Cartagena Reports

JT, and anybody else

What is your impression of the El Conquistador apartments in Laguito? Which is a stone throw from the Hilton. I’m thinking about buying an apartment there. Then renting it out. Also anybody have any experience with the Realtor named Paul Juan, is he honorable?

Happy hunting!

IMHO, they are a shithole. Try Excelarus, Torre Centauro, or other buildings on the other side of the road.

So, as my 3 month visa will be up in Costa Rica the end of March I'm going to have to leave my beloved San Jose for a few days before I can re-enter for another 3 months. I've been wanting to check out Cartagena and today found a really cheap package deal from San Jose, about $500 for five nights at the Decameron Beach Hotel on Bocagrande beach, all-inclusive with airfare, transfers, meals, booze etc. Too good to pass up.

Questions for some of you Cartagena experts.

First, does anyone know if the Decameron is chica friendly. Somehow as it is an all-inclusive place I kind of doubt it. My Spanish is fluent and I plan to be working the Decameron's bars and disco for vacationing talent but will also be taking chicas out of LDV I'm sure.

If Decameron is not chica friendly I'll need to rent another cheap hotel room where I can take chicas from LDV, the beach and other places. Can anyone point me towards a couple of hotels that might work for this purpose?

Most of the rest of the info I need I have found already posted. I'm looking forward to CTG. I love Colombianas but the ones who make it here to San Jose and frequent the Del Rey are mostly out of my price range, particularly during the high season. Some of these hot Colombiana ho's are asking and getting up to $200 an hour here. Unreal! I'm looking forward to tapping some of this fine poontang at the source.

Thanks for your help.

Mexpat

Photo is of a Colombiana I know who is now asking $200 in the Del Rey in San Jose and getting it from some of the tourists.

Mexpat,
All reports have the Decameron not chica friendly. I saw the same package deal, it is a hell of a deal and hard to pass up.
The hotel you want for your needs is The Las Velas hotel. Location could not be better! You pick up your chica in LDV, you walk out the door, down some steps, cross the street, and you are at Las Velas. It is also smack dab on the beach right where the action is.
You'll love La Dolce Vita. LDV is a friggin smorgasboard :-)
The same chica going for 200 an hour in Costa Rica will struggle to get 40 dollars for the night in Cartagena.
I'll be there myself in for a few days in Mid March. Have a ball amigo!

The below article is in today's El Universal (newspaper of Cartagena). It basically says HIV/Aids cases in Cartagena is on the rise from the previous year. Put a hat on that Jimmy!

Aumentó el Sida en el 2003 en Cartagena

ANÍBAL THERÁN TOM
El Universal

Un total de 290 casos de Sida se detectaron en el 2003 en Cartagena, de acuerdo con el informe del perfil epidemiológico de la ciudad presentado por el Dadis ayer.

Según el informe, el Sida se incrementó en un 15% con relación al 2002. Aunque Alexis Ramos, médico epidemiólogo del Dadis, dijo que se estima que el contagio de los casos detectados se presentó progresivamente en los últimos 10 años, lo que indica el incremento de la prevalencia de la enfermedad.

También es preocupante, agregó, que se hayan aumentado los casos de enfermedades de transmisión sexual en el 2003 en un 50% con relación al 2002. "Cuando estaban casi controladas volvieron a presentarse casos de sífilis, herpes genital, gonorrea y otras enfermedades que se contagian por el no uso de preservativo y la promiscuidad sexual", dijo.

En Cartagena se han registrado en los últimos 15 años 1.500 casos de VIH Sida. Por esa enfermedad han muerto cerca de 480 personas, según las cifras del Dadis.

Indicó que el Dadis realiza controles no sólo en las personas que se dedican al comercio sexual, sino en el resto de la población. "Nuestros funcionarios dictan charlas en colegios y universidades sobre los peligros del sexo sin protección", dijo.

Así mismo, el director del Dadis, César Pión, dijo que se ha iniciado la búsqueda activa de casos en toda la ciudad, pues se busca bajar la incidencia de esta enfermedad. "Hay que reducir el estigma y la discriminación hacia los enfermos de VIH y por el contrario debemos reconocer que es una realidad social", indicó.

Greetings,
I'll be in CTG from 7-11 April. Looking forward to first trip to S.A. and LDV is highest priority.

BTW, has anyone else noticed Cartagena-hot website is closed?.

Thank you Vallenato

Here are a few choice translations


[280 Aids cases detected in 2003]

[STD's are up 50% in 2003 compared to 2002.]

[Herpes, gonorreah, syphilis have made a resurgence, because condoms are not used.]

[Over the last 15 years 1500 cases of AIDS have been diagnosed.]

Well, I´ve got a few weeks off from work so I´m off for a Colombia adventure ... a few days in Cartagena ... to Pereira, Manizlaes, Armenia region ... to Cali (got to meet a chica I met on the internet) and to top things off ... of course Medellin.

I have got to say that Mery Salence is a true gem for finding a condo here in Cartagena ... on very short notice she found me an awesome place ... it´s a 2 bedroom but she´s only charging 1 room rates because I´m solo.
Her email is: oficerna@yahoo.com phone: 575-655-0384
she´s a sweatheart and she speaks english and spanish.

I never made it to LDV last night like I wanted .... as soon as I got to the condo, I put on the shorts and hit the beach ... on the way there I saw a real cutie walking with her baby in her arms and I approached her and said I wanted to help her a little with some plata $$$ ... I said I didn´t want anything ... just that it made me feel good to help out a mother with her baby ... I gave her 20,000 pesos ($7).

I walked her to her apartment where she lives with her Mama and she asked where I was staying and if she could visit me sometime ... of course I said yes.

When I came back from the beach about an hour later ... I saw her waiting for me and we went up and had a cerveza and she asked if she could give me a massage to relax me and I think you know the rest ....
Great time ... tried to give her some more plata $$$ but she refused ... I promised to see her again soon.

Then I go out for a walk to find comida (food) and I run into the famous Maritza and some of her friends. I took a liking to one of her friends ... a beautifull Costenanita (local chica from Cartegena) ... pictures later (tastefull type).
We all sat at Riquisimos for some comida and cervezas and the Costena and I played footsies and of course again ... you know the rest of the story ... we spent the rest of the evening and night together and damn if she didn´t like sex more than me ... which is almost impossible.

She never asked for plata $$$ but of course, being with Maritza, I knew she was a worker ... but very sweet. I gave her 120,000 pesos ... that was all I had with me ... she was happy ... I was ´muy contento´ (satisfied).
I promised to call her later too.

Now I´m off to the playa (beach) to see what kind of trouble i can find there ...

Tonite ... gotta check out the LDV to see how things are there ... report soon.

Monday, I´m off to another city and adventure.


Suerte!

Hello all fellow pooners.

Firstly, thank you all for your information. I just got back to Vancouver from Thailand which I have been many times. But will not repeat. I'm looking for new material. Cartagena really has my interest. I speak a bit of spanish and love those latin girls. I am planning a trip a.s.a.p. for a couple of weeks just to get a feel for the place. Can someone recommend a nice lady freindly place to stay that is not noisey. I am 55 and very active , but cannot stand loud techno music all night. Now, the important stuff. Chica's, what and where is it and how does it work? I'm sure the same as all places. I'm not a cheap charlie but i don't like to throw my money away. I would be happy for variety or if I get lucky then hang with a stunner the whole time. Do you have to go to the clubs to pick up a girl or are most gorls approachable on the street. Always nicer to get a non-pro. we know they are all the same. Have pussy will travel. But there is something about a non-bar girl that makes me feel better. But I do have picky high taste and love the slim trim stunners.

Thanks in advance.

[size=-2][u]EDITOR's NOTE[/u]: [blue]Posting of this report was delayed pending revisions to [u]capitalize the word "I"[/u]. To avoid future delays, please use a capital "I" to refer to yourself in future reports. [i]Thanks![/i][/blue][/size]

Could someone please report on when is the best time to visit Cartagena? In particular, I would like to visit at a time when it is still warm enough to go swimming in the Pacific. It looks like it is close enough to the equator that it might be possible to go all year around. Is this true?

Thanks in advance for your help.

DfB

DfB

Cartagena is an all-year round resort.

However, it is not on the pacific, rather on the atlantic and more specific on the caribbean sea.

High season is June-August and late DecemberJanuary.

Low season (very low) is Feburary-late June.

It´s really good in early November because they have the annual beauty pagent.

Take care

Latintraveller

LT,

Thanks for the info. Is "low season" only low in terms of prices and number of tourists? that is to say, is it a good time for mongering?

DfB

You have to really look to find an ugly girl in Cartagena. IMHO the low season is the best time to go. Stop worrying about it. The biggest problem you will ahve is not beng able to get another hard on fast enough.

Some sources including travel forums maintain that Cartagena continues to be totally safe destination for tourists. Can anyone comment on this? Obviously kindapping is the worst scare. But have there ever been any abductions in this city?

Also I hear nowadays ship call into the port of Cartagena. So how touristy this place really now is? Please help get a feel for what it's like security-wise and as a fun place to spend time in.

Thanks

Sean EZ,

Cartegena is safe. To quote from a movie, "This isn't Switzerland." But it's safe.

I was there last year and walked about at two in the morning and no one bothered me, except for the beggars. There are lots of beggars.

In terms of fun. I put up a small list of chica clubs in this sub-group a while back. There's the ever so popular "Dolce Vida" in front of Las Velas hotel.

There are also the regular dance clubs at Plaza del Reloj and in Calle del Arsenal, such as Mr. Babilla.I found regular clubs to be jumping from Thursday to Saturday, quite empty the rest of the week.

The old town is a trip back in time to colonial Spain. You could get a guide and do a four hour tour through the town. My experience is that it is best to arrange tours it through the best hotels in town.

Ferolga