Cartagena Reports

[Linyjo]

Would Cartagena be the best Colombian city to go to for a guy who doesn't speak any Spanish? I was originally thinking of trying Medellin, but several vets have told me Medellin is a bit difficult if you don't know Spanish and Cartagena might be more manageable albeit more expensive. Though, on the point of being much more expensive, I've found the rates quoted to be inconsistent at best. I have seen some prepagos advertise in the 100-200 k range for an hour and that more or less seems like what is asked in Medellin, too.

Only 4% of the population in Columbia speak English. So finding someone who speaks English is tough anywhere you go in Columbia.

The tourist city of Cartagena along with the two populous cities of Medellin and Bogota are the only places you find it spoken, if at all.

In Medellin and Bogota you will find more English spoken in the more upscale neighborhoods.

In Cartagena, you will find more English spoken in the tourist center when interacting with people trying to capture tourist dollars.

As an average visitor, the only place you might find it spoken is in upscale restaurants, hotels and some hotel chains.

An English speaking prepago is an unicorn.

That being said, the basics of negotiation terms for services with the ladies is universal.

Be prepared with google translator, download the Spanish language so it works offline when not on WiFi.

You won't find English more prominently in any of the cities, so use other criteria for selecting where you want to visit.

Average price for services throughout Columbia won't change, 120 K to 150 K is standard for some play time. The length of which depends on your negotiating skills and your rapport with the service provider.

ST and LT are basically the same price with LT having the added costs of taking care of, feeding, drinking and gifting for your long term visitor.

[SosuaPlaya]

Would Cartagena be the best Colombian city to go to for a guy who doesn't speak any Spanish? I was originally thinking of trying Medellin, but several vets have told me Medellin is a bit difficult if you don't know Spanish and Cartagena might be more manageable albeit more expensive. Though, on the point of being much more expensive, I've found the rates quoted to be inconsistent at best. I have seen some prepagos advertise in the 100-200 k range for an hour and that more or less seems like what is asked in Medellin, too.

[Black Page]

I found out that you certainly can not judge a place by its looks. Back about 7 years ago I was with a chica on Laguito beach and we were starving so we stopped at one of those thatched hut places on the beach that hasn't been painted in decades, I

It could have been Dona Marciana, at the beach where there is the Police Post, which is my favourite place for lunch.

They painted the hut and remodeled everything, including the basic kitchen. It lost that "primitive" flavour.

[Mojo Bandit]

It was not my intention to throw an insult at Harvey's, although it is possible that the words I used were not appropriate and could be taken as insulting beyond my intentions. If so, I really apologize with you and others who love Harvey's but had the same feeling as you.

My only point was that this place could not be the place with "the best seafood I have ever had". In Cartagena, I believe there are certainly other places for "best seafood experience", but of course all this matter is objectionable.

All this debate has certainly brought some few more customers to Harvey's from ISG, so I believe Mr. Harvey cannot be angry with me for my non-enthusiast comments. Enjoy Harvey's!

I found out that you certainly can not judge a place by its looks. Back about 7 years ago I was with a chica on Laguito beach and we were starving so we stopped at one of those thatched hut places on the beach that hasn't been painted in decades, The guy comes over with a baking sheet with fresh caught dead fish and says "this is the menu" I just randomly picked one and they brought it back freshly gutted and grilled head / eyes staring up at me, some coconut rice and a "salad" and lime wedges to flavor the fish that as the; best fish I have every had. I can't remember the name of the place but it was pretty close to where carrera 1 runs into the beach. I am going back to Cartagena in a few days and I will try to work that into my plans.

[Black Page]

AThere was no cause to throw out insults toward Harvey's when it was obvious that one had a prejudice t.

It was not my intention to throw an insult at Harvey's, although it is possible that the words I used were not appropriate and could be taken as insulting beyond my intentions. If so, I really apologize with you and others who love Harvey's but had the same feeling as you.

My only point was that this place could not be the place with "the best seafood I have ever had". In Cartagena, I believe there are certainly other places for "best seafood experience", but of course all this matter is objectionable.

All this debate has certainly brought some few more customers to Harvey's from ISG, so I believe Mr. Harvey cannot be angry with me for my non-enthusiast comments. Enjoy Harvey's!

[Hilltopper]

My Spanish is malo, pero, anyone can get by just fine with a few words and a couple smiles. I didn't run into many English speaking chicas. Use Google Translate (download Spanish offline translation) or a calculator if All Else Fails. I've tried to learned more Spanish between now and my last trip in February but I'm still far from fluent. The more Spanish I learn, the more fun it is interacting with the chicas! They love when you can joke with them en espanol.

Thanks man. Please share your experience! I wish you an awesome trip with a story to tell that may make others envy you as well.

I try to make the best of all of my experiences. This trip definitely had a story worthy of sharing.

Of course! I've picked up a lot from these boards. It's only right to contribute. You know. For the next guy.

Agree with the others, great trip report and enjoyed the read! You know how to enjoy Cartagena! Keep on keeping on.

[Hilltopper]

This is coming from guy who has not been to Cartagena since LDV was in El Laguito, what I will hence forth refer to as the good old days. I am not a fan of the and "new" place, I read where somebody talked about dancing with the chicas, where do you dance? I went in there at what I thought was early, at a little after 11 pm. I went by to recon the location got "pinned down" standing on the sidewalk by some touts trying to convince me to go to another place they were carrying flyers for, and then when I said I was going into LDV later they told me I should go now and get my bracelet. Still not sure what the point of the bracelet is when there is no cover but I thought I had nothing to lose and went inside. I was surprised that the place was starting to get packed, I started going around buying chicas drinks which is my thing because I do not drink and do not want to feel like a sponge. Then I saw two cuties and one was about an 8 with a thin body. So I offered 200 k but she replied that I would have to take her friend and it would be 250 k each and I just didn't like the price or the vibe of it plus her friend wasn't that cute so I walked away. I started chatting (as much as one can because the place is loud as hell which most clubs are but when your Spanish is limited anyway it just isn't copacetic) with other chicas as best as one can in such a cramped environment, there were a couple of chicas I would have talked to but there was no getting through the wall of people and chairs between us. It is not a good set up, maybe I could get used to it but I sure do miss the old place.

So I was really about to call it off and head to the clock tower when I spotted this sweet thin little thing with perky breast, I was so frustrated with the situation that I (here comes the yelling at me LOL which I deserve) I decided just to offer her 250 K so we could just get out of there, since every other chica was starting there. Then the strangest thing happened, she came back with 200 K. No really! I did a double take and asked her if she did BBBJ, and she took my translator / phone and typed in "any way you like baby". I felt like I had found a unicorn. She stayed for about three hours. Full GFE.

I agree that at the times it is packed, that layout certainly hinders one from being able to just kick back, relax, observe and mingle much. While they will clear out chicas from a table or the bar to provide a spot, that only goes so far when you then have 6 dudes standing right in front of you obstructing your view of the talent.

[Hilltopper]

I am making a special three day trip from Medellin to see Emily and Luz. They are now like family.

If they are like family, then that would make us related, LOL. Tell them their brother says Hello,.

[Hilltopper]

Hit and killed (me). No, I never sat down and ate there, and therefore you are justified to knock at my door and call me "unreliable commenter". Touche'.

However, I have walked in front of it several times (Av. S. Martin, right?) and honestly the visual impression it gives is that it is just one of the many tourist places where to have lunch, at best. This does not mean it is a tourist trap, or it is necessarily a place where bad food is served, and ok when I named it "fast food" I was exaggerated or unfair, but NO WAY I could think it is one of the best restaurants in Cartagena. Am I wrong? Did I miss the top restaurant of Cartagena because negatively biased by its look? Ok, my fault, sorry.

Now you made me curious, and of course I feel hit by your comment, so I rushed to check Tripadvisor. I don't trust Tripadvisor in general, but it may help to get some idea.
In this case, Tripadvisor ranks Harvey "#243 of 831 Restaurants in Cartagena" with score 4.0. By chance, the first 2 comments I read are "Local place for a quick meal", "Average at best".
As a comparison, Tripadvisor ranks Carbon de Palo 4.5 and "#59 of 831 Restaurants in Cartagena" and Cuzco 4.5 "#33 of 831 Restaurants in Cartagena".
Now guess what? Tripadvisor ranks Restaurant #1 in Cartagena a place called LA TAPERIA (:eek:), so my conclusion is: forget TripAdvisor! :(

Now let me reverse it back on you. Did you ever have dinner at Cuzco and Santisimo? Where would you take your most significant one for a romantic dinner? Is the ambient at Harvey's elegant as at Cuzco? Are dishes so good? Tell me I am too negatively biased by my visual impression, but I will keep on considering Cuzco two categories higher and preferring it for my dinners.

Av San Martin, correct. The comment you read saying "local place" is correct; it's not frequented by tourists, especially not foreign tourists. In all the times I have been there, it's predominantly been locals on their lunch break from work. I was first taken there by a local. Being a lunch spot frequented by locals on their lunch break, that jives with there not being a Trip Advisor cult following. The restaurant has good Colombian food for lunch, with quite a varied menu. I typically prefer to sit inside the small dining area, in which I don't recall ever seeing a foreigner.

I have had the pleasure of dining at El Santismo, yes. I can't speak for Cuzco, but have heard good things. You are correct in saying that Harvey's is not comparable to El Santismo, nor from what I've heard about Cuzco. Total different type of restaurants, and much different ambiance.

There was no cause to throw out insults toward Harvey's when it was obvious that one had a prejudice that was not based on his actual experience. Nonetheless, the point you make in re to Harvey's not being in the same category as El Santisimo or Cuzco is well taken, but then it's not trying to be.

[Mojo Bandit]

I was telling this chica that I was considering returning to Cartagena from Medellin earlier than I originally planned but needed to find a chica friendly place, she tells me that she has done TLN at Hotel Dann. She said it was not a problem. Anyone know if this is accurate: I will investigate this myself but if anyone has a quick answer that would be cool too.

[Linyjo]

I seriously doubt that any decent hotel employee in Colombia, especially in CTG, could put in writing from the hotel desk "we do not mind if you bring a different girl to sleep with you every night". There are questions that can be asked only verbally...

The question asked was, what is the guest policy of the IBIS hotel. I recommended he go to the source, the hotel itself to get an answer.

The standard answer from a hotel would tell you what the policy is for the different girls every night.

Example: Our policy is that all guests must be registered. The first guest registered to a double booking is free. All further guests registered have an associated registration fee of $ XX.

It is well referenced in the forums that if you plan on having a different girl every night, hotels are not a good option. You need to find an BnB or rent a condo with a liberal guest policy.

[Mojo Bandit]

This is coming from guy who has not been to Cartagena since LDV was in El Laguito, what I will hence forth refer to as the good old days. I am not a fan of the and "new" place, I read where somebody talked about dancing with the chicas, where do you dance? I went in there at what I thought was early, at a little after 11 pm. I went by to recon the location got "pinned down" standing on the sidewalk by some touts trying to convince me to go to another place they were carrying flyers for, and then when I said I was going into LDV later they told me I should go now and get my bracelet. Still not sure what the point of the bracelet is when there is no cover but I thought I had nothing to lose and went inside. I was surprised that the place was starting to get packed, I started going around buying chicas drinks which is my thing because I do not drink and do not want to feel like a sponge. Then I saw two cuties and one was about an 8 with a thin body. So I offered 200 k but she replied that I would have to take her friend and it would be 250 k each and I just didn't like the price or the vibe of it plus her friend wasn't that cute so I walked away. I started chatting (as much as one can because the place is loud as hell which most clubs are but when your Spanish is limited anyway it just isn't copacetic) with other chicas as best as one can in such a cramped environment, there were a couple of chicas I would have talked to but there was no getting through the wall of people and chairs between us. It is not a good set up, maybe I could get used to it but I sure do miss the old place.

So I was really about to call it off and head to the clock tower when I spotted this sweet thin little thing with perky breast, I was so frustrated with the situation that I (here comes the yelling at me LOL which I deserve) I decided just to offer her 250 K so we could just get out of there, since every other chica was starting there. Then the strangest thing happened, she came back with 200 K. No really! I did a double take and asked her if she did BBBJ, and she took my translator / phone and typed in "any way you like baby". I felt like I had found a unicorn. She stayed for about three hours. Full GFE.

[Black Page]

back at the apartment she would not do BBBJ, anyone else having this problem or is it just me.

No, it's not just you.

Over these years, I noticed that more and more girls in CTG stick to do everything covered including BJ. For me, BBBJ is a must. This, instead of being annoying, simply forced me to spend more time in chatting around with girls, going to Space, enjoy nightlife. I go to CTG not to have a quick deed as in a Casa, but to enjoy good food, good restaurants, the nice place, and of course the girls. I am used to not take a girl with me to my apartment before at least 2 am, after having enjoyed my night out.

There are many sexy girls who are willing to do BBJ, but we must spend some time in seeking them in the crowd. More fun. When you go fishing, I believe the fun is not taking the fish into your bucket, but spending good time on a river enjoying nature, right?

I know someone who has all the definitive information regarding the guest policy at the IBIS hotel.
He works at the IBIS hotel and can be reached 24/7 by phone or by email from his website under the name SUPPORT or under the name CONTACT US.
He can answer your question with a written definitive answer from a position of authority.

I seriously doubt that any decent hotel employee in Colombia, especially in CTG, could put in writing from the hotel desk "we do not mind if you bring a different girl to sleep with you every night". There are questions that can be asked only verbally...

[Mojo Bandit]

I had to work a late shift the night before I flew down here, long story short I started my first night going on 30 hours of not sleeping but not wanting to blow a Saturday night. I killed some time in Getsemani eating dinner in swanky hotel restaurant, then took in the scene at Cafe Havana for a bit. My brain was running on autopilot and I made the walk from Getsemani to the Plaza de LOS Coches. It was only a little after 11 and there may have been 30 or so chicas hanging out, and s handful of then were beautiful and s couple of them had natural looking slim bodies that I like. They all started at 250 mill but quckly agreed on 200, But damn it if none of them would agree to chupar sin condóand. That's a deal breaker for me. They can put a condom on a broom stick and suck in it across the room and I would get the same satisfaction. My spirit wanted to hold out and hit Dolce Vita, and maybe space but my body was giving out so I decided to grab a hot one with a tight little body and beautiful face and just do what ever she would before I fell asleep, back at the apartment she would not do BBBJ, anyone else having this problem or is it just me.

[Luminous]

There is the official policy that they will tell you on email / phone and then there is unofficial policy of what actually happens. That't what I was requesting with my post.

This is standard for most hotels and works fine for the first girl.

If you bring a different girl the second night, you got an issue as she is not registered.

Most have a guest fee up to $100 for the second girl and any girl after.

Best to contact the hotel yourself and be direct about what you plan to do and get real answers.