Cartagena Reports

[Xpartan]

It was not from the drinks or ice. In Pattaya the tap water is safe to drink. All the ice around the city comes from an old school icehouse and made with filtered water. Last year I tested 3 types of water there. The various machines around town where you can buy 1.5 liters of water using your own bottle for 3 cents was 7 ppm. (This is where I have gotten my water for the last 13 years.) Bottled water from the store was 21 ppm. The water out of my bathroom sink was 170 ppm. Water is safe to drink up to 500 ppm.

I did the same test from the bathroom faucet of my $17 hotel in Bogota and that water was very clean as well. It was less than 20ppm.

For comparison, the kitchen sink at my house in Atlanta is 80ppm right now.

"Pure water is measured by TDS (total dissolved solids) PPM (parts per million). Average tap water measures somewhere between 180 320 PPM, and ultra-pure water should measure at zero PPM or below.

Concentrations less than 100 ppm are desirable for domestic water supplies. The recommended range for drinking water is 30 to 400 ppm. ".

First, I don't believe Pattaya water is safe to drink. I wouldn't drink tap water in any developing country, except, maybe Panama City.

As for ice, it depends. I once got terribly sick in Lima, because cheaper establishments, as I learned later, use tap water for ice. In the DR and Thailand, though, they use commercial ice. I think reputable restaurants catering to tourists anywhere in the world use commercial ice, but who knows.

Second, TDS / PPM doesn't tell the whole story.

Because TDS/ppm is an aggregate measure of charged compounds in water, uncharged things like motor oil, gasoline, many pharmaceuticals, and pesticides do not contribute to a TDS/ppm measurement. Most relevant to current nationwide water quality problems, TDS/ppm meters do not detect PFAS in drinking water. For example, the glass on the left in this article's header image contains deionized water with Malathion (an organophosphate pesticide) dissolved into it at 100 times higher concentration than allowed by the EPA for drinking water, and the TDS/ppm probe reads 000.

Even though these toxic metals are charged when dissolved in water, a TDS/ppm meter does not give meaningful information about their presence or concentration in water.

Also:

A TDS/ppm meter is a nonselective measurement and cannot differentiate among different ions. A more sophisticated piece of equipment is needed to perform those types of measurements. The value of 184 that was measured using a TDS meter in a prominent Huffington Post Article was not the lead concentration it was the water's natural TDS level (which is dominated by minerals like calcium, magnesium, and sodium).

A TDS tester is not sensitive enough to measure toxic levels of lead, chromium-6, or arsenic, even if they are present in a sample. This is because the reading displayed on an inexpensive TDS meter is in parts per million, while things like lead, chromium-6, and arsenic are toxic at part per billion concentrations (1000 times lower). Using a TDS meter to measure ppb lead concentrations in tap water is like trying to use a cars odometer to measure a child's height. It's the wrong tool. For example, the water sample shown on the right hand side of this article's header image has lead levels that are 100x the EPA limit, and the TDS reading teetered between 000 and 001.

https://www.hydroviv.com/blogs/water...rs-and-testers

[NapataJohn]

Drink bottled water but use tap water for brushing teeth.

[Vern2020]

I did the same test from the bathroom faucet of my $17 hotel in Bogota and that water was very clean as well. It was less than 20ppm.

I'm now less than a month away from my trip. I wanted to ask about the water in Cartagena. Is it as clean as Medellin? (I drank tap water there all the time.) Or, is it more like Sosua (where I even brushed my teeth with bottled water, never tap water). Thanks!

[Mojo Bandit]

Are there regular clubs in bocogrande? Where not all the girls in the club are working or none working at all? Would like to find a club to take someone that ain't filled with workers.

Why do they have to be in Bocagrande? There are plenty of regular clubs but I am just sure about in Bocagrande.

Taboo Disco Club is in Getsemani, Cafe Havana is In Getsemani, Mr Babillas is in Getsamani. Alquimico is in the old city (I see the line coming out the door when I am going to LDV) right down the street from LDV and Donde Fidel is right on the Plaza de LOS Coches (clock tower), as is La Jugada Club House. Tu Candela Bar is also right on the Plaza de LOS Coches. And plenty of places where I have never been. Back when I started going to Cartagena I would rarely see another English speaking person but that was over a decade ago there were really three places popular with tourists- Mr Babilla, Tu Candela, and Cafe Havana. But now tourism has exploded so there are many. But then again some probably did not survive the pandemic after being shut down for so long so you need to double check to see that places are open but I would start right here.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...epartment.html

[Elvis 2008]

Much respect to you but never ever even consider a Colombian as a GF or worse yet a possible esposa and bring her to the US. What the hell are you thinking.

I was exploring my options. My goal in life is not to be in family court ever again, so I talked it over with immigration lawyer. First it was education visa then fiancee then marriage. Marriage would have been with prenup, postnup, trusts ETC. She said she would sign anything. Lawyer said it was better just to keep her in Colombia and support her and cover expenses and give her a few hundred to walk around with. By the time, I added up airfares and hotel costs, it is about the same out of pocket.

Hell there are so many beautiful Colombian women and yes when I travel or go to the disco bars or restaurants with them we will both get 1,000 stares at us as a couple, why? Because I have a knack for attracting tall model looking Colombian women who love being with The Tall Man as he is over 2 meters tall, blonde hair and the damn greenest and the rarest colored eyes that god could put on a human. I have had no less than 3 beautiful Colombian ask me in the past year to impregnate them as their dream is to have European DNA in their children. You can't make this shit up.

She had a kid at 18, and I met her. Good kid. She was working for the government, had a contract, Covid hit, and she got paid for not working. Just like our government employees. Sigh. That is why she was able to meet me as much as she was. But she would have had to go back to work. I think she has had her fill of being a mom.

But marry one, hell no! Been there and done that with a marriage that lasted 14 years and ended back in 2008 with a Russian model that I met in Moscow in 1994.

Take no Colombian serious, no one, trust no Colombian, no matter how good and tasty the pussy is, never forget that "she is not your girl rather it is only your turn."

Take note as I practice what I preach.

The Tall Man.

TM, you have probably been with 5000 Colombian women to my 50. The colleague who told me about the big ask said that 20% of people are psychopaths, 3% are elite who will do what it takes to succeed, and the rest are sheep. To be sure, these percentages can shift, and the elite can morph into sheep and vice versa.

I have had incredible women as sugar babies but none were elite. With one or two exceptions, when I was done with them, I moved on and did not miss them. There are women in Colombia and Mexico I had fun with and do miss but not because I wanted to be with them but because they were fun.

The term she is not your girl but your turn applies to them. If you want to stay single and not put yourself out there, that is fine. Thing is that I was listening to Rollo Tomassi who wrote the Rational Male and is a member of the manosphere and he said that a good relationship should not be hard. If you have to work at it, then get out. Ours has been pretty easy going to this point.

As for Colombians, what I guess you meant is they do not keep their word and look at Americans as piggy banks. Anything to add there?

Maybe this woman will not be elite but a sheep in the end, but I have not committed to her anything I have not been paying already. Because she has a chance at being elite, a chance at a woman where 1 + 1 = 3, I am going to ride it out. If it does not work, I go back to the life I had. That did not suck.

I will say that there is piece of mind to not having to worry about my phone and having to save / delete pictures of all the women I have been with. You just are not going to get the best out of a woman when you are fucking dozens at a time.

[Mr Enternational]

As for the women I don't want to take the wind out of your sails but many of those women who you say are non pros are either semi pro or retired pro. I know women who have regular jobs such as lawyer, doctors, nurse, bank teller, tourist officer, hair dresser, etc who are on those apps and they all sell pussy for the extra money because their regular job pays too little. They will travel into another city where locals will not know them, working girl themselves out Thursday. Saturday then head back home like nothing happened.

I have never experienced non-pro chicks in Colombia like this in 16 years. The people that have a job have to work. They don't get to take off work Friday to head to another town Thursday night in order to be a part time hooker for a few days. A person like this would be way few and far between and not par for the course. Most are just like the average person anywhere else; go to work and go home. There is no secret life of being a hooker for 99.99% of people with a regular job.

[Mr Enternational]

Nearby cities like Barranquilla and Santa Marta seem like absolute gold mines for online dating. I don't even see the need for a pro scene if you lived in Barranquilla.

Hey man don't come fucking up my spot! Barranquilla does not need any new gringos. Stay away. Cartagena is better for you guys.

I have said time and time again that I do not find the need for a pro scene in Colombia at all. Every blue moon I am able to squeeze in mongering between all the chicks I deal with that are not hookers.

[Mr Enternational]

Its great to hear that you recovered from the food poison. The same in Thailand is similar to Colombia when it comes to food and stomachs. Thailand thought me a very good lesson about drinks with ice and tap water at restaurants. My second day in Pattaya I was shitting pure liquid non stop.

It was not from the drinks or ice. In Pattaya the tap water is safe to drink. All the ice around the city comes from an old school icehouse and made with filtered water. Last year I tested 3 types of water there. The various machines around town where you can buy 1.5 liters of water using your own bottle for 3 cents was 7 ppm. (This is where I have gotten my water for the last 13 years.) Bottled water from the store was 21 ppm. The water out of my bathroom sink was 170 ppm. Water is safe to drink up to 500 ppm.

I did the same test from the bathroom faucet of my $17 hotel in Bogota and that water was very clean as well. It was less than 20ppm.

For comparison, the kitchen sink at my house in Atlanta is 80ppm right now.

"Pure water is measured by TDS (total dissolved solids) PPM (parts per million). Average tap water measures somewhere between 180 320 PPM, and ultra-pure water should measure at zero PPM or below.

Concentrations less than 100 ppm are desirable for domestic water supplies. The recommended range for drinking water is 30 to 400 ppm. ".

[JoeRoc]

If you are at a restaurant and you like the waitress, all it takes is a smile and a wink, and when she comes to bring you the check its a simple "Muy linda, tienes whatsapp?" shoot your shot, if she gives you her number, she knows where its going and you can negotiate on whatsapp. If she doesn't, then no problem just laugh it off as she will laugh it off as well as she probably gets hit on all the time by gringos.

Thanks this is great advice. I saw a beautiful chocolate thang holding a menu outside a restaurant in Laguito and I wanted to chat her up but didn't know if she was a semi pro. After reading this if I see her again Ima use that line.

[The Tall Man]

However, with that being said. A lot of the negatives in my post still stand. The biggest thing is the amount of scammers and how aggressive they are. I lived on boca chica beach for 2 months. I can handle those kind of hustlers. Here in Cartagena its another level though both in the walled city and on Bocagrande. Beach ir just heck anywhere walking around.

Because they keep coming and coming and never accept no for an answer. Also they tend to force you into scams here. Example you can be lost and one will walk beside you playing music and ignore your requests to leave then next thing you know 3 of his friends have joined and they are all demanding money for their "music. " This is just 1 example. The massage women on Bocagrande are another although they are much easier to fend off.

The amount if money is usually small but its just downright exhausting fending these hucklers off every step you take anywhere in this city. I mean I even respect their hustle but damn. And some of them get visibly upset / angry when you decline them.

As for the rappers, don't talk to them, don't look them in the eye. Just keep walking like you know where you are going. If you can walk into a store, that's your best bet to dodge them. Sunglasses help, looking them in the eye is an invitation for them to talk to you. I've been there, were I was almost at the point of cursing out one of those massage ladies on the beach because I told her no, she still came over and touched me, I still told her no, she then put that clear sticky stuff on my leg and started to massage it says try it and that when I almost lost it. She saw the look on my face and cleared out, never came back.

A common phrase I picked up was "No tengo plata" which was a slight learning curve as my Sosua days thought me "No tengo dinero" but my Colombia chicas told me to say "plata" instead of "dinero". Saying that while keep moving stops them dead in their tracks. It also helps to be with someone as you can act like you are ignoring them by talking. Or act like you are talking on your phone (don't worry, no one will snatch it out your hand in CTG, there is too much police presence for that).

Yes these are just simply scummy costenos, little fucks that don't deserve one moment or respect.

I have tried it all myself, now my deal is this, I firmly say no thank you, no gracias, if they continue walking side by side and keep up their pitch I again say "no gracias", if they continue after my attempts well I turn to these punny fucks and tell them to "go fuck yourself and your mother", in Spanish of course, if they continue with their harassment I go ballistic, I get into their face and call them a sorry fuck, I show them even less respect then they show which is none.

Just the other day I am walking in centro Medellin, in El Hueco the shopping area on the street for pedestrians only no cars, and this small punny paisa dude starts yacking at me from 10 yards about how I need to go into his shop and buy some jeans, after 5 'no gracias' this punk actually moves in front of my path of walking and stops, I pushed him aside and told him to fuck off.

If more people would handle these punks the way I do maybe they would learn some respect, but this is a story that many of you want to avoid, your just not ready for it.

Much love and respect to all!

The Tall Man.

[Black Page]

Finally, we capped off the night at Di Silvio's. Now I should point out that I was giving the GF shit about Colombian cuisine. I even told her the best food in Colombia was from Peru or other places, so she was going to change my mind.
(...)
I cannot wait to go back and try the pasta and pizza.

I am sorry to disappoint you, but Di Silvio Trattoria is an Italian restaurant, not Colombian. Pasta and pizza are Italian dishes, not Colombian cuisine. I am happy you enjoyed Italian food, however, as I am Italian.

Not surprisingly, Di Silvio has a good reputation, as most Italian restaurants in the world. I am not sure how authentic Italian is their food. Probably a fusion Italian for Colombians. I see on their menu online that they propose the infamous "Pasta Alfredo", which no way you could find in Italy but has become very popular overseas and many foreigners consider something tipical Italian. In Italy nobody knows what is a "Pasta Alfredo".

[Nypher]

I posted a lot of negative stuff last week on this board on Cartagena. My post was kind of a snap judgement that was too harsh on the place. Food poisoning has just completely ruined my first week and a half here. I just now feel fully recovered. Am hoping I can have a few drunks tonight actually without triggering an all day bathroom marathon session. I have eating street food all over the world with no issues. Raw oysters left pit in the sun are a different beast though. I finally figured put I had contracted Vibrio. And the strongest version of it. With a little google detective work I figured out the correct combo of antibiotics to kill this evil stomach bug. Doxcyline plus doxeff. I spent like $150 on a week supply of both but after the first day of 300 MG doxiclylne and 200 MG of doxeff, felt immediately better. Vibrio is no effing joke.

Anyways since that post I have grown to appreciate the historical and geographical relevance / value of this city. There is no doubt that the walled city is beautiful at night time. I love hanging around there and enjoying the sunsets at / around cafe de mars even attending the church mass there and just hanging around.

However, with that being said. A lot of the negatives in my post still stand. The biggest thing is the amount of scammers and how aggressive they are. I lived on boca chica beach for 2 months. I can handle those kind of hustlers. Here in Cartagena its another level though both in the walled city and on Bocagrande. Beach ir just heck anywhere walking around.

Because they keep coming and coming and never accept no for an answer. Also they tend to force you into scams here. Example you can be lost and one will walk beside you playing music and ignore your requests to leave then next thing you know 3 of his friends have joined and they are all demanding money for their "music. " This is just 1 example. The massage women on Bocagrande are another although they are much easier to fend off..

Its great to hear that you recovered from the food poison. The same in Thailand is similar to Colombia when it comes to food and stomachs. Thailand thought me a very good lesson about drinks with ice and tap water at restaurants. My second day in Pattaya I was shitting pure liquid non stop. I couldn't leave my hotel room at all for 24 hours. I learned when visiting third world countries to only drink bottles water and never get drinks with ice.

As for the rappers, don't talk to them, don't look them in the eye. Just keep walking like you know where you are going. If you can walk into a store, that's your best bet to dodge them. Sunglasses help, looking them in the eye is an invitation for them to talk to you. I've been there, were I was almost at the point of cursing out one of those massage ladies on the beach because I told her no, she still came over and touched me, I still told her no, she then put that clear sticky stuff on my leg and started to massage it says try it and that when I almost lost it. She saw the look on my face and cleared out, never came back.

A common phrase I picked up was "No tengo plata" which was a slight learning curve as my Sosua days thought me "No tengo dinero" but my Colombia chicas told me to say "plata" instead of "dinero". Saying that while keep moving stops them dead in their tracks. It also helps to be with someone as you can act like you are ignoring them by talking. Or act like you are talking on your phone (don't worry, no one will snatch it out your hand in CTG, there is too much police presence for that).

This isn't low season, there are tons of women there. It all depends on where you are going and the times you are going. Playa Hollywood 11 am - 5 pm or clocktower and the three main discos after 9 pm, that's all you need to find women who are pros or semi pros. If you are at a restaurant and you like the waitress, all it takes is a smile and a wink, and when she comes to bring you the check its a simple "Muy linda, tienes whatsapp?" shoot your shot, if she gives you her number, she knows where its going and you can negotiate on whatsapp. If she doesn't, then no problem just laugh it off as she will laugh it off as well as she probably gets hit on all the time by gringos.

As for the women I don't want to take the wind out of your sails but many of those women who you say are non pros are either semi pro or retired pro. I know women who have regular jobs such as lawyer, doctors, nurse, bank teller, tourist officer, hair dresser, etc who are on those apps and they all sell pussy for the extra money because their regular job pays too little. They will travel into another city where locals will not know them, working girl themselves out Thursday. Saturday then head back home like nothing happened. The same thing they do in Thailand is the same they do in Colombia when matching win men. I watched many Thai girls swipe on tinder and they all did the same exact thing, they look to see the name and swipe right on all non Asian names, if the name was Asian they would swipe left. They didn't even wait for the photo to load to see what the man looks like, they just saw the name and swiped. Colombian girls do the same, when I asked them why, they tell me the same thing Thai girls said, Colombian men have no money. Foreign men have money.

As a final tip for the 3 dates you said you have lined up. Make sure you have them on Whatsapp and make sure they give you their live location when they say they are on their way. Tell them a solid time to meet in advance and stand firm on it or they can be excessively late depending where they are coming from.

Your views of CTG might change by the time your sitting in the terminal eating one of Bukash dry pastries realizing the sauce is missing. Jajaj.

[NeilGeorge]

I have had no less than 3 beautiful Colombian ask me in the past year to impregnate them as their dream is to have European DNA in their children. You can't make this shit up.

I have one in Mde who wants to fly to see me on her fertile days and then go back home a couple days later when she is pregnant. Does not want to live with me. Tried marriage, but got an annulment from her 15 years ago, she was not faithful. Probably she has not changed.

[HighOnTravel]

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[Rzrfl69]

I will be there the 29th - 31st. Heard the curfew is 2 am to 5 am?? Woohoo.

How's the mask wearing? Do you have to wear it walking on the street?

From several past trips, Tinder is the best tool besides actually walking the clock or Going to the clubs. I agree with being careful of putting your location there too early as I have had it where girls are leaving in 2-3 weeks. But it's nice to be able to have a list of girls to text hey what's up, come over. Hahaha.

I will say I just put my tinder to CTG today, and I feel like there's actually wayyyyy less than usual!? I already swiped through them all!?

How's the action on the ground guys? Is the clock tower still full after 9 ish?

Is delirium the bar to go to? Or dolce? When I was there a year ago December everyone was at Delirium.

There are plenty of regular clubs in ctg all over. Not to say you might still find a girl in any club, but plenty known to be regular bars / night clubs.