Overview of Santa Marta and Tayrona Park (Civilian)
Santa Marta is a good town. A lot of nice restaurants. It is a port city, so people tend to like El Rodadero, the section just south of town along the beach (if you look at the map, you will see it on the southern side of a rounded cove.) I think this beach is nicer than Cartagena's, especially the farther south you get from the center of El Rodadero.
There is cheap diving in Taganga. COP120,000 for two dives, all equipment included. Taganga, 10 minutes by cab to the north and east of Santa Marta also has good restaurants, but the beaches are way too crowded for my tastes. Further east of Taganga is Tayrona Park with its really beautiful, unspoiled beaches. It takes about an hour by car or bus and then a 45 minute - 1:15 minute walk to get to the beaches were you can swim. Lot's of people die in the high riptide area, so don't opt for a shorter walk and taking your chances.
Also, I heard the 30 minute boat ride from Taganga direct to the swimmable Tayrona Beach that will save you a lot of time, but it can be quite wet and rough. One person who took the ride said it was miserable.
There are some casas in Santa Marta, but I can't speak to El Rodadero or Taganga. Was with a GF in those places. The scene is much better in Cartagena for that.
All in all, I like the Santa Marta area.
Tuesday night is happening
Arrived today from MDE and checked into a nice hotel that does not allow guests after 9 pm.
However, after reading the forum, I made a mental note of a few places mentioned in prior reports. One mentioned a place called Bananas, which turns out to be in front of my hotel about twenty paces away. When I walked by on my return to my hotel from dinner, it was jammed with about 30 girls at 8:30 pm. Basically, anything to your taste -- paisas, costenas, gorditas, negras, and morenas. I even met one girl from isla de San Andreas. Various ages, sizes, and shapes. They have free rooms upstairs, no cover, and inexpensive beer. I paid 5000 COP for an Aguila beer. (For US dollars, basically divide in half and drop the zeros (I. E. $2. 50 USD). According to a prior poster, there are several similar clubs in Santa Marta, but given how close and plentiful this club is, I decided not to bother going elsewhere.
The girls charge what the market will bear. My first one, a cute little black girl, asked for $100 kCOP for a 1/2 hour. I countered with $80 COP, which I discovered later was still too much to pay. Anyway, I went with her to the room for the latter price. The room was kind of shoddy but to be expected. Service was basic. There is no time for GFE, and they don't really offer it, and it's an in and out experience.
When I returned, and after a few drinks, a black girl with a nice body from San Andrea came over and quoted me $60 COP for the same amount of time. I declined as I was still recuperating from first session though it was nice to have her grab me constantly.
Later, I met an unbelievable beauty from MDE. A black girl with the most incredible body. I talked to her about TLN for the next evening and she quoted me $400 COP or $200 USD. I agreed to this price though figured I could ask around about the price and found out later that I should only offer $70 kCOP for two hours. The guy I talked to said asking a girl like that for TLN is a total waste of time. She also wanted $130 COP for a 1/2 HR at the club but had a few rules too (no kissing, DATY, etc). When I declined, she knocked her price down to $110 COP and I still said no given what I paid the first girl and the price quoted to me by the girl from San Andrea. She was kind of pissed when she walked off. In fact, some of these girls do get pissed and jealous here. Kind funny given the situation and place. It does not appear the girls have 'unionized' here.
Finally, I spotted a real beauty who I asked to come over. Just gorgeous with very white skin, black hair, and a perfect body. Probably about 24. She was from somewhere in Antioquia and really sweet. She agreed to come over to my hotel tomorrow before 9 pm -- which is their witching hour -- for two hours. The price? 100 KCOP. I exchanged numbers and called her after the club closed and it appears to be on for tomorrow. Banana's does close relatively early. At least tonight it closed at 1 am. If she does, it is the deal of a lifetime. As you can see, the prices they ask are all over the map.
Hopefully, I can file a positive report in next few days but one thing is for sure, there is a lot of action here.
One other thing. Earlier in the evening, I was in the market area of town and stopped into a store to look at sunglasses. I thought the girl was a lousy salesperson and decided to wait. When I was walking up the stairs of the club for the first session, who do I see but this same girl walking down the stairs. Kind of funny. Not sure where she is moonlighting. Either the club or as a sales person?
[QUOTE=Eltio01;1635361]I am there in two days. Anything new? Seems to me everything pretty dead.[/QUOTE]