Bogota Reports

[SandRabbit]

I will be in Bogota the middle of August, is anyone else gonna be in town that same time ? El Conejito

[Foss]

thanks all for the info!! good to know that blonds are popular as i have blond hair. yipee...

i'm don't subscribe to the terror fever either - but just being careful...

perhaps i will just go to a club and buy drinks for people and hope for a nice non-pro gfe. who knows....

i will report.

any massage places worth a look?

thanks,
foss

[Ferolga777]

Foss said

"I am more than a bit scared!!"


I wasn't going to say anything and leave you to your own abilities, but I grow weary of the terror campaign.

Bogota is not Switzerland safe. It's Colombia safe. Chances are that if you stay in the zona rosa you'll be as safe as any wealthy Colombian.

You will stay at a fancy hotel, you will go to the expensive chica clubs and call the expensive escort services. You will not care about the price. Why? Because it's safer!

DO NOT go out walking at night. If you need exercise tell the hotel and they will get you a temporary membership at a health club. I walked out everywhere at night. But I'm big and crazy and no one will miss me when I die.

Ferolga

[Dollar Bill]

info deleted - see "General Info" Section for news info on killings

[Surfer]

The guy who takes buses around Bogota has cojones (balls)!
Bucaramanga does have a reputation for lots of hotties (known a couple, but never been to Santander Department). Might go next month.

Foss asked "Is Bogota worth it" to which i must ask "Compared to what"? Compared to ANYWHERE in North America, I'd say Yes. Is it the best place in Colombia for hobbying? I'd say no.

If your Spanish is SOLID, and you are risk tolerant, then there are LOTS of better cities. If NOT, and if you LIKE to see other gringos once in awhile, I'd opt for Cartagena instead. BOG is cold, crowded and less friendly, and GFE from PROS is harder to obtain, but there are TONS of options and lots to do. And there are lots of non pros who LOVE blonde gringos. The Paisa (people from from Antioquia, where Medellin is located) are often blond, so worry LESS about pigmentation and MORE about language skills and dress.

[Nick]

Foss

I was in Bogota in late December. I walked every where without any incidents. I was with my G/F'S family though,usually with 6 to 8 people. I did see many clubs, but was unable to check any of them out. Bogota has a great bus system. I plan on returning on July 5th for 2 weeks. I will also be going to Bucaramanga,which i liked alot more than Bogota. I observed many beautiful women there. It is more like Central America in its climate and scenery.

[Foss]

Surfer,
Thanks a TON for the information.

I am heading to Bogota at the end of August and I have to admit....I would like to do some mogering - visiting saunas, massage parlors, etc. - but as a very blond American, I am more than a bit scared!!

Is Bogota worth the risks???

Thanks to anybody who has tips and wants to share!!

Foss

[Mamey]

Anyone been to "Free Women " lately on caracas and 61. I hear they have a live sex show?

I mention this place because is so accesible, since it's right in front of the Transmileneo station.

Mamey

[Surfer]

I wrote the Spanish word for "man", but it got censored because it is also part of the name of a somewhat similar website. Oops.

[Surfer]

DB, Que paso ******? RIDICULOUS airfares are causing me to avoid Colombia until they drop on September 1. But the trip you MUST make is this November for a VERY special event. Call me to discuss it.

Beavis in Bogota? Is this the SAME Beavis from the private boards?



A la orden

[Dollar Bill]

Surfer -

Great Post! Very informative and nicely presented.

I agree that newbies to Colombia need to read this kind of information in order for them to safely navigate in Bogotá/Colombia.

And like you said, those that know Colombia and the ATM situation, can simply skip your post if they choose so, but that should not stop anyone from posting information that can help at least a couple of mongers.

$Bill

[Surfer]

Hawk: Maybe I've been lucky but I have NEVER had a bad experience with a taxista and have made friends with several. Use good judgment of course, but not every taxista is a ladron IMHO. Sounds like Latin Traveler has had bad experiences (though he gets good prices-15K is a good deal unless your hotel is close to airport. To Zona Norte Hotels or Tequendama is generally about 20K (including tip).

Going back inside to departures area at El Dorado Airport to use ATM is no big deal IMHO. I also have asked taxistas to stop for a moment while I run to an ATM on the road-there are TONS of them! But LT's point about paying the service fee and changing $50 or so at the currency exchange booths in arrival area is not a bad idea either.

Guys suggesting repetitive withdrawls miss the point IMHO; you get hit for $3 for EACH transaction by your US bank, plus the Colombian bank will tack on a service fee as well. These fees DO add up. Second, walking around with more money than you expect to spend that night is NOT really too wise in a country with a HIGH crime rate. Why carry excess cash? MY MO is to take out 400K per day as needed but I use my credit card wherever possible. And when you go out at night do NOT bring your wallet! Bring your cash and a photocopy of your passport; while TECHNICALLY you are supposed to carry the original, I have passed DOZENS of checkpoints and NEVER carried my original passport. The risk of loss/theft is MUCH higher than the risk of being arrested for not having the original of your passport.

Also, there are LOTS of agencies cheaper than 140K in the classifieds of El Tiempo. The ones with English speaking receptionists, websites or large advertisements will OF COURSE charge more. IMHO, taxistas often know cheaper agencies not frequented by gringos where the range is more like 60-80K (plus 10K for taxi fare to & from your hotel). Some hotels make you come downstairs to meet the girl creating some "walk of shame". Tequendama does this.

I agree with Latin Traveler that nightclubbing can be quite fun in BOG but, again, the gringo friendly places like Extasis or La Mansion are at upper end of price range. I much prefer Whiskeria La49 (details should be below in an old post of mine) but NOBODY will speak English and you will be the only gringo (and it is in a DICEY area so go STRAIGHT from taxi into club and do NOT walk around in the area).

ALL of this is predicated on you speaking at least passable Spanish. If you don't, I STRONGLY suggest going to Cartagena instead. SAn Andres is the other area where you can get by with English alone, but it is a place to BRING a chica, not a good place to FIND one.

Sure wish some of the guys who post in the Cali folder would read this helpful and civilized thread; ANY discussion of ATM/bank fee issues (or anything besides where to find chicas, what acts they perform and how much they charge) is "off topic" to them.

All of this is, of course, strictly my opinion which all are free to disregard.

[Mamey]

There are still some ATM's from Servibanca and ATH which dispense up to $400k at a time. Anyways, you can still make multiple withdrawls up to your banks limits.

It was great there for awhile, some ATM's could dispense up to $800k at a time. It made for some good profits in the currency market.

Mamey

[Beavis]

Beavis will be here tonight.

[LatinTraveller]

Hawk

Cash from ATMs is the way to go. The general limit has just been reduced from $400,000 to $300,000.

There are no ATMs in the international arrivals area in El Dorado and it´s not really a good idea for a first timer to exit and enter the departures area.

I would suggest that you acquire a small amount of Colombian pesos before you arrive. The cab fare to most hotels is less than $15,000. (Just as you exit the arrival area is an office which will issue you with a piece of paper which states where you want to go and how much it is in a taxi, the tip is included). When you arrive at your hotel they will tell you where the nearest ATM is. There are thousands, so there will be one very close to your hotel, possibly within your hotel.

Here, I am assuming that you speak spanish. The Bogota newspaper El Tiempo has hundreds of ads every day and most offer outcalls. If you look further down in this section you will find the URL. Expect to pay about $140,000 for a minimum of two hours.

Although You say you prefer incalls, club life in Bogota is a lot of fun. But do be careful. Never, I repeat never, trust a taxi driver.

PM me if I can help further.

Take care

LatinTraveller