Adoption in Manizales

 

Getting ready for a trip for an adoption implies taking into account a certain number of factors for the enterprise to be successful. We are going to give you some advice based on our experience which, we hope, you will find useful..

General information: In Colombia, the national currency is the “peso” and is used for all transactions. You can take dollars or travellers’ cheques with you but you will have to go to a bank or a bureau de change to get them changed into pesos. We accept pesos, euros or dollars when you pay for your rent. Cash points and supermarkets take credit cards. In Colombia, voltage is 110 V to be used with flat plugs (like those in the US).

Flight tickets. The ICBF usually expects families to stay for a month. We advise you to ask your selected airline company for information about special rates for adopting families, especially as regards changes of dates for return tickets if it should prove necessary. If you need to fly within the country, it is cheaper to buy your tickets on the spot.

Health: As far as vaccinations are concerned, only those needed in your own country are required. Meningitis, typhoid fever and yellow fever are not necessary. Medicine against malaria must only be taken by families travelling in the Amazonian forest and Pacific area.
In the main Colombian towns such as Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Pereira and Manizales, tap water is drinkable. Especially in Manizales, water is of excellent quality and can be drunk without any fear. The use of Micropur or any other water purifier is not necessary. In addition, if you wish to, you can buy bottled mineral water in supermarkets.

Bear in mind that Colombia is a tropical country and the city of Manizales is situated at an altitude of more than 2000 metres, thus the need for sun cream to protect your skin. Though in this area the sky is often cloudy and overcast we recommend you use a 40 or 50 SPF cream, on sale in all the supermarkets and pharmacies of the city. If you visit the countryside, you will be able to buy the product easily. You will find the necessary medicine to treat any illnesses in the pharmacies.

Arrival at Bogota. Flights from Europe last about 10 hours and as the flights from USA generally arrive in the afternoon in Bogota. Consequently a flight to Manizales on the same day is not possible. Your representative in Bogota will explain to you that a person will wait for you at the airport and take you to the place you have chosen to spend the night. If we take the example of France, Colombia has a time difference of 6 hours less in winter and 7 hours less in summer, which will obviously make you feel tired when you arrive. The first few days you will thus have a tendency to wake very early in the morning. Getting used to this timetable can take three to five days depending on people. Moreover, don’t forget that Bogota is situated at an altitude of 2600 metres and the average temperature in the day is 17°C whereas at night it can drop to 10°C and that all year round. Normally, your trip to Manizales takes place the next day.

Arrival at Manizales. The airport of Manizales is a 15 minute drive from the city itself and once again someone will be waiting for you to take you to the flat. Manizales has an altitude of 2200 metres with a stable temperature all year round varying from 17°C to 22°C and a high regular rainfall. It is therefore necessary to take spring clothes as well as woolen jerseys for the evenings.

We would like to insist on the fact that it is not necessary to be bilingual, but we do recommend that you know a little of the language to be able to communicate with your child. We can help you to translate things but we can testify that the children get used to their new language very quickly. They understand nearly everything within two to three weeks and speak their new language without difficulty after a few weeks.