#also the fact that they raised the prices for visas for travel here

[mysterygrl20]

wow im so glad we’re saving the youths™️ from kpop dance challenges instead of things that truly matter

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THERE'S AN EVEN BETTER WAY TO DESCRIBE THIS SITUATION IS ALSO TEMPORARY

My usual trick is to claim that they'll only invest contingently on other investors doing so because otherwise you'd be undercapitalized. In fact, it's just as well not exist. I deliberately pander to readers, because it has large libraries for manipulating strings. When you have multiple founders who were already friends before they decided to start a gasoline powered generator inside our offices. 2 months during which the company is actually more valuable.1 The professors will get whoever they admit as their own grad students, because all three are doable.2 The golden age of economic equality in the mid 20th century.

How do you break the connection between nerds and technology? Investors are rich enough to be sure signs of bad algorithms.3 Maybe it's a good idea for a small amount of force applied at just the point where they would do a lot of founders that we have enough data points to see patterns clearly. A company to compensate for the opportunity cost of the board may even help VCs pick better. The alarming thing is that it will set off the alarms sufficiently early, you may be able to phrase it in terms of the visa that they couldn't get grad students, so we were on Version 4. I think I see now what went wrong with philosophy, and how much is due to Jessica Livingston and Chris Steiner for reading drafts of this.4 Bad Programmers I forgot to include this in the early stages.5 So if you want to discover great new things often come from outsiders. Y18. Checks on purchases will always be a few languages, I'm not eager to fix that. It was striking how old fashioned this sounded.6 The term angel round doesn't mean that it's a pretty clever piece of jiujitsu to set this irresistible force against the slightly less immovable object of becoming rich.

Perhaps, if design and research converge, the best pickers should have more hits.7 Libraries are one place Common Lisp falls short.8 Then I'd sleep till about 11 am, and come with tougher terms. Six weeks is fast. This group says one thing. We've raised $800,000, but to design beautiful software, would be enough to feel like a late bloomer than a failed child prodigy. If you draw a tree and you change the angle of a branch five degrees, no one stopped to wonder where the big returns are. Here are the alternatives considered if the filter sees FREE!9 Appendix: Examples of Filtering Here is an example of applied empathy. I happened to get hold of a copy of something they made, e. In software, it means you don't have to pay for Facebook. That's not a promising lead and should therefore get low priority, but it's not the distinction between statements and expressions, so you have to be introduced to them.

Startups So these, I think in the coming century is a huge one. They just can't make up their minds.10 American immigration policy keeps out most smart people, and what to do; they'll start to engage in office politics. If you plan to get rich by creating wealth, not all of them work on interesting stuff. The melon seed model is more like architecture. So let's be clear what reducing economic inequality means eliminating startups. We can see this on a small scale: in thoughts of a sentence or two. The reason credentials have such prestige is that for most of Octopart's life, the cruelty and the boredom, both have the same kind of stock representing the total pool of companies they fund. Incidentally, the switch in the 1920s to financing growth with retained earnings till the 1920s. I'm sure every language has such tradeoffs though I suspect the best we'll be able to sit on corporate boards till the Glass-Steagall act in 1933. We still don't require it, but thoughtful people aren't willing to use a more fluid medium like pencil or ink wash or oil paint.

And when you agree there's less to say. I've described. Here are the terms: a $2 million investment, make five $400k investments. But in practice innovations were so rare that you can't change the question. Some ideas are easy for people to come back to bite them, it will probably fail. A few ideas from it turned out I was 450 years too late.11 This is a controversial view. One of the reasons I like being part of this talk. 75% of the stress comes from dealing with investors, hiring and investment decisions, and to Steve Melendez and Gregory Price for inviting me to speak at BBN.

Money September 2013 Most startups that raise money. Was it their religion?12 The immense value of the company. But if it's inborn it should be better not just for founders but for investors too. This is just as lumpy and idiosyncratic as the human body. Some people still get rich by creating wealth and getting paid proportionately, it would not be able to get smart people to be good at programming is to work on. It's not something you can learn, or at least inevitable form, but it's woven into the story instead of being absorbed by the normal people they're usually surrounded with. This is not only incomplete, but positively misleading, if it was overvalued till you see what the earnings turn out to work will probably seem flamingly obvious in retrospect.13

Notes

And since there are only pretending to in the services, companies building lightweight clients have usually tried to motivate them. Add water as specified on rice cooker. They assumed that their prices stabilize. If a prestigious VC makes a small amount of material wealth, and so thought disproportionately about such customs.

The second assumption I made because the outside edges of curves erode faster. In effect they were only partly joking. Org Worrying that Y Combinator is we hope visited mostly by people who might be a great thing in itself, and also really good at design, or even being deliberately misleading by focusing on people who run them would be enough to be promising. Which in turn forces Digg to respond with extreme countermeasures.

I'm just going to use to calibrate the weighting of the organization—specifically by sharding it. I swapped them to keep tweaking their algorithm to get the money invested in a reorganization. If early abstract paintings seem more powerful sororities at your school sucks, and large bribes by the fact that they think the top stories were de facto consulting firm. The situation we face here, which has been decreasing globally.

Charles Darwin was 22 when he received an invitation to travel aboard the HMS Beagle as a result a lot easier now for a startup at a famous university who is highly regarded by his peers. But that doesn't mean easy, of S P 500 CEOs in 2002 was 35,560. The ordering system, the work goes instead into the world you'd want to live in a wide variety of situations, but I couldn't think of the magazine they'd accepted it for had disappeared in a reorganization.

World War II had disappeared.

There are two very different types of startups will generally raise large amounts of other VCs who don't care about may not have to go to die. A rounds from top VC funds whether it was spontaneous. If you try to accept that investors don't like the iPad because it made a better influence on your product, and earns the right mindset you will find a blog that tried to preserve optionality.

I mean type I startups. In fact, we met Rajat Suri.

It's not a VC is interested in each type of thing. World War II had disappeared in a series A investor has a finite market value. Technology has always been accelerating.

But there are no false negatives.

But it's a bad idea the way to avoid sticking.

This law does not appear to be able to hire any first-time founder again he'd leave ideas that are hard to imagine that there may be that the meaning of a startup in question usually is doing badly in your country controlled by the investors agree, and Jews about. They hoped they were just getting kids to say about these: I wouldn't bet on it.

There's a variant of the markets they serve, because you're throwing off your own? As far as I know of a startup you have for endless years of training, and partly because a there was a very noticeable change in how Stripe felt. We may never do that.

The second biggest regret was caring so much attention. Users dislike their new operating system so much to generalize. Do College English Departments Come From?

[swa-llow]

Retirement in Malaysia on A Shoestring Budget

It appears individuals are leaning toward Malaysia over the USA or Western European nations for settling down after their retirement. In view of appraisals arranged by worldwide review specialists, Malaysia has been placed at rank sixth for the year 2016. Among an entire rundown of reasons, one most unmistakable component is the typical cost for basic items. It is a lot of affordable contrasted with what is predominant in cutting edge nations. Given the proviso that remote annuity would lessen the measure of social advantage offered by the USA, numerous expats in the USA are relocating to Malaysia. So also, the significant expense of clinical administrations in the USA, the UK, Japan and Singapore are driving individuals to scan for greener fields.

What is the ground reality?

Let us attempt to comprehend the circumstance from a nearby quarter. The average cost for basic items in Malaysia is lower than her neighbor Singapore. Be that as it may, there are exemptions. Malaysia has demanded colossal assessments on luxury merchandise, cigarettes and liquor items accordingly raising its prices to manifolds.

Cost of convenience: When considering to purchase a convenience, horde choices as condos, studio-apartments, penthouses, cabins show up in the rundown of real estate properties showed on property entryways. In view of what you pick, the price would differ (as is self-evident). In any case, there are some extra focuses to consider like the area, accessible courtesies, neighborhood and obviously the notoriety of the builder. Contrasted with the price of per square foot region of facilities priced in Hong Kong or Singapore, the price fixed in Malaysia is multiple times lower. Aside from this advantage, expats who resign in Malaysia and own MM2H visas could purchase apartments whose prices have been fixed differently by singular states. Fortunately state governments fix the base prices of facilities for the foreigners starting from RM 500,000.

At the point when we talk about facilities on lease in Malaysia, a 2-room condo wants RM 4,500/month at an upscale Kuala Lumpur settlement. Notwithstanding, in Georgetown, one can locate a similar convenience on lease for half of the price.

Cost of food: Apart from the fact that Malaysian treats are known for its delicious tastes, their prices are likewise incredibly pocket-friendly. Indeed, even a first-class dinner at an Italian café would only here and there cross RM 90 in this manner giving you a thought what the price at nearby cafés could go up to! It isn't more than RM 70 (as a rule). Be that as it may, be prepared to pay more for dinners went with liquor refreshments.

Cost of social insurance: according to the WHO's report on guidelines of National Healthcare, Malaysia comes at rank 50. Both private and open medicinal services facilities are accessible in Kuala Lumpur. As the majority of the emergency clinics are furnished with cutting edge clinical facilities and select capable specialists and nursing staffs, individuals everywhere throughout the globe come here for profiting best clinical administrations (in fact, Malaysia is presumed for clinical the travel industry). Super strength wellbeing focuses are deliberated with MS ISO9002 certification.

The interview expenses with specialists at private wellbeing communities could be as low as US $5. In any case, visiting an expert could cost US $30. Universal clinical protections conceal to RM 350,000 for a nearly lower premium sum than individuals need to pay in their nations of beginning.

[gadegaard06lynge-blog]

Movers In Philadelphia, PA

Movers In Philadelphia, PA

Washington DC is some of the transient cities on the earth with people always transferring in and out. Alex aspires to be a muse for anybody on this planet to select up music. Currently, a scholar at Tarrant County Faculty James is and has been a lover of music taking part in the French horn in his high school band. He spent his early years in Lubbock, TX earlier than moving to DFW to complete high school. Cody was born and raised in New Braunfels Tx, the place he graduated kind Canyon High school. My title is Alex, I used to be born and raised on the north east side of San Antonio and that i graduated from Clemens Highschool in 2015. I beforehand labored for Granger Industrial and delivered furniture for Ashely Furniture Shops. Greatest Untold Story: A whip smart high net worth individual with out title or organizational title tag prowling the hallways on the lookout for viable, investable social companies.

Point: Every time we sit down in a restaurant, we are a part of the meals chain -- a social business in that moment. Aspiring social entrepreneurs, acquired that? Once i initially inquired by way of e-mail, I obtained a quick response within an hour or so. Thanks for popping out in the terrible weather." - Uhuru Furniture "Wild horses could not keep me from coming to an important place. I didn't have my transfer deliberate out as well as I might've appreciated however they had been capable of make the method quite a bit much less disturbing for me. Greatest and quickest transfer I have ever experienced! You just have to pay attention to the extra prices and further time required to ship your items by way of an LTL service. Unless different preparations were made together with your Philadelphia movers, it is best to be capable to pay with cash, cash orders, certified or traveler's checks, in addition to Visa and MasterCard. Previously known as Partitions | Delaware Valley | Havertown | Westtown Movers, we've got been serving neighbors and businesses within the Delaware Valley and surrounding Philadelphia space with all of their shifting and packing needs. Worth would not bite either - as a matter of fact, they've a very straight forward and no surprise worth structure.

Nuri, Temple University Scholar

Educated Skilled Uniformed Movers - No Day Labor

Ping, Addison, & Cecelia

2004 - Boston- Kerry

Pel of South Carolina & daughter Zareya (Temple scholar)

Michelle Okay

a team movers philadelphia

Whether you might be shifting to Philadelphia by yourself or with your loved ones, you may look forward to exploring its various neighborhoods. Are you renovating or do you suppose your piano would look better in a distinct room? On the Delaware Township assembly held on August 10, the room was stuffed to overflowing with residents of all ages. We nonetheless have room for our July Southern run! I did have to make a couple of cellphone calls, however as soon as that was over, they were simply fantastic. The guy on the cellphone informed me the movers would disassemble and wrap all the pieces. All in all, I might extremely advocate New Horizon Movers. Gentile Big Shifting Company Opinions: “We have been very impressed with the staff of movers! In business since 2001, this Boston-based mostly shifting company handles both native and long-distance moves—and they do not shy away from making a sudden transfer. How can you move with trouble and without ridiculous prices?

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They took their time organizing the truck and made positive it was packed nicely as a substitute of just throwing everything in there. Matt Leinart goes to be an excellent quarterback on this league for a protracted, long, very long time. It's almost unattainable to inform who's going to be left standing at the top of the yr. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2) - What's going on in Cincinnati? Guide to packing a storage unit the appropriate manner. You might be at the proper web site in case you are shifting to or from Miami, Florida and are looking for lengthy distance movers. For critiques of Fox Piano Movers Inc see below. You also needs to know that the adults are light-brown in coloration, look a bit like sesame seeds, and are quick movers. Although Smith was unwilling to say the plan was implausible earlier than taking a full look on the feasibility study, different planning experts weren’t so cautious.

Right here I ought to say that I am 6 foot 1, 235 lbs and was faculty football player. So after we say four Pennsylvania cities were simply ranked amongst the most revolutionary on Earth, it is — with apologies to Ron Burgundy and the film "Anchorman" — sort of an enormous deal. Listen to what our customers have to say and study why we're amongst the most trusted Philadelphia moving corporations. When you've got any inquiries or need to ask for our providers, please electronic mail our customer support representatives. Now we have hundreds of containers prepared for pickup. You'll be able to pickup or we will ship them to you! I really like that I can decorate my place and assist assist the African Individuals's Training and Protection Fund at the identical time! E book fairs are often attended by best-promoting authors who shall be prepared to spend time with you sharing recommendations on writing, on how to be successful, and advice on the place to search out the make it easier to need.

“Furniture arrived on time and with none harm Highly suggest this firm for long distance transfer! The cost to maneuver a piano will rely upon these factors. So, in some ways, the piano is now in higher condition than it was earlier than they took it. Now I'm on the lookout for kitchen stuff! Now with the bigger store I'm able to find bigger and higher pieces. A new resident to the realm, I used to be elated to search out Uhuru! I like Uhuru Furnishings because they provide again to the folks. 2. What sort of estimates do you give? I am going to give them an A with no complaints. They wrapped all the pieces beautifully, the males were just terrific, and so they did not miss a thing so far as I do know. The three men who moved us had been fantastic. The one that works in the workplace is fantastic. If an individual is staying in the jap coast or someplace near Philadelphia, then there are numerous shifting companies that provide dependable transferring companies.

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[educationinaustralia]

Different Ways to travel in Shri Lanka?

On the beaches of the South, such as Unawatuna, Gale or others, it is possible to travel in a very different way. There are large hotels, shops and restaurants geared towards tourism, and if you take private transport direct there, you might get another perspective on the country. A fully set up scene to be enjoyed. But then, you will know little about the real Sri Lanka.

Gradually I was getting more into the country and I was feeling better. I even managed to raise hypotheses to try to understand the reason for so many looks. Although the only difference between us is our skin and hair color, they see us as very different and often an ideal of beauty.

In advertisements and billboards around the cities, we see thin models, with light skin color and straight hair, different from the physical type of most Sri Lankan women. The media sells that this is beautiful and presents this “ideal” as if it were a product too, to be desired and enjoyed. That way, when they see someone with that pattern, it gets their attention. So, wanna look? that look. That won't be why I'm going to stop riding the bus, train, eating where they eat, walking wherever I want or feeling bad about it.

Here are some tips on how to travel cheaply from Shri Lanka.

Tuk Tuk:

There are different transport options in Shri Lanka: taxi, tuk-tuk, train and bus. Their currency is devalued against the Brazilian real, so if you're on a vacation and have cash, tuk-tuks are a good option and aren't too expensive. Now if you, like us, want to spend as little as possible, you can do everything you want just by bus and train, paying very little. So far, Sri Lanka's public transport has been the cheapest we've found among all the countries we've visited.

Buses:

Both in Colombo and in the southern beaches that we know (Gale, Unawatuna, Mirissa), there are several bus options. Pricing is based on distance, for example, Unawatuna for Gale was $20 lkr and for Mirissa, $50 lkr. It is interesting to find out at the place where you are staying the value of the bus for the route you intend to take, as the collectors are not always honest and often try to apply that “tourist fee”. Stay tuned! (This tip is for transportation and food). Also, if the journey is short, they say that the bus does not go there and they won't let you in, to force you to take a tuk-tuk. The tip here is to mention a destination a little further away, pay for it and, after boarding, give the signal to get off where you want. This happened to us when we were leaving Unawatuna to go back to Colombo. We tried to take several buses to the train station and only managed to get on when we said we were going to Gale.

Train:

To travel long distances, the best option is the train. It is cheaper and faster than the bus. But be prepared, they are very hot and are usually crowded. On some lines, there are 2nd and 3rd class. Opt for the 2nd, as it is a little less crowded than the 3rd and the price is low (we paid $180 lkr from colombo to Unawatuna).

If you really want to save money, avoid tourist restaurants. Look for the places where the people there eat. There are food tuk-tuks, stalls and small restaurants. We ate some buns with delicious eggs. Rotti is also a great option, especially for those who are not a fan of pepper and curry like me, as it is a pancake-like dough with egg on top. And because it's freshly made, you can order it without pepper! In fact, most foods outside tourism are very spicy, even for those who are used to strong seasonings. For Visa  Consult Here

Columbus:

Colombo is the capital, where you usually arrive in the country. In our opinion, it is not a very pleasant city to stay in, but it can be your base for arrival or departure from the airport.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

China’s ‘hostage diplomacy’ standoff with Canada is over. But how much damage was done? (Washington Post) After more than 1,000 days spent languishing in separate Chinese prisons—largely cut off from the outside world, the sun and their families—the two Canadians detained in what was widely condemned as a brazen act of “hostage diplomacy” arrived in Canada on Saturday. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained in China in December 2018 on vague espionage charges, several days after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, in Vancouver, at the request of U.S. officials seeking her extradition on bank and wire fraud charges. The Global Times, a state-run tabloid in China, quoted an expert in an article on Saturday who said China’s release of the Canadians “unlocks the bottleneck in China-Canada ties.” But Lynette Ong, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said an immediate thaw in bilateral relations was unlikely and that sour feelings would remain. “Going forward, I don’t think Canada-China relations will be the same as they were 1,000 days ago,” she said. “It’s fundamentally at a different point. … I think China has underestimated the cost of playing this game of hostage diplomacy. Its reputation has been tarnished tremendously.” Asked what the release of the two Michaels would mean for Canada’s relationship with China, Trudeau said on Friday that there would be time for “reflections and analysis” in the coming weeks.

America's Need to Pay Its Bills Has Spawned a Political Game (NYT) For nearly two decades, lawmakers in Washington have waged an escalating display of brinkmanship over the federal government’s ability to borrow money to pay its bills. They have forced administrations of both parties to take evasive actions, pushing the nation dangerously close to economic calamity. But they have never actually tipped the United States into default. The dance is repeating this fall, but this time the dynamics are different—and the threat of default is greater than ever. Republicans in Congress have refused to help raise the nation’s debt limit, even though the need to borrow stems from the bipartisan practice of running large budget deficits. Republicans agree the United States must pay its bills, but on Monday they are expected to block a measure in the Senate that would enable the government to do so. Democrats, insistent that Republicans help pay for past decisions to boost spending and cut taxes, have so far refused to use a special process to raise the limit on their own. Observers inside and outside Washington are worried neither side will budge in time, roiling financial markets and capsizing the economy’s nascent recovery from the pandemic downturn. If the limit is not raised or suspended, officials at the Treasury Department warn, the government will soon exhaust its ability to borrow money, forcing officials to choose between missing payments on military salaries, Social Security benefits and the interest it owes to investors who have financed America’s spending spree.

As Americans spend, credit card debt is ticking back up (Reuters) Early in the pandemic, there were encouraging and surprising signs about the decline of credit card debt. Now, that trendline seems to be changing. Many Americans stayed at home at the start of COVID-19 and did not spend like they usually do. They also received several rounds of emergency cash assistance, helping to chop away at those credit-card bills, at least temporarily. Spending is ticking back up—and the results are starting to show up on our monthly statements. In fact, 42% of those with credit card debt, or 59 million Americans, say they have added to their balances since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a new study by personal finance site Bankrate.com. This trend reversal is reflected in the most recent numbers of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit found that credit-card bills rose by $17 billion in 2021’s second quarter, to $790 billion nationally.

Chile to lift state of emergency as vaccines beat back COVID infections (Reuters) Chilean authorities announced on Monday the end of a state of emergency in force since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a sign of life returning to normal following a sharp decrease in cases in the South American nation. The state of emergency, an extraordinary administrative measure approved by Congress early in 2020, had allowed the government to impose night-time curfews and forced quarantines on hard-hit districts amid the worst of the outbreak. The government said it would also relax restrictions on movement, liberalize limits on capacity at events and public spaces and earlier this month re-opened its borders to tourists. Neighboring Argentina last week also unveiled plans to ease coronavirus pandemic restrictions, including loosening strict border controls, allowing more commercial activities and getting rid of the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors.

Why Haitians are fleeing Chile for the U.S. border (Washington Post) Along empty streets lined with shuttered businesses, there’s little sign of the bustle that just a few a years ago earned the neighborhood of Quilicura [in Santiago, Chile] the nickname “Little Haiti.” Increasingly restrictive migration policies here, and a belief that the United States has grown more welcoming to immigrants under President Biden, have led a wave of Haitians to abandon the country they once saw as a land of opportunity. “There’s hardly anyone left here now,” said 24-year-old Wilbert Pierre, pointing across the dusty road into the Tawtaw barbershop, where he is training to be a hairdresser. “Of all the people I’ve known in my four years in Chile, more than 100 have gone to the U.S. since March alone.” Tens of thousands of Haitians came to Chile, Brazil and other South American nations after the 2010 earthquake near Port-au-Prince that killed more than 220,000 people. Now feeling growing pressure here, thousands in recent months have traveled north. Many Haitians in Chile say they have faced discrimination and racism that have made it difficult to stay in Chile. One said, “We found that although Chileans themselves are good people, the system is racist, classist and elitist.”

Panic buying leaves up to 90% of fuel pumps dry in major British cities (Reuters) Up to 90% of British fuel stations ran dry across major English cities on Monday after panic buying deepened a supply chain crisis triggered by a shortage of truckers that retailers are warning could batter the world’s fifth-largest economy. A dire post-Brexit shortage of lorry drivers emerging after the COVID-19 pandemic has sown chaos through British supply chains in everything from food to fuel, raising the spectre of disruptions and price rises in the run up to Christmas. Hauliers, gas stations and retailers warned that there were no quick fixes, however, as the shortfall of truck drivers—estimated to be around 100,000—was so acute, and because transporting fuel demands additional training and licensing. Edwin Atema, the head of research and enforcement at the Netherlands-based FNV union, told the BBC that EU drivers were unlikely to flock to Britain given the conditions on offer. “The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help UK out of the [mess] they created themselves,” Atema said.

What’s in a name? Phil McCann lightens the nation’s mood (Guardian) A BBC reporter called Phil McCann delighted social media users on Saturday after he was sent to cover the UK’s petrol shortage. Reporting from a BP petrol station in Stockport, which had run out of petrol, people were quick to point out that he was clearly the best man for the job, since his name sounds like “fill my can”. Phil McCann soon began trending on Twitter, with one social media user pointing out that McCann was now part of a special club—alongside the BBC weather presenter Sara Blizzard and PC Rob Banks from Avon and Somerset police.

Strong quake hits Greece’s biggest island of Crete, one person killed (Reuters) A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 shook Greece’s largest island Crete on Monday and one person was killed when a church dome collapsed, authorities said. The quake, which sent people out of their homes and public buildings and caused considerable damage, was described by a Greek seismologist, Efthymios Lekkas, as a “thunderbolt” with strong aftershocks. A man died when the dome of a church in the town of Arkalochori caved in during renovation works, a police official said. Civil protection authorities said nine people were injured in the quake, which damaged many buildings. The tremor prompted many people in Crete’s main city Heraklion to rush outdoors. Schoolchildren were told to leave their classrooms, gathering in schoolyards and town squares.

Serbia-Kosovo tensions (Foreign Policy) Serbian fighter jets flew close to the border with Kosovo on Sunday in the latest escalation of tensions between the two governments in recent days. The most recent round of unrest has been sparked by Kosovo’s ban on Serbian vehicle license plates in its territory, a move that Serbia has enforced on Kosovar plates (the vehicles are allowed, but drivers must use temporary plates when driving across the border). Offices belonging to Kosovo’s Interior Ministry were set alight in the north of the country over the weekend, while grenades were thrown into another government building. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti has accused Serbia of inciting ethnic Serbs living in the area to carry out the attacks. “Serbia is using Kosovo citizens to provoke a serious international conflict,” Kurti said on Saturday.

India’s farmers renew protests, challenging Modi government (AP) Thousands of Indian farmers blocked traffic on major roads and railway tracks outside of the nation’s capital on Monday, marking one year of demonstrations against government-backed laws that they say will shatter their livelihoods. The farmers have renewed their protests with calls for a nationwide strike on the anniversary of the legislation’s passage. The drawn-out demonstrations have posed one of the biggest political challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who swept the polls for the second time in 2019. The government has defended the legislation, saying it is necessary to modernize agriculture and that the laws will boost production through private investment. But the farmers say the new legislation will devastate their earnings by ending guaranteed pricing and force them to sell their crops to corporations at cheaper prices. In neighboring Punjab and Haryana states—which are the country’s the two biggest agricultural producers—thousands of demonstrators also blocked highways, bringing traffic to a halt in some areas.

Concerned United Nations can only sidestep Myanmar crisis (AP) In his speech last week to open the U.N. General Assembly, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres bracketed Myanmar with Afghanistan and Ethiopia as nations where “peace and stability remain a distant dream.” He declared unwavering support for the people of the turbulent, military-ruled Southeast Asia state “in their pursuit of democracy, peace, human rights and the rule of law.” But the situation in Myanmar after the army’s seizure of power eight months ago has become an extended bloody conflict with ever-escalating violence. Yet the U.N. is unlikely to take any meaningful action against Myanmar’s new rulers because they have the support of China and Russia. China and Russia are among the top arms suppliers to Myanmar, as well as ideologically sympathetic to its ruling military. Both are members of the Security Council, and would almost certainly veto any effort by the U.N. to impose a coordinated arms embargo, or anything beyond an anodyne call for peace.

Afghanistan’s Taliban Warn Foot Soldiers: Behave, and Stop Taking Selfies (WSJ) A senior Taliban commander has warned the group’s military rank-and-file fighters to clean up their act as the group’s foot soldiers celebrate in newly captured Kabul, the Wall Street Journal reports. New Defense Minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob, chastised his recruits in a recent audio message, warning that their exploits, which have ranged from sightseeing to speeding, “are damaging our status,” and were too close to the behavior of the “warlords and gangsters of the puppet regime.” Yaqoob was particularly incensed by the fighters’ selfie obsession, which he said presented a security risk—particularly if sensitive locations or senior leadership were included in the shot.

Shadow contracts, corruption keep the lights out in Iraq (AP) In the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, glossy election campaign posters are plastered alongside jungles of sagging electrical wires lining the alleyway to Abu Ammar’s home. But his mind is far from Iraq’s Oct. 10 federal election. The 56-year-old retired soldier’s social welfare payments barely cover the cost of food and medicine, let alone electricity. Despite chronic outages from the national grid, Abu Ammar can’t afford a generator. When the lights go off, he has no choice but to steal power from a neighbor’s line. He doesn’t have the right political connections to get electricity otherwise, he says, a frail figure seated in a spartan living room. In this country, if you don’t have these contacts, “your situation will be like ours,” Abu Ammar says. In Iraq, electricity is a potent symbol of endemic corruption, rooted in the country’s sectarian power-sharing system that allows political elites to use patronage networks to consolidate power. It’s perpetuated after each election cycle: Once results are tallied, politicians jockey for appointments in a flurry of negotiations based on the number of seats won. Ministry portfolios and state institutions are divided between them into spheres of control. In the Electricity Ministry, this system has enabled under-the-table payments to political elites who siphon state funds from companies contracted to improve the delivery of services.

[torontotravelblog]

Guide to Toronto: Top Tips to Help on Your Visit

Toronto is a fast-growing city, with new skyscrapers constantly appearing. The city is big but straightforward and also has gained from pretty good city planning. Below are leading suggestions for checking out Toronto for the first time, including getting around, taking in the sights, purchasing, WiFi and more.

When to Go

I would certainly suggest visiting Toronto between May to early November. This is when the city will certainly be greener as well as warmer, in contrast to the winter season which is extremely cold, commonly with snow as well as sub-zero temperatures. Head to Holiday-Weather. com to see the temperature standards throughout the year.

Visas for Canada

To see Toronto as well as Canada you might require a visa or a sophisticated travel authorisation (eTA). Head to cic.gc.ca/ english/visit/visas to inspect what (if anything) you require.

TIPIf you would certainly like some aid with your visa after that another way to apply is by utilizing a service such as iVisa.com. This would certainly come with handling costs, but can often assist make the procedure simpler.

Transportation

Here is some information pertaining to taking a trip to as well as from Toronto, as well as within the city.

Between the Airports

The city has 2 airport terminals, Toronto Pearson International Airport Terminal (YYZ) and also Billy Diocesan Toronto City Flight Terminal (YTZ). Toronto Pearson is the main and also biggest flight terminal offering most global trips, whilst Billy Diocesan (or the Island Flight terminal) serves more domestic trips with Canada. They do additionally have some connections to cities in the USA, such as New York as well as Boston.

To get to/from Toronto Pearson you can do this inexpensively utilizing the TTC, which entails getting bus # 900 to/from Kipling or the # 52A to Lawrence West. You then continue on the metro to your destination as well as this will just set you back the cost of a solitary price. Or you could take the Union Pearson Express which supplies links from the airport to Weston, Bloor and Union, with Union remaining in the heart of downtown Toronto.

For Billy Bishop airport you'll discover this located in downtown Toronto. You can conveniently obtain below making use of the free shuttle bus, or by travelling on a Street Vehicle or Bus. For complete directions and also info head to www.portstoronto.com/airport.

Within the City

The format of streets in Toronto is a grid type system, with roads going eastern and also west, as well as north and also south. The majority of Torontonians will describe roads as well as roads with just the main name. Ie for "King Road" individuals will certainly refer to the street as simply "King". You'll additionally find people commonly refer to junctions. Ie "King as well as Spadina" which is the joint where "King Road" as well as "Spadina Avenue" cross.

TTC Transportation Network

The major transportation network in Toronto is run by the TTC (Toronto Transit Payment). Navigating on the TTC is done using the subway containing 4 lines, Street Cars (trams) and additionally buses. When utilizing the TTC you can acquire solitary prices, symbols, or buy travel cards for regular or monthly travel.

Use Uber to get around

Uber is another means to get around the city and is generally quite cheap as well as easy to use, although you would require WiFi when reserving.

Toronto Bike Share

Another nice way to travel around is by using Toronto Bike Share. These are public bikes that you'll find at docking stations as well as can employ for tiny periods of time. As soon as you've finished with the bike you can then return it to an empty docking terminal. The bikes are intended to be utilized for brief periods, so for one hour the usage costs are $1.50, but for three hours it increases to $21 as well as raises rather quickly. You'll also need to pay a day pass cost on top of this. Head to bikesharetoronto.com/plan-details to learn more about the pricing. Note: Pricing correct sometimes of publishing, check online for up to date prices.

Download and install offline maps

If you are not going to have a constant web link then consider downloading offline maps, such as on Google Maps. This will mean you can find your method around a whole lot much easier. You can not search effectively on the offline maps, however the map still offers great deals of details as well as certainly aids.

Where to Remain

It's great to stay rather central in Toronto as well as close to a Train or Street Automobile quit. This will certainly make it easier for you to navigate the city. Within Toronto, you'll find luxury resorts such as the Ritz-Carlton, Thompson and also Paradise, attractive store resorts such as Drake, Gladstone and also The Ivy at Accuracy, as well as mid-range resorts, affordable hostels as well as Airbnb leasings.

You'll find tons of terrific choices on websites such as Booking.com and Airbnb. The interactive map below assists you to begin your search:

Sightseeing

Purchase a City Pass for tourist attractions

The City Masquerade Toronto allows you to see five tourist attractions in the city. These are the CN Tower, Casa Loma, the Royal Ontario Museum, Ripley's Fish tank of Canada, as well as either the Toronto Zoo or Ontario Science Centre. The pass is made to save you money on sightseeing, so if you were to make use of the card to go to all these locations, it would certainly be less expensive than paying for individual tickets at each place.

Another wonderful benefit of this card is that you do not necessarily need to see everything within 24-72 hrs, as with lots of various other city cards. You in fact have 9 successive days to see whatever from the first day of use.

To get more information concerning the City Pass as well as see rates head to citypass.com/toronto

Research study attractions in advance

Toronto has plenty of things to see and also do. Such as directing the CN Tower, going to museums, heading over to the Toronto Islands, unwinding on among the city's lots of beaches and also a lot more.

Think about reading Toronto-- 10 Top Things to See as well as Provide for some tips. You'll also discover whole lots extra info online and might begin by utilizing online search engine such as Google to look. A few highlights to get you began consist of:

Checking Out the Royal Ontario Gallery

Cruising around the Toronto Islands

Directing the CN Tower

Seeing Ripley's Fish tank of Canada

Seeing the sky line from Center Island

Taking place an excursion to Niagara Falls

Scenic tours and Activities

You'll discover different trips offered for Toronto which assist you be familiar with the city, and also discover a few of the highlights beyond the city. Below are a couple of choices readily available via our recommended supplier getyourguide.com.

Digital photography places

Toronto has great deals of wonderful places to take pictures and catch the city. Head to Ideal Instagram and Photography Spots in Toronto to find the majority of the best locations.

Niagara Falls

Along with points to do in the city, a great excursion is to check out Niagara Falls. Read about how to reach Niagara Falls from Toronto.

Dining establishments as well as Food

Toronto is great for food as well as numerous dining establishments around the city deal delicious and innovative dishes.

Great areas for food:

You will find excellent restaurants all throughout the city, a few especially good locations consist of:

Around King and Bathurst Road: A stylish area with lots of terrific restaurants.

Spadina Opportunity: Head right here for Chinese dining establishments.

Little Italy: On University Street in between Ossington Opportunity and also Bathurst Street are great deals of great Italian dining establishments.

Roncesvalles: If you check out High Park in west Toronto, after that a wonderful area to opt for lunch/ dinner later on would be along Roncesvalles. This road is likewise quite rather with even more old and standard style, rather than the modern high rises you'll see in downtown.

Danforth Method: For some excellent Greek food head to the Danforth which remains in eastern Toronto.

Canadian meals

There isn't a dreadful lot of famous foods as well as meals in Canada, although Poutine is possibly the most popular. This dish which isn't healthy and balanced does preference tasty! It consists of fries, cheese curds as well as gravy. Other popular food includes Butter Tarts as well as Syrup.

For Coffee

Throughout the city, you'll locate lots of terrific independent coffeehouse, along with great chains consisting of Tim Hortons as well as Secondly Cup. For independent areas head to www.blogto.com/cafes to begin browsing.

Tipping

The basic quantity for tipping in Toronto is 15%. For teams of 6 or even more 18% is included instantly. Tipping is normally expected in Canada when eating at dining establishments, although you don't need to tip in stores and convenience food joints.

Shopping

Toronto is a great location to store, with numerous purchasing streets, along with large shopping malls. Below you will certainly locate a few pointers on locations you can go:

Purchasing Areas:

A few good areas/streets for purchasing include:

Along Queen Road in between Yonge Street as well as Bathurst Street. In between these 2 streets is Spadina Method, and you'll discover extra boutique shops west of Spadina, as well as east of Spadina are a lot more commercial brands.

Bloor and also Yorkville in between Method Road and Yonge Street is high-end mainstream designer shops, and also north right into Yorkville more premium shop brand names.

Ossington Opportunity has a great hipster mix with both dining establishments as well as stores.

Kensington Market is a much more unusual place and also has numerous markets and thrift shops.

Malls/Shopping Centres

There are lots of big shopping centers throughout Toronto which are great for buying. Some of the greatest consist of:

Toronto Eaton Centre-- This is just one of the largest and located downtown between Municipal government as well as Yonge-Dundas Square. When showing up by metro get off at Dundas on line 1.

Yorkdale-- One more large shopping center north of downtown. If heading right here by subway most likely to Yorkdale station.

Sherway Gardens-- This Shopping mall is most likely the hardest to reach by public transportation as there's no metro quit. Nevertheless head to their web site to see the various other alternatives offered such as using the GoTrain, buses or driving.

Most of these Shopping centers include food courts, where you can buy fast food from lots of different foods and also for a good rate. You will certainly commonly find lots of healthy and balanced choices as well. It's worth keeping in mind that Sherway as well as Yorkdale have in current years undertaken major restorations to include many more stores as well as enhance visitors shopping experiences.

WiFi

WiFi is simple to discover in Toronto and is normally available at restaurants, coffee bar, the flight terminals and also on the TTC Metro Network (at terminals).

Money

The currency in Toronto is Canadian Bucks and also most places take cards and cash money. For cash you would primarily be making use of 50, 20 and also 10 dollar notes, in addition to two dollars (toonie), one dollar (loonie), 25, 10 as well as 5 cent coins. There is no more 1 and 2 cent coins, and also must your bill call for those (ie an amount not dividable by 5), then your expense will be round up or down by a couple of cents.

Tax

When purchasing anything in Toronto, including food, drink, garments, anything truly, then remember that you have tax obligation on the top. This is 13% as well as the price you see of things on the shelves, in food selections etc, will generally be gross.

The article “ Guide to Toronto: Top Tips to Help on Your Visit “ was seen originally on Travel and Destination

Intravenous Hydration Clinic Toronto Ontario - Dr. Amauri Wellness Centre - Dr. Amauri Caversan, ND

[taffymagazine]

Syrian Refugees and the Top Sanctuary Nations At a Glance

By Rhayne Batista

Since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in March of 2011, millions of Syrians have fled their homes seeking asylum. As of August 2017, there are 5,165,502 registered refugees of the Syrian Civil War, and an estimated 6,130,000 to 6,320,000 refugees according to the UN.

In America, the thought of the Syrian Refugee Crisis often feels distant, like a big deal somewhere, but not a big deal here. This is likely owed to the fact that our nation, although large, economically developed, and relatively progressive, has taken in only a small amount of refugees. The United States does not even make the list of the top 25 sanctuary nations, with 16,218 resettled as of the end of 2016 and several state governors refusing to allow refugees into their states. We are not the only nation, however, to separate ourselves from this crisis. Even Syria’s neighbor, Israel, has refused to take in any refugees, despite having such a well developed economy.

Still, there are nations out there who have played an active role in taking in Syrian Refugees. Here is what you need to know about the 10 nations with the most refugees. Each has registered or estimated over 100,000 asylum-seekers within their borders.

1. Turkey (3,222,00 registered)

The Good: Turkey has always been the top sanctuary nation, having taken in over half of the registered refugees. Fewer than 8 percent of these refugees live in camps. The nation, with relative stability, provides an excellent gateway to Europe.

The Bad: Despite the fact that most refugees live within communities rather than camps, it is extremely difficult for these refugees to find employment.

2. Lebanon (1,001,052registered/2.2 million estimated)

The Good: Lebanon has always been a very progressive nation in comparison to some of its neighbors, and many of its refugees live in local communities.

The Bad:The small nation has seen numerous cases of harassment and hostility towards the refugees, not only by the nation’s citizens but by local governments as well.

3. Jordan (661,114 registered)

The Good: Most of the refugees in Jordan live in local communities, with only 21% living in camps.

The Bad: The number of refugees in Jordan has been steadily decreasing, this is because of the deportation of hundreds of registered refugees.

4. Germany (429,000 registered/456,023 applicants)

The Good: German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, announced in August 2015 that her country would adopt an open-door policy, thus earning her the nickname “Mama Merkel.”

The Bad: Mama Merkel’s policy has created a culture clash, which has come to aid in the resurgence of the far right in Germany for the first time since WWII, this time under the name AfD. The party and its supporters have actively demonstrated against refugees Further, most refugees spend months in camps where they are denied school enrollment, formal language courses, and job training.

5. Saudi Arabia (500,000 estimated overstays)

The Good: It is known that Syria has refused to recognize any refugees, but some claim that that is because the nation and its Gulf Neighbors have not called them “refugees,” rather being classified as “Arab brothers and sisters in distress.” Regardless of the validity of that claim, Saudi Arabia has donated millions of dollars to support the UN Refugee Agency’s efforts in Syria.

The Bad: The Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE) has not officially resettled or recognized a single refugee, making it difficult to establish the actual number of refugees seeking asylum in the region. Saudi Arabia in particular has been criticised for mass deportations and blocking refugees unless they have a visa or passport.

6. The United Arab Emirates (242,000 estimated overstays)

The Good: The UAE has provided over $750 million US dollars to support Syrian Refugees. The Gulf nation has also recently committed to receive 15,000 refugees.

The Bad: The UAE is a late entry into the game, following the course of the GCC. While hundreds of thousands of refugees have been living in the nation, they are only now beginning to recognize them.

7. Iraq (230,836 registered)

The Good: Despite Iraq’s own conflicts, local security forces have kept conflict at bay in Iraqi Kurdistan. Unlike camps in other sanctuary nations, Syrians in Iraqi Kurdistan have experienced stability, as they are allowed to travel and work within the northern province, and many have opened their own businesses and built houses for themselves.

The Bad: “Tremendous” challenges of integration have presented themselves to Iraq as the nation, particularly in Kurdistan, has seen a dramatic change in population and society as it has a much higher proportional inflow of refugees than other nearby nations. Drops in oil prices have also presented setbacks as refugees plunge into poverty.

8. Kuwait (155,000 estimated overstays)

The Good: In April, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development signed a $10 million (US) agreement to improve refugee camp conditions in Iraq. The nation has also held several international humanitarian pledging conferences and top donors’ meetings to aid in humanitarian response to the refugee crisis.

The Bad: Kuwait has responded relatively late to the crisis, especially given its close proximity to Syria and Iraq. The bulk of the nations humanitarian efforts remain in raising funds for other nations rather than officially taking in any for themselves, such as those condensed in Iraqi Kurdistan.

9. Egypt (124,534 estimated)

The Good: In coordination with the Canadian Embassy, Egypt has promoted education for refugee children under the “Education in a Safe Environment” project. Refugees in Egypt, unlike other countries, are integrated into urban communities rather than camps, relatively easily because of shared language and very similar culture.

The Bad: Refugees in Egypt have struggled to support their families, especially since Egypt devalued its currency in November of last year. Many refugees face poor working conditions, including exploitation, harassment, abuse, and withholding of paychecks.

10. Sweden (110,333 applicants)

The Good: Sweden has accrued a reputation as a European safe-haven for refugees. The Swedish Migration Agency has even established a policy in 2015 of granting asylum seekers permanent residency for them and their families. After establishing this policy, Sweden took in more than 160,000 migrants from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq --the highest rate per capita of any country.

The Bad: Just as Sweden has developed the same safe-haven reputation as Germany, it has also seen a drastic increase in anti-immigrant sentiment after a failed asylum seeker killed five in a terror attack in Stockholm. The attack gave many far right gangs the ammunition they needed to act against migrants, many attacking the homes of refugees across the nation.To make matters worse, Sweden has recently revised its immigration policy to grant only temporary residence, putting many refugees and asylum-seekers in danger of deportation.

Sources:

Jon Stone. Syrian refugee crisis: How different countries have responded. Independent. Retrieved from independent.co.uk.

M. Murat Erdoğan. Thinking Outside the Camp: Syrian Refugees in Istanbul. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from migrationpolicy.org.

Lauren Frayer. For Syrian Refugees In Turkey, A Long Road to Regular Employment. NPR.  Retrieved from npr.org.

Ruth Sherlock. In Lebanon, Syrian Refugees Met With Harassment and Hostility. NPR.  Retrieved from npr.org.

The UN Refugee Agency. Syria Regional Refugee Response - Jordan. Retrieved from data.unhcr.org.

Farah Najjar. HRW: Jordan ‘summarily deporting Syrian refugees.’ Al Jazeera.  Retrieved from aljazeera.com.

Aryn Baker. Is Angela Merkel's Germany really the paradise refugees believe it to be? Time. Retrieved from time.com.

Open Source Investigations. Gulf States Response to Syrian Refugee Crisis - A Myth Debunked. Retrieved from opensourceinvestigations.com

Chase Winter. Arab monarchies turn down Syrian refugees over security threat. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved from dw.com.

Caline Malek. UAE leading by example by taking in Syrian refugees, Canadian minister says. The National. Retrieved from thenational.ae.

Nyree McFarlane. The UAE is going to start taking in Syrian refugees. What’s On. Retrieved from whatson.ae.

Ali Al-Arian. Syrian refugees cling to stability in Iraq. Al Jazeera. Retrieved from aljazeera.com.

Hayder Mustafa Saaid. Syrian Refugees and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved from blogs.lse.ac.uk.

Mohammed Abu Asaker. Kuwait, UNHCR sign landmark agreement to aid Syrian refugees. The UN Refugee Agency. Retrieved from unhcr.org.

Kuwait Times. UN urges Gulf to do more to help Syrian refugees. Retrieved from news.kuwaittimes.net.

Ahmed Aleem. How Egypt is promoting education for Syrian refugees. Al-Monitor. Retrieved from al-monitor.com.

Walt Curnow. Syrians in Egypt demand clearer work regulations. Al-Monitor. Retrieved from alp-monitor.com.

Swedish Migration Agency. Permanent residence permit for asylum seekers. Migrationsverket. Retrieved from migrationsverket.se.

Dominic Hinde. Refugees in Sweden adjust to anti-migrant sentiment and tougher asylum laws. Public Radio International. Retrieved from pri.org.

[wheresmyvisa]

Kashmir, 16-18 August 2017

Of all the place on our journey, the Kashmir region of India was the only one that raised concern for me, and although he wouldn’t admit it I know that Nick was concerned also. I had no idea what to expect, didn’t have much knowledge about the political issues, and only a cursory understanding that there was conflict in the area from an occasional article in the World section of The NY Times.

We had picked Kashmir as a possible destination so we could visit with Nick’s friend Khuram who has a successful social enterprise there. A friend of mine, who introduced Nick to Khuram, assured us that our minds would be opened, our family would be safe, and our hearts would be won. She spent a decent amount of time in the region as a journalist for a major news publication. In the end, our travel into Kashmir left us safe and gave us a completely different perspective of the region and its conflict, and the opportunities for the future.

The first step in this journey was back in the US when we applied for our Indian visas. “Do you plan to visit the Kashmir region?” My answer of yes led me into a litany of questions about Pakistan and my religion. My truthful answers that we had no ties to Pakistan and practice Judaism (which is in the “other” category on this application) landed us our visas, and we were on our way. At our stopover in Dubai, Bryna and I decided to pick up some longer, modest shirts in order to fit in with the women who mostly wore traditional Kashmiri dress of knee length pheran over loose fitting pants. That was easy since one of the biggest activities in Dubai is visiting the mall, and our hotel fortunately had an air conditioned habitrail leading to it.

Upon arriving in the Indian Kashmir city of Srinagar on a domestic flight from a layover in Delhi, where we had already gone through immigration, we had to register with the government, as do all non-Kashmiri visitors. Our amazing host, Khuram, picked us up and whisked us out safely.

The first thing we noticed on the street were armed military personnel about every 100 yards. Khuram’s first point of interest was to note that Kashmir is one of the most heavily militarized regions in the world. There is one military or police officer for every 6 people. This has been the situation since shortly after India received its independence from Britain in 1947. India and Pakistan had disagreed on a split for this region. Kashmir, which was a blend of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian, was not willing to break up and disrupt its religious harmony, and eventually paid the price. Part of power play between India, Pakistan, and now China, Kashmir has been occupied by India’s military since shortly after India’s independence 70 years ago. Separatists are still trying to obtain freedom for Kashmir, mostly through peaceful demonstrations and UN actions. Some militant groups continue to press their case more forcefully, which incites the Indian military into staking an obvious and ominous presence as a constant reminder of their power there.

When we first planned our trip to Kashmir, I looked it up on the map as a first step in trying to understand its place in the world, literally. It was difficult to understand where the borders were, with dotted lines meandering their way into abstract patterns. Upon our arrival, the cacophonic borders finally made sense to us, as we immersed in the turmoil of this melting pot of religious practice and ethnic heritage.

We drove through the bustling city of Srinagar, a collage of women in beautifully and brightly patterned pheran, a tunic-type dress with slits on the sides worn over pants and a scarf draped around the neck. Most had their hair covered in scarves of varying levels of modesty. Here and there were women in full black burkas, with the occasional full eye covering. Men wore varying types of dress, some in light blue or grayish pheran, others in all white, and the more modern set in western clothing. Headgear varied from crocheted skullcaps to turbans. Shopkeepers sold snacks, housewares, live chickens butchered to order, meats, produce grown in the city’s lakes, fruit from the city’s orchards, q-tips, scarves, clothing, phones, and anything else you needed, except alcohol.

Khuram showed us the second story water level marks from a devastating flood of 2014. Many residents lost their homes and all of their personal belongings, including Khuram’s colleague Sanna who navigated and supported us throughout our visit, and had to start from scratch.

The dense, crowded city made way for the serenity of Dal Lake, with a mysterious aura that hovered above it. Floating families of lotus flower dotted the surface, expressing peace to their visitors. A thin green swirly layer of algae bordered the shoreline. It used to be cleaner at a time when the lake was almost twice as large. But wetlands gave way to development, as there are either no laws against this or it was all too easy to get around them. Nevertheless, it welcomed us to its refuge.

Our car arrived at a boat dock, where we would board our shikara water taxi to take us to the houseboat hotel. We felt like royalty as we stretched out onto the elaborately embroidered upholstery bed and rested our heads against plush pillows on this traditional wooden Kashmiri boat. A concave wooden canopy above protected us from the sun and entertained us with traditional dangling paper mache ornaments. Our oarsman delivered us safely to the houseboat hotel, owned by Khuram’s friend who nurtured us with delicious home cooked local dishes, smiles, and thoughtful conversation throughout our stay. Every inch of the houseboat was handcrafted to his liking in traditional Kashmiri wood carving. The walls, the ceilings, the furniture, and any other accoutrements were designed and crafted with the utmost care.

We took a ride to a nearby ski resort enveloped in the beauty of the Himalayas. While waiting for the gondola, a tourist from India proper (ie not Kashmir) asked Khuram to take a selfie with him from the tip of his selfie stick. To our surprise, Khuram didn’t flinch and kindly obliged. The tourist then asked Bryna and me for the same favor. We looked to Khuram for guidance, and he told Mr. Tourist that he could take it with us seated in the background. After collecting his prize, Mr. Tourist bounced back to his group to show off the bounty. Khuram said that some of the Indian visitors get quite excited to see tourists of differing skin color. Kashmiris are much lighter than Indians, so Khuram may have even looked American by sitting with us.

The view from the top was surreal and breathtaking, even in the afternoon rain that dampened our outing. At a late lunch in the nearby Khyber Hotel & Spa, we were introduced to Kashmir’s signature tea, Kahwa. At its core, it’s an infusion of saffron with cardamom and cinnamon, garnished with slivered almonds, and most likely sugar to your liking. It can also be prepared with the addition of green tea. In any incarnation, it is delicious, soothing, and addictive. After a lunch of spicy and tangy Indian bites like samosas and pakora, we took a tour of the exquisitely crafted hotel. I snapped pics of the grounds, common areas and spa and immediately sent them to my bff’s to woo them for our next spa getaway. This hotel was finished as fine as any I have stayed in throughout the world, but the occupancy was just 4 rooms of the 85 rooms available due to conflict in the area. Again we felt safe and protected, and in all our research never heard a story of tourists in danger. In fact our friends staying in Barcelona were much closer to danger than we were that week.

When we arrived back at our hotel from the mountains around 9:00 in the evening, still full from a late afternoon lunch of deep fried vegetables, cheese curds, samosas, and a melee of sauces, our host welcomed us to the dinner table for a full-on Kashmiri dinner that had no less than four meat dishes, more cheese curds, lots of sauces, and, of course, rice. Family style not an option. Every dish must be served to us one by one.

First on our plate was a tubular shaped ground meat dish. “What is this?” “Mutton. Enjoy.”

Back into the kitchen for the next dish. A meatball is placed on each of our plates. “What is this?” “Mutton. Enjoy.”

Chicken was next. Then a braised meat. What was it? “Mutton. Enjoy.” Rice with dried fruits, blocks of cheese curds in a tomatoey sauce, and stewed prunes rounded out our feast. Red wine emerged secretly from the breakfront. It would be paid for eventually but not appear on the bill. Don’t ask, don’t tell.

Day 2, Sanna and Khuram’s expert driver picked us up at 7:30 am to head to the Farm2U facilities. The driver. Oh the driver. Even though there are lines painted on the road, they serve as a guide, not the law. Where honking in the US is reserved for taxi drivers, emergencies, and fits of extreme frustration, honking here is a replacement for rear view mirrors and a glance over the shoulder. There isn’t a passing lane. The passing lane is everywhere.

Our driver weaved in and out and around cars, motorbikes, pedestrians, and cows, on two-lane/two-way streets. Sometimes we’d be passing a car on its right while a car going in the opposite direction was passing on our right, which means there are 3 cars wide on a 2-lane road going at 100 km/hr.

But 100 km/hr soon gave way to a complete standstill as we watched Indian military roll in more supplies. They were there to keep the peace since a wanted Kashmiri militant was killed the night before. Once the rush ended, we were able to move on with our business, several orders of magnitude more humbled.

Farm2U is a social enterprise founded by Kashmiri born/American resident Khuram Mir, that has helped provide greater opportunity and earning power to Kashmiri fruit farmers. They used to have to go through many different layers of middlemen to sell their product in southern India. Farm2U has cut out these many layers so that the farmers can conduct their processing, cold storage, packaging, and distribution with one vendor. They have also developed fruit trees that bear fruit only 2 years after planting, as opposed to the typical 10 years. These quick fruiting trees also require a small fraction of the pesticides because they have less canopy, and they bear more fruit per hectare. When we visited a few of his orchards, all of the neighboring farmers with traditional trees came over to ask how they can plant these trees. Khuram spent some time in the US for education and business, and then came back to Kashmir to give back to the region he calls home.

In the afternoon we walked around the old city of Srinagar. At the largest mosque, men were performing the ritual pre-prayer washing while the call to prayer rang out from the outer pillars of the mosque.

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at Sanna’s house for tea with her family. Her father is a famous Kashmiri artist. His photograph is on Khyber Cement ads all over the city. Cement is a hot product ever since the floods. Sanna’s family had to rebuild their house after the flood. They lost everything. The new house was filled with furniture all designed and built by her father using all discarded materials, mainly wood. Sanna’s mother set out a cloth on the floor where we would have our tea, a Kashmiri custom. What we thought would be a cup of tea and a biscuit turned into 2 types of sandwiches, 3 types of cookies, and 3 types of cake. It was a feast.

My favorite activity of our visit to Kashmir was on day 3. We woke at 4 am, with the Muslim call to prayer already in full gear. We stumbled into a shikara equipped with 2 oarsmen and a tray of coffee and sweets. We set off while the lake was still under complete darkness. The call to prayer still echoed across the lake broken by the rhythmic slosh of our shikara’s oars bringing us toward our destination, the daily floating vegetable market.

Most of Srinagar’s vegetables are grown in floating gardens on Dal Lake. Every morning, the farmers harvest enough to sell for a day, pack them up in their shikara, and sell them to the markets, from boat to boat. It remained dark for at least a half an hour before the sun started to create a mysterious blue-gray haze over the lake. We didn’t even get a chance to enjoy a glimpse of the market in the distance when “Mr. Wonderful” pulled his boat along side ours to give the ladies on board some brilliantly colored flowers. He didn’t let us refuse them, so Nick started to pull out some tip money from his pocket. Mr. Wonderful took offense.

“I don’t want your money. I only want to spread happiness and see smiles. Put your money away! Now let me show you these wonderful seeds that grow beautiful Kashmiri flowers.”

We thought we had an easy way out. “We don’t have a garden to plant them in.” “Ah but you can plant them in a flower pot or give them to a friend and always remember the beauty of Kashmir with these flowers.”

Needless to say, we bought the seeds.

The open waters of the lake gave way to a mele of shikara, some filled to the brim with vegetables, others empty. It was difficult to tell which empty boats belonged to farmers and which to the marketers, as all faces had the same blank yet serene expression of the dawn.

At the very tip of each 20’ shikara was a man in either full lotus position or malasana, a full squat with bottom kissing heels.

Green beans, lettuces, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbages, eggplant and more in perfect piles and bundles. My favorite though was the pumpkins. The vision of these plump, fleshy, vine-entangled, jack-o-lantern worthy squash floating on the lake could only exist as an animated film, with witches tending their garden in preparation for All-Hallows Eve.

Farmers and retailers perched on the edge of their boats haggled over prices. We weren’t sure if the yelling was in Kashmiri or the local Srinagar language, but it was clear that each was pining for their price. Money eventually changed hands once the obligatory negotiating was over. The vegetables would go to market, and the farmers would head home for breakfast.

We were approached by many more salesmen. Sweets from Mr. Delicious. Kashmiri tea, which we bought as a gift for our hosts at our next destination of Kathmandu. Leather handbags. Of course I bought one. Another Mr. Wonderful. Apparently Srinagar has room for more than one.

We sat for almost an hour watching the boats weave around each other while we sipped coffee from china cups and nibbled on coconut cookies and walnut tarts from “the second oldest bakery in Srinagar,” a fact that our houseboat host was quite proud to boast. We took turns deflecting boats that approached our port side with a quiet nudge of a finger.

By the time we left there were about six tourist boats jockeying for position to view the market, tasting Mr. Delicious sweets and clicking away on their cameras. Yet another Mr. Wonderful flower boat rowed past us, somehow knowing that his cohort had already sold us the magic beans.

To leave Kashmir from the tiny Srinagar Airport, we went through no less than four (or was it five?) security checks. Our luggage was scanned upon entering the airport and we walked through a metal detector. Then the normal security screening with another luggage scan, a metal detector, and a frisk, with men in public view and women behind a curtain.

Even though we had a personal escort navigating us through the security checks, I got separated by a few feet and was pulled over by a defiant officer for a detailed bag check. I dumped the contents of my backpack, which hadn’t been cleaned out during 3 weeks of travel, onto the counter. The officer found a suspicious looking pink wrapped item and ripped it open for inspection. She examined the tampon with a plastic applicator for a while, trying to figure out where a bomb could be hidden. When it turned up clean, she reached for another individually sealed and costly feminine protection item. I defiantly pleaded, “They’re all the same,” and fortunately she left the rest of the stash untouched. She surprisingly overlooked a suspicious collection of 5 Rosebud lip balms, but was quite perplexed by the fancy fidget spinner in its own zippered case. She asked in broken English, “What is it?” I demonstrated its use while hopping from foot to foot to somehow convey that it stops you from doing that. My act worked, but only after the officer did a thorough examination of a nasal spray applicator.

Next there was a line to wait for an open bag check and another frisk. The personal space issue was one that was difficult for us Americans to navigate. I understand and try to respect that Americans allow more personal space than eastern and African countries, but I don’t know how to dance with a woman behind me who is old enough to be my grandmother and is at least 6” shorter than me (and I’m only 5’3”!) who keeps walking even when she is pressed up against my backpack. We had to let a few go in front of us. The plane wasn’t going to leave until we all got on anyway. At one point I couldn’t let any more go ahead of me, so I put my arm up and did a terrible impression of leaning against the wall. I actually had to put my arm down at an angle since the woman I was trying to block was about 1 foot shorter than me. It was awful, and my children were ashamed, but I didn’t know what to do at this point. When I finally got into the private frisk room, she followed me right in and stood a few inches behind me as the policewoman patted my body down inch by inch.

There were at least two more bag checks and frisks before we got on the plane. I played many scenes around in my head as to what would warrant such redundancy. How could any contraband make its way into our luggage after everyone was scanned, frisked, and checked. I pictured games of hot potato going on throughout post-security territory with weapons and bombs that slipped through somehow. The tight security was comforting, annoying, and scary, all at the same time.

As we left Kashmir’s Kahwa, various forms of mutton, vegetable gardens, temples, cement, and state of political uncertainty, we talked with our kids about the liberties they will consider and challenges they will face in their quest to become an independent nation: economics, military, religious diversity, flood recovery, and Kashmiri’s undying commitment to their land. We remember the compassionate Kashmiri people we met and the other tourists who felt safe visiting this magical and intricate region. We are grateful to our hosts Khuram, Sanna, and our hotelier for sharing their culture with us, for the chance to have this experience. The one quote that sticks with us the most was from a UN staffer who was helping with the flood clean up. When questioned if the city would ever be able to rebound from such a disaster, without hesitation his reply was - “Of course, never doubt the perseverance of a Kashmiri!”

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/politics/state-of-the-union-fact-check-what-president-donald-trump-claimed/

State of the Union fact check: What President Donald Trump claimed

President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union address to Congress and the country after a record-setting, 35-day partial government shutdown.

This was his first time addressing the divided Congress, which now features a Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate. Stacey Abrams made history Tuesday night by delivering the Democratic response to the State of the Union. She was the first African-American woman to give the formal response to the president’s address.

Our team of journalists from ABC News investigated some of Trump’s statements and one of Abrams’, looking for additional context, detail and information.

Here is ABC News’ fact check of the address:

Fact check No. 1 — The U.S. is the number one producer of oil and natural gas

President Donald Trump: “We have unleashed a revolution in American Energy — the United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world. And now, for the first time in 65 years, we are a net exporter of energy.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: The United States is the world’s biggest producer of crude oil, producing close to 12 million barrels of crude oil per day (11.9 to be exact), according to the Energy Information Administration. Russia produced roughly 11.2 million barrels per day in December according to their Ministry of Energy, while Saudi Arabia produces 10.5 million barrels per day.

Patrick DeHaan, Head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy points out that the process of sending in rigs and drilling test wells is a process that is measured in years. For several years now, new drilling techniques including shale production have been boosting production. A move under President Barack Obama also provided a boost to production when in late 2015 Congress lifted the ban on exporting crude oil. That incentivized more production in the United States for sale overseas.

The EIA projects that, for the first time since the 1950s, the United States will export more energy than it imports by 2020, as increases in crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas plant liquids production outpace growth in U.S. energy consumption.

–Zunaira Zaki

Fact check No. 2 — Tax cuts

Trump: “We passed a massive tax cut for working families and doubled the child tax credit.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: The GOP tax plan reduces taxes on average for all income groups initially, including middle-class Americans.

The average household will see a tax cut of $1,610 in 2019 according to the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank. Overall, most Americans — eight in 10, according to the center — will pay lower taxes this year.

But multiple independent analyses concluded that wealthier Americans and corporations will receive the largest benefit over the long term.

“In general, higher-income households receive larger average tax cuts as a percentage of after-tax income,” the center found. “On average, in 2027 taxes would change little for lower- and middle-income groups and decrease for higher-income groups.” Most of the individual income tax provisions will expire after 2025, unless Congress acts. The corporate tax rate cuts are permanent.

–Katherine Faulders

Doug Mills/Pool via Getty Images

President Donald Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address in the U.S. Capitol Building on Feb. 5, 2019, in Washington.

Fact check No. 3 — Prescription drug prices

Trump: “Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place.”

Rating: TRUE

Context: Last fall, the government released a study that found Medicare — the federally run health care program for seniors — paid more than other industrialized countries for physician-administered drugs. While the precise amount varied by product, the study found that prices charged by those manufacturers are 1.8 times higher in the U.S. than in other countries.

Trump has proposed that Medicare only agree to pay costs based on cheaper prices paid by other nations. It’s one of several proposals he’s made in recent months in a bid to drive down costs, although that proposal wouldn’t take place for another year or so.

The drug industry had criticized the approach, contending that the money paid goes toward ground breaking research that benefits Americans first. According to one industry group, Americans have access to cancer medicines on average two years earlier than in countries like the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Industry executives also say it’s not fair to compare what the U.S. pays for drugs compared to people in countries with socialized health care systems.

–Anne Flaherty

Fact check No. 4 — Americans are murdered by “illegal aliens”

Trump: “Year after year, countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data, over the past two years, there were nearly 4,000 arrests made for people both convicted of — and simply charged with — homicide among immigrants released into ICE custody for deportation — but the homicides could’ve been committed over any number of years.

More generally, the president’s speech referenced 266,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants with criminal records over the past two years, a number that mainly includes immigrants who were convicted of crimes in the past, and perhaps served jail time before they were released into ICE custody.

–Cheyenne Haslett

Fact check No. 5 — Drug price decline

Trump: “As a result of my administration’s efforts, in 2018 drug prices experienced their single largest decline in 46 years.”

Rating: MOSTLY SPIN

Context: According to the Consumer Price Index, that dip is .62 percent, looking at data collected on Dec. 2017 to data from Dec. 2018. Last fall, an Associated Press analysis examined the list prices for some 26,000 brand-name drugs and found 96 price hikes for every one price cut.

What Trump can point to in favor of consumers is an aggressive push by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during his administration to approve generic drugs. White House advisers in an Oct. 2018 report estimated that the recent approval of generic drugs has resulted in $26 billion in savings for consumers that would have otherwise had to choose brand name drugs. Among those approved under Trump was the first generic version of EpiPen, the lifesaving auto injector used to treat emergency reactions. EpiPen injectors went from costing $100 in 2009 to $600 in 2016.

And while out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs remained mostly flat in 2017 — Trump’s first year in office — out-of-pocket physician and hospital costs increased.

Many of Trump’s ideas to drive down drug costs haven’t taken effect yet and are still winding their way through the rulemaking process. One proposal would upend the usual system of drug rebates when people buy prescription drugs through Medicare or Medicaid. The plan would prohibit drug makers from offering discounts or rebates to “pharmacy benefit managers” that administer drug plans. Instead, the manufacturers would be encouraged to provide rebates directly to consumers. Democrats pushed back, insisting they think the plan will raise costs for consumers.

Another proposal, announced last fall, is to limit what it pays for certain drugs for Medicare recipients by tying the price for some drugs to prices paid overseas. The measure, which would be phased in over several years, would only apply to certain types of drugs via Medicare that are administered by a physician. The drug industry fought back and said the administration was discouraging innovation.

–Anne Flaherty

Fact check No. 6 — Limiting legal immigration

Trump: “I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally.”

Rating: FALSE

Context: Last fall Trump set the lowest cap in the history of the refugee admission program — permitting just 30,000 a year. In former President Barack Obama’s last year in office he proposed a cap of 110,000 amid the height of the crisis in Syria. In fiscal year 2017, the Trump administration allowed the second fewest refugees ever.

Trump also won a battle in the Supreme Court to restrict all forms of travel and immigration from seven countries, five of which have Muslim majority populations. Just last week, the administration began selectively enforcing a new policy at the southern border that requires migrants seeking asylum to wait in Mexico while their applications are processed. He has also called for the elimination of the diversity visa program, which typically awards up to 50,000 immigration visas each year.

–Justin Fishel and Avery Miller

Fact check No. 7 — New jobs and manufacturing

Trump: “We have created 5.3 million new jobs and importantly added 600,000 new manufacturing jobs.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: Nearly 4.9 million jobs have been created since Feb. 2017, including 454,000 manufacturing jobs. The unemployment rate at 4 percent is at levels last seen in late 1999 and 2000. The uptick in the unemployment rate in the most recent jobs report was likely because of the government shutdown. The unemployment rate in Nov. 2018 was 3.7 percent which was a level last seen in 1969, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

African American unemployment is at historic lows at 6.8 percent — but it has ticked up in recent months after hitting an all-time low of 6 percent toward the end of last year. Similarly, the Hispanic unemployment rate at 4.9 percent has ticked up from recent lows of 4.4 percent toward the end of last year.

–Zunaira Zaki

Fact check No. 8 — North Korea

Trump: “Our hostages have come home, nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a missile launch in 15 months. If I had not been elected president of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea. Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong Un is a good one.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: It is debatable whether Trump’s election has helped avoid a U.S.-North Korea war. No other president has aggressively pursued diplomacy with North Korea’s leader, but then again, since the end of the Korean War, no other president has so openly threatened the regime.

The president is right that North Korea returned three hostages in May 2018 and swiftly expelled an American who illegally crossed the border into the country in November. The regime has also not conducted a nuclear test since Sept. 2017 and has not test-fired a ballistic missile since Nov. 2017, reducing the threat to U.S. troops and allies in the region.

But North Korea did conduct a weapons test in Nov. 2018, according to the country’s state media, although it did not involve firing a missile. The regime has also said its nuclear capability is complete and no longer requires testing. And satellite images have shown that North Korea has upgraded or expanded some ballistic missile facilities.

Even more importantly, the country has not taken any concrete steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, something several other Trump administration officials have admitted, including Vice President Mike Pence and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun. While the North Koreans say they have dismantled nuclear and missile engine test sites, they have not allowed outside inspectors in to verify those claims.

The U.S. intelligence community continues to assess that the regime still sees nuclear weapons as essential for their survival and does not plan to eliminate them, with Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats saying last week, “North Korea will seek to retain its WMD capabilities and is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons and production capability because its leaders ultimately view nuclear weapons as critical to regime survival.”

While he praised his relationship with Kim Tuesday night, Trump was more ambivalent in a tweet last week, writing, “Decent chance of Denuclearization… Time will tell what will happen with North Korea.” Administration officials say either way, what Trump has achieved is historic in that North Korea’s leader himself has agreed to “denuclearization.”

But what that term means, how it is achieved and when remain a mystery that the U.S. hopes to begin solving at the second Trump-Kim summit, which Trump announced will be Feb. 27-28 in Vietnam.

–Conor Finnegan

Andrew Harnik/AP

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi raises her hand in a gesture to quiet the Democrats as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 5, 2019.

Fact check No. 9 — Cost of war

Trump: “Our brave troops have now been fighting in the Middle East for almost 19 years. In Afghanistan and Iraq, nearly 7,000 American heroes have given their lives. More than 52,000 Americans have been badly wounded. We have spent more than $7 trillion dollars in the Middle East. As a candidate for president, I pledged a new approach. Great nations do not fight endless wars.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: A Brown University study released in Nov. 2018 estimated the U.S. has so far spent $5.9 trillion on wars and military action in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria since 9/11, including war-related spending by the State Department, past and obligated spending for veterans’ care, interests on the debt incurred to pay for the wars and costs by the Department of Homeland Security to prevent and respond to terrorism.

Another study, published in 2016, calculated that the U.S. had already spent or obligated $4.6 trillion on the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria, on Homeland Security, and for veterans’ care through 2053. That study, by Brown University, calculated an additional $3 trillion in interest to reach $7.9 trillion, but that money has not yet been spent, as Trump claimed.

The most recent Congressional Budget Office study estimated in 2014 that the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost $1.6 trillion from 2001 to 2014. But several studies say the largest parts of the U.S. bill have yet to be paid, including for veterans care, replacing military hardware and interest on the debts incurred.

–Conor Finnegan

Fact check No. 10 — Drug deaths

Trump: “Tens of thousands of innocent Americans are killed by lethal drugs that cross our border and flood into our cities — including meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl.”

Rating: TRUE

Context: Law enforcement officials say this number is expected to increase. As a general matter, the Mexican cartels control almost all the heroin trafficking in the United States. Mexican drug trafficking organizations dominate the market for distribution and production.

According to the 2018 Drug Enforcement Administration National Drug Threat Assessment, “The majority of the flow [of heroin] is through POVs (privately owned vehicles) entering the United States at legal ports of entry, followed by tractor-trailers, where the heroin is co-mingled with legal goods.”

Other ways of getting drugs in the country from Mexico are by water, by air and through other borders, but those methods account for only a small percentage of the heroin seized by the U.S.

The rapid increase in the number of drug deaths in recent years is largely attributable to fentanyl. But the fentanyl is mostly coming through the points of entry at the southwest border and it’s not just coming into the country there — China is a significant source of fentanyl as well.

–Jack Date

Fact check No. 11 — Food stamps

Trump: “Nearly 5 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was at an all-time high in 2013, but has been steadily dropping since the peak of the recession.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said it wants people to be off government programs like food stamps and become “self-sufficient,” citing the improvements in the economy in recent years. But a decrease in the number of people using the program does not tell the whole story.

Strengthened work mandates have been implemented in a number of states, which have removed some people from food stamps based on their extended lack of employment.

For example, when a new deadline came around in Georgia in April 2017, thousands of people were no longer part of the program — overnight — because they did not obtain work. There has been debate over work requirements — which is a federal mandate — but the Trump administration in Dec. 2018 proposed to take away some authority of states to issue waivers for some in the program, unless an area’s unemployment rate exceeds 7 percent — a move to cut billions of dollars from the program over 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

–Stephanie Ebbs and Kris Schneider

Fact check No. 12 — Sexual assaults of migrants en route to the southern border

Trump: “1 in 3 women is sexually assaulted on the long journey north. Smugglers use migrant children as human pawns to exploit our laws and gain access to our country. Human traffickers and sex traffickers take advantage of the wide open areas between our ports of entry to smuggle thousands of young girls and women into the United States and to sell them into prostitution and modern-day slavery.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: According to a report by Doctors Without Borders, “In a migration context marked by high vulnerability like the one in Mexico, sexual violence, unwanted sex, and transactional sex in exchange for shelter, protection or for money was mentioned by a significant number of male and female migrants in the surveys. Considering a comprehensive definition of those categories, out of the 429 migrants and refugees that answered SGBV questions, 31.4 percent of women and 17.2 percent of men had been sexually abused during their transit through Mexico.”

The Doctors Without Borders report does not use the term “assault” but rather abuse, which is a broader category. The report went on to state, “Considering only rape and other forms of direct sexual violence, 10.7 percent of women and 4.4 percent of men were affected during their transit through Mexico.”

Human traffickers do smuggle young children and women into the United States and some end up involved in prostitution or what can be called modern-day slavery. Exact numbers, however, are hard to come by.

Human trafficking experts and immigration advocates refute the president’s justification for a wall as a means to stop human trafficking because the vast majority of victims come to the United States through legal means and enter through ports of entries and airports. According to a 2018 report by the Human Trafficking Legal Center, most foreign-born human trafficking victims enter the United States with legal visas believing they will be given a chance to work legitimate jobs.

–Jack Date

ABC News

Stacey Abrams delivers the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech, Feb. 5, 2019.

In the Democratic response, Stacey Abrams made a claim that lacked context.

Stacey Abrams: “The Republican tax bill rigged the system against working people. Rather than bringing back jobs, plants are closing, layoffs are looming and wages struggle to keep pace with the actual cost of living.”

Rating: LACKING CONTEXT

Context: While U.S. unemployment under the Trump administration has remained low and the nation’s private sector has added jobs — the real average wage, which accounts for inflation, has barely moved. In fact, according to a 2018 Pew Research study the average wage has the same purchasing power as it did 40 years ago. The gains went to the top earners, the report cites.

“The evidence indicates that most of the benefits from a corporate rate cut would go to those at the top, with only a small share flowing to low- and moderate-income families,” according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The center also concluded that more than one-third of the benefit of corporate rate cuts flows to the top 1 percent of Americans and 70 percent flows to the top fifth.

Abrams statement that “layoffs are looming” is also overly broad and she didn’t provide any evidence to back up that claim.

–Rachel Scott

[englandcrowdfundingforastudyinfo]

England crowdfunding for a study

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[fueledbyfriction]

14 March 2017

The country I live in, it’s a messed up one. Yes, we may not have fights in parliamentary debates, or thugs who rule the streets, but it isn’t definitely a good place to live in. 

You see, the country that I live in, her government and the ruling party takes pride in bullying their citizens. 

Let’s talk about our transportation. Everything started with the influx of foreigners, opening our doors for migrants to come and make this place their home. Citizenship were given out as if they were free, especially to PRCs who come here to “study” on the pretext of getting a citizenship so as to have access to our passports. 

In case you’re wondering, Singapore has a well recognised passport that requires almost no visas to most of the countries around the globe. Hence, these “migrants” would come here to study for a few years by securing some scholarship, which also was given out as if it were free, then return to their countries after studying here, dropping whatever privileges and debts they owe to this country. So that was when the citizenship handouts became a little more stringent. 

Then came the influx of pinoys. People who took jobs that most of the citizens here would not dream of taking them up. Slowly, but surely, these pinoys start to make their way up the ladder, in the industries they’re in. Couple of years went by, I boarded a train on the way to town, and I looked around me, it was filled with PRCs and pinoys. With that many people adding on to our local population, trains became packed like sardines. I distinctively recalled one morning, I was on the way to school, when I have to line up for the train, and I only managed to squeeze myself into the 7th train that made its stop at the station.

By that time, I had already served my mandatory 2 years of national service, and if that wasn’t enough, I had to now defend non countrymen. People who would probably take flight at the first sign of danger.

And around that same time, trains started failing pretty frequently. So I thought to myself, is there another alternative? Would I want to pay for fare hikes, that does not justify an increase? Service remained the same, in fact, the service got worse. At that point of time, it costed me almost $80++ to travel a month. So I calculated and found a more economical and convenient way to travel; riding a bike.

Now, in the 90s and the 00s, it was way cheaper to own a motorcycle due to the COEs and stuff like that. However, whilst taking my bike license, the COE started rocketing like crazy, thanks to an insane policy that was made, from a person sitting on their silver throne. The COEs went from below $2k to nearly $5k in that year, and as of today, it’s almost reaching $7k. $7k for a paper, is more than what an economical bike would cost, machine price alone. And yet, this year, sometime last month, another politician thought it might actually be okay to increase the cost of purchasing a brand new motorcycle, with the new implementation of a tiered ARF. How ridiculous. Surely, that was an uproar within the biking community, but then again, we’re all treated like peasants. Our voices never mattered when they cut the quotas to buying bikes, which resulted to the leap in COE prices, and it didn’t matter now. Most bikes saw an increase of between $5k to $10k. Others saw worst.

You see, when it comes to raising prices of taxes, amenities provided by the state owned companies, her governance has no qualms about raising the cost without blinking an eye. Yet, just not so recently, when our military vehicles were held up by the Hong Kong customs for months, our government didn’t even react swiftly to protect the sovereign of our country. All they did was pay lip service, and yet not even our prime minister took the courage to fly over and demand for the release of our military vehicles. You see, when it comes to bullying their citizens, the government does it without thought, and yet when it comes to protecting their country from these other bullies, they do nothing and submit, like a dog with a tail between its legs. This is absolutely disgusting to stomach. I’m definitely not proud of the governance we have at these day and age. Maybe if they grow a little more balls, and not oppress the weak, then will the country grow stronger.

[charllieeldridge]

Backpacking Colombia: The Ultimate Travel Guide

Backpacking Colombia was once considered dangerous, but its international stigma is slowly wearing off and more and more travellers are realizing that Colombia is one of the most diverse, welcoming and rewarding travel destinations on Earth.

Medellín is no longer a murder capital, Bogotá is now a place to be explored, not feared and with a peace agreement finally reached between the Nobel Peace Prize winning President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC (a violent guerrilla group), the country is slowly climbing out of its tumultuous past and looking towards a bright and safe future.

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When backpacking Colombia, you’ll find that the people here are extremely friendly and hospitable, the food is tasty (especially around the coast), and thanks to a 2014 and 2015 crash of the peso, it’s now more affordable than ever.

We spent 6 weeks backpacking Colombia and have used our travel knowledge, plus information we gained from expats and local Colombians to put together this epic free guide. You won’t find a more in-depth backpacking guide to Colombia anywhere else online. There are endless things to do in Colombia, and it’s one of our favourite countries to date!

Our Travel Guides cover everything from travel budgets and transportation options, to off the beaten path destinations and mobile data plans. If you’re planning on backpacking Colombia, you’ve come to the right place.

This Colombia travel blog article is geared towards budget travellers, but we’ll also touch on some of the mid-range options as well.

Please note that we did not work with any hotels, airlines or tour companies in Colombia and this post is not sponsored in any way. Any recommendations we make in this guide is our honest opinion and we paid for all of our travels in the country just like you.

How Much Will Backpacking Colombia Cost?

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Budget: $60/day for 2 people or $40 / day for 1 person

This is one of the most budget-friendly destinations in South America and it offers some of the coolest hostels in the entire region. If you’re backpacking Colombia on the budget end, staying in the cheapest hostel rooms, eating local food, taking local transport and limiting your tours and activities, then the budget above will be sufficient.

If, like us, you like to step it up a little bit, stay in nicer hostel double rooms or midrange hotels, drink wine, eat a mix of street food and restaurant fare and enjoy quite a few tours and activities, then expect to spend around $100 / day for 2 people or $65 for 1 person.

At the top-end range, the sky is the limit. There are expensive hotels and luxury restaurants and if you want to treat yourself, you definitely can. The top end traveller could spend $250 / day per couple ($175 per person) or more.

Budget Accommodation: (Average $30 / night)

Hostels for Backpacking Colombia:

For a nice double room in a hostel you’ll likely spend around $30 – $40 / night including breakfast. Hostels are a great option when backpacking Colombia because their rooms are often nicer than the midrange hotels in the same price range and they have a much better atmosphere.

If you normally stay away from hostels because you picture cramped dorm rooms, parties and dirty bathrooms, think again. Colombia’s hostels are as clean and comfortable as most nice hotels. There are always dorms in hostels, but there are also very nice double rooms, some of which even have king-size beds and jacuzzis!

Dorms are commonly available throughout Colombia and usually range from $8 – $15 and often include breakfast.

Apartments for Backpacking Colombia:

AirBnB also has some great accommodation options throughout Colombia, but to be honest, the hostels are so much fun and have such a great atmosphere. When travelling Colombia, you’d be missing out on a lot of fun by staying in apartments the whole time.

If you’re planning to live somewhere for a month or more, then AirBnB is definitely a good option. You can also Google local rental agencies to find apartments and avoid the expensive AirBnB fees.

Our Favourite Accommodation Options in Colombia Include:

*Note: Booking.com is our favourite booking engine – their prices are usually lower, and they often have free cancellation options.

Maloka Hostel – Medellin

La Serrana Hostel – Salento

Viaggio Hotel – Bogotá

Hospederia Villa Palva – Villa de Leyva

SAMs VIP Hostel – San Gil

Patio de Gistimani – Cartegena

Masaya Hostel – Santa Marta

Tayrona Tented Lodge – Costeño Beach

Where to Stay When Backpacking Colombia

There are numerous accommodation options in Colombia. We listed the ones that we personally stayed at above, but if you want to stay somewhere else, check the options below:

☞ Click Here to compare prices and see reviews on all accommodation in Colombia on Booking.com

Eating: ($2- $10 / meal)

Meals are definitely of great value when travelling Colombia. You can get street empanadas or buñuelos for around $0.50 each and a few of these things can fill you up. Street food is definitely the most affordable route, but as much of this food is deep-fried, you’ll probably want to go to restaurants as well.

We ate at all types of restaurants, from tiny hole-in-the-wall joints to nicer lounges and boutique eateries. Luckily all of them are affordable with most places having meals for under $10. A nice sit down traditional meal in Colombia won’t normally cost more than $6 and oftentimes the portions are so large that two people can share. A fancy dinner can be $20 but not usually much more than that.

If you decide to buy groceries and cook at your apartment or hostel, you can save even more money as groceries are good value in Colombia.

When booking your hotel or hostel, look out for free breakfasts. Most do offer it, but sometimes you arrive and find out that you’re on your own for breaky. You can save a few bucks on your daily food budget by only booking hotels, hostels and B&Bs that offer breakfast.

Entrance Fees: (Free – $5/person)

Entrance fees are also generally cheap in Colombia. Most museum entrances will come in at around $5 (don’t miss the Gold Museum in Bogotá), and while many hiking trails and national parks are free, you do have to pay for some of them. These costs are still usually low at around $4 – $8 each.

Some touristy bars have a cover charge (like Havana Bar in Cartagena). These are usually low but can be as much as $10 USD per person.

Alcohol:

When backpacking Colombia, you’ll find that alcohol is very cheap. There are limited varieties of wine (when compared to places like Chile and Argentina), but there are a lot of different beers including some great craft breweries.

If you’re going for the cheapest local beer in a restaurant or bar you’ll usually pay around $2 / bottle. The craft beers at places like Bogotá Beer Company are a bit more coming in at $3.50 / pint, while you can get bottles of beer in the grocery store for around $1.

You can often find bottles of wine in restaurants for as little as $10 and the same bottle would be around $6 or $7 in the grocery store. You can find really cheap bottles of wine for around $3 on some shops. A glass of wine in a restaurant is usually around $3 – $4.

Cocktails range depending on the type of place you’re going to. If you’re in a fancy restaurant or a popular bar (like Havana in Cartagena), then a normal cocktail will be between $6 – $10. At a normal restaurant (even nice Italian ones), you won’t likely spend more than $5 for a good cocktail. The cheapest cocktails we found were about $3 and at happy hour they were only $1.50 each!

For all of these costs you can usually find discounts at happy hour. Many restaurants and bars have signs posted out front where you can get 2 for 1 or buy one get the second half off. Keep your eye out for these signs and you can save quite a bit on your alcohol bill.

Tipping:

Generally a 10% tip (or a bit less) is expected for decent service in Colombia. Many times it’s added to the bill and if it is, don’t bother tipping anything extra. If the service isn’t good, you’re not at all obligated to tip. In fact, the servers will ask you if you want to include the tip, or not.

Generally you don’t have to tip taxi drivers, but around Christmas and New Year’s time, Colombians often leave them some change, just to be nice.

Don’t bother tipping if you’re just buying a beer at the bar and you don’t usually have to tip the person who shows you to your room in a hostel, but in a fancy hotel you may be expected to give the bell boy a few pesos.

Colombians aren’t crazy of tippers like us North Americans so don’t feel obligated to leave big tips and don’t bring over-generous tipping customs to a country that isn’t structured that way. It’s not good for the economy in the long-run and you’ll end up raising prices and lowering wages for locals.

Colombian Currency

Exchange Rate (At Time Of Writing):

$1 USD = 3,961 COP

Click Here For Current Exchange Rates

The currency in Colombia is called Peso and has been called that ever since the year 1810 when it changed from the real. You’ll find banknotes in 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 denominations, while coins come in 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000.

In many places you can actually spend USD, including restaurants, hotels and some small shops. You can easily exchange USD and Euro as well as GBP, AUD, CAD and other common currencies. You’re best bet is to avoid exchanging large sums of money at airports because the rates are often much worse than in town.

You can use your credit card almost everywhere in Colombia including cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, clothing stores, malls and hotels. Sometimes there’s an added fee for using your credit card (up to 5%) so always ask before swiping your card.

Small shops and cheap hostels won’t accept credit cards, so for this you’ll need to have some cash. You can easily take cash out of any ATM when backpacking Colombia if your card is a Cirrus or Plus system card. Almost all banks in western countries and China will be usable.

Some ATMs charge a fee for taking money out but it’s not usually more than a few dollars and the ATMs will allow you to take as much as 800,000 pesos from the machine. Use your travel rewards credit card for direct purchases as much as possible to accrue points and save on these ATM costs.

For Canadians, we recommend the TD Canada Trust All Inclusive Banking Account for fee-free foreign ATM withdrawals. Charles Schwab Bank is a good option for people from the US to avoid banking fees while travelling. For everyone else, consider getting an HSBC card and only use HSBC banks (there are many in Colombia).

Must-See Places When Backpacking Colombia

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Colombia is one of those places where you could travel for a year and still have much to see. The landscape and activities are so diverse and with over 1.1 million km² to explore, you will never see it all. Here are some places that you should definitely not miss.

☞ READ MORE: 50 Awesome Things To Do in Colombia

Bogotá:

We liked Bogotá because we were visiting friends and it had beautiful architecture, but it definitely wasn’t our favourite place in Colombia. The Candelaria area is where most of the historical buildings are and it’s where most travellers stay, but come night-time the streets are silent as it’s dangerous to walk around.

Sadly, poverty and crime is still an issue in Bogotá. A recent police raid of a nearby red-light district caused a dispersal of many of the city’s misfits and criminals and this has actually added to the danger of the Candelaria neighbourhood and other nearby barrios.

This doesn’t mean that Bogotá is a dangerous place to travel and it doesn’t even mean that you shouldn’t go to Candalaria, but just be mindful if you’re going out at night and consider taking an Uber instead of walking (Uber is very handy in Bogotá).

We stayed in the Chapinero area and it was great. It’s safer to walk around (although we still took Ubers at night), and there are some great accommodation options and restaurants nearby. Taxis and Ubers are really cheap in Bogotá and all of Colombia so it was a quick and easy ride to get into Candelaria when we wanted to explore some history.

Keep in mind that taxis and especially Uber jack up their prices around rush hour (7:00 – 9:00 am and 4:30 – 6:45 pm), so be aware when taking rides around that time. We paid as much as triple the usual price during these hours, which made Bogotá taxis closer to the cost of those in Canada!

Bogotá is definitely worth a visit for a couple of days and it’s really fun to walk around the old town of Candelaria during the day. There are numerous things to do in Bogotá, but make sure you don’t miss Puerta Falsa Restaurant for some great regional dishes and consider checking out the Free Graffiti Tour, not the best tour we’ve ever done (too many people) but still worth the small tip that’s expected.

See Our Article: The Big City of Bogotá – Our Visit To The Colombian Capital

Villa De Leyva

Lonely Planet says “if you only visit one colonial town in Colombia, make it Villa de Leyva” and while we do agree that it’s a beautiful place, we did find some other, nicer towns than this one. But it is lovely and definitely worth a visit when travelling Colombia – either by day trip, or for a night on the way up to other nice towns further north.

Here you can explore the cobblestone streets, visit a nearby dinosaur fossil, a crazy house and a nice viewpoint. You can pretty much see everything here in a day though so there’s no need to linger too long. There are definitely more interesting places a little further north from Bogotá.

Check out our Villa de Leyva Video

San Gil

This was definitely one of our favourite mid-sized cities in Colombia. Just a bit further north from Bogotá about 5 hours from Villa de Leyva, this charming little place has a beautiful central plaza, a nice park, some decent colonial architecture and delicious restaurants (especially Gringo Mike’s).

But the real reason to come here is the plethora of adventure activities on offer around San Gil.

San Gil’s close proximity to the Chicamocha Canyon (the world’s second largest canyon), means that there are far too many adventure opportunities to count. This is an adventurous backpacker’s dream destination!

Top activities include white water rafting, paragliding, hiking, caving, trekking, bungee jumping and more. All of these activities can be organized through tour operators in town, but we recommend staying at Sam’s VIP Hostel and they can organize everything for you.

Aside from adventure activities, don’t miss the day trip to nearby Barichara and the lovely hike along the Comino Real to Guane.

Check Out Our San Gil Video:

Medellín:

While Bogotá wasn’t one of our favourite places when backpacking Colombia, Medellín definitely was. Don’t expect the same central colonial center with stunning architecture that you find in Bogotá, instead you have the backpacker haven of El Pobládo (known locally as gringolandia). There are so many things to do in Medellin, don’t miss it!

Don’t miss our Medellín Video:

Medellín is busy, polluted and loud, but it does have a certain charm. The best part of the city is the vibe and energy that you can feel buzzing on the streets.

Make sure you get out of the chaos of the Antioquian capital and explore some of the beautiful barrios that surround the city. Some of these are quite dangerous, but some recommended neighbourhoods include Comuna 13 (best done on a tour) and the trip up the K line and beautiful metrocable ride up to Parque Arví.

While backpacking Medellín, try to go and see a football (soccer) game. We’re not even fans of the sport but we got right into it at the rowdy Estadio Atanasio Girardot. Also don’t miss the incredible free walking tour (preferably on your first day in the city) as it give you a deep introduction to Medellín, its people and its history.

Guatape:

You can spend a night or two in Guatape if you want, but most people (including us) enjoy this beautiful little colonial town as a day trip from Medellín. Hop on one of the hourly bus departures from the Northern Bus Terminal (Terminal de Transportes Norte) in Medellín and you’ll be here in just 2 hours. The ticket is around 12,500 COP or $4 per person.

Make sure when you’re buying your ticket that you request to be dropped of at Piedra Peñol (a beautiful granite mountain just outside of Guatape) as you don’t want to miss this sight and your bus ticket will be slightly cheaper than if you went all the way into Guatape.

After climbing up the 700 stairs at Piedra Peñol and enjoying views over the lake, head back down the mountain and make your wait to Guatape by taxi ($4), you can then explore the cobblestone streets and lovely plazas of this colonial gem before returning to Medellín in the afternoon.

Check out our Guatape Video:

Salento:

This beautiful farm town in the infamous coffee region (Efe Cafetera) was definitely the highlight of our entire backpacking trip in Colombia. There are a lot of things to do in and around this small colonial town including hiking the Cocora Valley, horse back riding, coffee tours, games of tejo, waterfalls and just enjoying the stunning natural scenery.

Beautiful Salento

If you do go to Salento, make sure you book your room or dorm bed at La Serrana Hostel. We are not paid to recommend them and didn’t work with them in any way, we just absolutely loved this place! We feel like if you’re not staying here, you’re missing out on a big part of what makes Salento so appealing.

The rooms are set in gorgeous farm houses with views out over rolling hills and the service and food here is impeccable. There’s a bonfire every night and some rooms even have a fireplace! We really can’t recommend this place enough for backpackers. It was worth the trip to Salento on its own.

Check out our Salento Video:

☞ READ MORE: Relaxing in Salento – Exploring Colombia’s Coffee Region

☞ READ MORE: La Serrana Hostel – Our Favourite Hostel Ever!

Cartagena

Another one of our favourite cities in Colombia and probably one of our favourite places in the entire world. Cartagena is a buzzing colonial town with an intoxicating Caribbean flare. The old town is absolutely stunning with colorful balconies and countless parks and plazas. The town boasts some of the best food in the country and there is something going on here almost every weekend.

From concerts and festivals to street parties and carnival, you will never be bored in Cartagena. There are also a couple of lovely (swimmable) beaches nearby where you can rent an umbrella and chairs for around $4 and order cheap beer while watching the sunset over the Caribbean sea.

We stayed at Hotel Patio de Getsemani and it was excellent. It’s more of a hostel or homestay than it is a hotel because it has great common areas (including a rooftop patio with nice views of the fort) and the family that run this place are super friendly. Cartagena is a highlight of backpacking Colombia for sure.

Other:

Although we didn’t make our way to these places, other travellers highly recommended the town of Popayán, Las Lajas church at Pasto near the border-town of Ipiales and the islands of San Andrés and Providencia.

Must-Have Experiences in Colombia

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Sometimes it’s not about the destination, it’s really about the experience or the journey to get there. This is the case with many places in this country, so we’ve listed things you should definitely do while you’re backpacking Colombia.

Play Téjo

This is Colombia’s national drinking game and it’s actually really addictive. Think “explosive bocce ball” and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what this game’s all about.

Basically you throw a heavy lead disc across a long alley and try to hit little packets of gun powder which are set atop a bed of clay. The rules are pretty simple (see the photo below) and you’re meant to drink the entire time you play. Excessive beer and explosives, what could possibly go wrong?

Téjo halls are great places to meet local people and are often packed until around midnight, when most communities require that they shut down because the exploding gun powder is too loud.

Hike Ciudad Perdida: The Most Adventurous Thing To Do When Backpacking Colombia

This place doesn’t fall under the “Must See Places” section in this guide because, while the Lost City itself is a place, it’s more of the experience getting there that really makes this jungle trek so special. The cliché “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey” comes to mind.

You can opt to do the trek in 3 or 4 nights but most people choose to do it in 3. The 4 night trek really only cuts the last day of the hike in half and to be honest, it’s definitely doable in 3 nights. After you’ve seen the Lost City, you’ll probably be ready to get out of the jungle so I recommend the 3 night, 4 day trip.

This hike is breathtaking, but it’s also quite difficult and you’ll likely get lots of rain so expect to be damp (and smelly) the entire time. While this was one of the more difficult treks we’ve ever done, it was worth every arduous step and we definitely recommend it for anyone (with a decent level of fitness) who wants and adventure when backpacking Colombia.

To learn more about this trek, check out our articles & videos:

☞ READ MORE: The Ultimate Guide to Trekking The Ciudad Perdida (Lost City)

☞ READ MORE: Our Experience Trekking in The Colombian Jungle to The Lost City

Walk The Camino Real

This beautiful stone walkway between the towns of Barichara and Guane, just 5 hours north of Bogotá, is absolutely breathtaking and should definitely be on everyone’s backpacking itinerary.

The old trail was once used by the indigenous Guane people, then later by the Spanish to transport goods between the two villages. For travellers it’s a relatively easy hike past farmland and through the stunning Chicamocha Canyon (the second largest canyon on Earth).

Take The Free Medellín Walking Tour:

This was one of the most informative walking tours we’ve ever done and it gave us a very valuable introduction to Colombia, its history and its people. If Medellín is your first stop, then you should consider doing this tour on your first day in the country to really get a feel for the place. We can’t recommend this tour enough when travelling Colombia.

For More: Why You Shouldn’t Miss The Free Walking Tour in Medellín

Stay at La Serrana Hostel:

We already wrote plenty about why we love this place above, but it truly is an experience. If you’re travelling Colombia as a couple, try to get room #3 and enjoy some romantic nights drinking wine by the fireplace and looking out over the farmlands.

See our post: La Serrana Hostel in Colombia – Our Favourite Ever?

Taste Regional Dishes:

Colombian food isn’t really known for being all that flavourful, but ask the locals what the regional dishes are in each place that you visit and you might end up tasting some really delicious food. In particular, don’t miss the dishes that we list later in this guide.

Make Friends:

We always say that a highlight of (pretty much) every place is the people, but in Colombia they’re just extra cool. If you can speak Spanish (ours is pretty bad) you’ll have a much easier time meeting the locals, but in general you’ll find that Colombians are open and very friendly.

We met a couple of guys in Salento who told us to call them when we got to Bogotá. We did and had an awesome time in the city together, plus met up again later in Cartagena! Within an hour we felt like we had known them forever. Don’t miss the opportunity to make some real friends when backpacking Colombia.

Ride The Metrocable in Medellín

The metroline and the metrocable (gondolas) in Medellín are a real source of pride for Paisas, and for good reason. It connects much of the city to the surrounding barrios and also helps the commerce spread outward from the wealthier city center. For travellers, riding the metrocable up the surrounding mountains and over the comunas will likely be a highlight of anyone’s trip to the city. It’s cheap, easy and fun so don’t miss it.

Note: Looking down at the lively comunas you’ll likely be tempted to get off at every stop, but make sure you ask which ones are safe before taking the ride so that you don’t end up in a dangerous neighbourhood.

Hike Valle De Cocora Near Salento

This is another must-do hike in Colombia. At the end of it all you arrive at a beautiful forest of enormously tall Wax Palm trees, Colombia’s national tree.

Enjoying the beautiful views of the Valle de Cocora

The hike is a bit challenging but definitely not too hard for people who aren’t used to hiking. Check out our video of the hike to get an idea about it and see if you think you’ll be fit enough to conquer it.

Experience The Nightlife

Colombians definitely know how to party and they make for good drinking buddies, so even if you don’t like staying out late, consider setting aside a night or two to experience the country’s epic nightlife. Good places include Havana and Bazurto Social Club in Cartagena, Social Bar in Medellín and the rooftop at Armando Records in Bogotá. Having some drinks and dancing with the locals will surely be one of your favourite memories from backpacking Colombia!

Overnight Hike Into Tayrona National Park

Many travellers recommend the hike into Tayrona National Park with a night at El Cabo San Juan beach in hammocks and then hiking out again. This trip comes highly recommended by many travellers, but when backpacking Colombia, we wanted to get a little off-track. We opted for the more off the beaten path trip to nearby Costeño Beach (more on this later in the guide).

Watch a Live Football (Soccer) Match

There are some bitter rivalries around the country and the best way to experience the clash of these national cultures is to go to a football (soccer) game in Colombia. Football is by far the most-watched and loved sport around the country and you can really see how passionate Colombians are about the sport when you enter a stadium packed with 50,000 screaming fans.

Watching a football match is one of the coolest experiences you can have when backpacking Colombia!

Must-Try Dishes

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As I mentioned earlier, Colombia’s cuisine may not have made a splash on the international scene, and some of the typical dishes are the standard South American fare, but there are some fantastic regional meals that you should definitely try. As a bonus, when backpacking Colombia, food won’t take up too much of your budget. It’s affordable and delicious.

Hot Chocolate With Cheese (Chocolate con Queso):

This sounds like a pretty strange combination and it tastes like one too. However, the melted savoury cheese in the sweet hot chocolate really does pleasure the taste buds and it’s definitely worth trying. Colombians love the stuff and I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s the best drink we’ve ever tried while travelling, but it’s pretty good. Give it a try when you’re in Bogota.

Bandeja Paisa:

This is the most popular regional dish in the Antioquía region and it’s basically a protein overload on a plate. The portion is huge so consider sharing one meal between two people. It usually consists of white rice, red beans, ground beef, plantain, chorizo, morcilla, chicharron, arepa, avocado and a fried egg. Along with Ajiaco, the bandeja paisa is considered to be one of Colombia’s national dishes, a must-try on your trip to Colombia.

Ajiaco:

Another one of the national dishes, Ajiaco is a popular soup made with chicken, three varieties of potatoes, and the galinsoga parviflora herb. It’s unclear where this dish actually originated, but Colombians will claim it as their own. In Cuba it is prepared as a stew, and in Peru the dish is prepared in different variations.

Mondongo:

Another very popular soup dish most common in Medellín and the Antioquía region, Mondongo is made from diced tripe (the stomach of a cow or pig) slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), garlic or root vegetables. The dish is common in many former Spanish colonies in Latin America, the Caribbean, and in the Philippines.

Tamales:

There are some delicious variations of Tamales in Colombia. Many are made with rice and wrapped in plantain leaves instead of the corn tamale in banana leaf variety commonly found in Mexico and Guatemala.

Patacones:

Fried and smashed plantains topped with cheese, hogao sauce, guacamole, and if you want, meat. This is the best snack food / lunch meal! The best one we had was in Salento at a restaurant in the main square called Aquí Me Quedo.

Mmmm, patacones are delicious! A must-try.

Off The Beaten Path in Colombia

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Colombia is a massive, jungle and mountain-clad paradise with endless possibilities to go off-grid and away from the crowds. Sidestep into the lush jungle and you’ll likely find an Eden all for yourself. It’s important to note that some areas are still considered dangerous, so we’ve listed some beautiful and safe off-the-beaten-path destinations to visit when travelling Colombia.

  Isla Grande

When you’re travelling in Cartagena, you’ll hear endless touts trying to convince you to join a tour to nearby Playa Blanca. While it may be one of the more beautiful beaches in the Rosario Archipelago, Playa Blanca is also overrun with tourists.

If you want to have a much more authentic and relaxing day trip to the archipelago (or overnight) from Cartagena, definitely consider Isla Grande. You can head to the boat docks at Muelle de la Bodeguita before 9:00 am and buy tickets the morning boat to get to the island (40,000 COP + 14,500 tax). It’s an easy 2 hour ride (sometimes choppy) before you arrive on one of the beautiful beaches of Isla Grande.

We stayed at one of the hostels at Paradaiso Secreto and although the rooms here are affordable and the location is good, we can’t really recommend it. The staff were charging double for everything when normally hostels are budget-friendly. They also played ridiculously loud trance music all day from morning til midnight and it really took away from the tranquillity of the island. Plus, the pool wasn’t fit for swimming.

We were frustrated because the place had so much potential!

Regardless, if you’re backpacking Colombia on a budget and want to head to Isla Grande, you’ll probably end up staying here with other backpackers. Also note, other people have given good reviews about this place, so maybe things are changing. Click here to compare prices and see the latest reviews on Booking.com.

☞ Click here to compare prices on all accommodation on Isla Grande with Booking.com

There is hardly anything on Isla Grande so be prepared to rough it a bit. The “town” is a true Caribbean village with no real shop or grocery store. You’ll have to knock on some doors because almost every home is actually a shop, but they don’t have any signs to tell you so.

This is all part of the charm of this tiny little island. The beaches have some nice white sand and there are some decent spots to chill on the sand and swim all day, but the funky local vibe here is what really makes it special.

A gorgeous slice of sand on Isla Grande

Costeño Beach (in Guachaca)

This is another place that’s a pretty easy day trip from Cartagena, but we recommend staying a couple of nights here rather than just visiting for a day. It’s really close to one of the main sights in this area, Tayrona National Park, but most people who visit the park head in on an overnight trip, sleep in hammocks on a beach inside the park and then leave.

Costeño Beach is about a 30-minute drive from the park’s eastern gate and it’s a really funky little surfer and backpacker area. There’s not even really a town here, just a bunch of dirt roads, some iguanas and cows and a few (excellent) hotel and hostel options.

We stayed at Tayrona Tented Lodge and loved the funky little rooms (which included breakfast & dinner), but spent most of our time at the nearby Costeño Beach Hostel.

The American-Owned Costeño Beach Surf Camp has an amazing restaurant with extremely cheap cocktails, great food and a really funky vibe. The beach here is lovely, but due to strong currents, it’s not usually recommended that you swim here. If you stay at one of the hotels with a pool, you can chill there all day and enjoy the sound of the crashing waves.

The day trip into Tayrona National Park from here is definitely recommended as well. Costeño Beach makes for a unique way to visit the park and enjoy some relaxing beach time too. Definitely a must-see when backpacking Colombia.

Where to Stay in Guachaca

I’ve listed our two recommended accommodations above, but there are some more options in the area as well. Click here to check out some other eco-lodges, hostels and camps nearby on Booking.com.

Others:

Punta Gallinas, the 4,600m Puracé Volcano, the Amazon region and Capurganá which is a laid-back fishing village, are a few other amazing off-track places you can visit when travelling Colombia.

Pros of Backpacking Colombia

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You’re planning a trip to an amazing place and there are many pros to travelling Colombia. Travel is very personal and different for everybody, so you’ll probably find many more positives when you’re here. We’ve only listed a few.

It’s Affordable!

Budget travellers can rejoice at the recent dive of the Colombian Peso because it means that a once good-value place is now a budget traveller’s paradise. There aren’t many places left where you can get such great bang for your buck.

Great Hostels:

Colombians (and expats) really know how to run great hostels in this country. We always prefer to stay in hostels, not just because they’re often a better value, but because they come with an unbeatable ambience and the private rooms are often nicer than hotels in the same price range.

Hostel Maloka Dorado room

We came across some of the nicest hostels we’ve ever stayed in while backpacking Colombia. Many of them had king-sized beds and rooftop patios with pools, while our favourite was set on a beautiful farm. We even had one room that was 800 square feet and had a massive jacuzzi! Yes… in a hostel. You really can’t beat the staff, value, location and vibe at some of Colombia’s best hostels.

Nice Buses:

We were kind of expecting chicken buses and minivans when we first arrived in Colombia, but that wasn’t the case at all. Many of the buses that we took were pretty luxurious, with wide lazy-boy-style chairs, air conditioning and western movies playing (dubbed in Spanish). The best part is that these VIP buses are still affordable, averaging at around $4 / hour.

Cheap Flights:

Thanks to new budget airlines like VivaColombia and EasyFly, you can actually take domestic flights for cheaper than many of the buses. Avianca has also had to lower their rates to match these budget airlines, but their fleet is comfortable and more likely to be on time. Sometimes it’s a better bet to spend a few extra bucks to book with Avianca if you want your flight to take off on schedule.

Clean Drinking Water

In most places in Colombia you can drink the water right out of the tap. This is a huge advantage when backpacking Colombia as you can save money, and the environment (stop using plastic bottles!).

Friendly Locals

I’ve said it enough in this post. Colombians are awesome.

Diversity

Few places in the world have as much to offer as Colombia. Mountains, jungle, beaches, ruins, colonial architecture, deserts and hill stations. Colombia has it all and then some.

Cons of Backpacking Colombia

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Like anywhere, there are a few cons to backpacking Colombia. It’s a fantastic tourism destination, but like everywhere, it’s not perfect.

Crime & Safety:

As I mentioned earlier in this guide, Colombia has been becoming increasingly safe in recent years, but that doesn’t mean there’s not still a significant amount of crime and violence in the country. “No dar papaya” is a popular saying here. It literally means “don’t give papaya” and it’s basically saying, don’t tempt people with sweet fruit if you don’t want it to get stolen.

The papaya is basically referring to anything of value so the saying is basically warning everyone to hide your valuables unless you want them taken from you. It’s really sad that this country has such a history of petty theft that it has a cliché saying like this, but it’s a fact of life for Colombians and for travellers visiting the country.

Keep your wits about you, know where to and where not to go (ask your hotel/hostel staff), and never be too flashy. Follow these simple rules and you’ll likely leave Colombia feeling like it’s a very safe and secure place to travel. Just don’t ever fully let your guard down.

This is a con of travel in almost every South American country, but hopefully one day these places will become safer.

*Note: we didn’t have any issues with safety during our 6 weeks of backpacking Colombia.

Lack Of English:

If you’re travelling Colombia or Latin America for any length of time, you should at least have a basic level of Spanish to get you by. Not many people in Colombia speak English, especially outside of the big cities, so don’t expect to communicate well if you don’t know Spanish.

Unhealthy Food:

If you’re backpacking Colombia on a budget and eating strictly street food, you’ll quickly start to realize that pretty much everything is deep-fried. Some regional dishes are healthier and we strongly recommend that you hit up a nice traditional restaurant once in a while.

All-in-all, outside of bigger cities like Medellín and Bogotá, there aren’t too many healthy budget options.

The People in Colombia

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The people you encounter while travelling through a country can have a profound impact on the way you view a destination. Not only the local people, but the types of other travellers as well.

Types Of Other Travellers in Colombia:

We were actually quite surprised at the types of travellers and backpackers in Colombia. We were kind of expecting all-night partiers and rave-happy gap-years coming for the abundance of cocaine and endless nightlife. But in reality, while there were a few partiers in the big cities, most other travellers were late 20’s to mid 40’s, didn’t go out late every night and were really in the country for the adventure.

We found that the other travellers were easy to relate to, were well-travelled, loved hiking and trekking and were genuinely interested in learning about Colombia, its history and its culture.

The Locals:

Colombians are simultaneously proud of their beautiful country and embarrassed by its turbulent past. If you’re thinking about making a joke about Pablo Escobar or cocaine in Colombia (or to a Colombian whom you meet overseas), think again. You won’t get a laugh and you’ll likely offend a potential friend.

Colombians are all too aware of their global identity and they’re doing everything they can to erase (and forget) the past and move forward.

Because the country is so mountainous, many different groups (cut off from each other for centuries) have formed their own cultures, traditions, cuisine and identities. You will hear differences in accents, taste varied food and even see some unique physical features in different regions as you travel around Colombia.

Paisa people (those from Medellín and the Antioquia province), have a reputation for being business people and extremely proud, almost to the point of arrogant. But in reality, they are usually admired by most Colombians and everyone loves their sexy pronunciation of the Spanish language.

Colombians are typically adventurous, family-oriented, kind, generous and very welcoming of foreigners. You won’t hear the term “gringo” used in a derogatory way here and you’ll probably leave the country with a few life-long friends.

Religion in Colombia

With so many indigenous groups living high in the mountains with little or no connection to the outside world and each with their own traditions and belief systems, its quite hard for a proper census to be conducted on religion in Colombia.

It’s commonly believed however that around 79% of Colombians are Catholic, as made evident by the countless cathedrals and churches and the heavy missionary work done by the Spanish during their rule. 13% are Protestant, 6% claim no affiliation to any religion and 2% subscribe to a different spiritual order.

It’s worth noting that a study done by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia stated that nearly 36% of all Colombians reported that they do not actively practice their faith.

Language in Colombia

Without a doubt, Spanish is the most used language with 99.2% of the population speaking the European tongue. Even though the principal language is Spanish, there are over 89 languages listed in the Ethnologue Database for Colombia.

Some Handy Spanish Phrases To Know For Backpacking Colombia:

Hello/Hi (informal) Hola (OH-lah) Have a good day Que pase un buen día (keh PAH-seh un BWEHN DEE-ah) How are you? (informal) ¿Cómo estás? (KOH-moh ehs-TAHS?) How are you? (formal) ¿Cómo está usted? (KOH-moh ehs-TAH oos-TEHD?) Fine, thank you Muy bien, gracias. (MOO-ee byehn, GRAH-syahs) What is your name? (informal) ¿Cómo te llamas? (KOH-moh TAY YAH-mahs?) What is your name? (formal) ¿Cómo se llama usted? (KOH-moh SAY YAH-mah oos-TEHD?)

Find more Spanish phrases here.

Getting Around in Colombia

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Buses:

As we mentioned earlier, buses are very efficient and comfortable in Colombia. They usually leave on time, but due to an incredible amount of construction and countless large vehicles on all roads, expect your arrival time to be 2 or 3 hours later than the schedule reads.

Sometimes you can book buses through your hotel or hostel, but if you can’t, just make your way to the bus station and purchase your ticket. Most bus tickets can be bought on the same day, but make sure you book a day in advance for popular routes or routes with only one departure per day.

When backpacking Colombia, this will most likely be your primary mode of transportation.

Domestic Flights:

As we’ve said before, domestic flights are very affordable in Colombia thanks to budget airlines like EasyFly and VivaColombia. Keep in mind that these airlines are notoriously unpredictable, so if you want a punctual plane, consider spending an extra few dollars (often not too much) to book with Avianca.

Don’t ever try to cancel or change your flight with Avianca though. Their service on the planes is great, but if you have to call them for any changes, you’ll likely run into a brick wall. Make sure 100% you’re not planning on changing your flight before booking with Avianca.

Rent a Car:

Another great way to travel Colombia is by car. The roads are generally well signed and quite nice, especially between major towns and cities. You can rent a car for around $30 / day and remember that your credit card will likely cover the Damage Collission Waiver so don’t pay extra for that at the rental agency if you don’t have to (contact your credit card provider to ask about your rental insurance coverage).

Train:

The Colombia railway network has a total length of 3,304 km, but don’t expect to travel all that much by train. Most major destinations are better connected by bus or domestic flight, both of which are faster, more reliable and often cheaper than the trains.

Taxis

Taxis are a great way to get around cities and are amazingly affordable throughout Colombia. We took some rides that were up to 40 minutes and didn’t cost us more than $8.

Willis

Another form of taxi, these funky little jeeps load up to 6 travellers and usually charge one rate for the entire vehicle (also very affordable).

Uber

As with many other places in the world, Uber is quite popular in Colombia – although the taxi drivers aren’t happy about it. We only took Uber in Bogota, and took regular taxis in the other cities.

Getting In & Out of Colombia

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There are a few ways to enter Colombia, either via the famous sailing trip from Panama, by bus from any neighbouring country or by air.

By Air:

Now that JetBlue (a great airline) is running direct flights from the US to Colombia, it’s more connected than ever. Canadians can fly with Air Canada, Europeans have direct flights from many countries and Turkish Airlines now goes direct from Istanbul to Bogota.

SkyScanner has put together a pretty handy list of the main airports in Colombia. Click any of the links below if you’re curious about the addresses, destinations or services offered at any of these airports.

Bogota airport Leticia airport Acandi airport Medellin airports Ibague airport San Jose Del Gua airport Cali airport Apartado airport Guapi airport Cartagena airport Barrancabermeja airport Buenaventura airport

By Land:

Throughout South America there are some great city-to-city long-distance buses that connect many of the capitals and other major destinations. You can easily find buses from most cities in Ecuador and Venezuela. Hostels and hotels can help you organize bus tickets and can usually call to inquire about routes and rates to whatever destination you need.

Important Note: On 22 August 2015, the Colombia- Venezuela border was closed, but it re-opened in August of 2016 and is now open for travellers.

By Boat:

Many people embark on the epic 4 day sailing journey between Panama and Sapzurro in Colombia. The journey takes you through the Sanblas Archipelago where you pass through 365 islands before enduring a 2 day ocean crossing with nothing in sight but rolling waves and a bobbing horizon. This trip comes highly recommended and can be booked through tour operators or by arriving at the docks and trying to hop on a boat (the latter is risky, especially in high season when boats are booked up). Always do your research and choose a reputable operator.

Visa Regulations For Colombia

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Most nationalities can enter Colombia visa-free for 90-days and will be easily stamped at any international border crossing or at the airport. Canadians (unfortunately) have to pay a reciprocity fee of 171,000 pesos ($55 USD) to enter the country. You can pay this at the airport or border crossing with cash (and sometimes credit card) upon your arrival in Colombia.

According to Wikipedia, the following nationalities will be permitted to enter Colombia for visa-free for 90 days:

All EU citizens

Andorra

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Australia

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Bhutan

Bolivia

Brazil

Brunei

Canada

Chile

Costa Rica

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Fiji

Georgia

Grenada

Guatemala

Guyana

Honduras

Hong Kong (180 days)

Iceland

Indonesia

Israel

Jamaica

Japan

Kazakhstan

Liechtenstein

Malaysia

Marshall Islands

Mexico

Monaco

Micronesia

New Zealand

Norway

Palau

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Russia

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

San Marino

Singapore

Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Solomon Islands

South Africa

South Korea

Suriname

Switzerland

Taiwan

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

Uruguay

Vatican City Venezuela

For more visa info, click here.

Health In Colombia

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The Zika Virus, which is transmitted by mosquitos, is on its way out according to the New York Times. This disease is particularly an issue for pregnant women who are at risk for microcephaly, a birth defect that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads. There is a risk of contracting malaria and dengue fever (two more mosquito-borne illnesses), but the risk is quite low. Click here to learn more.

It isn’t a requirement, but it is recommended that you have your yellow fever vaccination when backpacking Colombia.

Doctors will recommend that you have your routine vaccinations, but in general the sanitation and health care in Colombia is very good.

The water is safe to drink in most cities and the food preparation methods are very good, with high standards and clean kitchens. There are rare cases of rabies, tetanus, typhoid and yellow fever. No vaccinations are required so what you choose to get poked with is entirely up to you.

It’s always worth carrying around a first-aid kit with Pepto Bismol, painkillers, antibiotics and other basics in case you fall ill. You can visit doctors when backpacking Colombia for very cheap and in the larger cities there are international English-speaking clinics available.

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Phone & Internet in Colombia

The internet speed in Colombia is actually quite fast. You’ll find free wi-fi at most hotels, hostels, restaurants, cafes and airports around the country. We highly recommend picking up a SIM card for your smart phone upon arriving to Colombia.

You can buy a SIM for just $1.60 at any shop with a Claro, Movistar, or Tigo sign in the window. Claro is generally regarded as the best with good coverage around the country, though Tigo is slightly cheaper. After purchasing the SIM, simply add some credit at the same store and then from the phone, buy packages with the credit.

Claro offers some great packages and the bonus is that it includes unlimited WhatsApp, Facebook & Twitter so you could essentially just add $5 in credit, not use it and simply access free social media for the entire time you’re backpacking Colombia.

We went with Claro, so below I’m adding their best pre-paid packages and costs.

Pre-paid Data Plans:

Validity Volume Price (tax incl.) Activation 1 day 10 MB 990 COP 900 1 day 30 MB 1 900 COP 1WF 7 days 450 MB 13 900 COP 7WF 15 days 1 GB 20 900 COP 15WF 30 days 2 GB 42 900 COP 30WF

All data outside of packages is charged with 0.39 COP per KB. Packages are also on 4G/LTE, where available and up to 12 Mbps. The same packages can be used in tablets and modems too. Data of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp are not debited form your allowances.

Good Movies & Books About Colombia

Movies:

Los viajes del viento (The Wind Journeys) – 2009: This movie is quite slow but it showcases some of Colombia’s most beautiful landscapes and can really get you inspired for a trip.

Los Colores de la Montaña (The Colours of the Mountain) – 2010: Eye-opening. Heavy. This modern-day portrayal of daily life in a remote part of the mountainous Colombian countryside is set around the friendship between two youngsters, Manuel and Julián.

The Two Escobars Documentary – 2010: Today, Colombia is climbing out of this dark time and most Colombians don’t want to talk about it. If you’re interested in this history, it’s best to do your own research. This documentary is a good place to start.

TV Shows:

Narcos: Obviously this one is going to come up. It’s one of the best Escobar TV show ever made. If you haven’t started watching it yet, it’s definitely worth checking out. Just keep in mind that the series does a pretty poor job of portraying Pablo as the monster he was, so know that most Colombians wouldn’t agree with way he’s depicted in the series, but it’s still undeniably entertaining and eye-opening. 

Another option is the Spanish version on Netflix: Pablo Escobar – El Patrón del Mal, which does a better, less “Hollywood” job of portraying Escobar.

Books:

Delirium – Laura Restrepo: This novel is set in Bogotá in the 1980s right in the midst of the violence and drug mafia. This is Colombia in its darkest time, so the way it’s depicted isn’t what Colombians would want to be thought of today, but there is truth in these pages.

Bolivar: American Liberator – Marie Arana: If you’ve spent any time in Latin American, then you’ll have seen streets, plazas, parks and buildings named after this famous conqueror and revolutionary hero. Arana explores Bolívar’s legacy in great detail in this book and it’s definitely worth reading if you’d like to learn more about Simon Bolívar and why he’s so popular in Central & South America.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Colombia?

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Any Time.

The great thing about backpacking Colombia is that you can pretty much visit any time of the year. We travelled to Colombia during the some of the rainiest months of November & December and while we did get a fair amount of rainfall, it didn’t usually last for more than a couple of hours (except when we got soaked for 7 hours straight on the Ciudad Perdida trek!).

Colombia’s Amazonian climate means that it can be rainy all year round, but generally the driest months are between December to February. Keep in mind that peak season falls around Christmas and New Year’s (and again around Easter). During these times hotel prices go up considerably and many tours and activities can also be booked up.

Low-Season is technically just in October & November when flash floods can sometimes wash out roads and the Ciudad Perdida trek becomes even more difficult. This is also a good time for budget travellers however as many hotels offer discounts in these months.

Another good time to visit (possibly the best) would be shoulder season between March and September, but if you’re planning to visit Bogotá, Medellín or Cali during this time, it’s worth noting that they suffer a secondary rainy season in April and May.

If you love whale-watching, July to October is the best time to spot these giants on the Pacific Coast.

Cartagena gets mostly sunshine all the way through April, but starts to see some pretty heavy rainfall in May.

Overall Rating

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Colombia has so much to offer that you could travel here for a year and still not see it all. With everything from mountains and waterfalls to lost ruins and Spanish architecture, this is definitely one of the most diverse travel destinations on Earth.

Not only is Colombia a great backpacking destination, but with digital nomad and expat havens like Medellín and Cartagena, we could definitely see ourselves living here (preferably in the latter).

The country is easy to travel, becoming increasingly safe and offers endless fun and adventure for travellers. We will definitely be back one day.

GOAT NOTE: Rating a country is completely subject to one’s own opinion, so any rating system should be taken with a grain of salt. Travel is personal and your experience will differ from ours. The star rating above is based solely on our personal experience and in no way attempts to evaluate Colombia as a whole.

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Bitcoin Hits $10K, Coinbase Controversy, Buffet with Buffett: Hodler’s Digest, Feb. 3–9

Bitcoin Hits $10K, Coinbase Controversy, Buffet with Buffett: Hodler’s Digest, Feb. 3–9:

Coming every Sunday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link.

Top Stories This Week

Bitcoin price hits $10,000 for the first time in 2020

We’re back in business! Bitcoin has reached five figures for the first time since last October. According to Coin360, BTC is up by more than 40% year to date — 8.3% over the past week. Champagne corks will also be flying in the Ether community, as the coin is up 21% to near $230 — a new 2020 high. But as the world’s biggest cryptocurrency returns to five figures, some believe there’s increasing potential for Bitcoin to lose value in the short term. Alameda Research co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried believes BTC may only continue appreciating if the coronavirus crisis worsens — and predicts it will slip back to $6,800 without “continued unrest.” Have global events been responsible for Bitcoin’s remarkable start to 2020?

U.S. Fed is exploring potential for digital currency, says board member

A member of the United States Federal Reserve’s board of governors has hinted that the institution is warming to the idea of central bank digital currencies. Lael Brainard, who chairs, said the Fed is “conducting research and experimentation” into CBDCs — and wants to be at the forefront of the debate given the dollar’s important role in global markets. This is a marked departure from less than 18 months ago when she said: “There is no compelling demonstrated need for a Fed-issued digital currency.” Of course, a lot has happened since then — including Facebook’s plans to launch Libra. In other news, it’s emerged that six major central banks are going to meet in April to discuss the development of CBDCs. Even though these talks will take place in Washington, D.C., the U.S. will not be attending — only representatives from the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland will be around the table.

Mastercard CEO reveals why the company left Libra

When Facebook unveiled plans to launch a stablecoin, one of the most exciting elements was how major financial institutions such as Mastercard, Visa and PayPal were founding members of the Libra Association. Alas, all three quit a few months later with no proper explanation. Now, we’re starting to get answers. Mastercard’s CEO Ajay Banga, speaking to the Financial Times, attacked Libra for its lack of transparency. He said he also had concerns surrounding the stablecoin’s business model because the association hasn’t made clear how it will make money — and that the Calibra wallet didn’t seem to tally with Libra’s vision of serving as a financial inclusion tool. Nonetheless, Banga said he liked the idea of a global currency, describing siloed systems in a world where citizens travel globally as “really stupid.”

Some Coinbase users can’t withdraw more than $10 in Bitcoin a day

Now, here’s a mysterious tale. Some users of Coinbase are apparently not allowed to withdraw more than $10 a day. One Redditor said he had been subject to the limit, and that the company had denied his request to have it raised. Some of those who replied to the thread predicted that further restrictions could follow if crypto prices reach an all-time high. Cointelegraph asked Coinbase for an official statement on the matter, but, at the time of writing, no response has been forthcoming.

Tron founder Justin Sun finally met with Warren Buffett for charity lunch

And a happy story to end our news round-up. Tron founder and CEO Justin Sun has finally had his charity lunch with billionaire Warren Buffett. Back in June, Sun had won an auction for the honor on eBay with a bid of $4.5 million — a record. However, the buffet with Buffett was pushed back by Sun due to medical reasons. After the pair broke bread in Nebraska, Sun said he was grateful for Buffett’s “wisdom and vision.” He added: “I’ll always remember his kindness and support and will take Mr. Buffett’s advice and guidance to make Tron a better ecosystem, business with all the partners in the blockchain space and beyond.”

Winners and Losers

At the end of the week, Bitcoin is at $10,089.42, Ether at $227.87 and XRP at $0.28. The total market cap is at $287,790,964,403.

Among the biggest 100 cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin gainers of the week are KickToken, Lisk and Decentraland. The top three altcoin losers of the week are Swipe, Synthetix Network Token and Quant.

For more info on crypto prices, make sure to read Cointelegraph’s market analysis.

Most Memorable Quotations

“I see more and more large accounts getting educated and set up to be accumulators of $BTC and believe on a risk-adjusted basis it’s the best place to bet on crypto.”

Mike Novogratz, venture capitalist

“It was really an honor, and I’m grateful for Mr. Buffett’s dinner, wisdom and vision.”

Justin Sun, Tron CEO

“The most important part of Bitcoin, when it comes to the global hedge, is the fact that it’s a non-correlated asset — meaning that, as stocks go up or down, Bitcoin doesn’t have correlation to that.”

Anthony Pompliano, Morgan Creek Digital co-founder

“As anyone who’s a trend follower knows — when you’re back above your 200-day, you’re back in a bull market. Whenever Bitcoin breaks back into its 200-day, its average six-month gain is 197%.”

Tom Lee, Fundstrat Global Advisors co-founder

“If you get paid in Libra […] which go into Calibras, which go back into pounds to buy rice, I don’t understand how that works.”

Ajay Banga, Mastercard CEO

Prediction of the Week

Bitcoin price may hit $27,000 all-time high by summer, predicts Tom Lee

Fundstrat Global Advisors co-founder Tom Lee believes Bitcoin’s best days are ahead. He told Yahoo Finance that he is “really optimistic” about the cryptocurrency’s short-term potential — primarily because it has gone back above its 200-day moving average. Lee claimed that this usually signals the return of a bull market, adding: “Whenever Bitcoin breaks back into its 200-day, its average six-month gain is 197%.” The investor firmly believes that May’s block reward halving will serve as a catalyst for further gains — and has previously said this event has not been “priced in.” Only time will tell whether he’s right.

FUD of the Week

Unknown number of major league baseball players lured into crypto Ponzi scheme

Two men have been charged over an alleged crypto Ponzi scheme that duped an unknown number of investors — including professional basketball players. John Michael Caruso and Zachary Salter are accused of wooing their victims by posting about their supposed luxurious lifestyles on social media. It’s claimed that more than 90 people have been swindled out of at least $7.5 million since June 2018. Forensic accountants believe none of the money taken from investors was actually invested in cryptocurrency. Instead, $350,000 was spent on luxury car rentals, and the pair are said to have lost $830,000 during a 134-hour gambling spree at casinos in Las Vegas.

Report: North Korean hackers created realistic trading bot to steal money

North Korea’s Lazarus Group managed to steal from the DragonEx crypto exchange by creating a fake but realistic trading bot, according to Chainalysis. The sophisticated attack saw the cybercriminals create a compelling website and social media presence for a non-existent company called WFC Proof. The supposed firm offered software to employees of the Singapore-based exchange that was eventually installed on a machine that contained the private keys to DragonEx’s hot wallet. An estimated $7 million in various cryptocurrencies was subsequently taken. In a rather ironic twist, the WFC Proof website had warned visitors not to let anyone access personal private keys.

Craig Wright accused of confusing trial proceedings

The counsel for the estate of Dave Kleiman has accused self-proclaimed Bitcoin inventor Craig Wright of abusing attorney-client privilege to withhold documents and confuse trial proceedings. The long-running case relates to allegations that Wright misappropriated more than 1 million BTC that the pair had mined together between 2009 and 2013. A memorandum said: “To say discovery in this case has been challenging would be a dramatic understatement.” It also alleges that Wright has shown a “pattern of obfuscation,” with tens of thousands of documents being shielded from the plaintiffs.

Best Cointelegraph Features

Crypto goes IPO — Ripple could lead the blockchain industry’s charge

As Joseph Birch explains, 2020 could be the year that crypto companies step forward and take the plunge into going public.

The Cointelegraph Top 100

Check out our list of the most important and influential people in the cryptocurrency and blockchain world, as chosen by Cointelegraph’s editors.

Alexander Vinnik claims injustice while now fighting charges in France

After 30 months in detention, alleged Bitcoin money launderer Alexander Vinnik has been extradited from Greece to France. Osato Avan-Nomayo takes a closer look at the case.

[goldira01]

Coming every Sunday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link.

Top Stories This Week

Bitcoin price hits $10,000 for the first time in 2020

We’re back in business! Bitcoin has reached five figures for the first time since last October. According to Coin360, BTC is up by more than 40% year to date — 8.3% over the past week. Champagne corks will also be flying in the Ether community, as the coin is up 21% to near $230 — a new 2020 high. But as the world’s biggest cryptocurrency returns to five figures, some believe there’s increasing potential for Bitcoin to lose value in the short term. Alameda Research co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried believes BTC may only continue appreciating if the coronavirus crisis worsens — and predicts it will slip back to $6,800 without “continued unrest.” Have global events been responsible for Bitcoin’s remarkable start to 2020?

U.S. Fed is exploring potential for digital currency, says board member

A member of the United States Federal Reserve’s board of governors has hinted that the institution is warming to the idea of central bank digital currencies. Lael Brainard, who chairs, said the Fed is “conducting research and experimentation” into CBDCs — and wants to be at the forefront of the debate given the dollar’s important role in global markets. This is a marked departure from less than 18 months ago when she said: “There is no compelling demonstrated need for a Fed-issued digital currency.” Of course, a lot has happened since then — including Facebook’s plans to launch Libra. In other news, it’s emerged that six major central banks are going to meet in April to discuss the development of CBDCs. Even though these talks will take place in Washington, D.C., the U.S. will not be attending — only representatives from the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland will be around the table.

Mastercard CEO reveals why the company left Libra

When Facebook unveiled plans to launch a stablecoin, one of the most exciting elements was how major financial institutions such as Mastercard, Visa and PayPal were founding members of the Libra Association. Alas, all three quit a few months later with no proper explanation. Now, we’re starting to get answers. Mastercard’s CEO Ajay Banga, speaking to the Financial Times, attacked Libra for its lack of transparency. He said he also had concerns surrounding the stablecoin’s business model because the association hasn’t made clear how it will make money — and that the Calibra wallet didn’t seem to tally with Libra’s vision of serving as a financial inclusion tool. Nonetheless, Banga said he liked the idea of a global currency, describing siloed systems in a world where citizens travel globally as “really stupid.”

Some Coinbase users can’t withdraw more than $10 in Bitcoin a day

Now, here’s a mysterious tale. Some users of Coinbase are apparently not allowed to withdraw more than $10 a day. One Redditor said he had been subject to the limit, and that the company had denied his request to have it raised. Some of those who replied to the thread predicted that further restrictions could follow if crypto prices reach an all-time high. Cointelegraph asked Coinbase for an official statement on the matter, but, at the time of writing, no response has been forthcoming.

Tron founder Justin Sun finally met with Warren Buffett for charity lunch

And a happy story to end our news round-up. Tron founder and CEO Justin Sun has finally had his charity lunch with billionaire Warren Buffett. Back in June, Sun had won an auction for the honor on eBay with a bid of $4.5 million — a record. However, the buffet with Buffett was pushed back by Sun due to medical reasons. After the pair broke bread in Nebraska, Sun said he was grateful for Buffett’s “wisdom and vision.” He added: “I’ll always remember his kindness and support and will take Mr. Buffett’s advice and guidance to make Tron a better ecosystem, business with all the partners in the blockchain space and beyond.”

Winners and Losers

At the end of the week, Bitcoin is at $10,089.42, Ether at $227.87 and XRP at $0.28. The total market cap is at $287,790,964,403.

Among the biggest 100 cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin gainers of the week are KickToken, Lisk and Decentraland. The top three altcoin losers of the week are Swipe, Synthetix Network Token and Quant.

For more info on crypto prices, make sure to read Cointelegraph’s market analysis.

Most Memorable Quotations

“I see more and more large accounts getting educated and set up to be accumulators of $BTC and believe on a risk-adjusted basis it’s the best place to bet on crypto.”

Mike Novogratz, venture capitalist

“It was really an honor, and I’m grateful for Mr. Buffett’s dinner, wisdom and vision.”

Justin Sun, Tron CEO

“The most important part of Bitcoin, when it comes to the global hedge, is the fact that it’s a non-correlated asset — meaning that, as stocks go up or down, Bitcoin doesn’t have correlation to that.”

Anthony Pompliano, Morgan Creek Digital co-founder

“As anyone who’s a trend follower knows — when you’re back above your 200-day, you’re back in a bull market. Whenever Bitcoin breaks back into its 200-day, its average six-month gain is 197%.”

Tom Lee, Fundstrat Global Advisors co-founder

“If you get paid in Libra […] which go into Calibras, which go back into pounds to buy rice, I don’t understand how that works.”

Ajay Banga, Mastercard CEO

Prediction of the Week

Bitcoin price may hit $27,000 all-time high by summer, predicts Tom Lee

Fundstrat Global Advisors co-founder Tom Lee believes Bitcoin’s best days are ahead. He told Yahoo Finance that he is “really optimistic” about the cryptocurrency’s short-term potential — primarily because it has gone back above its 200-day moving average. Lee claimed that this usually signals the return of a bull market, adding: “Whenever Bitcoin breaks back into its 200-day, its average six-month gain is 197%.” The investor firmly believes that May’s block reward halving will serve as a catalyst for further gains — and has previously said this event has not been “priced in.” Only time will tell whether he’s right.

FUD of the Week

Unknown number of major league baseball players lured into crypto Ponzi scheme

Two men have been charged over an alleged crypto Ponzi scheme that duped an unknown number of investors — including professional basketball players. John Michael Caruso and Zachary Salter are accused of wooing their victims by posting about their supposed luxurious lifestyles on social media. It’s claimed that more than 90 people have been swindled out of at least $7.5 million since June 2018. Forensic accountants believe none of the money taken from investors was actually invested in cryptocurrency. Instead, $350,000 was spent on luxury car rentals, and the pair are said to have lost $830,000 during a 134-hour gambling spree at casinos in Las Vegas.

Report: North Korean hackers created realistic trading bot to steal money

North Korea’s Lazarus Group managed to steal from the DragonEx crypto exchange by creating a fake but realistic trading bot, according to Chainalysis. The sophisticated attack saw the cybercriminals create a compelling website and social media presence for a non-existent company called WFC Proof. The supposed firm offered software to employees of the Singapore-based exchange that was eventually installed on a machine that contained the private keys to DragonEx’s hot wallet. An estimated $7 million in various cryptocurrencies was subsequently taken. In a rather ironic twist, the WFC Proof website had warned visitors not to let anyone access personal private keys.

Craig Wright accused of confusing trial proceedings

The counsel for the estate of Dave Kleiman has accused self-proclaimed Bitcoin inventor Craig Wright of abusing attorney-client privilege to withhold documents and confuse trial proceedings. The long-running case relates to allegations that Wright misappropriated more than 1 million BTC that the pair had mined together between 2009 and 2013. A memorandum said: “To say discovery in this case has been challenging would be a dramatic understatement.” It also alleges that Wright has shown a “pattern of obfuscation,” with tens of thousands of documents being shielded from the plaintiffs.

Best Cointelegraph Features

Crypto goes IPO — Ripple could lead the blockchain industry’s charge

As Joseph Birch explains, 2020 could be the year that crypto companies step forward and take the plunge into going public.

The Cointelegraph Top 100

Check out our list of the most important and influential people in the cryptocurrency and blockchain world, as chosen by Cointelegraph’s editors.

Alexander Vinnik claims injustice while now fighting charges in France

After 30 months in detention, alleged Bitcoin money launderer Alexander Vinnik has been extradited from Greece to France. Osato Avan-Nomayo takes a closer look at the case.

[pbb-kimmy-blog]

Charlotte is a 19year old from originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo but was raised in India. Charlotte moved to Malaysia in 2018 to pursue a degree in Law from one of the Malaysian Universities. Charlotte tells her story of why she got into the Miss Africa Malaysia pageant and how the entire experience was and much more about studying in Malaysia.

Why did you join the 2019 Miss Africa Malaysia pageant?

I joined the pageant because my mother always wanted me to join a pageant and my friends motivated me to join it so I thought it would be a nice idea to join as I could challenge myself, fulfill my mom’s wish and get an experience.

What was your experience being in a competition like this?

it was an amazing, fun and inspiring experience as i got to learn new things, meet the lovely girls who i now call my sisters, doing the fun tasks and the best part of this competition was the chill trip, catwalk challenge and the reunion party which made us bond more with each other.

What was going through your mind when you were announced winner of the 2019 Miss Africa Malaysia Pageant?

To be very honest I almost gave up hope, I was scared because the competition was very tough as all the girls were very amazing, so when my name was announced it was a little surprising to me it took me a while to process what just happened mentally but overall i was very happy.

What responsibility does this crown come with and how does it affect or improve the African community in Malaysia?

The responsibility that comes around with the crown is to be a good representative of not just your country but Africa as a whole, i feel like with this given platform and opportunities we have to represent Africans well, try to bring Malaysia and Africa closer and hopefully try to change their perspective on Africans in a positive way.

How do you manage being a Student and handling such a huge responsibility in a foreign country(Malaysia)?

thankfully most of the work/events for me are during the weekends or when i don’t have classes so it is easier to manage those two together.

STUDYING IN MALAYSIA

Why did you choose Malaysia as your study destination?

my friend studies here so she suggested my mother to send me to Malaysia, also the fact my mom have heard alot about Malaysia from her colleagues made her want to send me here, at first i did not want to come here because i wanted to study somewhere in Europe as it would be easier to work part time there while studying and not be too dependent on my mom, but later i did my research on Malaysia also keeping in mind that its near India so i can easily visit my family, travel around Asia and attend kpop concerts in Malaysia so those factors made me agree to come to study here and to be honest i am glad i agreed to coming here.

What institution do you study?

I study UK Law at Help university in Kuala Lumpur (Damansara Heights)

Why did you choose this institution?

I chose to study at help because they have the UK degree transfer programme which is something i wanted to do as it would allow me to have a UK degree, another reason is the price is pretty affordable, i liked how the website presented themselves and my friend who was doing my admission process here told me it is a nice reputed university for my law programme. lastly i got a little catfished as i thought my campus will be the subang 2 one but it turned out to be the Damansara one, but so far i do not regret studying at Help.

What do you enjoy most about studying in Malaysia?

I have so many reasons for why i enjoy studying in Malaysia first one being the people, people in Malaysia are super friendly and helpful. I get to experience a more diverse environment as compared to India. The food in Malaysia is amazing as there is more options and cuisines to try on i’ve put on alot of weight since i came to Malaysia because the food, the Love of my life is Nasi Lemak. the student environment is very nice i met alot of amazing people here being my housemates, my classmates, my friends and everyone from the pageant. i feel more safer in Malaysia, it is beautiful, you’ll have more things to do in the weekend and if i have to sum it up in short You can never be bored in Malaysia.

Are there any negatives or things you wish you had known before coming to study here? 

So far i do not have any negative thing that i wish to have known before coming here as this place have been treating me well since the day i have arrived to Malaysia. every country have its own good and bad people and we cannot fit everyone in one box, there could be misunderstanding between the locals and the foreigners specially us Africans because of our language differences (not everyone but with the ones who cannot speak english). i think what makes it difficult for us is the stereotype of Africans which i believe it can be changed by Us, we can show that not everyone is the same and we are actually good people. i think alot of these stereotype comes from lack of exposure because in some cases you could be the first African they have spoken to so it would be nice to leave a good impression on them to try to break those stereotypes

What kind of places do you think foreign students should avoid to guarantee their safety?

i am not sure because i don’t know much places here yet as i barely go out but i believe places that you know might get you in trouble should be avoided.

How do you commute to school and how would you rate the transport network in Malaysia?

i use the school bus which is free to go to my uni so that is an advantage for me. the rapid kl trains like mrt, lrt etc are very convenient specially during the high time as there is alot of traffic in the evening and some train stations are inside the places you’ll want to go example klcc mall, the curve or the airport so you won’t have to walk too far or take taxi’s for some places like that. but when it comes to roads here during the evening there’s too much traffic specially if it rains the grab prices go high and the other thing is if example a driver misses a turn then they’ll have to drive a long way to turn because of the road system. but overall i think its fine.

What is the cost of living in Malaysia compared to your home country and what are the things you consider cheap or expensive?

i did not live in my home country for long so i cannot really tell but if i compare it to the times i went for holidays there Malaysia is cheaper than Congo.

How are you able to meet up with the cost of living in Malaysia? And what options are available for foreign students?

Malaysia is a very affordable country, the prices of basically everything is low starting from groceries to rent, it is easy to live here as you would not need alot of money to survive unless you want to live like a Kardashian then that’s totally up to you but yea basically its affordable but it would be a really good opportunity if Foreign students could get an opportunity to work part time as our visa’s prohibits us to work, because sometimes we students go through financial crises and not everyone wants to depend on their parents for every little thing, so giving us an opportunity to work part time would be nice so that some people won’t have to try to earn money in wrong ways.

Now that you are already here, what do you think about studying in Malaysia?

i have not lived in other Asian countries except India and Malaysia and so far from my experience i can say Malaysia is a great place for student. environment wise and the facilities in universities, you get to see more diversity not just from different African countries but different Asian countries and others as well, Malaysia is a very welcoming country and the most important thing living here is very affordable but one thing that i wished was here is part time opportunity for international students.

What advice(s) can you give to a prospective international student who desires to come to Malaysia for studies?

all i would advice to someone who desires to come to Malaysia for studies is that when they come here they should avoid being in a bad crowd or involve themselves in things that would get them in trouble, be respectful and try to understand the locals perspective, every country has good and bad people. i would recommend them to study here because Malaysia is an amazing country with good people, nice infrastructure and specially delicious food.

Miss Africa Malaysia 2019 – Charlotte on being an International Student in Malaysia Charlotte is a 19year old from originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo but was raised in India.