Cartagena Reports

The problem with finding LDV is that it is on the second floor of a building with a plaza. The sign of it cannot be found from the street level. You have to climb a stair to a plaza in order to see it along with the casino. I am typing right now from a 24 hour internet cafe that serves food, drinks and coffee called Connecting People Cafe which is on the first floor of the building and just a couple of stores from one of the two stairs that lead to the plaza where LDV and the casino are located.

Right now I am staying at the penthouse at the Atlantis building. It is monger friendly. In fact, I am having a hard time trying to ward off women who live in the building itself trying to invite themselves in. My rent is $70 a day, including tax, for an approximately 1400 sq. foot area apartment. Just look up the information on this website for Juan Ventura.

It includes a kitchen and all you need is to get a girlfriend from LDV and have her helped you get food from Olympica and have her cook it for you during your stay while in Cartagena. She can also be a guide to all the historical landmarks and museums, if that is your thing, like Plaza Santo Domingo, La Poppa, El Castilo, etc...(sorry if I have mispelled any of these places), as well as any restaurants that you might want to go to.

As for the touts, I have a enjoyable time talking to them, when I do pay attendtion to what they are selling. If they have something I don´t particularly want to buy, I just ignore them. However, I do enjoy the give and take of bargaining. Remember you are the customer and this place is a buyer´s market for pretty much everything, girls included.

[QUOTE=Sun Devil]The problem with finding LDV is that it is on the second floor of a building with a plaza. The sign of it cannot be found from the street level. You have to climb a stair to a plaza in order to see it along with the casino. I am typing right now from a 24 hour internet cafe that serves food, drinks and coffee called Connecting People Cafe which is on the first floor of the building and just a couple of stores from one of the two stairs that lead to the plaza where LDV and the casino are located.

Right now I am staying at the penthouse at the Atlantis building. It is monger friendly. In fact, I am having a hard time trying to ward off women who live in the building itself trying to invite themselves in. My rent is $70 a day, including tax, for an approximately 1400 sq. foot area apartment. Just look up the information on this website for Juan Ventura.

It includes a kitchen and all you need is to get a girlfriend from LDV and have her helped you get food from Olympica and have her cook it for you during your stay while in Cartagena. She can also be a guide to all the historical landmarks and museums, if that is your thing, like Plaza Santo Domingo, La Poppa, El Castilo, etc...(sorry if I have mispelled any of these places), as well as any restaurants that you might want to go to.

As for the touts, I have a enjoyable time talking to them, when I do pay attendtion to what they are selling. If they have something I don´t particularly want to buy, I just ignore them. However, I do enjoy the give and take of bargaining. Remember you are the customer and this place is a buyer´s market for pretty much everything, girls included.[/QUOTE]


Hey Sun devil- Despite the touts, it sure beats Costa Rica doesn't it. please tell the fat slobs in san Jose, how miserable cartagena is ok.......

Yes, I'll do that. Mums is the word considering I want the ratio for chicas to guys at LDV to remain 10:1. The only bad thing about LDV compared to the Del Rey is that its hours are from 2300 to 0330 as opposed to the DR being opened 24/7.

[QUOTE=FredA]I am planning a trip to Cartagena and I need to know where I should stay while I'm there. Is there any hotels that are monger friendly?[/QUOTE]Mery also rents apartments in Laguito area of Cartagena. The following web site lists a few of the apartments she has available.

[url]http://www.colombiarental.com/[/url]

Have a great trip!

Regarding Colombia Rentals, I've definitely stayed in PM 703, and I think B PH and TC 501. The pictures look familiar anyway. PM 703 was very nice - perfect for one person - and B PH was a chica magnet. I can't say enough good things about Mery.

Putting together a trip in August. Have stayed in Mery's apartments, they are great , but will run me 50-60 USD per night. Does anyone know of any others in laquito or Bocagrande, that a decent, have hot water and air conditioning that will run me 25-30 USD per day? Do not say the Conquistador, for I understand it is not chica-freindly, plus I hate the damm elevators, they suck

please advise.

Most of the apartments in your price range do not have AC or hot water. I have managed without hot water but not without AC. If price is an issue, just show up without any reservations and go shopping. August is a slow time.

Well I just got back from a great week at Cartagena. The only bad part about it was the humidity. I've never been in such a steam oven in my life. Plus, living in AZ has caused my body to become totally unaccustomed to humidity, let alone that found in CTG.

Like I previously posted, I rented an apartment from Juan Ventura, a 1400 sq. footer that cost $70 a night. This was about 3 or 4 buildings from the Hilton. I visited the Hilton a couple of times for their buffet breakfast. Most of the guests there were Caucasian Hispanics, not Americans.

During my first night, I had a two-some in my apartment consisting of women living in the complex. Apparently word got out that a rich foreigner is staying on the top floor of the complex. I had just finished unpacking when the doorbell rang. Two lithesome young ladies living on the 8th floor introduced themselves. Within the hour, after some dancing and chit-chat, we practiced some BBBJ and some covered missionary.

Later on, I took them out to a hut like restaurant next to the Hilton, and dissed them off after some monetary presents so that they can buy their school books. They said that they are studying Psychology at a university in the old city and just needed money to buy their books.

Afterwards, I walked to Bocagrande. I never sweated so much in my life, even though I wore a tank top, shorts and sandals. This place felt worst than Manila. I saw a totally hot Colombian woman wearing a denim mini-skirt and stilleto heels at a coffee shop called LaDulceria. Why can't women dress like that more often in the States. I made eye contact with her a couple of times but Mom was sitting next to her and the possibility of a date, let alone an introduction, was minisculed. Seeing families out together occurred more often here than in the US.

Later on I drifted off to LDV, where I found my novia of the week. This girl was from Medellin. I had wanted to do something like this during one of my trips. Anyway, what they say is true. Colombian women are some of the sweetest in the world.

This woman helped me with my grocery shopping when she saw that my fridge was empty in the apartment, prepared my food, and introduced me to some of the more local oriented restaurants in the city, such as the La Fonda Antioquena (Paisa food) and La Cocina del Socorro, as well as take me to some of the historical landmarks in the city.

When I left the city, I did not expect that the uniformed inspectors were going to sift through all my luggage. Don't worry about packing your clothes nicely prior to going to the airport because you will have to do it again. One of them tried to buy my portable DVD player. Telling him that I could not sell it since it was a Christmas present from my parents, I suggested that I will bring another one for him to buy when I come back to CTG in September. This seemed to have placated him somewhat. He did not helped repacked my bag though, unlike his colleague who searched my other bag. These guys mean business. They even x-rayed my Doc Marten sandals because to them they were unusually heavy.

I did not know my rights during this process but I stood my ground about my stuff, maybe foolishly. These guys could have easily f**ked me over and I could have missed my flight. Unless you want to part away with some of your personal electronics, i.e. ipods and aforementioned DVD players, or jewelry, like a nice Swiss watch, I suggest you leave them home. Also don't forget to carry $42 in cash for the exit tax needed at the airport. All in all, I enjoyed my stay in Colombia and will plan to come back, maybe in the fall when the weather becomes a lot nicer.

[QUOTE=Tom 33]Most of the apartments in your price range do not have AC or hot water. I have managed without hot water but not without AC. If price is an issue, just show up without any reservations and go shopping. August is a slow time.[/QUOTE]

Ok Tom Thanks. may have to settle for Mery, and maybe get her to give me a 1 bd for $ 45-50, price really is not an issue, I can pay $50-60,

[QUOTE=MJG Dogs]Putting together a trip in August. Have stayed in Mery's apartments, they are great , but will run me 50-60 USD per night. Does anyone know of any others in laquito or Bocagrande, that a decent, have hot water and air conditioning that will run me 25-30 USD per day? Do not say the Conquistador, for I understand it is not chica-freindly, plus I hate the damm elevators, they suck

please advise.[/QUOTE]
It should be possible. I stayed in a studio type apartment in Atlantis building (just before Conquistador if you're walking from LDV). I was paying 65k per night. Later found out the true price was 55k per night and the other 10k was going in commission. For all I know, the true price was probably less than that.

This place had AC but not hot water.

If you are staying more than a few days, negotiate a total price (not x amount per night but x amount total for the 10 days or however long you want).

You may want to give yourself an opt-out option if you're unhappy with the place after a couple of days. Sometimes these rental apartments in the older buildings have pest problems.

If I was looking to go direct at US$30 or less, I would start at Caribe Real (on the Hilton side, half-way down the street from LDV), Atlantis and Tocahagua buildings. Go direct to the doorman (don't speak with the touts on the street or the agencies) and don't accept their first offer. Even the doorman will probably quote you a higher price just to see if you're giving away free money.

Sun Devil - don't hold your breath for cooler times. The CTG annual averages only change by a couple of degrees all year. Something to do with the equator I believe...

Decent apartments seem a bit thin on the ground. I've stayed in the Sun Caribe opposite LDV which was a bit dumpy, but had good views. And in a block above the ice cream place by the da pietro hotel. This was nicer fittings, but still NO HOT WATER.

I was paying 65,000 a day including the inevitable extra for the tout.

Maybe mongers should get together and refurb something, rent it out to fellow brothers....

Yes, I noticed that is the case when I checked the average temperature for CTG in September, which is only 1 degree less than that of June. However, according to the data, it supposed to rain more, so hopefully less humidity in the air.

The temperature didn't bother me so much as the humidity. I noticed that I sweated more than anyone else, which was kind of embarrasing. I attribute this to the fact that I live in a dry environment and my body simply could not adjust. The guards at the airport jokingly asked whether I had just finished a run prior to going to the airport and I honestly told them that I just walked from the taxi, even though I was fully drenched in sweat.

Sun,

How was the talent in LDV? Can you compare it to other places you've been? ie Rio or CR.

Were there a lot of girls on the beach?

Heading there end of August. Can't wait.

The girls at LDV were pretty gorgeous but without the attitude. Talking to them was pretty easy, however all in Spanish. The ratio of girls to guys was pretty amazing, I think it was 10:1. Some of the poor girls had to dance by themselves. I love how latin women dance, it just comes naturally to them. Of course this was a marketing ploy and a way for them to stand out among their competitors. This is a business after all.

I am not an expert, being to Cartagena for the first time, but I attribute this ratio to the fact that the World Cup is going on and most of the usual male South American or European tourists are at home or in Germany. Of course, a number of Americans do not really care about this tournament and I met a few at LDV. I guess things will be back to normal in August, since the final will be played on July 9th.

LDV reminds me of the Key Largo in San Jose CR and Havana and LA Cafe in Manila. It is a disco that gives women an outlet to meet clients. I am assuming Help is the same way in Rio, but I have never been there.

As for the beaches, I did see a number of girls at the beach while riding taxis from the old city to Laguito. I am not really much of a beach person so I did not get a chance to meet them personally. I suppose it would be pretty easy to meet one just by introducing yourself and eventually getting her phone number. Just play cool and don't act desperate.

I went into LDV last night just to see what was going on and it was 10 to 1, at least. There were at most 5-8 guys in the place, and girls coming out of the woodwork. Most of the men looked to me to be Americans, no Italians. When I walked in, all these 7-9ish chicas were looking at me. I was an event. Maybe the world cup thing is true

Since I already satisfied by a chica earlier, I simply walked on by these beauties. It was an enjoyable form of subtle revenge for all the times beautiful women made me feel invisible.

Hey Sun Devil, what building did you stay in? I'm currently in Playa del Mar, kitty corner from the Conquistador. Would certainly like to meet those neighbors!