[rinestone]

hey everyone,

love the site and i've already gotten a ton of useful info., but i'm looking for more. i'm putting together a list before i head to colombia in march and i'm hoping for comments or criticisms. i'm also down to meet up and hang when i'm there since i'm flying solo. anyway, i'm hoping to put together a thorough list so i don't leave anything off. then i can use the list for any travel.

here's my list. i'd love to hear anything you guys have to stay

cupid- ive been on colombiancupids for about a month and have had a lot of success. there's probably a dusting of AFC in my game which is drawing clinginess from some girls. good news is one wants me to stay with, and a couple others hounding me pretty severely. good news is also that i've had some pretty spicy webcam sessions and talk. how do you guys handle facebook? i don't make any promises i can't keep but i've already been called out on new colombian friends from some girls when we become friends on facebook. my biggest fear is really being tagged in a couple photos. there seems to be tons of picture taking there and while i'm fairly straight up, this seems like trouble waiting to happen. i hope there's a way to make it so no one can tag you in pics, or certain people anyway. also, is cupid the best site to use?

where- right now i'm thinking most of my time in medellin & bogota with a trip to santa marta to see a girl i've been talking to

when- my sights are set on march and i'll probably arrange it around the cheaper flights; any weekends to avoid? any to try and hit for sure?

gear- i'm not a slob or anything but i used to have to wear a suit to work every day so no i'm pretty casual. sounds like i gotta get some new threads. anything in particular i should look for?

passport- obviously; but get a color copy of all my ID to carry around rather then the original. visa no necessary so i'm good there

shots- is it necessary to get any shots for malaria or anything, or is that overkill?

cash- i have to re-read the threads already here on what type of set up i want so i don't get buried on conversions. sounds like a paypal card and take out as much as i can when i hit up an atm may be the way to go, does that sound right?

lodging- for medellin i'm thinking of medellinmansion. i have no idea what to do in bogota or anywhere else. if you get a solo hostel room is that still a no-no for women, or is it acceptable?

safety- should i pick up mace or something like that or is it too douchey and unnecessary. other then common sense, is there anything i should do?

phone- again, i have to re-read the thread here on the best set up. any additional info. is great for me though

altitude sickness in bogota- i hear that sometimes, upon getting there you may be sick for a day or so. anything i can do to minimize or prepare for this? or is it no big deal?

language- i speak ok spanish but my vocabulary is limited so i'm pretty bush league. i was planning on getting rosetta stone- does that sounds good? any suggestions on a good translating app for an ipod? i have an ipad but don't want to carry it around, seems unsafe and odd

a couple of general questions-

i may try to stay for more then one month, but if it is just one, am i crazy for sticking mostly to bogota & medellin? there's girls i want to meet in both places and i want to be there long enough to get a feel for it. i'm from new england, so 'cold' weather doesn't worry me much. seems to be a lot of opinions on best place to go and i think i will end up going back.

i'm leaving from new england, what's the best way to fly? i am entertaining the idea of doing two different airlines. one to get to florida, then another from there to colombia. i'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but figure it might save a couple sheckles.

that's all i can think of for now, but like i said i am trying to put together the most thorough list possible. i've rarely been out of the country and i really want to hit the ground running when i am there.

sports- this sounds stupid, but i'm a pretty big sports fan and i know i'm not going to dig missing march madness. any places where a gringo can watch some hoops or the random celtics game? maybe in bogota?

thanks for any help you guys might have

[rinestone]

also, is there any way to stay somewhere other then a hotel or hostel? what if i paid cash up front- can i get like a furnished apartment, which i assume would be cheaper then a hotel and probably more slick.

[bigbootyluvr]

SEE MY REPLIES in bold BELOW::

(01-30-2011 01:38 PM)rinestone Wrote:  

hey everyone,

love the site and i've already gotten a ton of useful info., but i'm looking for more. i'm putting together a list before i head to colombia in march and i'm hoping for comments or criticisms. i'm also down to meet up and hang when i'm there since i'm flying solo. anyway, i'm hoping to put together a thorough list so i don't leave anything off. then i can use the list for any travel.

here's my list. i'd love to hear anything you guys have to stay

cupid- ive been on colombiancupids for about a month and have had a lot of success. there's probably a dusting of AFC in my game which is drawing clinginess from some girls. good news is one wants me to stay with, and a couple others hounding me pretty severely. good news is also that i've had some pretty spicy webcam sessions and talk. how do you guys handle facebook? i don't make any promises i can't keep but i've already been called out on new colombian friends from some girls when we become friends on facebook. my biggest fear is really being tagged in a couple photos. there seems to be tons of picture taking there and while i'm fairly straight up, this seems like trouble waiting to happen. i hope there's a way to make it so no one can tag you in pics, or certain people anyway. also, is cupid the best site to use?

I believe there is an option on fb to turn off tagging. I highly recommend doing this. If a girl starts making claims, delete her or tell her you are only going to use fb for friends and family from now on.

where- right now i'm thinking most of my time in medellin & bogota with a trip to santa marta to see a girl i've been talking to

Medellin wins hands down. I'm typing this from bogota...the city is dirty, polluted, traffic is a nightmare, and the city is very spread out and huge. Plus the altitude fucked with me big time. I had a flushed red face, shortness of breath, etc. It just wasn't enjoyable. HOWEVER, if you are going to spend a month here, i'm sure you could adjust and meet a ton of hot girls with your okay spanish. Medellin, in my opinion has far hotter girls per capita, isn't as spread out, and is a nicer city with better whether.

when- my sights are set on march and i'll probably arrange it around the cheaper flights; any weekends to avoid? any to try and hit for sure?

AVOID EASTER. avoid any christian holiday or colombian holiday.

gear- i'm not a slob or anything but i used to have to wear a suit to work every day so no i'm pretty casual. sounds like i gotta get some new threads. anything in particular i should look for?

Slim fit shirts, dress clothes, nice dress shoes, a good pair of everyday walking shoes or boots that are comfy yet stylish (you will be walking alot) a nice blazer or sport coat, designer jeans (I like true religion, R&R, division E, big star, and MEK). Wear fashionable clothing that fits you well. both cities are pretty trendy. Also, make sure you come in shape. You don't want to get tagged with the 'fat gringo' moniker.

passport- obviously; but get a color copy of all my ID to carry around rather then the original. visa no necessary so i'm good there
Yes, carry this passport copy and also carry a few copies of the address and contact info of where you are staying in case you get lost.
shots- is it necessary to get any shots for malaria or anything, or is that overkill?
Not that i've heard of.

cash- i have to re-read the threads already here on what type of set up i want so i don't get buried on conversions. sounds like a paypal card and take out as much as i can when i hit up an atm may be the way to go, does that sound right?

citibank ATM is the best to withdraw cash, or banco colombia. citibank giving the best conversion rate. Don't mess around with the changers as they don't give that great of a rate.

lodging- for medellin i'm thinking of medellinmansion. i have no idea what to do in bogota or anywhere else. if you get a solo hostel room is that still a no-no for women, or is it acceptable?

Mansion is good if you want to party with other gringos and bang prepagos. A lot of chicas for rent sit by the pool and drink with the gringos until you pick one to take to your room *(about 75 usd)You'll meet a lot of guys going on casa runs (whore house), and the staff there has a computer database full of beautiful women that you can pick from for them to invite over. This isn't really my scene, and if you plan on gaming girls online or picking up non pros, AVOID the mansion. The girls will want nothing to do with you if they hear you stay there. I recommend an apartment- theapartmentmedellin is pretty good


safety- should i pick up mace or something like that or is it too douchey and unnecessary. other then common sense, is there anything i should do?
I don't know the legalities of it, but i'd just use common sense.
phone- again, i have to re-read the thread here on the best set up. any additional info. is great for me though

Go to a comcel or movistar cellphone place and pick up a prepaid phone with minutes for about $40 usd. YOU MUST have a cell here. PHONE GAME: chicas will call your phone and let it ring half a ring then hang up. They do this to save their minutes, and so you'll call them back spending YOUR minutes. It is both annoying and yet cute at the same time. The phone should be your first order of business after you check in.

altitude sickness in bogota- i hear that sometimes, upon getting there you may be sick for a day or so. anything i can do to minimize or prepare for this? or is it no big deal?

Yes, there is a medication you can pick up (google it) for altitude sickness. IT starts with an 'A'. Other than that some are more susceptible to it than others.

language- i speak ok spanish but my vocabulary is limited so i'm pretty bush league. i was planning on getting rosetta stone- does that sounds good? any suggestions on a good translating app for an ipod? i have an ipad but don't want to carry it around, seems unsafe and odd

SKIP rosetta stone and go with livemocha.com. It is better and you can interact (and meet) native speakers (read: women)

a couple of general questions-

i may try to stay for more then one month, but if it is just one, am i crazy for sticking mostly to bogota & medellin? there's girls i want to meet in both places and i want to be there long enough to get a feel for it. i'm from new england, so 'cold' weather doesn't worry me much. seems to be a lot of opinions on best place to go and i think i will end up going back.

I'd do medellin, and from what i've heard, CALI is the next best for girls.
i'm leaving from new england, what's the best way to fly? i am entertaining the idea of doing two different airlines. one to get to florida, then another from there to colombia. i'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but figure it might save a couple sheckles.

American airlines. Spirit is hit or miss.

that's all i can think of for now, but like i said i am trying to put together the most thorough list possible. i've rarely been out of the country and i really want to hit the ground running when i am there.

sports- this sounds stupid, but i'm a pretty big sports fan and i know i'm not going to dig missing march madness. any places where a gringo can watch some hoops or the random celtics game? maybe in bogota?

I'm not in to american sports, but I was in a bar in bogota last night that had ESPN on all the tvs..

thanks for any help you guys might have

[rinestone]

that's awesome information. thanks a lot. especially the details about the mansion. that's not really my scene either so i'll have to keep that in mind.

is $80/night for a vacation rental a reasonable price. i really don't want to spend too much time there at all. i'd like it to be nice enough to bring someone back obviously, but other then that all i care about is internet access.

i guess a phone there seems a lot easier then worrying about it here.

i will take your advice on facebook. i would imagine it's been written by someone smarter then me, but somewhere there has to be an article on how social networking has altered dating whether it's facebook stuff or even someone knowing your exact location from one of the twitter applications.

thanks again bigbooty, this is a big help to me and a lot of others i'm sure. great information.

[rinestone]

i'm really looking forward to this trip. the closest city to me is boston.

boston is a 49er town. all the girls there are fours....and they all think they're nines.

[Dash Global]

sup man. im doing Colombia in March as well.

Here is my thread I posted specifically for it with itinerary and all.

let me know if u want a wing, cuz ill be dolo

http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-3473.html

[thegmanifesto]

"Plus the altitude fucked with me big time. I had a flushed red face, shortness of breath, etc. It just wasn't enjoyable."

Interesting.

The altitude didn't affect me in the least.

And my base of operations is at sea level. The beach.

"this sounds stupid, but i'm a pretty big sports fan and i know i'm not going to dig missing march madness."

No offense, but this does sound stupid. Your going to be in Bogota, the last thing you should be doing is watching basketball in a weesh sports bar.

[Brian]

Yeah, seriously, March Madness has blown since the mid 90's when they started letting high schoolers enter the draft and skip college.

[Dash Global]

yall cant relate imo.

i was born and raised in north carolina and am a die hard tar heel fan. no way in hell i can miss a ncaa trny game with them in it.

there is a few things im passionate about in life... traveling, exotic women, poker, and UNC BASKETBALL!

now i do think a fan of a average team with no history and no real shot at winning the title shouldnt be watching a meaningless game while in Bogota or elsewhere.....

[Brian]

if you just want to watch your team you will easily be able to do so abroad. channelsurfing.net and justin.tv will allow you to easily stream the game on your laptop

[rinestone]

well i didn't want to turn this thread into a referendum on the merits of watching sports when you're not in the US, but okay. i'm a sports fan, not going to hide. yes, i'm going to be in colombia but i'm going to be there for 6-8 weeks on the first trip and longer after that. taking a couple hours off to watch a ballgame isn't that crazy for me.

[Sonsowey]

After living in Bogotá for nearly half a year, I can tell you that you may as well skip it.

I mean, for a week or two you might have fun, but you could have more fun in other parts of the country.

[MiXX]

(01-31-2011 01:15 AM)Sonsowey Wrote:  

After living in Bogotá for nearly half a year, I can tell you that you may as well skip it.

LOL - It took you that long to figure that out? I knew this in 10 days in Bogota.


Mixx

[Dash Global]

the only thing about Bogota that would turn me off is the weather. cant beat its nightlife options.

to bad we cant combine the looks of medellin females, the DTF and sexuality of Cali females, and the nightife of Bogota with the weather of Medellin.

[thegmanifesto]

Sonsowey and Mixx,

Those are pretty harsh words for Bogota.

I dig that place. And like Dash Global says the nightlife is sicker than an Aids patient with terminal cancer. (Going to do a write up soon, don't worry amigos.)

I bet I could only live there for a year though.

[MiXX]

(01-31-2011 11:08 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Sonsowey and Mixx,

Those are pretty harsh words for Bogota.

I dig that place. And like Dash Global says the nightlife is sicker than an Aids patient with terminal cancer. (Going to do a write up soon, don't worry amigos.)

I bet I could only live there for a year though.

Nightlife is sick, true. But that about it...


Mixx

[Ajiaco]

I think the relative merits of Bogota is a good discussion topic, especially since everyone disses it all the time. I think it depends on your personality and what exactly you are looking for. I have lived here for two years now, and while I can't argue against its nastiness, pollution, traffic, and cold weather, Bogota definitely has things that other Colombian cities don't.

First of all the place is huge. There is an endless amount of people to meet, neighborhoods to see, clubs to go to, restaurants to eat at, etc. I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of this place. There is an endless amount of cool stuff going on, concerts, museum exhibits, ethnic food that doesn't taste terrible, and good pubs and bars too. The weather is a lot like San Francisco, and while I would like to be able to swim outside once in a while, good tropical weather is only an hour or two away when the mood strikes. On the plus side, I don't sweat that much walking around.

I am curious to hear more opinions against Bogota. Is it the girls? I think they are as hot as anywhere else, and generally are more intelligent and have better taste than girls in other parts of Colombia, which is to say, they don't mind doing something besides going to the crossover music club.

Walking around this city, it always feels like the more like the crumbling 1970s New York I wanted to live in as opposed to the Sex and the City mallscape it turned into by the time I was an adult. I have been all around Colombia, and while I think I would like living in Medellin or Barranquilla as well, Bogota's mix of culture, smart pretty girls, and the variety of things to do here make it a nice place to live, at least for me.

[thegmanifesto]

Ajiaco,

I agree.

I thought Bogota was dope as hell.

But then again, I liked the crumbling, gritty vibe. The girls are fly as hell as well. I didn't eat one bad meal. Like I mentioned above, the nightlife was impressive (and I don't get easily impressed by nightlife as I have seen it all).

The downsides to me were the spread outness, and traffic kind of similar to LA.

But in my opinion, Bogota treats LA like Livingstone "Pitbull" Bramble treated Tyrone "The Butterfly" Crawley (look it up).

Ajiaco - Sounds like you could bring a ton to the table about Bogota on here. You should write up a full breakdown Data Sheet.

[Dash Global]

cats are holding out on here. lay down some solid data sheets people! esp on colombia cuz ill be there in a month! the more info sharing the better!

[Ajiaco]

Good idea, G. Everyone knows about Candelaria (awesome), the Zona T (also awesome) and Parque 93 (too snobby and full of prepagos for me), but the city is so big that there are all sorts of nightlife districts where you will see nary another foreigner. Maybe this weekend I'll talk about some cool spots, but neighborhoodwise I have always been into Cuadra Picha (Rotten Block) in the south, and the clubs on Primero de Mayo. Definitely a different crowd down there, more down-to-earth. Cuadra Picha has to be the loudest block on earth. Every single club is fighting it out with the highest volume possible. I also dig Galerias, which is on the other side of the Autopìsta from Chapinero. Lots of cool, unpretentious dance clubs there. Chapinero is also great, full of places that play excellent rock music and easy access to some love motels! I'll lay down some more knowledge when I have a little more time...

[Sonsowey]

(01-31-2011 02:48 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Ajiaco,

I agree.

I thought Bogota was dope as hell.

But then again, I liked the crumbling, gritty vibe. The girls are fly as hell as well. I didn't eat one bad meal. Like I mentioned above, the nightlife was impressive (and I don't get easily impressed by nightlife as I have seen it all).

G,

For people with money, Bogotá is a completely different city.

As a young guy not making a ton of money, the city doesn't have much to offer. If I could drop mad dough, it would of course be a different story.

[Dash Global]

sonsowey,

i think u can still have fun on a budget. build a nice social circle, and hit up the inexpensive joints!

[thegmanifesto]

Dash Global - I will break out some Data Sheets soon. I just need to digest a little more. Good things come to those that wait.

Ajiaco - Yeah, bust out a full breakdown. You are already making me feel like I blew it by missing Cuadra Picha. We need names, times, places, moves, low pro tips. Thanks.

Sonsowey - Point well taken. The world does seem to take on the Rosy Hue of Unlimited Success when you have a bulging pocket and Custom fabrics on.

Hell, these days I can't seem to have anything less than a phenomenal time.

[rinestone]

i'd love to hear more about bogota, i keep waffling back and forth on how much i'm going to be there. here are my reasons in favor of going to bogota-

weather- i know everyone says it's cold, but that's a relative term. i'm in new f'ing england. as i look at the high temperatures for the next week between bogota and medellin, there's only a net difference of ten degrees for the next six days. now, i know that doesn't take into consideration the temperature drop when the sun goes down, but by comparison this isn't bad. to me, 40 degrees at night isn't cold, 0 degrees is. that's a personal thing though & i'm just saying it's not enough to scare me off

spanish- i speak limited, sometimes passable spanish, but i definitely have to sharpen up. from what i read, english is more common here and may help me ease the transition into fluent. i know that's a crutch for an english speaker but i'm conscious of it and truly will work on this

online- i've had a lot of good luck in bogota. better luck then other cities. probably partially due to size but if medellin is a little saturated with gringos then this makes some sense. the talk track of going there to visit first, check out the country, and then pick a place to move there seems pretty solid. this may be a complete aberration so i'd welcome all naysayers.

budget- i have some duckets to spread around but i want to make it last. my thinking is that clear cut variance in the six levels of the city will help to this end- i.e. lunch (daytime only) in a lower level to save some money, check out more of this monstrous city, follow by

nightlife- one of the things that draws me to colombia is that, unlike the states where you need to travel good distances south or west, in colombie climate seems to be dictated more by elevation then geography. why not get my altitude sickness out of the way, check out the better nightlife mid-week and then jet someplace warm for the weekends if it's too 'cold'

anyhow, that's my bogota thinking- i embrace constructive criticish though.

also, if any of you have comments on whether you think my list from above is relatively complete would be much appreciated.

thanks again everyone.

[Ajiaco]

So you’re basically staying one month in Colombia? Two weeks in both Medellin and Bogota seems cool, although you might want to check out Cartagena or Barranquilla on the coast as well. If you have plans to hit up Santa Marta, they are not that far away. I checked out all three of those coastal cities in a week the first time I was there, though obviously the more time the merrier. Do you have other countries in your plans? An extra month to give enough time to get a feel for the coast might be a fun idea.