Cartagena Reports

BTW, since you're pretty exp monger(spanish too i'm guessing) in latin america, you may want to consider Bogota, Medillin, & Cali especially if you planning on spending more than a week in COL. CTG is very hot, humid, and has a beach town/resort feel, which can get old. Cali(i hear medillin too-never been there) is great for non-pro, the people are very friendly and it's easy to hook up. Not as easy as cuba, but lot easier than BA. But coming from BA, ANY COL city is not going to seem as comospolitan or exciting. Places like bars, clubs, restaurant in COL cities are not fill w/ people during the week(unless it's holiday week), especially compare to BA. Weekend non problem. Outside of hitting the pro-scene, COL cities are boring during the week, because so place regular for non-pro are closed. BUT of course the pro stuff is open late.

Hey guys, thank you so much for the useful info. So you think an apartment is the way to go, so I would appreciate any info on booking or a good experience someone had with a particular apartment and how to book in advance. Is this your preference because of price only, or are the hotels all simply not girl-friendly? I really would prefer a hotel, but not if I can't bring a girl up to my room.

Also, best way to get acclamated to the pro scene? Beach? Clubs? Best and worst, places to avoid?

And yes, I'm conversational in Spanish and pretty hip to latin culture.

Thanks so much again for your help!

For an apartment, contact Juan Ventura [url]http://www.zepelion.com/apartamentos/index.htm[/url].

Hotel Charlotte in Boca Grande is a good choice if you prefer a hotel. It is good, reasonably priced, and chica-friendly. There are other hotels that are chica-friendly but not all of them. Cartagena primarily services the family tourist trade and does not want to offend. For example, street walkers are regularly arrested because that activity doesn't look good. You can, of course, find some nice stuff on the street. They are just a little more reserved.

You can find non-pro action in Cartagena. There are a million permanent residents and tourists are always present. Some times are better than others for tourism, but CTG is pretty much a 24/7 town.

for one night, then moved to an apartment. it's a good hotel, has that small, friendly hotel setting, paid 125k/night (incl. breakfast). also, it's 10 min walk from ldv and in imo better location than other hotel/apt close to ldv. however make sure you tell them before checking that you want guest no problem and no additional cost. when i first checked in, they told me guest no problem but i had to pay extra 20-30k irc per night. then a fellow gringo staying there overheard me and told them that i was his "friend" and don't charge the extra fee. so obviously this is negotiable.

btw, i like the place, the only reason i bail on the hotel to the apartment was price and space, i got a 2 bd/1bath apart(both rooms open) for 100k/night, it's the big rose color sykraper next/near mcdonald. one thing about many apts is that they don't have hot water, not problem w/ the heat in ctg. check out manila house casa, imo it's less of a plastic feel than playboy. girls were very frienly and cost less too! my friends pulled a girl for 200k for 24 hrs + 60k to the house. you'll have search the thread for direction or simply tell the taxi driver. the girls mostly range from 7's to a few 8's, while playboy was a few 7s but mostly 8's.

I just got my ticket on Aviance, round trip from Miami for US $439. I tried to use their website but it prohibited me from purchasing, something about the tariff, so I got that rate on the phone. Good, no?

Girls are now collectively trying to gouge people in LDV. Asking price is $200K and this is more than double what anyone should pay and would have payed a short time ago.

Don't contribute to girls thinking they can do this. If they ask for $200K tell them to get lost and wait for them to come down to $80 to $100.

If the norm becomes $200K, CTG will never be the same as we know it.

Also, I'm withdrawing my recommendation of Alex as a guide. I'd remove the post, but don't know how to do so.

Gentlemen,

I'm in Cartagena now, will staying about 3 weeks. Have rented from Juan, one-bedroom 40 USD a day. The Apartement is o.k. but nothing more. Is is located in the Edificio Caribe Real in El Laguito close to Hilton and 250 m to LDV. Was 1 time in LDV, hooked up with ca. 20 years old morena, 150 K for 1 hour, performance 7/8. About 40 - 50 girls inside, high quality. In the evening I will meet another young girl, I meet her in a Italian restaurant here in Laguito. First day I was approached by a dark girl who was smoking ad drinking like an old seeman - nothing worth to drop a line here. Tu Candela was very slow on wendesday but I will try again tonight. Also I will try Mr. Babilla and Giro Matto.

Alot of girls here in the city, very few tourists ecxpect italians. I guess here is going more the pro scene than the non pro scene.

Update will be follow shortly.

I decided to give Alex a call based on your recommendation when I was in CTG in January.

Just as background, I've been to MDE twice and CTG twice in the past 5 months and I understand Spanish better than I speak it. But I've travelled/hobbied all over the world and have always gotten by with a smile, sense of adventure, a few bucks and an electronic translator.

Alex can be very useful, but you have to set ground rules and remind him that you are the boss and he is there to help you. And if you determine that the help you need is him introducing you to a girl and then shutting the fuck up, then that's what he has to do.

It's unfortunate that Alex went to the 50-Cent School of English and Social Graces, but it is what it is.

Here's how to best use Alex:

1. Go to the Castellana Centro Commercial. Walk around and whenever you see a girl that strikes your fancy, have him introduce you and then tell him you'll give him a call on his cell when you need him next - maybe in 10 minutes, maybe in an hour. Remind him that you are paying him 50k for the day and you want him to be available, but not stuck to you like a Siamese twin. After the introduction, I usually don't need him for much else.

2. Go with him to Lagartija Disco on a Sunday night (near the Castellana Centro Commercial). Sunday night is pick up night. The place was getting going at 10pm and by midnight you couldn't make it to the bano it was so crowded. But when I would spot a girl that I wanted to talk to, Alex would jump from the table, and get her info/bring her back to the table. I got 6 phone numbers on a Sunday night and hooked up with three of the girls over the next week. All non-pros and all a great time.

I really wouldn't use him any other way. I certainly don't need him at the beach or at Tu Candela, etc. Some guys might not like going to places by themselves, but that doesn't bother me and I'm rarely alone for long. But for me, I've had great success with the introduction routine and I wouldn't hesitate to use Alex for that. And tell him to shut the fuck up when he starts blabbing about nothing - and trust me, he will again and again. It's hard to hurt his feelings. Besides - it's your vacation.

i have been along time reader and never a poster but I have the funds now to go down there for at least 2 or 3 weeks, but need some opinions on were to go, were to stay and who to get to be my guide or gofor for a few days or at first.

Any help guys let me know please.

I did the Island of Margreta and now have to do Columbia.

Oh yea, and before you tell to look back at post's I have and don't know what to think?

Thanks guys

Can you recomend me what elecronic translator you use? Where can I find them?

Thank in advance.

The beach is very, very slow. No Girls, you con not make contact.

LDV is crowdly early in the night, IMHO 11.30 pm. Monday 30 girls there, the time goes by and more and more men fills the disco. asking price is mostly 200 K, they don't want all-nighters and when they agree, they screw with you and try to leave after the first session. And, I guess there not 100%, but 90% are avaible.

Was in Giro Matto on saturday, music is electronic, a lot of drugs and nearly the same girls as in LDV. They are waiting outside for a man who bring they in because there is a entrance fee, 10 K. It is running at 2.00, crowdly at 3.00 und ends up at 6.00 am. Drinks are more expansive than in LDV.

Mr. Babillas was closed for public - fiesta privada.

Street Vendors: Summary: You can not aviod them. Take a seat not closed to the street in a restaurant. Bocagrande beach is hell on earth. I have never seen in my live that kind of shit. O.K. the want feed themselfs, but it is my vacation.

You dont have to bring tons of clothes or going and by towels here. There is a good "lavanderia" closed to the apartment building - fast and cheap.

Cartagena is a very nice und safe city, the Gold-Museum and the Marine/military museum are worth a visit. Don't eat at Plaza Santo Domingo, you will be end up in Jail because there are millions of vendors, you can't be one minute alone with yourself or the girl and your fist will starting really soon to hit faces.

Now a Cartagena believer

Hi all. I’ve been mongering mostly in Asia but I decided to give Latin America, namely Cartagena, a try. Now I’ve got a problem because this place totally rocks and now I’ve got to choose between Southeast Asia and Colombia for my 8 week trip this summer. I know I can’t go wrong either way but it’s gonna kill me that I can’t do both. In short, finding almost any kind of girl is child’s play in Cartagena. Security isn’t a problem and there are plenty of things to do. Of course there are some annoyances. But even if something pisses you off you’ll have a babe on hand to make you forget about it soon enough. Special thanks goes to WSG member tomtom33, probably the best friend you can have if you go to Colombia. Tomtom, I wish we could have hung out more but the pussy kept me tied down and wouldn’t let me up.

Flight: Round trip from Miami for $412, bought from America Travel in Miami. I had a few hassles due to my having a foreign-based credit card, which I talk about in a December post. But in the end the ticket got there and Avianca was spot on time both ways. Inflight service and food was ok. Stewardesses were extremely ok.

Arrival: If someone is coming to meet you at the airport, have them show up at least 45 minutes after the scheduled arrival of your flight. It took me an hour after arrival before I finally got out. And greeters have to wait outside. Immigration line was slow. They fussed for several minutes over every passport. Then you have your bags are all x-rayed and possibly hand-searched. There was one line for this for the whole plane. Not sure what they’re looking for. I thought it was a little funny if Colombia was looking for drugs smuggled INTO the country. Taxi from the airport to Almirante Hotel was about 12,000 pesos. Tomtom33 was at the airport waiting for another friend so I got to split the cost. Departure, by the way, is also time-consuming. It’s a good idea to get to the airport at least 2 and a half hours ahead of the flight.

Hotel: I stayed at Almirante Hotel, $85 a night plus taxes and charges of about $10, booked online directly with the hotel. Breakfast was included (a good buffet). It has a pretty good gym and a smallish pool. The pool doesn’t get much sunshine if you’re a sun worshipper. There is a ‘solarium’ on an upper floor if you need this. Room is your standard 4-star, there’s a key-opened in-room safe. Guest-friendly? A qualified yes. Girls had to leave their ID card at the front and they had to be out by 5am, or there would have been an extra charge. This was ok for me because I was mostly practicing 3F mongering. The last couple of nights I had a girl that I might have wanted to keep overnight. The hotel rule probably helped me keep things uncomplicated. I probably could have avoided all this by booking double occupancy, but this would have cost more also. The upside of this is that the hotel is very secure. Nothing much will get in that doesn’t belong there. But this also means there won’t be any many non-guests coming or going, which takes some of the life from the place.

Next time I’ll probably do like everyone else and get an apartment. I usually prefer hotels because of all the services and facilities and also the general coming and going energy they have. But next time I visit I’ll probably want unhassled all-nighters so I’ll probably look elsewhere. I also understand that some apartments have gyms, pools, satellite TV, cleaning service, etc.

Money: Exchange rates for ATM withdrawals was about 2300 pesos to the US dollar. It wsa usually 2150 for cash dollars at official moneychangers. There you have it.

Colombia wasn’t cheap compared to Thailand and the Philippines, but still not too bad. It costs somewhat more to take a girl out to wine and dine her. A hotel of the standard of the Almirante can be had for half or less in the Philippines. Diving costs were about 30% higher. Short time with pros was about 100K or 120K pesos, which is also a bit higher than what I pay in southeast Asia. But it’s not too high to keep me away from coming here again.

Language: I won’t go as far to say that you have to speak Spanish. But let me put it this way. None of the girls I met spoke more English than Hello or I love you. If you can get by with that then fine. But if you want more communication then any Spanish you can bring with you will serve you well. This was my first experience in a Spanish immersion situation. I’ve only had 4 years of classroom Spanish a long time ago. But after a slow start I was improving by big leaps every day. Just like my experience in Japan, the best language teacher was in bed next to me.

Beaches: Bocagrande has good sand, waves and plenty of pussy per square meter. The only problem is the touts. They’re fine if you keep moving. But if you want some relaxing time on the beach with your girl then you’d better find another beach out of the tourist area. My girl suggested as much and I should have listened. You will never be left alone for more than a minute. And if you’re foolish enough to buy something you’ll be surrounded by 10 other people trying to sell you something else. I’ve been to some other places with a high hassle factor, like Kuta in Bali and Cairo. Bocagrande gave these a run for their money. So I would recommend this beach only for walking and picking up girls, which is very possible.

Diving: Not nearly the best in the world but still pretty good. I spent a couple of days diving around Isla Baru, which is about a half hour by boat from town. Coral was in decent shape. There were schools of jackfish, barracuda, batfish and all kinds colorful reef fish. Seas, can sometimes be choppy, like diving off the Florida Keys. It cost 150K for the day of diving, not including equipment because I had my own. Drinks and sandwiches are included. On the beach between dives there are guys selling fresh lobster and fish. They have a grill to cook it on. I wouldn’t come to Cartegena only for the diving. But if you’re already there it’s worth going out. The boat ride on the way passes by old Spanish forts and island villages. I used La Tortuga Dive Shop. The divemaster there is from San Francisco. One day he took us on an extra short dive on a wrecked tugboat.

Girls: Finally he gets to the pussy you say. Well, it’s basically everywhere. If you want it quick and easy, just go to La Dolce Vita (LDV) in Laguito. I could have easily spent every night of my week there taking 2 or 3 absolutely gorgeous girls a night and not repeated with the same girl. I’m very picky about women but I couldn’t believe how much I was spoiled for choice at this place. It’s important to hold the line on prices, as was mentioned a few posts ago here. One of the girls was bargaining hard for the 200K short time fee. But eventually she was happy with 120. She was obviously happy with this amount so I see no need to pay more than this, even if some people are dumb enough to pay it.

I also took home girls from the beach, the supermarket one street over from the Almirante, a park in the old town and the Coffee Bean Shop in front of the Almirante. I was getting a bit infamous at the coffee shop because I also used it to meet up with girls for second and third meetings. I also went to A Foreign Affair, a marriage agency which I saw was a few minutes walk from the hotel. I looked through their catalogues and decided to meet one girl, just for curiosity’s sake. It cost $25 for the intro but she turned out to be a winner. She’s a mulatta with a petite, tight body. She works as a secretary. She stayed with me for a couple of days going to the beach, out to nice restaurants, dancing salsa at night and then back to my room for some bucking and grinding. She never asked for any money. But of course the wining and dining probably added up to just the same as straight pay for play, as we all know it does.

So in conclusion I would put Cartagena in the world class category for mongering and for mongering combined with activities like diving and sightseeing. I never had any problems with security, in fact there’s probably too much of it. And as far as the women go, you can find almost any size, shape and color in great numbers.

The bars were closed on Ash Wednesday and Thursday because alcohol was prohibited. As a result LDV was closed.

I had good luck on the street and at a casa. Please enjoy some of the photos I took from Cartagena and Cali in th photo section.

By the way, if you fly Avionca to Colombia this month you can ask for the free two national flights with every international booking. That way you can travel to Cartagena and then to and fro another city in Colombia for free before your return flight home.

Cheers!

Klitchkov: Translators are all over the internet including amazon.com. The company that makes the most variety is Franklin. You can get just one language ones (english-spanish, etc.) or multi-language ones. The former have more words and the latter fewer words but more languages. I bought a Franklin DBE 1450 for about $46 from Amazon earlier this year. Its great but does only Spanish. You can get models with less bells and whistles for less than $30 easily. Hope that helps.

I'll be in town March 16-22, unfortunately wife is tagging along,(trade off for a solo trip to CR) but, i'll be able to get out at night from 7pm till 12am, if anyone's gonna be in town then too, i'd sure appreciate a wingman, to hit the casa's & bars for a few hours. i'll be staying at one of Juan Ventura's apts. Marinare building. Send a PM if interested. This my 3rd trip to COL, but the first to CTG. the rabbit