Cartagena Reports

[Mr Enternational]

I find the Thailand scams a little more sophisticated where most won't know what happened until after it happened, than the Latin America opportunistic grab what you can right then and there where you instantly notice somethings missing like cellphone, watch, money, jewelry, etc.

Exactly! In Thailand they play you for the long con like houses and your life savings. In Latin America they play you for the short con.

My favorite one is about dude that met a chick at the bar. He took her for his girlfriend and some kind of way she convinced him to buy an elephant park for $100,000. Soon after he bought the shit the girl disappeared. So he is going to the elephant farm everyday working and bossing people around. Come to find out the girl split with the money, but told the people at the elephant farm that the guy was going to come do volunteer work everyday. He didn't speak or read Thai, so what the fuck business did he have calling himself making investments on the word of a broad he met in a bar?

[Surfer500]

I'm in Cartagena and tomorrow am planning on going down to Playa Bonita with my Chica. I'm getting a taxi to take me there who will wait for me in the parking lot and it will cost 250 K for the day, or say most of the day. I'm not trying to save money and just want the freedom to arrive and leave when I want. Advice needed is any recommendations based on experience there at the beach. I know it won't be crowded being a weekday, but have heard some weird stories, so any advice or tips besides transport there would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Nypher]

I don't understand why you guys put Thailand on a pedestal, LOL. They steal in Thailand too. Try it. Leave a few bahts here and there as if by accident. Not every girl steals, but eventually your coins will be gone, guaranteed.

I'd never leave money in the open -- not in Thailand, not in Brazil, not in the DR, not in Colombia, not in the US for that matter, LOL. Money, electronics, passport, driver's license, everything of a value must be secured.

Thailand is not being being put on a pedestal as they have their scams too but its less likely to happen in Thailand and more likely to happen in Latin America especially when traveling solo. I've left money sitting on the nightstand many times in Pattaya when doing long time and it never goes missing same with my friends. I've left money on the nightstand a few times in Sosua and when I came out the shower it was gone, when I asked the chicas what happened to the money they usually say Taxi and I know damn well the motoconcho is only 100 pesos for them max so I don't know where they thought they can take all the loose bills on the table so I never left anything out again. Another thing was since the 1000 peso and 100 peso colors and numbers are almost the same, mongers not paying attention think they handing 100 pesos for motoconcho but they handing over 1000 peso, they slipping. By the time I switched from Sosua to Colombia I knew better not to do certain things and almost impossible for mongers to mix up the money as the only ones looking similar in color are the 20 mil and 5 mil.

I find the Thailand scams a little more sophisticated where most won't know what happened until after it happened, than the Latin America opportunistic grab what you can right then and there where you instantly notice somethings missing like cellphone, watch, money, jewelry, etc.

For example I got scammed in Thailand was I went into a gogo bar saw a girl I liked and wanted her for the night. She said her price was 6 girly drinks plus the bar fine. So I asked her how much for the night, it was a reasonable amount, I brought the girly drinks then paid the fine and the girl disappeared for like 15 minutes. So I'm asking where the hell the girl went cause I'm loosing time. Another girl comes out and say the girl can't come with me because she have an emergency but she can come instead. So I said no you're not what I paid for and asked for the mamasan, she comes out I explain what's going on, she understands and refunds the bar fine. So essentially I got the girl her drink quota for the night then she stiffed me.

Another scam I got caught in and my friends Thai girl got me out of it was I met a girl inside of club and she was cool so I wanted her for the night and we struck a deal. When we were leaving to go back to my hotel she said she wanted to go drink at her friends bar before we go to the hotel. Ok cool! So I go with her to her friends bar, we walk in, and its like she know everyone there. We get a table and about 5 Thai guys and 2 girls come over to join us, she orders this big bottle of whisky, open it and start pouring drinks for everyone. I'm thinking we about to party hard! I call my friend who left the club the same time we did but he went back to his hotel room with his Thai girl. So I tell him what's going on and to come join us. When the girl who was with him heard what was going on she took the phone from him and told me don't drink anything, tell the girl that your friend is coming but can't find the place so your going outside to meet him. Then when you get outside get on a bike taxi and come straight to the hotel. I have no clue what's going on, it was my first time in Pattaya. I get to the hotel hype, telling them lets go back and party. The girl tells me no, what's going to happen is that the girl was going to make me pay for the big bottle of whiskey and all the drinks for her and friends then act like she's too drunk to come with me and most likely one of those guys was her boyfriend so they were going to use me for free drinks.

I've had my learning moments in Thailand 555.

To be honest we need Asia to open back up so these newbies can go back over there and leave Latin America alone so things can get back to normal down there.

[GrownMan1]

His response was that he had experience in SEA. He was generous and offering a good deal. That was all true, but he did not get that the women did not trust someone like him. I mean, how many times in Latin history have American or Western European countries invested in LA and tried to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement just to watch the Latinos steal them blind? Dublin just did not get that. The Latinos have the attitude that they are going to screw you over before you screw them over.

In my experience, you have to go way up the Colombian socioeconomic food chain to find women truly interested in even the shortest of long term arrangements, and Dublin did not get that. It is his loss though though that he did not accommodate to the culture. His real flaw was that he expected the culture should adapt to him unlike his adapting to the culture. It is his right to look down the nose of that inferior culture of Colombia, and it is inferior but what he is losing out on is a fantastic mongering destination for those who can adjust to the culture.

I agree. Dublin had a good deal offering. However instead of driving the car; the chicas chose to steal the gas. Besides someone familiar with the culture and Dublin; who would have Predicted those events would happen with him being so generous and well traveled?

Professionals look for business opportunities and hustlers look for money. Dealing with SW's offering them business proposals Can lead to contradictory of outcomes. Not only that but brother Dublin there may be a character weakness that they zeroed in on you.

Most of the people who came in contact with you tried to play you. The fact that they continuously try to run game on you shows their lack of respect. After seeing how you handle your business with them; they still see you as a target. There's some type of vibe that you are giving that makes them fill comfortable handling you that way. Maybe it's your generous heart.

In the DR I learn my game from the hustlers. They made me sharp, aware of my environment, and aware of how I deal with different people. The game wasn't free. It cost me financially and mentally.

I like how you took some accountability of your own actions. I'm pretty sure in time you'll see other ways you can improve on next time. It's all about living, learning, and sharing your experience. Thank you for your post.

[Xpartan]

I accept that my post was not going to show me in a good light. The reason I posted was that I was under an obligation to make a trip report to those who had given me useful advice. If I'd told you anything else other than this, that would have been dishonest. I am sure you are aware that the difference between truth and fiction, is that fiction has to be believable.

So what would convince you? How about my email to the Irish Embassy asking them for help in contacting KLM so that I could get an early flight booked. Although it doesn't have the same explicit detail as my TR, it does give the basic details about my doping and robbery, and in a later reply to them a couple of days later, report of my having been extorted by the cops. I am not going to publish it on here because it contains personal identifiers. But if there is someone who is prepared to act as honest broker, I will forward the chain onto them so they can confirm that I had already reported my case to the Embassy. I assume that the person selected will not republish.

I actually salute you for your honest report. Everything you've highlighted is real, even if most of your misgivings have resulted from your own mistakes.

In Colombia girls can: lie to you, upsell you, scam you, steal from you, spike your drink and rob you. Cops can extort money from you if you put yourself in a vulnerable position. You've experienced the worst Colombia can offer. All these risks are real, and other people reading this forum will hopefully take notice.

Common sense and listening to people who've "been there done that" won't eliminate the risks, but can reduce them substantially, so again thank you for your report, consider it a public service.

And you don't need to prove anything, this is just silly.

[Xpartan]

You placed yourself in a very bad scenario, why the hell would you let two working girls sleep in the spare room while you take on a third? They out number you three to one and you cannot watch all three of them at all times. You left your money out in the open. Yes, we can do that in Thailand because most if not all are on their best behavior but not in Colombia.

I don't understand why you guys put Thailand on a pedestal, LOL. They steal in Thailand too. Try it. Leave a few bahts here and there as if by accident. Not every girl steals, but eventually your coins will be gone, guaranteed.

I'd never leave money in the open -- not in Thailand, not in Brazil, not in the DR, not in Colombia, not in the US for that matter, LOL. Money, electronics, passport, driver's license, everything of a value must be secured.

[Nypher]

I went back and read his posts from January of this year and I believe every single word of this report. And as disagreeable as I find him to be, I'm glad I he posted an honest review because I can see vividly the mistakes I need to avoid when I move around CTG solo.

This is a 68 year old man who did not speak the language and who was drugged on his first night and still powered through. And somehow was still robbed by nearly every person he interacted with, including the airport security (jajajajaja caridad! Caridad! A wiser man would've headed back to Ireland as soon as they had enough money to buy a ticket after being drugged, but this guy went and took some more lickins. If he had stayed longer they would've built statues of him in the Clock Tower for his generosity.

There are no shortage of lessons to be learned from Dublin's report. The biggest for me as a young monger is to always have a contact that you can trust and knows how to speak the language, and to also heed the advice of the OGs on these boards. If you have not been to the country and someone like TallMan Mr E or Kafka tells you not to do something while you are there it is in your best interest not to do it. The consequences of not listening can be severe.

Your post just made me realize I'm about half his age but with a broader experience in mongering in different cultures as I've done Montreal, Latin America, the Caribbean, and south East Asia. As I've learned, speaking the language is not a requirement but it helps tremendously and breaks so much barriers. For example while mongering in Sosua, the chicas kept asking me the same questions in Spanish. "Where are you from? When did you arrive? Where are you staying? When are you leaving? Do you have a wife? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have any kids? How old are you?" After I realized the questions were repetitive I learned how to respond to the questions in Spanish then follow up with "Mi espanol es muy poco, estoy aprendiendo" and finish with a little chuckle or a smile to show I'm making some effort to communicate rather that pulling out the google translate right away. When I changed from Sosua to Cartagena the questions remained the same so I had a little communication skills under my belt. The ones that ask me the questions in English (so you know they have done their homework and this lifestyle is not new to them) and I respond to them in Spanish, I catch off guard and things go well because we both know we are experienced on what's about to happen.

But as you said his story is full of laughs even when airport security took the coins for themselves jajajaja. Reading his report was like watching that 1988 movie Moving with Richard Prior. And the quote instantly comes to mind "Life is not a big joke, It's a series of thousand little jokes, all lined up in a row! When the old hag and niece cleaned out all the groceries and took them and he told the cops and the cops asked him to prove it with a receipt I busted out laughing so hard my head started to hurt.

Dublin definitely needed an experienced Wingman. A simple PM to OnFireBoy to retain their services after the second incident could have changed the negative outcome of the trip.

[Mr Enternational]

What I said, is there were those who mentioned cultural differences, but not one person mentioned the rampant dishonesty of these girls was part of these cultural differences.

This must be the only monger on the planet that does not realize he is involving himself in street shit and is expecting people to behave as they are the Knights of the Round Table. Got drugged and robbed repeatedly and is still whispering well that was not lady-like of you. Hookers are out there to get it with their lips, hips, AND FINGERTIPS. Next he will expect a robbing crew to be handing out alms.

[Frannie]

Further to my most recent post, I promised a trip report. I thought you might be interested in hearing of my misadventures. This rapidly became the holiday in hell.

I won't bore you with all the problems I had trying to book this, but between my bank, the credit card co, and Colombian bureaucracy, I should have taken the hint, that this was never going to end well.

So I finally arrive in Colombia and on my first night, I meet one of the very few natives, Angela who can speak English. I have a plan which usually works very well in TH. Try to find one girl to "wife up for the duration" I am offering 1800 USD ($65 per night = 250000 Colombian pesos) plus daily shopping trips for about another (100 k per day) $850 in total as well as random acts of generosity. Angela is interested....


So if the question is, "Do I wait until TH has reopened, or go to Colombia where you don't even need a PCR test or to quarantine"? My answer is avoid Colombia like the plague. But if you are going to ignore my advice, then at least learn sufficient Spanish to reduce the size of the target on your back, that all Gringos carry. And if you have a cynical attitude towards the "ladies" in TH, and I know quite a few do, then I think you should really try Colombia to get a sense of perspective.

Magnificent report. This is like Mr. Bean Goes Mongering. I laughed until I cried.

[Elvis 2008]

I think by and large SEA is safer and less scheming and even risky compared to Latin America. The cultures, the religion, the history of the people etc is all different.

I think you hit it GH. I think Dublin assumed SEA and LA were much the same. I have not mongered in SEA but I have read that the transition from a short term prostitute to a longer term sugar baby type gal is seamless with these Asian women, and Dublin thought LA was the same as SEA.

Where he ran into trouble (and I have as well) is trying to convert the short term gals into sugar baby, longer term arrangements. Unless I use a website like seeking.com/ SA specifically designed for longer term, I have run into trouble, and that is why I told him to use that website.

His response was that he had experience in SEA. He was generous and offering a good deal. That was all true, but he did not get that the women did not trust someone like him. I mean, how many times in Latin history have American or Western European countries invested in LA and tried to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement just to watch the Latinos steal them blind? Dublin just did not get that. The Latinos have the attitude that they are going to screw you over before you screw them over.

In my experience, you have to go way up the Colombian socioeconomic food chain to find women truly interested in even the shortest of long term arrangements, and Dublin did not get that. It is his loss though though that he did not accommodate to the culture. His real flaw was that he expected the culture should adapt to him unlike his adapting to the culture. It is his right to look down the nose of that inferior culture of Colombia, and it is inferior but what he is losing out on is a fantastic mongering destination for those who can adjust to the culture.

[GeneHickman]

So for those who are in the "I told you so" camp, what exactly did you tell me apart from undefined cultural differences.

I don't know how long you have been on this board or how far back in the Colombia I. E. MDE CTG and BOG threads you read. The information is mentioned repeatedly and these discussions come up every so often. Usually but not always precipitated by either a self reported incident or a news report of an incident. There is a wealth of wisdom in those discussions that makes you aware of the circumstances. Then there are you tube videos discussing these risks. If someone says they did not know the risks of Centro in Mde, and were on this board, what can anyone say.

That said, even saying all of this to you. You deserve a huge kudos for doing this write up and taking the arrows, as I will guarantee you there are more than a few that will read this and be more vigilant. New mongers head down there every day and some even think this pandemic has shifted some people from SEA to LA. It is a timely reminder of the pitfalls. Just accept that your methods and research were flawed. Additionally your luck was also bad. My preparation was here and a few YouTube videos. I was super cautious in 2019 almost to the point of not enjoying myself. Yet Sometimes you walk into dumb luck like I did in early 2019 with my Chica and not even know it at the time. But I still keep my guard up mostly. Heck I don't even drink more than one beer when I am in Colombia. I can drink all the beer I want stateside. I am there for the pussy! It's all about sensible risk mitigation.

[GeneHickman]

I think you are someone who understands me. Though cynics may be happy with their own cynicism, I pity them. My lack of cynicism may have led to my down fall in Colombia, but until then, it had served me well. Of course, I now find myself questioning my previous experience. Was it just dumb luck I was almost never victimised in SEA. I am pretty sure I know what the cynics are saying in respect to that point. But maybe I was right? Most people, if you treat them well will respond in kind.

As far as the money is concerned, Iago in Othello says it best: "he who steals my purse, steals trash; ".

Best wishes.

I think by and large SEA is safer and less scheming and even risky compared to Latin America. The cultures, the religion, the history of the people etc is all different.

[Sammon]

There are good and bad girls. Maybe circumstances or just plain bad luck in their life makes them take advantage of instant gratification. I was drinking and dancing with this girl at classico in Sosua. I usually take local pesos only which I placed in my shirt pocket. Reason is easy to get to to pay for the drinks. Hidden away inside pocket of my pants is couple of hundred dollar bills and hundred dollar worth of pesos. She saw the money in my shirt pocket when I bought the drinks. We had negotiated 2500 for TLN. We were dancing close and I did not even feel her taking money from my pocket which was around 800 pesos. Only time I realized was after dancing we went to get drinks and my pocket was empty. I asked her if she saw my bills fall to the floor. She pretended not to notice. She probably was wondering how I am going to pay for the drinks. I reached inside my pant hidden pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. I wanted her to see fully realizing she stole the money while we were dancing close. I was not one to complain and call police or anything like that. The moment we got the drinks I said I do not want to be with her on her puzzled look. For a few hundred pesos she lost. I would have treated her well.

This is the mindset of some. Having said that I have got girls who were totally trustworthy.

We as mongers need to learn the subtle art of differentiation. There are always clues.

[Dublin12]

Thanks for this post. It's a real gem and fun to read the responses and reactions to it.

I like your approach. You've got an honest, optimistic and generous spirit; it's the path of genuine happiness. Risky though. Reading that post I was thinking "it could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others". I shuddered at some of the behavior. Others have mentioned this, it but the point about not waving around cash is one I hope sinks in for people. It's not obvious to most Caribbean sex workers that they may be able to work millions of pesos out of you over an interval measured in days or months or years. The culture lives in the here and now. Money in your pocket or at your bedside has an immediate value, measured in minutes or hours. Anyway, your post spells this out better than I can here.

Original post was #11542.

I think you are someone who understands me. Though cynics may be happy with their own cynicism, I pity them. My lack of cynicism may have led to my down fall in Colombia, but until then, it had served me well. Of course, I now find myself questioning my previous experience. Was it just dumb luck I was almost never victimised in SEA. I am pretty sure I know what the cynics are saying in respect to that point. But maybe I was right? Most people, if you treat them well will respond in kind.

As far as the money is concerned, Iago in Othello says it best: "he who steals my purse, steals trash; ".

Best wishes.

[Dublin12]

I guess I misunderstood the conversation. FWIW, I am referring to these posts.

My apologies. I do recall those posts, though I can't remember the context. My guess is it is what it is, and that robbery was not a major concern, though with the benefit of hindsight, it should have been.

Statistically, the more girls you meet the more likely you are to come across dishonesty. Prior to that, though I don't keep score. I'd estimate that I had about 80 mongering relationships and only once been the victim of theft. Clearly, I would be naive to think it could not happen, but presuming that Angela was involved in spiking my drink, and having been dealing with a culture where thefts were remarkably rare, you might understand why I was surprised that in Col, no girl I ever met, passed up any opportunity to steal from me, even when the economic arguments were that they were killing the golden goose. I've accused these girls of stupidity before, and I've seen nothing to tell me that this was a wrong conclusion.