General Info

[Kazeu]

I agree that spanish is incredibly important if you want to enjoy yourself. You can roughly spend more cash for less spanish and have an equally good time. Being a cheap charlie though I went the spanish route. I tried duolingo. No offense to those who found it helpful, but I found it pretty useless. The best things I could have done were just living in Colombia and taking classes at both EAFIT and UPB. EAFIT was a bit more organized but costs a bit more. If you can't make it to a spanish speaking country and live there for a significant amount of time. Find a tutor on iTalki.com. You should be able to find a decent 1 for under 10/ bucks an hour.

Disclaimer: Nobody is suggesting that you have to be fluent in Spanish to enjoy yourself in Colombia. You can get by without knowing any Spanish at all. There's probably a guy who has been visiting Medellin for 10 years and thinks Fase Dos is a Microsoft product. There are guys who can't make it past Hello, before whipping out Google Translate and they're having the time of their lives.

The more Spanish you learn, the better your experience will be. This may be something you need to experience to believe. I've yet to meet anyone in Medellin who said they wished they knew less Spanish.

There are so many little things, which just a few words of Spanish will improve. For instance, being able to tell the taxi driver "continua derecho", continue straight, when he's about to turn right and add 4 k your ride. Or telling the waiter "tres cuartos" when you don't want your hamburger bloody in the middle.

Relations with the chicas improve too. Instead of whipping out your phone to translate when she asks you "que musica escuchas", you can whip out your phone and see how she reacts to Black Sabbath "Paranoid" (chances are she'll like it). You'll probably get a better reaction to "toma toda la verga" (take all the cock) than to "garganta profunda el gallo" (throat deep the rooster).

Here's the analogy.

You probably know how to fry an egg. You're probably better at it than 95% of Colombia, because you know how to cook one side, flip it and cook the other side. With that simple skill you can feed yourself and impress most of the chicas who have never seen someone flip an egg.

Likewise, if you learn enough Spanish for basic greetings and to tell people you don't speak much Spanish you're ahead of 90% of the Colombians you'll be dealing with, because most can't do that in English. I used to say "solo hablo un poco de Espaol. " Now I've moved up to "puedo entender Espaol mas o menos. " (From "I only speak a little Spanish" to " I can more or less understand.).

If you can fry an egg, you can probably scramble one. From there you can add ham, cheese, onions and tomatoes. After that omelets. Before you know it you're making crepes and souffls. Each little bit improves your dining options.

The same is true with each bit of Spanish you learn. If you're able to pop off an occasional joke that's a game changer. Add in a couple of simple compliments and everything changes. I knew a guy who told every chica "eres muy inteligente" and they ate it up.

The best part is it takes very little time and effort. There are several apps which can take you quite far. And once you're able to put the translator away you'll realize how much it was holding you back.

[JohnReter335]

That list is inaccurate. For example, Brazil now requires a COVID PCR test 72 hours before your flight.

Yeah you are right.

[MongerHunger]

Pretty up to date list of countries that are open, closed, and open with requirements.

Only open countries with no requirements of interest for me would be Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Mexico. I did not realize just how closed off the world was until going down the list.

https://www.finder.com/countries-open-to-us-travelers

The Dominican Republic has a curfew in place that you don't even want to mess with right now! Activities are limited.

[YippieKayay]

Pretty up to date list of countries that are open, closed, and open with requirements.

Only open countries with no requirements of interest for me would be Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Mexico. I did not realize just how closed off the world was until going down the list.

https://www.finder.com/countries-open-to-us-travelers

That list is inaccurate. For example, Brazil now requires a COVID PCR test 72 hours before your flight.

[MarquisdeSade1]

https://nypost.com/2020/12/22/covid-...per-gonorrhea/

[LoveItHere69]

Pretty up to date list of countries that are open, closed, and open with requirements.

Only open countries with no requirements of interest for me would be Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Mexico. I did not realize just how closed off the world was until going down the list.

https://www.finder.com/countries-open-to-us-travelers

[MarquisdeSade1]

I was pondering the different levels of shitty attitude I've encountered on different continents with putas, and whilst I know correlation does not necessarily equate causation.

I believe there is a direct link between the level of feminism of the country and the level of PSE I receive, yes there are outliers, I have recd mind blowing PSE in USA.

So what do you think.

Here are my generalizations.

#1 worst offenders are predominately white countries USA Canada Australia Western Europe.

#2 Latin America.

#3 Asia.

#4 Afrika.

#5 India (I like to consider India discrete from the rest of Asia).

#6 the Arab / Muslim countries.

BTW Id love to live in the Middle East jajaja

this is my ranking worst to best for me!!

[Bango Cheito]

Having explored a few possible options to start a business in Latin America, I totally agree with Bango.

It's tough here even for the most savvy locals.

I take my hat off to anyone who can make it work here.

The smart thing most of us do down here is to be self-employed and stay small.

[LatinaLover#1]

For the record, I would NOT recommend starting a business down here.

Way too many regulations and taxes.

I've been able to live here on and off for 16 years, mostly on, like 13+ years on.

It's hard to make good money here, although it is possible if you stand out enough in the market.

But also, you will NEVER do it by going legit. You have to be informal here unless you have REALLY good connections.

Having explored a few possible options to start a business in Latin America, I totally agree with Bango. Years ago I did my due diligence in opening a Renta-a-car business in Costa Rica. At the time there was no car rental in the PZ area. So I did a pilot program. I shipped 1 van down to CR using an empty Dole container, returning to CR from the Delaware port. This part had it's regulations but because it was in English and USA Type red tape it was relatively easy to navigate, however still a pain in the ass. Once the container arrived in Limon, it was a different story. The business was hours away from San Jose and hours away from the business local because everything had to be done in SJ which required staying over night to get shit done and another 3 hour drive back. Not to mention getting emissions test translated by an approved translator, going to Yellow house for a stamp and Mop for another stamp. After waiting to be called by someone's brother-in law, nepotism flourishes in Latin America, by the way. He tells me come back tomorrow for his stamp. When I tell him I can't return tomorrow and drop a 20,000 C on his desk, he pulls out his stamp and off I go in a few more minutes. There is a saying in Spanish down there. "Show me the money and the monkey will dance" Also finding an Honest Attorney is almost imposible if you are a gringo, you are a target to pay the gringo price and for everything. For them it's not discrimination it's an oportunidadq! In Brazil I was told by a close friend to NEVER trust ANY lawyer In the entire country, so there you have it. Unless you are a Dole size company forget it. As Bango say's You need connections and resources, excellent Spanish skills, so you won't need to rely on anyone else or you will wind up just another gringo tout prying on gringo tourist to grind out a meal. Buena suerte!

[Bango Cheito]

For the record, I would NOT recommend starting a business down here.

Way too many regulations and taxes.

I've been able to live here on and off for 16 years, mostly on, like 13+ years on.

It's hard to make good money here, although it is possible if you stand out enough in the market.

But also, you will NEVER do it by going legit. You have to be informal here unless you have REALLY good connections.

[DogLife]

Can you share a couple of those apps please. Hope not duolingo, that was not real helpful. Maybe at the very starter level but that's is it.

Try Memrise.

[JjBee62]

Can you share a couple of those apps please. Hope not duolingo, that was not real helpful. Maybe at the very starter level but that's is it.

Although I had taken 3 college Spanish courses, and forgotten 75%, I started with Duolingo. From there I took classes at EAFIT. In the last year I've learned mostly through online conversations with the various girls, learning the way they say things, picking up the patterns.

I'd start with Duolingo and run it as far as you can. There are other apps to build vocabulary, Spanish word of the day. If you've progressed beyond the limits of Duolingo, you might consider Babbel or Rosetta Stone (Rosetta Stone is expensive, but many employers will pay for it if you're in a position where Spanish skills might benefit the company. The step beyond that would be formal classes.

None of that is necessary. Analyze the things you always end up asking or saying. Make a list in English of all those phrases and then start memorizing the translations. If you can handle numbers, and learn to conjugate the verbs, 100-200 words will get you by.

[GeneHickman]

Disclaimer: Nobody is suggesting that you have to be fluent in Spanish to enjoy yourself in Colombia. You can get by without knowing any Spanish at all. There's probably a guy who has been visiting Medellin for 10 years and thinks Fase Dos is a Microsoft product. There are guys who can't make it past Hello, before whipping out Google Translate and they're having the time of their lives.

The more Spanish you learn, the better your experience will be. This may be something you need to experience to believe. I've yet to meet anyone in Medellin who said they wished they knew less Spanish.

There are so many little things, which just a few words of Spanish will improve. For instance, being able to tell the taxi driver "continua derecho", continue straight, when he's about to turn right and add 4 k your ride. Or telling the waiter "tres cuartos" when you don't want your hamburger bloody in the middle.

Relations with the chicas improve too. Instead of whipping out your phone to translate when she asks you "que musica escuchas", you can whip out your phone and see how she reacts to Black Sabbath "Paranoid" (chances are she'll like it). You'll probably get a better reaction to "toma toda la verga" (take all the cock) than to "garganta profunda el gallo" (throat deep the rooster).

Here's the analogy.

You probably know how to fry an egg. You're probably better at it than 95% of Colombia, because you know how to cook one side, flip it and cook the other side. With that simple skill you can feed yourself and impress most of the chicas who have never seen someone flip an egg.

Likewise, if you learn enough Spanish for basic greetings and to tell people you don't speak much Spanish you're ahead of 90% of the Colombians you'll be dealing with, because most can't do that in English. I used to say "solo hablo un poco de Espaol. " Now I've moved up to "puedo entender Espaol mas o menos. " (From "I only speak a little Spanish" to " I can more or less understand.).

If you can fry an egg, you can probably scramble one. From there you can add ham, cheese, onions and tomatoes. After that omelets. Before you know it you're making crepes and souffls. Each little bit improves your dining options.

The same is true with each bit of Spanish you learn. If you're able to pop off an occasional joke that's a game changer. Add in a couple of simple compliments and everything changes. I knew a guy who told every chica "eres muy inteligente" and they ate it up.

The best part is it takes very little time and effort. There are several apps which can take you quite far. And once you're able to put the translator away you'll realize how much it was holding you back.

Can you share a couple of those apps please. Hope not duolingo, that was not real helpful. Maybe at the very starter level but that's is it.

[JjBee62]

Disclaimer: Nobody is suggesting that you have to be fluent in Spanish to enjoy yourself in Colombia. You can get by without knowing any Spanish at all. There's probably a guy who has been visiting Medellin for 10 years and thinks Fase Dos is a Microsoft product. There are guys who can't make it past Hello, before whipping out Google Translate and they're having the time of their lives.

The more Spanish you learn, the better your experience will be. This may be something you need to experience to believe. I've yet to meet anyone in Medellin who said they wished they knew less Spanish.

There are so many little things, which just a few words of Spanish will improve. For instance, being able to tell the taxi driver "continua derecho", continue straight, when he's about to turn right and add 4 k your ride. Or telling the waiter "tres cuartos" when you don't want your hamburger bloody in the middle.

Relations with the chicas improve too. Instead of whipping out your phone to translate when she asks you "que musica escuchas", you can whip out your phone and see how she reacts to Black Sabbath "Paranoid" (chances are she'll like it). You'll probably get a better reaction to "toma toda la verga" (take all the cock) than to "garganta profunda el gallo" (throat deep the rooster).

Here's the analogy.

You probably know how to fry an egg. You're probably better at it than 95% of Colombia, because you know how to cook one side, flip it and cook the other side. With that simple skill you can feed yourself and impress most of the chicas who have never seen someone flip an egg.

Likewise, if you learn enough Spanish for basic greetings and to tell people you don't speak much Spanish you're ahead of 90% of the Colombians you'll be dealing with, because most can't do that in English. I used to say "solo hablo un poco de Español. " Now I've moved up to "puedo entender Español mas o menos. " (From "I only speak a little Spanish" to " I can more or less understand.).

If you can fry an egg, you can probably scramble one. From there you can add ham, cheese, onions and tomatoes. After that omelets. Before you know it you're making crepes and soufflés. Each little bit improves your dining options.

The same is true with each bit of Spanish you learn. If you're able to pop off an occasional joke that's a game changer. Add in a couple of simple compliments and everything changes. I knew a guy who told every chica "eres muy inteligente" and they ate it up.

The best part is it takes very little time and effort. There are several apps which can take you quite far. And once you're able to put the translator away you'll realize how much it was holding you back.

[JjBee62]

I am doing my research as we speak! My Spanish is nowhere near fluent, but it is mediocre. I took Spanish in high school, and I have visited Tijuana many times for mongering. I can shoot the shit a little bit with the girls, but often need to use google translate for a specific noun or verb. I can actually also read and write Spanish decently (fast talking or accents can throw me off, even if I would have understood it if it was written down).

This would basically be strictly a mongering trip. No sightseeing really, unless I got bored one day or need to do a couple of things for show (take a few pics to prove to friends and family that I did "something. " Oh also, my budget is fairly high. I am very much willing to pay a little extra for luxury or convenience instead of looking for the best deal (not a cheap charlie). That being said, I'm not trying to light money on fire also.

I have a few fellow monger friends that have already given me the rundown on Colombia, and I am doing a bunch of research right now. I was hoping to reach out to members on the board too for more specific information or to meet up (I just paid for the ISG membership). I would happily pay a experienced member (in beer or cash) on the board to guide me or wingman me for a bit in Colombia. But I definitely have friends I can reach out to, even while in Colombia, that would help me out. I will also be researching like a maniac all the way until my flight too.

I was planning to limit the number of cities I visited and only the big ones. I had planned a few days in Cartagena, most days in Medellin, and a few days in Bogota. I can likely cut it down to 2 cities if that is what is recommended. But which two? And how many days in each? It looks like I would have about 16 days in Colombia.

And for what it's worth, I am not new to mongering, just new to Colombia. I have been to Thailand / Philippines and know how it works there, and I have been to Tijuana even more than all other destinations. I think I can negotiate with freelancers well enough in Spanish, and I know the basic rules of mongering and not getting fucked over. My favorite past time is drinking / partying with hookers and eventually having sex with them. I do that with bar girls and freelancers both. I'll definitely do short time sometimes, but prefer a good connection and long time. And if it matters, I'm also young (32) and not actually fat at all. I'm fit, but I am still definitely a clown haha. I'm also not white, I'm really light brown skinned and have black hair.

From what I have read, the days right around Christmas (and on Christmas) would be super dead, but girls should likely be available all the other days. I very much understand that it wouldn't be the ideal time to go, but I am also horny. No mongering in almost a year now! I think I might still have to bite the bullet and take this trip, also because of holidays at work, this is the only time of year I can take a nice extended vacation.

I'm rambling a bunch, way too much information. Thanks for the help and let me know if you have additional input!

Now that you've filled in the blanks, it's easier to advise you. If I could, I'd happily head back down to guide you. Unfortunately, my boss has a panic attack any time I look like I might cough. Asking for a few days off would require LifeFlight. On the plus side he just told me he's working on a 10% raise for me.

Whether to do 2 or 3 cities depends on your style. I prefer to concentrate on one place, unpack once and relax. However, others are happier bouncing from place to place.

Here's a basic rundown on the 3 cities.

Cartagena is going to be hot and humid. It will be the most expensive. However, it has beaches. Pre-covid, Cartagena was more of a late night scene. That's probably changed with curfews and other restrictions.

Medellin is the baby bear option. If Cartagena is too hot and Bogota is too cold, Medellin is just right. Between the casas, strip clubs, street girls and Facebook, Medellin probably has the most accessible mongering options.

Bogota, depending on whether or not it's raining, generally ranges from warm enough during the day to too cold at night. It has the largest street scene and the club scene is pretty extensive. However, it appears many of the clubs are closed now.

If street girls are your thing, probably Bogota and Cartagena. If Casas and clubs are what you prefer, Medellin and Bogota. If you prefer to find girls online, Medellin is your best bet, followed by either of the other ones.