Cali Reports

Just want to add some comments regarding the women of COL.

I was in CTG for 5 days last week. I met a HOT 45 yr. old looking much younger. I'm mid-50's but look 40'ish. Yes, she is fantastic. Slim, 55 kg. She didn't ask for money after getting together 3 times.

She says she loves me. I'm afraid she will try to use it for her economic gains. Also wants me to get her US visitors visa. Any comments. I really like her.

Just to clear up some slightly misleading items of the last few weeks:

1. The name is Hostal San Fernando, not Hotel San Fernando. Still, it is a hotel (not a hostal) in the neighborhood of San Fernando. There is a Hotel San Fernando which I have never seen any reference to in WSG in the last 12-24 months, and taxi drivers have told me this place is a dump.

2. The add-on for a taxi at night, officially called 'recargo nocturno' is 500 pesos, not 1,000. Since you don't see the rate card, and since meters show rate-numbers and not fares in pesos, most taxis will overcharge you for both the normal fare and any add-on (e.g. night add on). Don't let them, unless you like to pay more than list price on things.

3. Using a visa card in an ATM is flat out stupid (unless it's an emergency). Use an ATM card. One with a VISA logo also implies it works on the plus network (vs. cirrus). Using a VISA card will cary a 2% or US$10 fee (which ever is higher) and you'll accrue interest immediately. Money is money, paying fees for obtaining money, when it's otherwise not required, is stupid.

Leo,

The charge levied on Visa depends on the issuer of the card. With my card you only pay 1% (with a maximum of Euro 1.36) if your account shows a positive balance.

Withdrawing money with my ATM card is much more expensive!

NYC EXPAT,

This is strictly for information purposes and not intended as a judgement of your situation. That being said there are plenty of Colombian or Latina looking 45 year olds right here in N.Y.C.

As far as the Visitors Visa or "Cita" as it is called in spanish.

There are two types "Tourist" and "Fiance".

Tourist- Will allow the women to come here on vacation.This visa can only be applied for at the U.S embassy in the womens home country. Besides the application it requires a face to face interview.

The cost is a $25 application fee that the women must pay at a bank before contacting the embassy for appointment. In addition there is a $100 non refundable processing fee that must be paid.

The $125.00 is probably what she was asking for. Which makes sense for 3 pops. As my Soprano friends like to say "You can pay me now or you can pay me later" sorry less I digress.

Once she pays the $25 to the bank and has a reciept she can call the U.S embassy for a appointment. At that time they will send her a application (which must be completed in English).

They will also give her a appointment for interview (about 5 min in duration and conducted in Spanish)

After the interview they will keep the $125.00, deny her application and send her on her way. We have to finance world domination some way!

There are however exceptions to every rule. It is possible to get a tourist if you can demonstrate the following.

1. You own a house.
2. You have a bank account with "Mucho Dinero"
3. You have a good job.

From my experience only the first two apply.

Which brings us to the Fiance Visa.

You can do this yourself or hire a agency (I have never done either but I am told the agency route is about $650.00)

This visa must be applied for by you.

Fiance Visa.

This allows your girlfriend to enter the country for 6 months.

If you marry her within six months she can stay in the country and apply for permanent status.

If you do not marry her she will:

A. Have to go home, never to be allowed entrance into our country again.

B. Simply dissapear to Corona N.Y. or where ever her husband, boyfriend or family lives. While you get to explain to the I.N.S.

There are many other conditions you must comply with:

A. Demonstrate you have a relationship with this women through letters,photos and travel documents.

B. Provide tax returns to prove you can support her.

C. Health certificates(no vd) and police reports for her.

If the idea of going thru this for a 45 y/o piece of ass is starting to bore you, imagine how I feel typing all this with one finger.

More info is available online at the U.S. State Dept. and probably has been written before by others on this site.

I hope this has been helpful.

Lima Busy

P.S. Recurdo mi Amigo! A chica is just as likely to say "te amo" to get a visa as you are to say it to get in her pants.

NYC Expat

It's nice to have a pretty woman tell you she that she loves you. Enjoy the affair. Love her.

However, I see no reason to bring her to the USA. Your concerns are valid. I have seen the problem of the woman that comes to the USA and gets what she wants and then dumps the guy so many times that it stopped being funny and now is just boring.

So, good luck. My best wishes.

Ferolga

Leo,

Thanks for your advise on the ATM card. I generally pay $1.50 transaction fee with Bank of America. Where can you get the best rate for American Dollars in Cali or other cities. I generally go to Caruaa in San Fernando ner the dog park there is a grocery store with a Bank.

Also thank you on the information on the taxi surcharge at night. How does one commuincate this in spanish to the taxi driver in spanish if hes trying to rip you.

HappyC

ferolga and Lima Busy

Thanks very much for your honest feedback. Especially Lima Busy with your informative post. It’s highly appreciated. All points taken to consideration.

I would like to clarify a few points. After being with her (non-pro) and never asking for anything, I suggested she came to the US on a brief holiday so we could be together since I had extra time in S. Florida before returning to Europe. The time could be used so we could get to know each other better. Of course I didn’t know the new requirements for visas.

I browsed the embassy’s website in Bogota regarding visas. I realize it isn’t as easy as I thought. I wrote her yesterday explaining the visa situation. She seems ok with it. I suggested we go together to Bogota when I return to CTG in July. No problem. She hasn’t asked for money. Sure, I will probably have to send $25 for the fee but I myself can pay the $100 embassy application expense personally when I’m there. Transport of course is also my expense. She'll need a return ticket to enter the US and it’s only a holiday trip at this time. I can afford supporting her on holiday in Florida for a week. So far so good.

If she starts asking for money then I know her true intentions and I can stop it before it costs a fortune. Guys, you are probably right but it is also possible her intentions are really honorable. They all can’t be gold diggers can they?. As for the age difference, I am not young in age, only in appearance and mind. I prefer a woman her age rather than a woman late 20’s, early 30’s for obvious reasons.

BTW, while in CTG, I met an American, 50, working in Bogota whom introduced me to his 26 yr. old GF. They have been together for 7 months and seem happy. He told she never asks for anything. He gives her taxi money for transport and an occasional gift. He said she is satisfied. I offered to give my new friend a gift. After some thought, she would like a pair of jeans. Cost about 120000 pesos, roughly $45. Reasonable I think.

Time will tell.

Lima Busy

That was a superb explanation. It should be on the FAQ.


ferolga

One correction to Lima's post: a fiancee visa (K-1) only gets you 90 days, NOT 6 months, within which to marry her or send her back else she becomes deportable and "excludable". You must submit an affidavit of support promising to repay the government for any welfare benefits or the like she might subsequently receive. She will have to pass a medical exam (at YOUR cost) that includes an HIV screening in addition to various other indignities. And the process is SLOW (though supposedly a bit quicker for East Coasters). All in all a HORRIBLE experience in bureacracy.

Anyone interested in a long term relationship or even a relationship period should spend adequate amounts of time with the girl. Getting a tourist visa for the girl is next to impossible. I've talked to several natives there that met all 3 criteria and still were shot down for a tourist visa. Sounds like the fiancee visa process isn't that difficult but it's a VERY serious situation and something that requires a lot of thought before doing.

My advice is to take some time off and either go to her city or travel around with her. I just spent a little over a week with a girl from Cali and discovered it wasn't for me.

We all are in different situations and I know it can work for some guys. I have really only talked to one guy that had the relationship/marriage work more than 4 years. I'm sure there are a lot more out there but most of the guys told me it didn't work out after a relatively short amount of time.

I've been going out to various places in Lima with pros and non-pros and it's fairly easy to meet the local girls. Almost all of them have told me they don't like the local guys. The highly educated girls like my two friends here said it's even more difficult to find a bright guy here that is worth keeping.

Good luck all.

El C:

Read my post more carefully please, I said to obtain cash from an ATM with a VISA is stupid. Using your VISA at point of sale (POS), given you have a 1% vs. 3% situation (e.g. all MBNA's are 1%) may be break even vs. the ATM given a $1.5 bank charge and maxing your withdrawl, depending on the FX your VISA and ATM bank use. I've found that my MBNA VISA rate is low enough vs. BofA's interbank rate that unless I can obtain a max withdrawl (in Colombia that would be 1,000,000 pesos if I remember right) I'm better off using the VISA. In summary, BofA's FX rate sucks I think.

Using a VISA to obtain cash (at an ATM or at a bank) will cost you a fee of $10 or 2% (I think), which ever is greatest, plus you'll begin accruing interest immediately.

Happy C:

I have BofA also. If remember right, there are like 5 ATM's within 2 blks of that grocery across from Karen's Pizza and a block from the park. One of the ATMs is across from the grocery in a bank/real estate office, and it only allows like 500,000 peso withdrawl, so I didn't use it. The green one in the little booth in the grocery parking allowed 1,000,000 if I remember right. The two on the main street, a block further from the park, were 600,000 max, I think.

I'm guessing they all have the same rate, which is determined by your US bank (BofA). The key is to minimize your fee.

Call BofA before you travel. Make sure they agree to waive all ATM charges they control (e.g. their charge per ATM - if the local bank also hits you with a charge there's nothing BofA can do). I was hit with the ATM charge (by the local bank) on every one of my withdrawls in Colombia.

OK, back to the girls (now that you have your money) ;)

Dear LEO and other cheapskates,

Stop taking up valuable board space with this crap about saving 1% or $1.50. My advise is travel, enjoy the ladies, and don't be an fn cheapskate about petty crap like this. After reading all these posts on Colombia, I'm willing to venture that You Leo are the cheap fuck who wanted change back from a $1000 peso bill (.30 cents US) at Flores Frescas.

This whole discussion seems stupid when you figure that on average you are only paying $30 US (or less) to get laid. This is further compounded when you figure that the average cab ride costs less than $1.00 US Dollar. If you all want to save $$ stay home and masterbate or start dating each other. You all can switch from pitcher to catcher (I imagine). Later!

Thanks Leo When next will you be in Cali maybe we can have a beer.

HappyC

Leo,

I would truly appreciate to know exactly where to find that ATM that allows up to 1000000 pesos. I live here, and going at the ATM to withdraw a max of 400000 kills me with the fees. Which Karens Pizza are you talking about? There are about 5 in Cali (or even more).

Thanks

Freeze

I think that is a mistake Leo. I used all those ATM's that you did and many many more and none of them would let me take out more than 400,000 pesos. Most of them only let me take out 300,000. That was something really annoying in Cali that they limited the amount you could take out. Luckily I have several ATM cards so I had no problems.

Antifreeze, if you don't have a paypal.com ATM card you may want to consider it. They are free and they only charge $1 to withdrawl money. I've never had a problem using it in any country I've been to except for of course Cuba. You can also have more than 1 if you have more than 1 paypal.com account. I have several paypal.com ATM debit cards linked to my accounts in USA so it's a good source of withdrawing funds.

Good luck and I hope you're doing well.

Saint