General Info

[QUOTE=LuckyEddie]There are good and bad no matter where you are on the planet. Anyone who reads my joke and believes that ALL Colombians are liars probably will buy a bridge as well.

But take it to heart that lying is a huge part of the culture compared to other cultures ...

... But Colombians feel the need to butter things up in an apparent effort to make the recipient of the lie feel better. It is somewhat humanitarian.

... In Panama working in a factory? In Curacao doing hair? In the Caribbean working in a casino? I am skeptical but stranger things have happened.

... Bottom line is that there is a great deal of lying above and beyond the norm. Especially to judgemental foreigners.[/QUOTE]I agree with Lucky completely on this.

IMO, guys that refute this, just haven't spent enough time in Colombia or are kidding themselves.

[QUOTE=LuckyEddie]The problems reported by both sides of the argument are all rooted in one issue: There are guys are mixing w****s and girlfriends in their lives and who they are talking about in this post.

My advice has always been: There are w****s and girlfriends and non the twain shall meet.

Forget the grey area in between.

. Girlfriend: Get a non p*ta who actually has a verifiable job. The unemploymemnt rate for women is about 30%. That means about 70% of the women have jobs. This "working girl" is the girl you treat nice and buy pizza, buy gifts for, go down on, go to dinner, hang with the family. She won't ask for money or if she does it will be 1.) something legit or 2.) you will have offered before being asked.

If you follow this rule you will never have a problem. This is so obvious yet half you guys don't get it.

It's you guys who go out with w****s trying to make them girlfriends or semi girlfriends who are always in these types of situations. Why are you out in public with estrato 2 girls asking for money? Is she a street walker you took in? Did she just get done at thre strip club?

Know the diffference or at least make the difference happen.

JMHO[/QUOTE]Essentially I agree with Lucky here, however, if you know what you're doing, you speak spanish and you don't kid yourself about the relationship, you can have great "girlfriend times" with SOME pros.

Just like with us guys, obviously there are all types of chicas in the business.

I've come accross and met the best of guys and the not-so-good guys in my travels.

Similarly, I've met some of the sweetest and nicest girls who are pros, in the business due to harsh circumstances, and of course, I've met some real bad ones too.

I've made some fantastic friendships with working chicas, both in Colombia and Brazil. These friendships with girls that I never would have met, if not for them working as pros at the time.

I agree with Lucky that if you fool yourself, especially if you're the guy who can't really communicate with the chicas, and you obviously don't mesh with her physically, and confuse her desire for cash with real affection, you can get hurt, emotionally and / or finacially speaking.

Me personally, just through lots of experience, I've learned to read chicas pretty well, especially after several times with them.

Many of you other experienced guys can do the same I'm sure.

I don't find the whole thing as cut and dry as LuckyE.

I don't consider every pro I meet a Wh. Re, sure there are plenty out there, but there are some real gems too.

Just be smart, follow your radar and don't fool yourself.

[QUOTE=Vitrea] All the columbians I ran into, pros and non-pros were very extremely friendly and straight up. No one lied to me about anything, minor or major. My experience is limited compared to some of you but I encountered way more BS stories in the US compared to Colombia.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=MiamiHeatLuver]Ha Ha, you're kidding us right? I'm still trying to sense the sarcastic overtone in your post but am failing to do so. Of course you can never paint with the broadest brush in any culture but you never had a puta, "novia" at least tell you she had to leave because she has to "feed her baby" or she didn't pick up her cell phone because she "had no signal or her phone discharged" LOL[/QUOTE]I can side with Vitrea on this one. After visiting over 75 countries I can say that Colombianas are the most reliable women on the planet. Keep in mind that I can only speak from a non-pro point of view. My mongering experience is very limited in Colombia. All of my evolutions have been short time and I have never repeated with the same person. So as far as getting excuses of having to leave to feed a baby or other lines generally attributed to pros who are trying to get the most money for the shortest time, I have not gotten them from non-pros. I have seen genuine honesty from the non-pros.

Last December I was on the plane to Bogota and met a girl who had a visa but was being deported from the USA. I asked her what had happened and she said they found out that she had worked the last time she was in the country, so they did not let her enter that time. She had no idea how they had found out. I gave her my Colombia info before we got off the plane. She called me an hour later just like she said she would. I didn't get to go out with her because I already had something else lined up and I never called her back. But, how many times have I given an AW my info and not heard from them? The rule of thumb in this country is that if you don't get her info just forget about it. Even my ex-wife. The first time I met her I gave her my info and she didn't call. The next time I saw her she had some excuse that she had lost my number so I insisted on getting hers that time.

I really don't think Colombian non-pros will bullshit you around. They are either for you or not. The other morning when I was leaving Cali there was a nice looking girl getting on the same flight. She was with her mother and grandmother. She kept looking at me so I figured there must be some potential. I wrote a note to give to her when we got on the plane. When I passed her seat and tried to give her the note she look at me like I was crazy and would not even touch the paper. I was there in the aisle for a few seconds (which seemed like an eternity) looking and feeling like a total *******. But hey, I guess there really wasn't any interest on her part and she didn't try to make me think otherwise.

I don't think there's any difference between a fufa and a regular girl here in Colombia. As a matter of fact, I would bet at least 50% of the female population have charged for sex at one time or another in their lives.

Almost all the "non-pro"s I go out with are really semi pros or straight up pros at the end of the day. INCLUDING the ones with verifiable mon-fri employment, etc. Everything is just a big grey area here, if you want to be happy here, learn that first!

The big difference between Colombia and the US is that here if you are super gorgoues and know how to speak to women down here you will get laid on the basis of that alone, whereas in the US a gorgeous guy with no money is still a loser. But if you're not really good-looking and can hold a good conversation on the girl's terms, you have to go the money route.

[QUOTE=Mr Enternational]... After visiting over 75 countries I can say that Colombianas are the most reliable women on the planet ...[/QUOTE]That's actually very funny, really.

The most beautiful, OK.

The most sexy, OK.

The most reliable, funny.

Let's not get carried away with the Colombia bashing. I'm just as frustrated as anyone else with the flakiness and the bs. But the truth is for the daily, superficial, basic interactions I find that Colombians are mostly polite, pleasant, even helpful. MORE so than other people!

It's just that when your requests or their promises start to get more complicated is when you run into problems. When you hear a chica say "mañana" (tomorrow) or "despues" (later) then just assume that's probably not the case. :) Don't take it personal, it probably has nothing to do directly with you. I suspect in many cases, it's not even done intentionally or consciously, this stuff is working on the instinct or subconscious level. So it's not entirely their fault but there are reasons for this behavior, based on social, cultural, and historical factors that I really don't want to get into right now. But if you know anything about this country's history, trust between the social classes and between certain other groups is somewhat lacking.

[QUOTE=Ricker]I don't find the whole thing as cut and dry as LuckyE.

I don't consider every pro I meet a Wh. Re, sure there are plenty out there, but there are some real gems too.

Just be smart, follow your radar and don't fool yourself.[/QUOTE]Yeah, I don't know why some guys are so hard on these girls. There's no doubt many of them are annoying, crazy, flaky; and then you got the liars, scammers, and thieves. But let's not forget some mongers can be real scumbags, even dangerous to these girls. I don't even like using the word w****, I think it's a bit too demeaning. At least hooker sounds more pleasant to say.

And I do agree that as long as you have your head on straight and keep things in perspective, you can have some really interesting experiences with these hookers. More interesting than with non-pros, or at least with less whining and complaining.

[QUOTE=Ricker] ......I don't consider every pro I meet a Wh. Re, sure there are plenty out there, but there are some real gems too........ [/QUOTE]Ricker,

Please explain this. In my book pro (professional) = wh.re = hooker, just that the later two sound more derogatory but aren't they the same?

BTW, To me they are all chicas but that is a different discussion.

I just read a story off the internet that said small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and even heroin are legal in Colombia.

Can anybody confirm if thats true.

The story also said the government was considering repealing the law.

I live in California, where they're putting Proposition 19 on the ballot to legalize possession of small of marijuana.

[QUOTE=Vitrea]Ricker,

Please explain this. In my book pro (professional) = wh.re = hooker, just that the later two sound more derogatory but aren't they the same?

BTW, To me they are all chicas but that is a different discussion.[/QUOTE]First of all, read Bango Cheito's post #2482, the first 2 paragraphs.

Sums it up pretty well.

Now as far as actual chicas working directly as pros:

If YOU want to categorize them ALL as wh. Res, or p. Tas, that's fine. Those are just harsh names for an occupation.

As for me, like a lot of us, I've met a countless number of pros in my travels over the years.

Now some of these working chicas I've met have been the sweetest, and yes, most honest girls you'd want to meet. They're working out of necessity.

To me, IMHO, these chicas are not wh. Res.

To you they may be, to me they're not.

I differentiate, but that's just me.

Happy travels

[QUOTE=BayBoy]I just read a story off the internet that said small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and even heroin are legal in Colombia.

Can anybody confirm if thats true.

The story also said the government was considering repealing the law.

I live in California, where they're putting Proposition 19 on the ballot to legalize possession of small of marijuana.[/QUOTE]

I don't think that is true. I talked to several locals about this. All of them say that it is technically illegal in any quantity. Small quantities of marijuana are tolerated though. By that, I mean that if caught, you will still be questioned and will most likely, as a tourist, end up paying the cops and might not go to jail. With the other two, you will be in serious trouble even with small quantities (unless you are well connected locally)

[QUOTE=Menteng]I live in Colombia and you know what's funny? I've noticed that they only lie to people who lack personality.[/QUOTE]That is just brilliant! Jeez, how obvious was that, "Colombians lie to people who lack personality" - Did you hear that first on Dr. Phil or is that all your own?

I guess when a girl tells a foreigner posting here that she is going to Costa Rica to do hair for 3 months (the post that started all this) that foreigner has no personality? Got it now. Thanks for clearing that all up.

I thought she was telling him that, regardless of his personality, because she did not want to admit to being a working girl. Silly me.

What does she tell the guy who loaded with personality? That she is going to CR to be a hooker and not to do hair?

Me? I think it is better to tell the guy who made the post here that he is being lied to than to tell him he has no personality or whatever other issues we can peg such foreigners with.

Also I know a joke and exageration when I read one on the internet. If my "there mouth is moving" line caused some of you to get your panties all in a bunch I apologize in advance for not flagging it accordingly as "a joke". It's actually an old joke - I just replaced Lawyers with Colombians.

[QUOTE=Phunluv]It's just that when your requests or their promises start to get more complicated is when you run into problems. When you hear a chica say "mañana" (tomorrow) or "despues" (later) then just assume that's probably not the case. :) Don't take it personal, it probably has nothing to do directly with you. I suspect in many cases, it's not even done intentionally or consciously, this stuff is working on the instinct or subconscious level. So it's not entirely their fault but there are reasons for this behavior, based on social, cultural, and historical factors that I really don't want to get into right now. But if you know anything about this country's history, trust between the social classes and between certain other groups is somewhat lacking.[/QUOTE]What's to 'analyze'? Manana means, "sure, unless something better comes along". Same thing it means when you say it.

[QUOTE=Vitrea]I don't think that is true. I talked to several locals about this. All of them say that it is technically illegal in any quantity. Small quantities of marijuana are tolerated though. By that, I mean that if caught, you will still be questioned and will most likely, as a tourist, end up paying the cops and might not go to jail. With the other two, you will be in serious trouble even with small quantities (unless you are well connected locally)[/QUOTE]

It used to be legal, up to 4 grams of pot and 1 gram of coke. Recently they changed that law but the change has a sunset clause to it, because they can't permanently alter the constitution. The next time it comes up for renewal, the courts may or may not hold it up. As of now, possession is not legal, although it was since 1991 up till about a year ago.

In practical experience, I seriously doubt any Colombian cop is going to worry about whether you have drugs on you or not in most situations, but if you are travelling between cities and obviously if youre going to take a plane, it makes sense to not carry.

[QUOTE=Bango Cheito]It used to be legal, up to 4 grams of pot and 1 gram of coke. Recently they changed that law but the change has a sunset clause to it, because they can't permanently alter the constitution. The next time it comes up for renewal, the courts may or may not hold it up. As of now, possession is not legal, although it was since 1991 up till about a year ago.

In practical experience, I seriously doubt any Colombian cop is going to worry about whether you have drugs on you or not in most situations, but if you are travelling between cities and obviously if youre going to take a plane, it makes sense to not carry.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for clarifying.

This reminds me to relate my story that happened few weeks ago. I wanted to score some Cripa and the quality of what I got at parque lleras was hit or miss. I mentioned this to a waitress at a cafe in El poblado, (non-pro) and she casually agreed to get me some authentic Cripa. One evening after she got off work around 7 PM, she drove me in her car to a barrio. This part of town was quite seedy and she kept driving around in these small lanes and by-lanes looking for sellers. I was getting nervous and I was almost ready to call it quits when she points to a guy sitting on a plastic bucket. As we slow down this guy approaches the car and she rolls the window down and he asks her how many? she looked at me and I said, "one would be fine". They both say, "one? come on"? She said, "he won't sell you one". Well, why not? Because each is only a $2 and he is not going to..... OK. Ok. I got it. I will get four joints then. He takes my money (equivalent of $10 or $12) and walks away. While we wait in the car, out of no where this cop car shows up. Here we are about to do the deal, clearly out of place. She asked me not to panic and she said not to open my mouth if they come back and ask questions. I stayed calm on the outside but nervous as hell. The guy came back 5 minutes later and hands us the joints and he even gives us back the $3 in change. She gives him a $1 tip and gives me back $2 and casually stuffs the joints in her bra. She hands me all the joints 10 minutes later after we are back in Poblado. I offered some to her but she did not want any.

I asked her why she put it in her bra and she said if they stopped us, the male cops are not allowed to search women and they would not have the patience to call and wait for a female cop. Apparently there are very few female cops in the city and almost none at night. She dropped me off at my hotel and I never saw her again. She took a personal risk holding onto the stash and she did that for a complete stranger. That is one wonderful person.

I smoked it that night and it was the best stuff.