Cartagena Reports

[Hioctane]

i agree, sounds annoying, but my hunch is that the policy only exists for guys who show a proclivity for doing what you said: "some people go to the bar just to pick up chicas". absent those kind of guys, my bet is that they'd never utter a word to a single person about any type of minimum policy. nary a chica, nary a waiter, nary anyone has said a word to me or to anyone i know who goes there about buying drinks for chicas, or spending any kind of minimum, etc. we aren't anything special, that's for certain, so why are you made aware of this so-called policy, yet others aren't?

i'm going to put my devil's advocate hat on again, and i realize it may not be popular, but i hope it is found thought-provoking by at least someone:..

9 times out of 10 we drink the minimum without the "policy." on the one one night we don't drink the minimum, we get harassed. and we go there every night when we are in town. you don't think we have a right to be peeved? it is not a good way to treat customers. i understand why there is a need for it. i would prefer a policy like paprika or tu candela where you have a cover charge that is paid back with drinks so in essence there is a minimum drink amount which applies to everyone.

[Vegas Jeff]

no amount of pot or cocaine is legal in colombia. the local police are usually corrupt, good and bad thing. they target gringoes to get a quick payoff, usually 10-20, 000 pesos. i have lived here for 13+ years, had many experiences with them, also the military when driving to another city. the military is more professional, rarely asked for pesos.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/legal_status_of_cocaine

all you have to do is a quick google search. plenty of info on this topic.

i have been stopped by military at checkpoints and never had a problem. i got pulled over outside of cali for speeding by the military. they made me wait for 10 minutes and then said the fine was 50k ($25). i have been in casas during id checks a few times but never a raid. no problems.

the problems with the authorities in cartagena are due to it being a tourists destination. in the cartagena tourist area foreigners are looked at as easy targets.

[Member #4244]

That may be the official policy but not everything applies to extranjeros. It might just be a corrupt cop looking for a payoff. Always err on the side of caution especially in a foreign country!

They often just mess with you and if they want a bribe, then they WANT a bribe and will give you opportunity to do it. Bottom line, they are not trying to take you to lockup, that's a headache for them, especially with a foreigner. They either just want to yank your chain a bit or get their palm greased with 10 bucks or so. To be honest I prefer this to the way police operate in many industrialized countries.

I rode a bus once with a German guy, some sort of biologist but really loopy. The bus got searched and he had a bag of joints fall out of his pocket. When we all got back on, one of the cops came up to him and said "Is this yours?" He was ready to just shit his entire colon on himself, until the cop handed him the bag and said "you should be more careful."

Needless to say, there is not as much emphasis on protocol in Colombian policework!

[Hilltopper]

That may be the official policy but not everything applies to extranjeros. It might just be a corrupt cop looking for a payoff. Always err on the side of caution especially in a foreign country!

I agree with this notion; I'm a visitor and it ain't Kansas I'm visiting. If something goes astray, there's no ACLU, no Jessie Jackson, no Al Sharpton, no protestors saying I wasn't treated the same as a Colombiano.

[Hilltopper]

The policy is just annoying. Not everyone drinks. Some people go to the bar just to pick up chicas. If you are by yourself, maybe you don't want to order a whole bottle or even half. Sometimes I don't find anyone I like, and I want to go someplace else and share a taxi with a couple of girls. There are numerous reasons why the policy is bad.

I agree, sounds annoying, but my hunch is that the policy only exists for guys who show a proclivity for doing what you said: "some people go to the bar just to pick up chicas". Absent those kind of guys, my bet is that they'd never utter a word to a single person about any type of minimum policy. Nary a chica, nary a waiter, nary anyone has said a word to me or to anyone I know who goes there about buying drinks for chicas, or spending any kind of minimum, etc. We aren't anything special, that's for certain, so why are you made aware of this so-called policy, yet others aren't?

I'm going to put my devil's advocate hat on again, and I realize it may not be popular, but I hope it is found thought-provoking by at least someone:

Do you suggest that the price of drinks should be raise instead on the guys who don't have to be told to buy drinks, so that the guys who don't want to spend money can just go there to pick-up chicas and have the run of the place? Maybe those who do drink should pay more so you can come inside, take up a table, etc., without buying anything, but enjoy all the same amenities?

You say not everyone drinks, I agree, but does that prevent that person from spending money buying drinks for others along with bottles of water for himself? The times I've gone there and not felt like drinking alcohol, I buy a bottle water, and then another when that one's finished, etc.

Why not just stay outside to find chicas? Why come inside the bar? Why just not look for chicas outside Tu Candela? Why not just pick up street walkers? Why not just pick up chicas on the beach?

When you go to book your flight to Colombia, do you tell the airline that you really don't want a seat, you just want to come along for the ride and are happy to stand, therefore they should not charge you? When they say you have to pay for a seat to ride on our plane, do you say that's annoying, that you don't feel like sitting, therefore you shouldn't be charged?

Reminds me of those illegally in the States protesting for in-state tuition, for free services, for this, for that, etc, etc, and then saying it's not fair for them to be denied assistance and support.

What happens to the place if none of us buy anything once we walk inside? What happens when everyone decides to be a taker, and no one gives back, no one buys any drinks; will the place be open the next time we come back to Cartagena?

[Hioctane]

Their policy is similar to Mexico, a gram or so of cocaine, a couple marijuana cigarettes, etc. This is readily available info, it's on Wikipedia even.

That may be the official policy but not everything applies to extranjeros. It might just be a corrupt cop looking for a payoff. Always err on the side of caution especially in a foreign country!

[Member #4244]

No amount of pot or cocaine is legal in Colombia. The local police are usually corrupt, good and bad thing. They target gringoes to get a quick payoff, usually 10-20, 000 pesos. I have lived here for 13+ years, had many experiences with them, also the military when driving to another city. The military is more professional, rarely asked for pesos.

Their policy is similar to Mexico, a gram or so of cocaine, a couple marijuana cigarettes, etc. This is readily available info, it's on Wikipedia even.

[Hioctane]

When I was there on 3 different nights in December, no one mentioned anything about a minimum consumption policy, nor anything about buying a drink for a chica. Nor was anything said to another Gringo who was there during the same week. Granted, I'm going to drink a beer every 10 to 15 minutes or so naturally, and if I spot a chica that catches my fancy, I may ask her to buy her a drink or send over one of the waiters to have him ask her what she'd like. No one has ever mentioned anything about any type of drink policies, be it a waiter, bartender or working girl. Plus, why wouldn't I drink and spend money there? I am at a bar, bars serve drinks and bars are in business to make money. A bar doesn't make money, it goes out of business. I kinda like having the option of it being open when I'm in town, so I say why not enjoy some beers or a bottle while at the same time showing some appreciation for the business owner who's made an investment and taken the risk?..

The policy is just annoying. Not everyone drinks. Some people go to the bar just to pick up chicas. If you are by yourself, maybe you don't want to order a whole bottle or even half. Sometimes I don't find anyone I like, and I want to go someplace else and share a taxi with a couple of girls. There are numerous reasons why the policy is bad.

[Hioctane]

Thanks Black Page, Hilltopper and Wilt for your comments and reassurances of the Cartagena police. IMO there seems to be more police roaming around the LDV area compared to last year. As for being bored, I saw a copper help the street cleaner last year sweep the street in front of the police checkpoint near LDV. Bet you'd never see that in America!

Guys are not harrassed for drinks. The minimum refers to the ladies that have to have x number of drinks bought for them before they can leave or else they get black listed from the club. I think what Black Page and others take offense to is that we see a chica we like. In addition to the negotiated rate, we now have to buy expensive drinks for them so they can continue freelancing at the club after. In Asia they call it a barfine. Also usually chicas don't ask for the 10. 000 beer but whiskey which is 18. 000 cop.

They were harassed for drinks. At least we were. They stopped us from leaving and said we had to drink 100k each. Not just 100k for the whole table. This was a while back when the policy started. Maybe the policy has changed and they realized it's not a good idea to harass the customers. I did notice more chicas hitting me up for expensive drinks now. Anyways, since then we always meet them outside.

[Always Randy]

I suspect they were just bored and harassing you.

Thanks Black Page, Hilltopper and Wilt for your comments and reassurances of the Cartagena police. IMO there seems to be more police roaming around the LDV area compared to last year. As for being bored, I saw a copper help the street cleaner last year sweep the street in front of the police checkpoint near LDV. Bet you'd never see that in America!

Is it a stretch to think that this so-called minimum consumption policy only comes into play on those occasions where it appears a guy makes it quite obvious that he doesn't intend to spend any coin?

Guys are not harrassed for drinks. The minimum refers to the ladies that have to have x number of drinks bought for them before they can leave or else they get black listed from the club. I think what Black Page and others take offense to is that we see a chica we like. In addition to the negotiated rate, we now have to buy expensive drinks for them so they can continue freelancing at the club after. In Asia they call it a barfine. Also usually chicas don't ask for the 10. 000 beer but whiskey which is 18. 000 cop.

[LocoGringo]

It's legal to carry small amounts of cocaine and marijuana in Colombia, is it not?

No amount of pot or cocaine is legal in Colombia. The local police are usually corrupt, good and bad thing. They target gringoes to get a quick payoff, usually 10-20, 000 pesos. I have lived here for 13+ years, had many experiences with them, also the military when driving to another city. The military is more professional, rarely asked for pesos.

[Vegas Jeff]

It's legal to carry small amounts of cocaine and marijuana in Colombia, is it not?

That is correct. 20 grams marijuana. 1 gram cocaine.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2012/...a-personal-use

I am not surprised to hear about shakedowns in Cartagena though.

I would be more surprised to hear of this happening in Medellin or Cali.

It is the difference between being in a tourist destination or not IMO.

[Member #4244]

Is it so hard to guess for you?

DRUG. They were looking if you have some small pill or white powder hidden somewhere.

Don't worry they will never take your money. They are just interested to keep clean the city. And yes, sometimes they catch some foreigner with white powder in the pockets.

It's legal to carry small amounts of cocaine and marijuana in Colombia, is it not?

[Member #4244]

Whoa, just got my second police stop in Colombia. First was a few years ago in Medellin on a deserted street late at night. Easy to be lullled into complacency here in Cartagena as it is a safe tourist area. My buddy and I were passing the LDV / Exito complex on the corner of Hotel Dann when two police officer on a motorcycle came up the street from the El Muelle restaurant. It was about 6:30 pm.

Officer did a pat down of my shorts and reached very close to my groin. It was a male officer so the touch wasn't really welcomed.

He felt each pocket and got me to remove the contents one at a time. Had a key in my back pocket, a candy a couple of coins in my front. He actually sniffed the candy and gave it back, dropping one on the ground and he bent over to pick it up for me. In my front left pocket I pulled out a money clip with my credit and debit cards and about 20 mill. He turned it over several times to examine it. It's a money clip! What nefarious thing was he looking for? He never said a word throughout the whole search even when I asked if everything was ok but instead he drifted to his partner to look for any signal. My buddy said his officer did they same as if they were trying to agree what to do next.

My buddy thinks it was a shakedown attempt. Both police were male and in their early 20s. Why my buddy thinks this is that in other places such as Germany, he was stopped in the RLD, the police there was very polite and explained exactly why they stopped him. I. E. It's a place where crime exists, he was wearing a hoodie etc etc. Quite professional. Whereas tonight, he took out his money clip that also had money wrapped around it. After putting it back in his pocket and moving to other pockets, the officer asked him to take the money clip out again and wanted to see what credit cards were in it. Why does that matter? Neither of them asked to look at our I'd, though if he did, I had my driver's license as one of my cards in the clip. Perhaps their assessment that I was only carrying 20 mill and my buddy only had 70 mill on him and that we were in a well lit, well travelled area made them decide it was not worth it? True other recent posts talk about doing searches to keep the rift raft out, but we were dressed like anyone else. So were they only doing their job? If so, why all the interest in the money clips?

I have never had a negative experience or even a search in CTG however I have known the cops there to be dicks to others. I suspect they were just bored and harassing you. In Medellin the cops have always been polite to me, Santa Marta as well, all over really. I can't ever remember having contact with a Cartagena cop.

[Hilltopper]

Hi,

In early Dec I was in CTG for an overnight trip, while there I struck up a conversation with a working girl in the afternoon at the Exito across from the Dann. She was slim by Colombian standards, maybe mid twenties with light skin and blonde hair, spoke fairly good English. I was in a hurry and copied her number down wrong, this is probably a shot in the dark but if anyone knows her and can PM me her contact info or main hangout I would appreciate it.

I was there at the same time in Dec. Tony brought her and her morena friend from Bqlla to the carpa to talk to a fellow from Denmark who had stopped to chat and have a beer. Maybe Hillbilly will respond, or shoot him a PM, as he may have her number. If you don't get it before you arrive, go to Playa Hollywood and describe her to Tony; odds are he'll locate her for you, LOL.