Old foreigner / young woman
[QUOTE=LookingToSwing4;1817175]
I did however have one occassion, a few years ago, where a local Colombiano suggested I tell my date to dress a bit more respectable, next time we go out for dinner. He was right. I am now more concious of that even though it does not make me look any differently......LOL[/QUOTE]That is the point others are trying to make to you, if one Colombiano had to tell you, HUNDREDS of others have thought the same even though they didn't tell you to your face. Nobody said stay indoors all the time, but it's best to avoid being the old gringo acting all lovey dovey with an obvious young hooker out in public. It's a pathetic spectacle anywhere in the world, not just Colombia. People think the old john is stupid for loving a prostitute because it is soooo obvious to the locals in their culture.
As far as tourist dollars from mongers in particular, I don't think it's so important as you think, if businesses all over Lleras voluntarily put up signs saying "Say No to Sex Tourism". Notice the signs don't say "Say no to prostitution" (which would be a more sweeping message), and these type signs aren't found in Centro near the casas for locals, they are aimed solely at the foreigner. There is too much "legitimate" tourism and business in Medellin for them to care about monger revenue, in fact I'd say mongers will be the first to be the whipping boys when the time comes to clean house. Just look at articles in the local papers and the usual comments that follow, always knocking the creepy old gringos here for women, while we all know that 90% of the casa business downtown is local guys! In other words, prostitution is accepted in Colombia (thats why it's legal), it's how the typical old gringo does it that the locals don't like. It's the spectacle the locals want to avoid, it's something that is meant to be done in private in this culture.
Glad to hear you tuned up your game when the Colombiano mentioned it to you, sounds like you took the intended message and that's what is important. No need to retreat into the shadows, this is a solid discussion that should be addressed.
Madrid vs. Medellin vs. Thailand &/ or Malaysia
I have learned decent Spanish over the last decade.
Staying a week in Madrid, then taking Avianca direct flight to Medellin was very comfortable.
But as these two countries have same language, the backwardness in Medellin was very striking.
As a gringo you might behave stupidly and make and say some things and are not OK in Medellin.
But they do it all the time towards you! Note then that I love Medellin, and the paisas, but their view of the outside world, how to behave towards people from other countries, the slavery minimum-wage, the ignorance of even trying to learn some English or anything about the outside world is like I felt going back one hundred years back in time! Paisas are peasant's!
Gringos lack history, Colombians are ashamed of being indians/metizo so they deny their obvious heritage, but at the same time hate the Spanish conquistadores. That cultural condradiction is a thing Peruvians have delt much more with, while, if wanting to enter the global community as a modern society, people must have a realistic view of who they are. We Europeans are curious and interested about Colombias history, but their indian and african heritage is a "forbidden zone", donīt mention it. I donīt know about Barranquilla, maybe they are more open/realistic about it, since their famous carneval is all about the mix of the three races.
I would actually advice many guys not to go to Colombia at all, but to Thailand or Malaysia.
