Daddy Yankee may have endorsed John McCain a few weeks ago, but reggaeton is *so* 2005. Find out what the latest beats sound like at Bogotá's Hip Hop Al Parque.

Over 30 MCs from around the world will compete in the 11th edition of this year's fest, held October 18 and 19 in the Parque Simon Bolívar. Expect break-dancing performances, graffiti displays and DJ battles to surround the main stage at this free event, where some 100,000 fans will be on hand to cheer on their favorites.

Think that guy up there has a shot this year?

Related Stories:
· For Colombia's Angry Youth, Hip-Hop Helps Keep It Real [NYT]
· Hip Hop al Parque 2008 [Official Site]
· More Travel Videos [Jaunted]]]> egw 2008-09-17T16:15:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/7/16123/11894

In late 2007 and into 2008, a group of airlines petitioned the Department of Transportation for permission to fly to Colombia--a move they had to take because flights there are regulated by treaty. But thanks to recent astronomical price increases on jet fuel, some carriers no longer want to go there--at least for now. So last month, a bunch of airlines filed with the DOT asking if they could keep their slots while delaying their entry into the US-Colombia market. (That's called a dormancy waiver.)

With so many airlines asking, it seemed like the DOT would grant the waiver, but it didn't. The agency's decision basically says "Sorry. Start flying or loose your slots." The DOT will continue to evaluate stuff like this on a case-by-case basis, but on this big one, the department made a pro-consumer call.

Spirit Airlines, which broke industry ranks and filed with the DOT against the waiver, will undoubtedly release some sort of tasteless fare sale soon to celebrate the finding.

Related Stories:
· DOT Rejects Blanket Dormancy Waiver [Travel Industry]
· JetBlue Travel: Colombia's out but Spanish Is in [Jaunted]
· New Routes: Open Skies over Colombia [Jaunted]

[Photo of El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá: aguno]]]> pbb 2008-07-07T17:00:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/30/122310/953

Not too long ago, we were full up with stories about airlines eyeing Colombia. But that was back before the carriers were hemorrhaging money on jet fuel. So after battling with the Department of Transportation to get access to the country, airlines are now putting off their commitments to Colombia.

Says a JetBlue spokesman:

A group of airlines (not JetBlue) filed to request a two-year moratorium for starting service awarded for government regulated routes. JetBlue filed a motion generally supporting the filing after the fact.

We believe that the unprecedented rise in fuel costs has presented conditions that warrant a level of leeway from strict interpretation of some governmental requirements. Our motion is not tied to any one specific route.

That said, JetBlue hasn't committed to a start date for MCO-BOG service. Instead, the carrier will stay focused on the Caribbean, where it's taking over for American Airlines as the legacy carrier pulls out of San Juan. No wonder JetBlue has just announced a new Spanish-language website.

If only we could use it to book flights to Bogotá!

Related Stories:
· JetBlue [Official Spanish-language Site]
· LCCs Taking Over for AA in the Caribbean [Jaunted]
· JetBlue coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]]]> pbb 2008-06-30T12:30:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/13/232713/908

Uh-oh. Guide book writers tell lies. Not a big surprise to us, but poor Lonely Planet must be decidedly unimpressed by what former author Thomas Kohnstamm has said in his soon-to-be-released book Do Travel Writers Go To Hell?

LP must surely be wishing that Kohnstamm would go to hell, because he's claiming, among other things, that he wrote a guide book to Colombia without ever setting foot in the country. He claims he wrote the guide in question from his base in San Francisco, getting info from a girl he was dating who happened to be interning at the Colombian consulate.

The story goes that Lonely Planet--and probably a whole heap of other guide book companies--don't pay their writers enough to actually research everything that needs to go into a book, and their policy is not to accept any freebies. Whether this news goes down as a "we can't trust Lonely Planet" or a "Kohnstamm's a big cheat with a newly released book to sell" story remains to be seen, but if you're heading to Colombia, perhaps some other guide book might be a better choice?

Related Stories:
· Lonely Planet Reeling After Author's Fraud [news.com.au]
· Lonely Planet Writer Doesn't Bother Going to Colombia [Lost Weekend]
· Lonely Planet Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Blacknell]]]> amandak 2008-04-14T08:47:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/1/25/11343/4836

Imagine Pamplona's running with the bulls. Now turn it up about 75 notches. Colombia's amateur bullfighting competitions--called corralejas--put rodeos, cage fighting and most military combat to shame.

Corralejas go back centuries in Colombia's Sucre Province, a poor, rural area kept afloat by cattle ranching. Of course, today's corralejas have a decidedly contemporary twist--and a lot more booze on hand to give fighters liquid courage.

The New York Times managed to find 26-year-old Adrian Manzano at the first aid station at one event. He's from Queens and went down to Colombia to see the fights firsthand. His reason?

"I've run with the bulls in Pamplona, but this is riskier," he said, pointing to the place on his head where a horse's hoof had trampled him. "It felt like my brains were coming through my ears."

Sounds... fun?

Related Stories:
· At Amateur Bullfights in Colombia, Alcohol and Blood Flow Freely [NYT]
· More Corralejas Videos [YouTube]
· Running of the Bulls coverage [Jaunted]]]> laurenuta 2008-01-25T13:18:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/1/15/21535/0531

In Cartagena, the average high throughout the year is around 88 degrees, and the temperature doesn't often drop below 77. Sure, there's 90% humidity for most of the year, but that's just part of the joy of the eternal summer.

With the expected influx of tourists after the release of the movie Love in the Time of Cholera, which was largely filmed there, Cartagena is ready for visitors. Parts of Cartegena are already World Heritage listed, including 500-year-old forts and the old town center. It's also interesting to visit museums such as the Palace of Inquisition, and to stop in to some of the beautiful churches like the Iglesia de San Pedro Claver and the Iglesia de Santo Domingo.

Cartagena is turning up on travel trends lists everywhere for 2008, so try to get there this summer before it starts to get overrun. And if you believe in the magical romance of the Garcia Marquez film, perhaps Cartagena is the perfect place for a summer fling, too.

Related Stories:
· Films Will Inspire Tourism Boom [UK Independent]
· Why Cartagena is the Next New Zealand [Jaunted]
· Colombia Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: drpritch]]]> amandak 2008-01-17T09:15:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/1/7/15516/70503

The Museum of Bogota opened its new exhibit, called "Museum of Laziness," last week, and it didn't take long before people were coming by to flop down on the couches and start watching TV. But, says the curator, that's not a problem at all:

We always think about laziness as an enemy of work. So we wanted to explore that and make people think about the social issues implied in taking a nap, in being jobless or in feeling that maybe we are wasting time.

Families in particular have been enjoying the show, which also includes notes from the city's children on what they want to be when they grow up. It's a good thing they're thinking about it, too, because the show's already wrapping up. Not to worry though: Next week brings the debut of an exhibit about the city's security guards.

Related Stories:
· Laziness Museum Displays Couches [NPR]
· The Week of Laziness [El Tiempo, in Spanish]
· Bogota Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of hammocks in Bogota: Ronald Newell]]]> pbb 2008-01-07T15:06:17-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/