General Info

[LatinaLover#1]

Rio fell? What's the story?

Post Help!

[SankarShetty]

How did this turn out? Did they Bribe someone to get an earlier appointment?

One of my chicas just applied for a Visa and they gave her an appointment for December 2025! WTF?!

Then she said if she pay someone 400 mil they can move the appointment up sooner. SMH.

DS160 is the form anyone has to use to get appointment. There are a lot of people who can book you a earlier date in embassies after you pay them and give your application number.

They just keep checking the slots more frequently. I have used a couple of guys in the past, to move appointments in India to earlier dates though. I did confirm they check slots of other embassies too.

[Nypher]

That is surely a scam. Could a chick give ME money in order to meet up with you at a time when you are busy? There is nobody contolling the embassy's appointment book except the embassy. One of my chicks in Brazil fell for a similar scam. The people were supposed to ensure that she could get a visa. She handed over the money and all she got was taken for $80 or so. All of the shit you can do yourself. Nobody has any more advantage of getting something for you than you have for doing it yourself. Unfortunately people that want to visit or emigrate do not understand this and throw a lot of money away on lawyers, agencies, and scams.

Even here in Thailand there are agencies that will get you a driver's license or do the owner transfer on your vehicle for $50. You can go to the DMV youself and get a drivers license for $6 or you can go down there and do your own transfer for $3. Still, business for these folks is booming due to some people being lazy and others being ignorant.

I suspect that's what's happening, she's going through a third party. I told her don't pay shit and when she checked the application status today both appointments moved up to September 2024. Well it's better than 2025 I guess LOL!

[JohnnieCash]

I was there when Rio fell... ...past experience of watching Brazil go down

Rio fell? What's the story?

[Mr Enternational]

One of my chicas just applied for a Visa and they gave her an appointment for December 2025! WTF?!

Then she said if she pay someone 400 mil they can move the appointment up sooner. SMH.

That is surely a scam. Could a chick give ME money in order to meet up with you at a time when you are busy? There is nobody contolling the embassy's appointment book except the embassy. One of my chicks in Brazil fell for a similar scam. The people were supposed to ensure that she could get a visa. She handed over the money and all she got was taken for $80 or so. All of the shit you can do yourself. Nobody has any more advantage of getting something for you than you have for doing it yourself. Unfortunately people that want to visit or emigrate do not understand this and throw a lot of money away on lawyers, agencies, and scams.

Even here in Thailand there are agencies that will get you a driver's license or do the owner transfer on your vehicle for $50. You can go to the DMV youself and get a drivers license for $6 or you can go down there and do your own transfer for $3. Still, business for these folks is booming due to some people being lazy and others being ignorant.

[Carrib]

Medellin post pandemic is a completely different place.

Girls are extremely seasoned, being a gringo get's an eyeroll most of the time. Casas especially, even though still good service.

Medellin is the new hotspot for digital nomads, passport bros, retirees, and bachelor parties. Just type "medellin gringo" into the tiktok or twitter search bar, it is absolutely mainstream now.

I will say, objectively, that MDE is likely head and shoulders above whatever sex prison the monger is coming from in the us of a. But for the seasoned LATAM monger, it is no longer worth it.

For this reason, I am staying in Various second tier colombian cities ATM, using my full 180 calendar days.

Honestly, don't even want to write reports for these places like I have for MDE, as who knows how many prospective newbie monger eyes see this forum (likely lots).

Kind of a the*ck move, but it is what it is!

Side note: spending over 1000+ days in Colombia, as a centro rat, I have never even had an inkling of trouble RE violence. Anywhere. I am italian, so don't stand out. YMMV as always.

I couldn't agree with you more and not upset at you keeping info to yourself. I was there when Rio fell and took my ass to Asia, after a 3 year hiatus I decided to try out Colombia and attempted to share info and engage other members here, I have mostly been ridiculed. I guess it is the past experience of watching Brazil go down, felt a bit of an obligation to rally fellow members here to stem the tide, it ain't working.

ATMs-

My buddy who now lives in Medellin, tried to withdraw 800K pesos from a Davivienda bank ATM, it did not give him the money. He tried to resolve it w/the bank manager, no one was willing to help. He hired an attorney and is going thru the legal process. It’s been 2 months now.

Same buddy purchased a box of 25 cigars at HIGH coffee next to la cava del puro, the box was SEALED but when he opened them it was only 17 cigars in the box, 8 was missing, when he confronted them, they said they gave him the wrong box.

[Nypher]

I just checked the US Embassy website and it says that in order for me to bring my girl from Medellin to the US for a road trip with me for a few weeks that she needs a tourist visa. To get this visa she needs an interview in Bogota. The site says there is a 696 day waiting period for this interview!

Whats the trick? It can't really take 2 years for me to get her a visa so she can travel to the US with me for a couple of weeks, could it?

Who knows the scoop on how to get a girl with a Colombia passport a visa so I can fly her to the USA with me for 2-3 weeks.

I am a US citizen with a US Passport-but I live outside the USA. The plan is for her to come to where I live and then fly with me to the states for 2-3 weeks. We met on Seeking and have been hanging out quite a bit over the last 1. 5 years. We have a cool vibe together and have done small trips already, so I don't need lectures about having a girl for 2-3 weeks or traveling with a chica. I am only seeking information on how I get her a visa to visit the USA with me for a couple of weeks-hopefully not 2 years from now. LOL.

Anyone know anything about getting my girl a visa to visit the USA?

Thanks!

How did this turn out? Did they Bribe someone to get an earlier appointment?

One of my chicas just applied for a Visa and they gave her an appointment for December 2025! WTF?!

Then she said if she pay someone 400 mil they can move the appointment up sooner. SMH.

[Nounce]

...
Honestly, don't even want to write reports for these places like I have for MDE, as who knows how many prospective newbie monger eyes see this forum (likely lots).

Kind of a the*ck move, but it is what it is!
....

It's not lack of information. Some newbies simply don't negotiate even when they know what the price should be and were happy about it. Just reading the reports, one can see the increment changes. I also come to the conclusion that less info is better for mongers that spend a lot of time here.

[Mr Enternational]

Medellin post pandemic is a completely different place. For those new mongers headed there, they will absolutely be taken for a spin with the gringo tax.

Funny how guys thought the prices would fall after the pandemic. Those are the guys that did not know Latin America very well, if at all.

[JohnnyWalker55]

I think medellin is less safe now. But Bogota I think is still ok.

I have seen multiple YT vids and read a few article that medellin aren't so welcoming to gringo tourists anymore.

Personally I have noticed it as well.

I never in 6 years had an officer at migraciand question me so much with a mean look. Usually they're all smiles and stamp and I pass. Even though I was with my Colombian GF. But she had to use the other line since she has that speed pass where the glass door just opens when she scans her passport.

Medellin post pandemic is a completely different place.

Girls are extremely seasoned, being a gringo get's an eyeroll most of the time. Casas especially, even though still good service.

Medellin is the new hotspot for digital nomads, passport bros, retirees, and bachelor parties. Just type "medellin gringo" into the tiktok or twitter search bar, it is absolutely mainstream now.

For those new mongers headed there, they will absolutely be taken for a spin with the gringo tax. Poblado is pretty much an overpriced disney land with sharks (prepagos, taxistas, restaurants) looking to take advantage of the newbie. Laureles, envigado, sabaneta, are no longer local havens free from gringos.

I will say, objectively, that MDE is likely head and shoulders above whatever sex prison the monger is coming from in the us of a. But for the seasoned LATAM monger, it is no longer worth it.

For this reason, I am staying in Various second tier colombian cities ATM, using my full 180 calendar days.

Honestly, don't even want to write reports for these places like I have for MDE, as who knows how many prospective newbie monger eyes see this forum (likely lots).

Kind of a the*ck move, but it is what it is!

Side note: spending over 1000+ days in Colombia, as a centro rat, I have never even had an inkling of trouble RE violence. Anywhere. I am italian, so don't stand out. YMMV as always.

[World Travel 69]

Above on the line at the top.

Or PM Admin.

Hi, yes I see how it could be a problem.

But how do I change it? I don't see a way to do that in the profile.

Do I need to create another account?

[DWorldTravel69]

Hi, yes I see how it could be a problem.

But how do I change it? I don't see a way to do that in the profile.

Do I need to create another account?

There will most likely be a confusion with you using a handle almost the same as mine.

Of which I have been using for around 20 years.

Please change your handle!

WT69.

[TooDirty]

However, If I were to decide to set up shop outside the US, Thailand would be my #1 destination.

Agreed, although I love the weather in Bogota, and the pussy is cheaper and more attractive to me in Colombia.

[Zeos1]

Today Meddy is much safer than Bogota, and Cartagena is the safest of all major touristy cities. Cali is like Swiss cheese, too many areas are a no go. Won't advise on settling in Colombia.

I'm assuming you got this from some official source. But I would have guessed the opposite. Cartagena being the most dangerous, Medellin next, and Bogota the safest. At least on a per capita basis. Of course on a total numbers basis Bogota will always be the worst as it is by far the biggest.

And crime stats versus crimes against tourists are very different things I think. Medellin has had, what seems to be, a crime spree against tourists with around 30 foreign visitors murdered in a year, and I don't hear that about Bogota or Cartagena. But maybe it is not getting the same publicity. Who knows.

And the scopolamine druggings are probably similar in all 3, but Medellin seems to get the most publicity about it. And again, we hear about deaths of foreigners from drugging, but not much about total cases in the country, which is a whole different level. I recall numbers in the 10's of thousands for scopolamine overdoses, but not many result in death.

Anyway, with all of these differences in numbers and not having much of a relative scale to measure against, it is hard to know how dangerous various cities are, or the country for that matter.

[Sangnyc21]

I've been a lurker on this thread these last few weeks, not having set foot in Colombia for over 20 years.

From what I read, Medellin or Bogota are less safe than, say, Sao Paulo. I see reports of ATMs not giving the money, Uber scams, SWs pulling knives on mongers, girls drugging mongers.

Makes me think twice about wanting to settle in Colombia now in spite of the fond memories I have of Cali in the days of the Cali cartel.

I think medellin is less safe now. But Bogota I think is still ok.

I have seen multiple YT vids and read a few article that medellin aren't so welcoming to gringo tourists anymore.

Personally I have noticed it as well.

I never in 6 years had an officer at migracióand question me so much with a mean look. Usually they're all smiles and stamp and I pass. Even though I was with my Colombian GF. But she had to use the other line since she has that speed pass where the glass door just opens when she scans her passport.