General Info

[Prhodes]

Hello,

I was hoping to get advice from someone with experience as to which city would be the best place to go for someone who has never visited Colombia.

I have been to Sosua before and got around OK.

Thanks in advance.

[ExoticBro]

Don't forget a pimp hat with a long feather.

When you step into El Centro, everyone within 50 yards can tell you're a gringo, regardless of how you are dressed. The only difference the clothes make is whether they immediately think you're slightly foolish, or a complete idiot.

Is your goal to get girls to demand more money? That seems to be your approach. If they see a gringo walking around with a big "steal my shit" sign over his head, the price is going to double or triple, unless someone decides to relieve you of your sports attire and money first.

Here's how prostitution works on the street in El Centro. Girls stand around waiting for customers. A few might try to grab a customer, although usually it's just an attempt to pick his pocket. The customer approaches the prostitute and negotiations begin. Whether you're wearing Walmart jeans and a t-shirt you found at Goodwill, or a tuxedo, if you don't talk to the girls, they'll just watch you walk by, except for the pickpockets.

On the other hand, thieves tend to be more proactive when choosing clients.

Jjbee is a legend; that was some hilarious shit! Seriously. I think you're probably spot-on! But ironically, I am literally the opposite of the pimp guy you described; I typically am overly casual and dress very basic with zero jewelry, so I should be fine with my status quo. I think I allowed myself to be misguided by a stereotype- being a brother, oftentimes females make negative assumptions towards us unless we "portray" certain characteristics. But in hindsight, I guess correct; none of that stuff should apply since bro tourists / any tourist will be viewed as an ATM by Colombian chicas. I will provide feedback once my trip starts on the 23rd.

[JjBee62]

My suggestion is to wear what you want, and avoid being a target by looking nervous or vacant / unattentive. ... and don't carry expensive or important stuff.

Like officially licensed, expensive sportswear and $300 sneakers, stuff incredibly popular with the kind of guys who rob tourists?

[JustTK]

I've heard that we should use our gringo status to our advantage... Or will that lead to getting my ass robbed rolling through El Centro looking like that?

We have had this convo many times. I am all for loud clothes and not caring about what attention I create. Bcos I create attention anyways, so I have never tried to hide. Many others will tell you that you will be a target for looking like a tourist, but there is zero evidence to suggest that. My suggestion is to wear what you want, and avoid being a target by looking nervous or vacant / unattentive. ... and don't carry expensive or important stuff.

[Balboa]

Don't forget a pimp hat with a long feather.

Had me laughing out loud with that reply! Lmao. 🤣

Almost spilled my morning coffee.

[Chicago85]

For us ISGers, when we travel to Bog or Med, I've heard that we should use our gringo status to our advantage, so should I dress "loudly" to make it even more obvious that I'm a tourist to stir up some more interaction from the chica s? (Like wearing highlighter-colored Nike, American sports attire, Yankees hat etc?? Or will that lead to getting my ass robbed rolling through El Centro looking like that?

Bro, out.

No need to wear loud clothes for the girls. They can tell easily enough. The drawback is that if they know from the drop that you're a tourist they'll charge you more (or have more time to think about a bigger figure). Also you'll catch the attention of thieves and your every-day crazy drugged out street people (which is a hassle in of itself).

During the day I personally dress down as much as possible. Jeans, dark shoes, solid color t-shirt, unique, but cheap watch and sunglasses. At night I dress nicely in dark clothes, but not flashy and no jewelry. Scores of guys are robbed every year be / see they don't want to leave their gold necklace at home.

Remember, while Colombians are nice, you are still a walking ATM in the eyes of most!

[Nypher]

For us ISGers, when we travel to Bog or Med, I've heard that we should use our gringo status to our advantage, so should I dress "loudly" to make it even more obvious that I'm a tourist to stir up some more interaction from the chica s? (Like wearing highlighter-colored Nike, American sports attire, Yankees hat etc?? Or will that lead to getting my ass robbed rolling through El Centro looking like that?.

Yes, please enter into a third world country looking like you are going to record a rap video, maybe you will be in that small percentage that won't get robbed after a few days there.

Wherever you heard this shit from, they are setting you up for failure. Only the criminals care how expensive you look. But don't take my word for it, a simple YouTube search of "robed in Medellin" and you can make your own conclusions if you want to advertise you have money in a country where many do not.

[JjBee62]

For us ISGers, when we travel to Bog or Med, I've heard that we should use our gringo status to our advantage, so should I dress "loudly" to make it even more obvious that I'm a tourist to stir up some more interaction from the chica s? (Like wearing highlighter-colored Nike, American sports attire, Yankees hat etc?? Or will that lead to getting my ass robbed rolling through El Centro looking like that?.

Don't forget a pimp hat with a long feather.

When you step into El Centro, everyone within 50 yards can tell you're a gringo, regardless of how you are dressed. The only difference the clothes make is whether they immediately think you're slightly foolish, or a complete idiot.

Is your goal to get girls to demand more money? That seems to be your approach. If they see a gringo walking around with a big "steal my shit" sign over his head, the price is going to double or triple, unless someone decides to relieve you of your sports attire and money first.

Here's how prostitution works on the street in El Centro. Girls stand around waiting for customers. A few might try to grab a customer, although usually it's just an attempt to pick his pocket. The customer approaches the prostitute and negotiations begin. Whether you're wearing Walmart jeans and a t-shirt you found at Goodwill, or a tuxedo, if you don't talk to the girls, they'll just watch you walk by, except for the pickpockets.

On the other hand, thieves tend to be more proactive when choosing clients.

[JustTK]

I'm sorry but you just don't know what you are talking about. Visa are issued by the destination country and the country of residence is just plain not involved.

You are probably correct in this case. BUt it is worth noting that some countries DO prevent their own citizens from travelling. Immigration prevents them leaving, or DHA make the issuance of passports extremely difficult. (Its country of passport, not resisence).

[ExoticBro]

For us ISGers, when we travel to Bog or Med, I've heard that we should use our gringo status to our advantage, so should I dress "loudly" to make it even more obvious that I'm a tourist to stir up some more interaction from the chica s? (Like wearing highlighter-colored Nike, American sports attire, Yankees hat etc?? Or will that lead to getting my ass robbed rolling through El Centro looking like that?

Bro, out.

[Nypher]

I'm sorry but you just don't know what you are talking about. Visa are issued by the destination country and the country of residence is just plain not involved.

I was referring to the frustrating process I went through to get my visa to come to America. Different countries operate differently, yes the destination country is the one who approves or denies the visa but what I poorly explained was that my country prevented us from getting to that point because they didn't want allot of people to leave.

I'm from a country where if you were not a registered voter of the current political party in power then you won't get far.

So the government will prioritize those who voted for them when it comes to things such as buying land, government jobs, and providing the paperwork to submit to get the visa. My experience was back in the 90's, back then my island didn't have the abundance of free information as the world have today, all we knew was in order to get the visa we had to go to the government building in town, fill out the paperwork and hand it in. They will then process it and send it on.

Years later after a different political party gained power, come to find out the previous political party inserted themselves into the visa process and were approving or denying applications from moving forward to where they needed to go. So they would tell the applicant the application was denied but essentially they just threw it in the trash.

Again, this was my frustrating experience with it in my country with its politics and corruption.

[Huacho]

I went through the process in the 90's and my country was so strict they decided who could get appointments to go get the visa as we had to travel to Barbados to go to the US Embassy. It was such a frustrating process but once we got the green light, interview and everything went good.

Hopefully OP's chica have a better and faster experience than I did.

I'm sorry but you just don't know what you are talking about. Visa are issued by the destination country and the country of residence is just plain not involved.

[Zeos1]

I was under the impression Canada was very easy to get in. I know of a few girls that elected to go to Canada if they couldn't get into the states. Is getting into Canada more difficult now?

My understanding is that it is as difficult, if not more difficult, than the USA. It might depend on what country we are talking about though. Mexicans may have an easier time getting into Canada as tourists than people from other central and South American countries. But I have not researched it deeply, only a bit with respect to Costa Rica, and it is very difficult for ticas to get visas to visit Canada.

[Nypher]

The tourist visa for the US is granted by the US Embassy. If the girl already has her passport, there's no involvement with the Colombian Migration Department.

I went through the process in the 90's and my country was so strict they decided who could get appointments to go get the visa as we had to travel to Barbados to go to the US Embassy. It was such a frustrating process but once we got the green light, interview and everything went good.

Hopefully OP's chica have a better and faster experience than I did.

[JjBee62]

When I went through the process to get my visa to come to America my country turned my down twice. Once they found out I had allot of family already in America they were afraid I would leave and never come back (they were right but better opportunities, better life). Third world countries don't like to give out visas when they see residents leaving. I've have a few Colombians that were born in Colombia and immigrated to America, when they returned to visit family, even though they came in with an American Passport, it always says country of birth, once they saw Colombia, they would not let them leave the country until they had all their Colombian documents up to date and a valid Colombian passport. They were stuck there for an additional 3 weeks to get it all in order.

Similar happened to me when I went home to me country for a funeral. Came in on the foreigner line and when the saw my country of birth was there they sent me to the citizen line. Asked me all sorts of questions of why I haven't returned to the country in over 10 years? Where's my original countries passport, then tells me I need to update all my info in order to leave. Within a week I had to go register for a voting party, get a national ID for my country and by the time I left it wasn't even ready. I had to ask a family member to pick it up and give it to someone to give to me when they were coming up on vacation.

Third world countries don't play when it comes with these visa approvals especially when they see the applicant have the means and network to leave and not return. Its tough.

The tourist visa for the US is granted by the US Embassy. If the girl already has her passport, there's no involvement with the Colombian Migration Department.