241341651_o.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
It makes me sad to see how Colombians fight with one another for peace when at the end of the day we all want the same thing: peace. If we took a moment to really listen to what our neighbors have to say, we would understand that the heart of every one of us is with the peace.
![Sin City, Vegas [La Ciudad del Pecado, Las Vegas]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/img_2676.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Anyone said bachelorette party? Last march one of my best friends got married, and to celebrate we decided to go to the “Sin City,” Las Vegas, Nevada. Nine girls ready to enjoy a weekend in one of the party capitals of the world. So we packed our bags for a long weekend trip and got on that plane! Like good Colombians, we made sure that this trip paid off in fun and money. We stayed at The venetian hotel, where we reserved 2 rooms for the 9 of us and were lucky enough to have them be conjoined rooms. The rooms were super big, we could have easily fit 3 more people in each!
Si vas a visitar a Bali, dos semanas, te da el tiempo suficiente para disfrutar y recorrer la bella isla. Claro que podrías visitar a Bali solo una semana y después ir a otro lugar en Asia, pero se estarán perdiendo de cosas muy lindas. La mejor manera de recorrer la isla es contratando a un chofer. Puedes encontrar a uno en el hotel, restaurante, el mercado…en cualquier lado, alguien conocerá a alguien que te pueda llevar a donde tu quieras. Este itinerario incluye toda la isla (incluyendo la pequeña isla de Gili Trawangan) con la excepción de el lado oeste de la isla. Acá abajo les dejo un mapa de nuestro itinerario para que lo sigan: sigan la linea azul al igual que el alfiler rojo en la derecha (Gili Trawangan).
If you’re visiting Bali, two weeks give you just the right amount of time to enjoy the island. Sure you can do one week and then go elsewhere in South East Asia, but you will miss out on a lot of great things. The best way to travel the island is by hiring a driver. You can find one at your hotel, in a restaurant, at the market… Pretty much anywhere, someone will know someone who can drive you. This itinerary includes the whole island (including Gili Trawangan) with the exception of the far west side. Below is a map so you can follow our itinerary: follow the blue line along with the pin on the right (Gili Trawangan).
![Camping in the Pyrénées [Acampando en los Pirineos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/dsc02658.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Since I arrived in Pau, we had been talking about going camping in the Pyrenees, and we finally made time to do it. Before going on the trip we went to the Decathlon (a French store where hey sell outdoor and sports stuff) and bought a few things to be fully prepared. [Versión en español abajo]