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[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2428288]BBVA, Davivienda, Banco Pichincha, and Scotiabank Colpatria ATM's do not have fees.[/QUOTE]As a Canadian I can attest that BBVA and Banco Pichincha do not charge fees and give reasonable exchange rates. Ironically I can't use the Scotiabank ATMs here. I avoid Davivienda but I can't remember if its due to fees or a bad exchange rate.
Using ATMs here has been really frustrating and I now hate Bancolombia with a passion. High fees and a crappy exchange rate? Fuck that.
[QUOTE=Surfer500;2428216]For those of you have been following the Coronavirus, it has been reported that Brazil has confirmed it's first case of the virus with it being the first one reported in South America.
Additionally, today the Colombian government has shut down the border with Venezuela over concerns regarding the virus.
And finally, and this not good news, the Salud del Valle Cauca has reported that 4 Colombians who have just arrived from Italy have the symptoms of the virus, yet this has yet to be confirmed by testing.
So it may turn out in the next few days that if these Colombians do have the Coronavirus, and no other cases are reported elsewhere in South America, that Colombia will be be at the forefront of all this for South America.
So what exactly does this mean for our hobby here, and those who spend a lot of time here. This is not good, and travel to and from the Country could possibly be shut down either by the Colombian government (Venezuela), the USA, and / or others.
I am curious as to what others think.[/QUOTE]According to the news, Brasil was the first country to report the coronavirus in South America.
[QUOTE=AdventureSeekr;2428315]Been following this closely and do not believe the quoted statistics what so ever. If you have a quarter of a brain and can do decent probability and math, logic says it is already spread further than disclosed or known and will continue to do so rapidly. I went back and forth about coming as I am here now and for 19 more days. Especially in this hobby where there is such a cross over of many different people from different areas, it's high risk. I expected Carnaval in Brazil to bring at least a few people in that are infected and did not know, seemed obvious with that many people.
My feeling is that worst case if I do get it, it takes 14 days or so for symptoms to appear and I'll be home by then. I also fully expect to get it one way or another, thinking it is avoidable at this point is simply foolish and unrealistic. If I were not here now, I would definitely not be booking a trip for a few weeks from now, that's for sure.
Luckily I stocked up on 3 months worth of supplies to return to as I fully anticipated what we are now seeing. The number of infected persons is maybe 100 x or greater than known for various reasons, one being lack of test kits or ability to test in underdeveloped nations, so I knew returning home could leave me in a situation where stores are empty. I live on an island that already has supply and inventory issues. Every place that has been hit with an outbreak has shut down everything, and supermarkets have gone bare within days. Not willing to take that chance, I recommend preparing now.
As I said, if I didn't already have this trip booked, I wouldn't be booking one and looking to come. Rome has seen 90% cancellations. Airlines are cancelling flights because too many people have cancelled. Tourism here is going to get hit hard just like anywhere else with an outbreak.[/QUOTE]It's all kind of scary, with the worst part being that in my opinion the USA is hardly prepared.
If there is an outbreak here in Colombia, which seems likely, I would be concerned about being able to leave. I'm not sure if I would want to be stuck here and getting sick as a foreigner versus being in the USA, but who knows what it might be like in the USA as well.
Definitely bad news for mongering scene. I have trip coming up to Bogota in a month.
[QUOTE=Surfer500;2428216]For those of you have been following the Coronavirus, it has been reported that Brazil has confirmed it's first case of the virus with it being the first one reported in South America.
Additionally, today the Colombian government has shut down the border with Venezuela over concerns regarding the virus.
And finally, and this not good news, the Salud del Valle Cauca has reported that 4 Colombians who have just arrived from Italy have the symptoms of the virus, yet this has yet to be confirmed by testing.
So it may turn out in the next few days that if these Colombians do have the Coronavirus, and no other cases are reported elsewhere in South America, that Colombia will be be at the forefront of all this for South America.
So what exactly does this mean for our hobby here, and those who spend a lot of time here. This is not good, and travel to and from the Country could possibly be shut down either by the Colombian government (Venezuela), the USA, and / or others.
I am curious as to what others think.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=AdventureSeekr;2428315]Been following this closely and do not believe the quoted statistics what so ever. If you have a quarter of a brain and can do decent probability and math, logic says it is already spread further than disclosed or known and will continue to do so rapidly. I went back and forth about coming as I am here now and for 19 more days. Especially in this hobby where there is such a cross over of many different people from different areas, it's high risk. I expected Carnaval in Brazil to bring at least a few people in that are infected and did not know, seemed obvious with that many people.
My feeling is that worst case if I do get it, it takes 14 days or so for symptoms to appear and I'll be home by then. I also fully expect to get it one way or another, thinking it is avoidable at this point is simply foolish and unrealistic. If I were not here now, I would definitely not be booking a trip for a few weeks from now, that's for sure.
Luckily I stocked up on 3 months worth of supplies to return to as I fully anticipated what we are now seeing. The number of infected persons is maybe 100 x or greater than known for various reasons, one being lack of test kits or ability to test in underdeveloped nations, so I knew returning home could leave me in a situation where stores are empty. I live on an island that already has supply and inventory issues. Every place that has been hit with an outbreak has shut down everything, and supermarkets have gone bare within days. Not willing to take that chance, I recommend preparing now..[/QUOTE]I'm not concerned. I'll get to that in a minute. You're dead on about the spread being wider than reported, or even feared. I suspect we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
The US just put Pence in charge of the effort to protect against the virus. A guy who believes science is a satanic hoax, who doesn't believe smoking poses any health risk and who fueled an HIV outbreak in Indiana while governor. So we're well prepared here. Trump is screaming that it's all a hoax to hurt his reelection chances. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure Twitter isn't going to stop the disease.
But I'm not concerned. There will be some chaos, panic, economic disruption. All the fun stuff. Then we'll move on and things will return to whatever is considered normal. Getting worried about it won't change anything.
I'm wondering if in fact, Colombia did block out USA Incoming flights. That Spirit would give you a refund?
Probably not, since it's not their fault, wasn't their equipment, etc.
[QUOTE=Shamester;2428426]According to the news, Brasil was the first country to report the coronavirus in South America.[/QUOTE]I am booked to fly in from JFK during the 3rd week of April, Imma be Upset if my trip gets canned. I have not booked lodging yet since this corona epidemic started.
So I did a little but more exploring of the atms and currency exchanges and I've split them into 3 different tiers. This is regarding my Canadian Bank but I assume it's pretty similar for Americans. As of now the Canadian dollar is worth about 2600 COP.
A-Tier.
Banco Pinchincha BBVA Davivienda.
Pinchincha and BBVA both give about 2500 COP per CDN and Davivienda gives about 2450. I've ranked them like this because BBVA only allows smaller transactions and that makes a difference if you're paying international ATM fees with your bank.
Be-Tier.
Currency exchanges.
I've only checked out a few currency exchanges but they were all highly rated. The best rate I saw was 2370 COP to CDN.
Shit-Tier.
Banco Columbia and all other major banks.
You want me to pay 18000 COP to withdraw at a rate of 2350 COP to CDN? Fuck off.
On another note I've been careful to check how much money the vendors give me back in change to make sure I'm not getting short changed. Not once has somebody tried to short-change me but on three occasions they have accidentally given me back too much change (usually 10000 COP over).
[QUOTE=AdventureSeekr;2427960]Tried two ATM's but the fee was high and it wouldn't show me the rate it was offering[/QUOTE]- If the ATM shows you the exchange rate option, that option is going to be a rip off rate. I always assumed it was only 3.5% (just like the credit card); it might be a lot more. In Angeles, the displayed exchange rate was approximately 17% worst.
- Don't understand people's complaint about getting a lousy exchange rate (for normal ATM withdrawals). I always got the same inter bank rate on every ATM in the world. Maybe people are forgetting to calculate their bank's or the ATM charges. I believe sometimes the ATM fee is not asked nor stated on the receipt, so people are not using the correct equation. They think the ATM is free, but it is not. I guess the reverse can be true. I'm assuming the ATM charges, and I'm the one using the incorrect equation. But I can't believe my bank would accept a lousy exchange rate. Also, maybe it's different for non-US non-Schwab ATM cards.
[QUOTE=AdventureSeekr;2428322]If I remove 14,500 (about $4) from the first withdrawal, it brings the rate up to 3989 cop[/QUOTE]It seems you made a mistake in your equation. Current US / COP Buy exchange rate is approximately 3435. I believe the best it has ever been was approximately 3500.
For the correct equation, you need to add the 14,500 to your withdrawal. In your example, it will be 214,500 / (amount charged on Schwab) = Exchange rate.
[QUOTE=AdventureSeekr;2428322]The fee's will be returned from Schwab, and it is possible they are being calculated into these amounts but my bank is not showing the fee as a separate charge so I don't know for sure.[/QUOTE]For Schwab, the foreign ATM charges are credited to your account at the end of the month. They are lumped together without any additional info. I believe you have to call customer service to get the detailed info.
[QUOTE=GreenBud;2428585]For Schwab, the foreign ATM charges are credited to your account at the end of the month. They are lumped together without any additional info. I believe you have to call customer service to get the detailed info.[/QUOTE]This explains it, thank you. Took out more today - 3425 cop to usd, rate has improved slightly since 2 days ago. Schwab works on every ATM that I've tried for those who have bank / card issues here.
[QUOTE=AdventureSeekr;2428322]OK, just calculated each withdrawal individually.
ATM at airport Servibanca (that I wanted to cancel and did not work 14,500 fee) 200,000 withdrawn - 3168 cop per 1 USD.
ATM at Davivienda (did have 14,500 fee. At least that is what the screen said) 400,000 withdrawn - 3398 cop per 1 USD.
ATM at Carulla (says Bcol on bank charge 18 k fee) 600,000 withdrawn - 3298 cop per 1 USD.
The fee's will be returned from Schwab, and it is possible they are being calculated into these amounts but my bank is not showing the fee as a separate charge so I don't know for sure. If I remove 14,500 (about $4) from the first withdrawal, it brings the rate up to 3989 cop to usd. If I remove 18 k ($5) from the Carulla withdrawal, the rate goes up to 3409 cop to usd. So I am going to assume it is the fee that is lowering the rate.
This was all withdrawn within about a 3 hour window on the same day.[/QUOTE]I have never had Schwab show the fees separate, only at the end of the month when they refund the fees all in one lump sum. I have been using Davivienda for years and have never been charged a fee. When the screen has the question about if I want to see the charge, I always select NO, so maybe it would show a charge if I selected YES. Either way, I don't think they charge anything.
I'm not sure how you are calculating the exchange rate. I have always received almost the same rate at different banks, within less than 1 cent on the dollar. You know what Schwab has deducted from your account, so you need to take the amount you received plus the ATM charge to calculate the exchange rate.
Update: Sorry I stated some of the same stuff Greenbud had already posted. I started my response a couple of hours ago - got sidetracked.
[QUOTE=Shamester;2428426]According to the news, Brasil was the first country to report the coronavirus in South America.[/QUOTE]My friend, a Paisa and just a friend now, says 4 cases in Colombia but nobody seems to be worried now. Also says not much on the news but I don't think she watches much news.
Personally, I'd try to stay informed. Lots of viruses love the tropics and lots more person to person contact there too. Don't panic but do keep your guard up.
[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2427896]You better watch that shit. A few years ago I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Lima with this chick I was fucking. A couple of days later I told my girlfriend that I just got into town and took her to the same restaurant. The waitress ratted me out.[/QUOTE]Why the fuck would she rat you out. That type of shit will get a ***** hurt she fuck with wrong person.
[QUOTE=PunkedLife;2428616]Why the fuck would she rat you out. That type of shit will get a ***** hurt she fuck with wrong person.[/QUOTE]I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume the dumb wasn't privy to Me. E's deception. He probably didn't take her aside and say "listen. This girl is just someone I'm fucking. I'll be back in a few nights with my real Lima girlfriend. She doesn't know I'm already in Lima. I'd really appreciate it if you would pretend you have.
I've been trying to sleep in but my body just wakes up at 7 am every day on the dot. Drives me nuts. Got up early, made a big breakfast. Omelette, bacon, watermelon, pineapple, OJ, smoothie, its amazing how well you can eat here for like $2.
Go up to the pool and hang in the sun for an hour but the air quality seemed really bad today and the sun was super strong, so decided to mess around online for a couple of hours inside. Hit the ATM, found a place for lunch, around the corner is place called WOK. Everything is $5-8. Very good food, and great lunch spot if you're staying nearby, some of the other places have been decent but this I will return to and try other items.
Not sure what to do with the day and decide to check out Plaza Minorista. I take an uber over because I'm lazy and don't feel like learning the metro system yet. Turns out my uber driver needed to go there today too, kid around 20 I assume and is cool, tells me which spots he likes for fruit and then goes to do his thing.
I check out some shoes which I assume must be fakes because they were selling $60 Vans sneakers for $14 and I didn't even haggle yet, so maybe you can get them for $10-12, but they were pretty solid, I couldn't tell if they were fake, stolen or real honestly. Didn't have my size in the color I wanted and heading to El Centro tomorrow so figured I'll just wait.
Take my time, cruise the entire Plaza for a couple of hours, grab a ton of stuff, mangoes, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, passion fruits, a medium size package of strawberries. Must have been 8-9 lbs of fruits and veg - $3!
Come back to the airbnb and kick it for a couple of hours, nail down details with Karina, and order from wings from Sport Wings. I'm adding a lot of food details here because its not mentioned much and I really wish I had a better idea of what's worthwhile. I hope others are finding this useful. In any case, lots of restaurants are always running specials on Rappi so that's cool. 18 wings, 3 different kinds / sauces, delivered for $9, and they're pretty damn good. Def would order again, hit the spot.
Only ate a few as they arrived 30 minutes before Karina was arriving. Super sweet girl and absolutely gorgeous. I look for multiple things and I'm into flaca's, not crazy skinny, but fit and toned. She's probably 5'4', her face is a 10 to me, just beautiful, great body and fantastic butt, it is enhanced, and a little big for her small frame but not too big, kind of just like damn that's a nice big butt. Great shape to it too.
We start off sharing a drink and chatting for 30 minutes, move to the bedroom and make out briefly. Solid BBBJ, very sensual and she is just exotic naturally so I'm rock solid. Move through a handful of positions and decide its time to break out the vibrator, she loves it. We talked earlier about 2 C (tussi) and herb and she said she loves both so after round 1, I ask if she wants to smoke (mind you at this point, we're already past the agreed upon amount of time) but she seems to have let that go. We smoke, get hungry, she says she wants wings LOL well funny enough there are wings sitting right on the counter, so we eat most of them, head back to the bed for round 2 and this time the GFE really came out. Also a riding champion, but she tires fast LOL Very sweet girl, open, sharing lots of photos and stories about her life here, some of her travels. We are 3 hours in when she only agreed to 1. 5 and says she needs to get back to Bello, she doesn't like getting there late as its not very safe. We're all done anyway so totally cool with me, I wanted tonight to be an earlier one too. We agree to see each other again and we definitely will, super fun time. Give her 300 k.
Side note: yes I do have a list of chicas that will accept 150 k, and they will stay for a couple hours but they are, let's say a be- to be, maybe be+. The A and A+ chicas will not accept 150 k. 200 k plus taxi is the standard ask. If I want oral natural, or more time, or two pops, they are trying to tack on extra for each thing. After some back and forth, I just say, I'm offering 250 k for everything, I don't want to be rushed, let's eat, drink and have a good evening together and so far they all accept that proposal. I have tipped for what I felt was them going above and beyond what we agreed to. Because I plan to see them again, I think this is good judgement.
Well, I don't know if I need to even say this, but I love Medellin.