General Info

[QUOTE=Golfinho;1131915]When they look in your passport and see how much you travel, they get [B]envious[/B].[/QUOTE]Envious? No disrespect but immigration officials see travelers all day long. Yeah they can be assholes but it comes with that type of job.

They are taught that anyone entering the country could be a potential issue. It is their job to spot that. They are supposed to ask questions, perhaps in an acusatory tone or with disbelief, or even questions that are outrageously stupid or simple. They are trying to get you to reveal something. And believe it or not a lot of people do. By the time you are in the back room there had already been raised a red flag by the initial bozo.

They have the right to do this [B]Palermo[/B], thanks to Homeland Security and terrorism. All in the name of protecting the borders.

[quote=palermo; 1131894]last year while going back home i got pulled aside at immigration (the dork asked me how i could afford to travel so much and i told him i actually finished university and got a decent job, which he took badly and got angry and marked my card up in huge red letters, hahaha)

they didn't so much as look at my suitcase or carry on, just grabbed my laptop and the guy said, 'i'm just going to look at some files'

i have absolutely nothing to hide, so i didn't argue. the guy started asking me who the picture of this girl is (my recently married 24 yr old niece in her wedding dress, wtf?) and who is that?

i started to get pissed but the guy quickly saw there was nothing there and sent me on my way.

what i want to know is, do they have the right to search your files and photos for no reason at all?

i'd like to know 'cause next time i will tell them to fuck off if i'm allowed, lol.

pretty bad invasion of privacy on no grounds if you ask me. [/quote]the issue is whether these searches violate the 4th amendment to the constitution: protection against unreasonable search and seizures. there is no easy answer. the aclu has recently sued to adjudicate this issue: "abidor v. napolitano: aclu challenges suspicionless laptop border search policy"

[url]http://www.aclu.org/free-speech-technology-and-liberty/abidor-v-napolitano.[/url]

this is exactly how robert of girlfriend4aweek got his ass indicted by a federal grand jury and free room and board courtesy of the us marshall's office in miami. they took his laptop at mia. as an aside, i'm going to be a cb1 next week and hope to connect some faces to the alias used here.

only good energy!

[quote=legal tender; 1131958]the issue is whether these searches violate the 4th amendment to the constitution: protection against unreasonable search and seizures. there is no easy answer. the aclu has recently sued to adjudicate this issue: "abidor v. napolitano: aclu challenges suspicionless laptop border search policy"

[url]http://www.aclu.org/free-speech-technology-and-liberty/abidor-v-napolitano.[/url]

this is exactly how robert of girlfriend4aweek got his ass indicted by a federal grand jury and free room and board courtesy of the us marshall's office in miami. they took his laptop at mia. as an aside, i'm going to be a cb1 next week and hope to connect some faces to the alias used here.

only good energy! [/quote]interesting topic. i found myself in a rather fragile situation this past trip to guatemala. i did a series of photos about over the hill and fat hookers. the photos have nothing to do with porn although there were a few toilet paper rolls and condoms in the photos. they are just photos of nude women in odd looking cubicles.

if i was checked i wonder how it would have played out? the women i photographed were not the ones i slept with minus two out of fourteen. i wonder how they differentiate between porn and nude? i had samples of other photography on my ipad just in case i was stopped but i never needed them. i'd like to travel with those photos on future trips but i am not sure if it's a good idea.

i looked at travel. gov and they only mention child porn which as we all know is and should be illegal.

does photos of hookers = automatic association and therefore punishment?

[QUOTE=Artisttyp; 1131971]Interesting topic. I found myself in a rather fragile situation this past trip to guatemala. I did a series of photos about over the hill and fat hookers. The photos have nothing to do with porn although there were a few toilet paper rolls and condoms in the photos. They are just photos of nude women in odd looking cubicles.

If I was checked I wonder how it would have played out? [/QUOTE]Artist I hope this is not some cover up of your "Over the hill washed up hooker fetish" Jejeje just kidding.

My computer is my business and I consider it an extension of my mind or an extension of something I have in my Home closet that is travelling with me. It poses no threat and is not a bomb but if it is found to be so then security has every right to proceed accordingly.

I advise that you copy all your docs and stuff from your lap top to an external drive and leave it at home. Travel with an almost empty laptop. In "My documents" and "pictures" folders have a few random things. Your CV, some white papers or photos of churches and cats.

While on vacation take photos of whatever and store them and anything else you want to remain private [B]in a single folder that contains everything [/B] (sub folders not a problem). This way everything is all in the same spot. No need to scramble and look for stuff all over your computer while packing your suitcase on the way to the airport.

Before returning:

Option 1) Email them to yourself (if there are not many things)

Option 2) Zip the file and FTP it to a server or shared storage if you can.

Option 3). More feasible:-

Change the date on your computer to be a past date. At least a few months before you travelled. Zip the file and give it an arcane name like appConfig. Change the extension of the file from. Rar or. Zip TO. Bat. (All lower case) Move that file to an OS directory like Windows / System32. Change the date of your PC back to today's date.

If your PC's setting "hides known file extensions" you will not be able to change the extension you will need to go to Control Panel to uncheck that "hide known extensions" in Folder options. Google that procedure.

Upon returning home rename back to. Zip and unzip.

Option 3 END.

For all options above:

Clear out "recent items" from your "start" (Go to Start,"recent items", right click and delete. Keep doing it until everything is gone. Go back and check). Then open one or two of your BS photos or docs. You have to have [I]something [/I]recent in there.

Also if you were surfing sites while on vacation clear out your history and temp internet files. Look up your own browser's method (IE: Tools / Internet Options / Browsing history / Delete / DeleteAll).

After deleting the history go to hotmail, google, Facebook and some [B]news site[/B]. You have to have [I]something [/I]in your browsing history.

If Immigration asks why you have not much in the way of personal files on your laptop tell them you only use it [B]read the news [/B]and stay in touch while abroad.

Be conscious of your memory card in your camera, or memory sticks etc. If that has stuff on it you wish to remain private they will find that random card floating around in your luggage. Why go through the steps above if your camera has everything on it?

Why go through all this if, like ArtistType you only have porn or photos of old big hookers? For me I would not want to be labeled in the Gov Database as a sex tourist. Why not just be labeled as an average Joe?

[b][u]EDITOR'S SUGGESTION[/u]:[/b] [blue]This is interesting, but you might consider re-posting it under the [u]Internet Security[/u] topic in the Site Administration section of the Forum where it will benefit the Forum Members who are specifically looking for this type of information. [i]Thanks![/i][/blue]

[QUOTE=Artisttyp; 1131971]Interesting topic. I found myself in a rather fragile situation this past trip to guatemala. I did a series of photos about over the hill and fat hookers. The photos have nothing to do with porn although there were a few toilet paper rolls and condoms in the photos. They are just photos of nude women in odd looking cubicles.

If I was checked I wonder how it would have played out? The women I photographed were not the ones I slept with minus two out of fourteen. I wonder how they differentiate between porn and nude? I had samples of other photography on my ipad just in case I was stopped but I never needed them. I'd like to travel with those photos on future trips but I am not sure if it's a good idea.

I looked at travel. Gov and they only mention child porn which as we all know is and should be illegal.

Does photos of hookers = automatic association and therefore punishment?[/QUOTE]When I travel and I am arriving back to the states I regularly get hauled off to the "secondary" USA Immigration processing room due to two factors, my passport is chuck full of stamps from the DR and Colombia and there is a person with the same exact name and birthday as me that happens to be a "bad guy" as one immigration officer put it. I travel with a laptop and camera but have all my nude or otherwise questionable photos on a SD card which I keep in my pocket while going through the airport, it doesn't have enough metal in it to set off the metal detectors, if someone wants to check my laptop or camera they are welcome to it although they have never asked to look at them.

[b][u]EDITOR'S SUGGESTION[/u]:[/b] [blue]This is interesting, but you might consider re-posting it under the [u]Internet Security[/u] topic in the Site Administration section of the Forum where it will benefit the Forum Members who are specifically looking for this type of information. [i]Thanks![/i][/blue]

[QUOTE=Manizales911; 1132201]When I travel and I am arriving back to the states I regularly get hauled off to the "secondary" USA Immigration processing room due to two factors, my passport is chuck full of stamps from the DR and Colombia and there is a person with the same exact name and birthday as me that happens to be a "bad guy" as one immigration officer put it. I travel with a laptop and camera but have all my nude or otherwise questionable photos on a SD card which I keep in my pocket while going through the airport, it doesn't have enough metal in it to set off the metal detectors, if someone wants to check my laptop or camera they are welcome to it although they have never asked to look at them.

[b][u]EDITOR'S SUGGESTION[/u]:[/b] [blue]This is interesting, but you might consider re-posting it under the [u]Internet Security[/u] Topic in the Site Administration section of the Forum where it will benefit the Forum Members who are specifically looking for this type of information. [i]Thanks! [/i][/blue][/QUOTE]Though I usually agree with Manizales911, I would never put single SD cards alone in my pocket. In case they make you remove everything from your pockets (does this ever happen or is that just in the movies? LOL) that would just scream "Look at me, take a look at and scrutinize whats on here" Best thing to do is to upload to a server and reformat the SD card or better yet just throw it in the garbage their $9 now for a 2G. Just delete the nudes leaving the candid ones on there along with the touristic ones. Never ever been secondaried (knock on wood) don't want to start and don't want to be put on any lists.

[QUOTE=Ricker; 1132008] ... Now do I still get that craving for variety and the chase? Of course.

For me that's where the PFP comes in to play, and I dabble in that for some fun and I have to accept that's who I am, but I do enjoy eventually coming back to the girl who digs me. [/QUOTE]Nice post. Wait a minute, that was me hahaha :)

[QUOTE=LuckyEddie;1132069]And there you have it. I'm in the same boat. Ricker as you probably know what you have in your neck of Brazil was available here 6, 8.10 years ago. Nowadays the girls here are so inundated with gringos that finding what you have is actually too much work and at times nearly impossible. A lot more accessable in brazil ...[/QUOTE]Moved this discussion over to GENERAL before the Cartagena guys got pissed.

I'm with ya Lucky, now let's keep all the tourists in Rio, and let me have the rest of Brazil hahaha.

[QUOTE=Ricker; 1132253]Nice post. Wait a minute, that was me hahaha.

Moved this discussion over to GENERAL before the Cartagena guys got pissed.

I'm with ya Lucky, now let's keep all the tourists in Rio, and let me have the rest of Brazil hahaha. [/QUOTE]Every guy wants GFE. Just get a GF in Latin America. A real girlfriend, (not hookers U-turn into girlfriends) these girls are VERY different than girlfriends you get in your home country. And they cost less, are better looking, more feminine and much nicer to be around. We all had regular GFs in our home countries back when we were in our 20s and didn't complain, so this is no different. And as you say and I agree there is PFP on the side. Nice.

I would not worry about the rest of Brazil, airfare is too much and guys like you with your attitude experience and command or portuguese and Spanish puts you in a class most foreigners don't even know exists.

First it was Costa Rica, then it was Brazil, then Sosua, and Lima.

Each for different reasons. Olimpics, infaltion (Brazil) , tourist sites (LIma) , police crack downs (Sosua). General Gringo infestaton (Costa Rica ).

So what is left? It is clear, most of all the regulars from the above areas have set their sites on Colombia. No more is the fear that has kept this country a paradise for guys in the know.

Myself I have already been active in finding a new spot safe from this awesome migration.

When people used to ask me when I came home from a trip to Colombia if it was safe I would tell them no not really but I am crazy. This does not work anymore.

If you think I am rash just read the MDE forum, but have a barf bag handy.

[QUOTE=Palermo; 1132224]I mean, if they knocked on your door at home and asked to come in and search your computer for no reason, no one would allow it.

So why do should they allow it at the airport?

I guess they search your luggage and we allow that, so maybe there's a case to made? [/QUOTE]When you cross the border, your rights to privacy have been suspended. This goes back way before 9/11.

Hi fellas Thanks again for the info regarding the Pharmacy at this airport. My novia was running a little late and so it was the perfect opportunity to do a little shopping there. Prices are $ 4, 000 for 4 generic V's I pay $ 20 USD each here in the states so I bought 15 boxes LOL. Lady looked at me kinda crazy LOL This was a novia trip and stayed at various hotels during my trip. Here are a few I can recommend.

Girardot- Hotel Zamba. Nice Clean and safe. No hot water, won't need it. It is hotter than shit there. City is not safe IMO. I never really felt safe there and always watched my back. Would recommend Hotel El Republicano.

Ibague- Great city nice people, lots of girls, easy for Non pro hook ups. Hotels I recommend are Hotel Acandi in the central part of the city. I think that is the main part of town. Lots of hotels on that strip all around 70k for 2 people. Clubs in that city are in the area near the Citibank. And there is a place called plaza Garibaldi Mexican mariachi place, good drinks and Tequila.

Armenia- Again lots of girls all over the place. Easy for non pro hookups. Good food easy to get a round and safe for the most part. Stay away from the streets that are not well lit. Also if you exchange at the money places make sure you do not then go into an unlit area. As thieves are waiting for you to go into places where they can find you alone. I noticed this a couple of times and just pissed me the fuck off that they saw me as a target. I wish I could just go at it 1 on 1 but being in a foreign country you have no rights like we do here. Just be careful.

Hotels- there are plenty in the centro area. But I noticed a few Americans at the Parque de Cafe. I can easily recommend that if you are there as you are finishing your day there at the park and on your way to the exit. There is a booth with a hot little Colombian there renting rooms at the Fincas. Those fincas are a really great deal. Extremely nice and comfortable free breakfast pool, exercise area bedrooms are really clean. Safe! There is one which I think is the best one it is Green and Yellow. Cost about 90k for 2 people. Best finca I can recommend. If you need more info just PM me be glad to help people out with as much info as I can.

[QUOTE=John Gault; 1132665]First it was Costa Rica, then it was Brazil, then Sosua, and Lima.

Each for different reasons. Olimpics, infaltion (Brazil) , tourist sites (LIma) , police crack downs (Sosua). General Gringo infestaton (Costa Rica ).

So what is left? It is clear, most of all the regulars from the above areas have set their sites on Colombia. No more is the fear that has kept this country a paradise for guys in the know.

Myself I have already been active in finding a new spot safe from this awesome migration.

When people used to ask me when I came home from a trip to Colombia if it was safe I would tell them no not really but I am crazy. This does not work anymore.

If you think I am rash just read the MDE forum, but have a barf bag handy.[/QUOTE]No one destination is going to be an unspoiled paradise forever, people need to give up this illusion. You have to be mobile and constantly looking for the next thing, or whatever fills your niche. Things change fast and what was once paradise can turn to hell very quickly. But vice versa also happens, and paradise can sprout of out of ashes. If you want your own private paradise pretty much the only guarantee is you set up your own private island and get your women flown in.

Having said that, Colombia is a pretty big country, and there are plenty of unspoiled places left. Outside of Medellin & Cartagena (neither of which I care for at all) and Bogota (north side) , you don't really see gringos. In 6 years of going to Bogota (central-Santa Fe) , I've never met another non-Latino foreigner, although I know they come because the ladies tell me. Still a great, cheap, and humungously underrated entertainment district. I doubt it will ever go mainstream because it's kind of dangerous and Bogota isn't exactly a vacation destination with the cold and all. I've been in bars in places like Pereira & Manizales where I've asked if other gringos come, and they'll tell me,"You're the first one in 2 years". And Pereira is not even that far off the beaten path.

If you want to go where gringos are too scared to go, why don't you try Mexico? 555. Seems like over the next decade or two, Mexico is turning into Colombia of the 1980's. Of course, unless your entire shtick is about being the only foreigner in town, just because gringos don't go / go doesn't make the place good / bad. Thailand has consistently been one of the top destinations for decades, and is good as it ever was as of 2011, even though (at least the parts foreigners patronize) is only there for foreigners, and everybody knows about it. Meanwhile Kazahkstan probably doesn't get a lot of foreign sex tourists but maybe for good reason.

Hey all,

I am a newbie who has never been outside the states, so I am hoping to change that this spring. I picked Colombia because it seems like just the right mixture of exotic culture and affordable fun. It will be a short 4 day trip.

Problem is, I have read the forums and formed first impressions, but am still not sure which cities to visit. I will really appreciate your advise! I can probably only visit two cities given the short length of time I am there.

My first priority is of course safety: I don't see myself ever stepping in Bogota South Side based on what I have read on this forum.

I don't consider myself a monger (yet) , but my second priority is to procure one or two super-hot nookies during the trip.

Thank you!

PS: One company offered me a bilingual girl to stay with me and show me around for 3 days for $1, 500. She looks really hot in all of her pictures. Is it a fair price?

[QUOTE=KayMan2; 1133572]Hey all,

I am a newbie who has never been outside the states, so I am hoping to change that this spring. I picked Colombia because it seems like just the right mixture of exotic culture and affordable fun. It will be a short 4 day trip.

Problem is, I have read the forums and formed first impressions, but am still not sure which cities to visit. I will really appreciate your advise! I can probably only visit two cities given the short length of time I am there.

My first priority is of course safety: I don't see myself ever stepping in Bogota South Side based on what I have read on this forum.

I don't consider myself a monger (yet) , but my second priority is to procure one or two super-hot nookies during the trip.

Thank you!

PS: One company offered me a bilingual girl to stay with me and show me around for 3 days for $1, 500. She looks really hot in all of her pictures. Is it a fair price? [/QUOTE]I was in your shoes a month and a half ago. Go to Medellin Reports section and read my post. Should still be on the first page