Cartagena Reports

Don,

It sounds like you have a lot of complaints about my (adopted) city! Should I take it, that you won't be back?

Many of the so-called beggers and/or vendors are similar to the beggers or vendors in the US tourist cities. Shit, urban city corners now have somebody begging for a handout, wash your windows or selling some type of flowers. Maybe where you are from, this is not common. Whatever!

Vallenato (the music you heard on the beach)

aka "El Negrito Lindo"

Why would you stay at a hotel in Cartagena that costs over $100 per night?

Why not rent a nice condo for $30 night right across from LDV with no rules for when the chicas can come and go?

Also ... the touts ... they're the reason I can only take Cartagena for about 3 days at most. I generally get along with everyone but these guys ... after a few days of relentless rudeness ... Gotta go somewhere else.

Suerte!

Ricker,

Do you have a contact number or address for these apartments?

Thanks in advance,

Happy C

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Dear mongers,

There is a building called el Conquistador (57 5 665 0006) across the street from the Hilton where you can rent a nice fully furnished suite for 75,000 a night, less than 30 dollars a night. I havent tried this number or stay in a suite myself but it was in the telephone book and a banker friend from bogata was staying there at this price. Some of the girls live there in the lower level apartments. there you can bring in who you want when you want without the ussual hassle.

I payed 60$ at Playboys for a poor performance by Maria Lorain, a girl of true playboy preportions, but she was horrible in the sack, and has a really ugly nose. The rooms werent that bad and the drinks were realatively cheap, 5000 and 7000 for the girls and they didn't drink them down like shots or ask you to buy them one. The guys that worked there talk to me and were really nice ,although I did pay way too much by the sounds of it.

Good luck

the Don

Call Mery at 575-655-0384. She's a cool lady ... speaks spanish and english.
Also her e-mail is:
oficerna@yahoo.com.

Suerte!

Hmmmm !

Insufferable touts, expensive hotels - the chicas will need to be really hot to make it all worthwhile.

The best chicas I have seen were in Rio with Buenos Aires a close second. Would any of the well travelled mongers care to make a recommendation if it is really worth going to CTG (over other places) ?

I like a bit of adventure and see new places but what would a dedicated monger (I am not one) make of this place ?

Cheers.

Sir Charles,

Trust me on this rent an apartment, it is a hell of alot cheaper, with less hasels.

I'm just now getting aquatinted to the forum so PM me for more info.

Dude when ever we hit a new spot we try to become ambassadors for the U.S. and bros.

Hell if I know what it is but I have been to a dozen countries and evey single time they are affraid of us! LOL! Whatever!

Sir: One thing that I absolutely agree with is do not over pay! Ldv club 60k to 100k para todo la noche. For all night long!

Damn I swear some of the Chicas will make you want to break the bank!

I asked one my pro chica who pays the most? Hands down she told me us Americans!

I talked to one American, and he told me no more then 40k, hell I guess espanol goes a long ass way! He told me tha the average Colombian only makes 25k a day that is less then $10 USD.

Sir: the absolute best info you will find right here on the Forum!

Hit me up and I will hook you up, when igot to Cartagena I paid $35 USD for a taxi ( F all of you guys OK) on my way back to the airport I paid $4 USD, what can I say live and learn!

Just got back from CTG.

My impressions are entirely my own and feel free to agree or disagree.

I did have an enjoyable time but I really was not all that impressed with CTG. For me the true value of a trip to Colombia is the interaction with its people and CTG was no different, however this city is geared to the tourist industry and I felt the social interactions suffered, as they mostly revolved around how best to separate me from my money.

Much has been written lately about the touts and there does not appear to be a need for me to elaborate much further. I actually was quite pleased with the switch to the Hilton because its nice pool area gave one a much needed respite from the swarming herds of junk peddlers. I probably wouldn't mind so much if there was just some variety to the wares they peddled but to be constantly bombarded with cheap sunglasses, beads and tee shirts is too much. And those damn massage beasts don't know how to take no for an answer. One kudo, the old black women selling the mostly coconut desserts should get your peso. They are good.

If you choose a condo try to get one with a nice pool if they have them, because you to may find the beach way too annoying. There were times the police would crack down but that usually only lasted an hour. Maybe in High season there are enough tourists to deflect some of the swarm but I have a feeling the number of touts rises exponentially with the number of tourists.

I have heard much about how beautiful CTG is and I was not impressed in that regard . The old city is nice to walk around and dine in the plazas but there really is not much to do. There is a nicely restored pedestrian only colonial section of city and the rest of Centro ciudad is just a much more rundown version of the restored area. Hey it's nice, but I was not overwhelmed by a sense of beauty.

I realize now that this had to be the low season and perhaps in Jan. or Dec. things are vastly different. To answer Jack Daniels question, from my perspective there is no comparison in comparing BA with CTG. BA has it beat hands down in beauty but I will admit it is a rather unfair comparison.

From my perspective CTG was quite rundown and appeared to be decaying rather than on the restorative rise. There are a couple decent hotels but don't equate a 5 star hotel in the USA or EUR. with a 5 star one in CTG. The Almirante claimed to be 5 stars and really would deserve no more than 2.5 to 3. Had to get out due to the extreme inefficiancy of its air conditioning system. With the heat and humidity of CTG the lack of a proper cooling system can have you smelling quite mildewey in no time. The nights however were very nice and breezy.

Restaurants we ate in were all decent with good service but I would venture to guess this is one of the more pricey Colombian cities. I had better and cheaper meals in Cali, but cheap and good can be found here as well. Good selection of seafood but I would recommend shying away from the oysters and crabs being peddled on the beach. I couldn't believe I saw some tourists slurrping down the uniced, unrefrigerated mollusks, but it looked too dangerous for me.

What else...

Oh yeah, Girls.

Not the abundant bikini clad throng that I expected . In fact the beach was almost devoid of all women except the Massagista beastas. I know its the low season but I truly expected more. Dec. or Jan is probably vastly different, I would hope so. Hotel pools, the same sad story. A couple cute wives or girlfriends but no singles. We did head downtown and chatted up quite a few local honeys, but Bocagrande was a bust. In terms of local talent, my good buddy Dashing Don was very impressed but then again this was his first foray into Col. and he hasn't been to Cali. I have. Nowhere near the talent of Cali and I suspect Medellin. Actually most all of the hottest women in LDV and Pleyboy were paisas de Medellin.

The clubs. Only hit 2, LDV and Pleyboy. The girls are hot and for about 40 bucks you can't go wrong. I suspect there are quite a few more during high season but a lot more tourist competition. For me there was enough to choose from. Very few gringos to start a bidding war and I pretty much got the same 100,000 peso opening short time bid from all. A couple stayed all night and I suspect my bed was a lot better to sleep on and the shower more private. Many of these girls share rooms at very cheap hotels and appreciate the added luxury. Now I don't want to spoil any of your dreams that they choose to stay due to your sexual prowess, little gifts, or stunning looks but our living conditions are a treat for them as well.

One girl did tell me of a gringo that kept her 5 days and nights and only gave her 60k pesos. Bargain if you like but don't be a cheap scumbag. These girls are feeding themselves and usually others at home. I took one to her 20k peso a night hotel just so she could change clothes because she did not have proper ID to go up in my hotel. Not a pretty site and I felt quite sad for this cute, vivacious 18 year old that basically lived her life out of a small knapsack. Anyway, plenty of girls for my taste and you have a lot of time to choose this time of year. Not likely another tourist will walk in and steal her away, but hey, let her make some money too.

Only met one girl with a bad attitude and this showed before leaving . Said no thanks and went back and chose another. One thing I liked as well was that the girls were not overly aggressive and generally did their flirting from a distance. They respected your privacy until waved over. At that point they wound bound over with a smile. Ya gotta love these girls and Jack Daniels, in this regard Colombia has BA beat hands down. I don't know what it is but the Colombianas have such a joy for life. They have nothing, but don't let it affect their attitudes. Smiling , singing, dancing, these girls blow away the portenas. As well these women have some curves and are oh so feminine. Number one in my book, but you got to meet them at home, not after they have been exposed to the scummy outside world in places such as Costa Rica.

Anything else.

Taxis, cheap, abundant, but will try to tack on a couple extra thous. pesos if you let them.

Safety, no problem in that regard but be smart. My girl and I did get in a taxi one night in the Old city as Dashing Don headed off for a moonlit stroll along the sea. When our cabbie realized the Dashing one was heading for a walk he pulled a u turn and told him to get in the cab. Too dangerous to walk from the old town back to Bocagrande at night. Play it safe.

Big military and police presence in this city but don't push the envelope. Desperation breeds danger. At other times, we walked everywhere.

One last tip that I wish I knew from day one. Generally the hotel gyms were decent, but on my last night my taxi stopped at an ATM for me right next to a big gym. Body Tech its called. Oh my God the girls heading in there after work were the hottest in the city. Looks like a good gym too so go get a short time membership and sweat and stare.

I look forward to another return to Colombia. Probably not CTG for me, but others shouldn't be dettered. Maybe some of the more experienced CTG travellers can fill us in on the best time to be there.

Later

Good post Slick and I agree with almost everything you wrote. Aircon was fine when I had stayed at Almirante a year ago (perhaps they reduced strength to save electricity costs) though I carry a battery powered fan to supplement vAC (or for brownouts). I also walked with a chica from Ciudad Vieja part way towards BocaGrande; on a busy night and staying near the main road I felt safe. Nonetheless, the taxi drivers concern for DD was likely warranted.

My main point of disagreement with you is where you state that the chicas in Cali are better than in CTG. CTG attracts some of the best chicas from all over the country because it is the ONLY place where foreigners congregate (outside Bogota's Zona Rosa). Plus NOBODY speaks English in Cali (except marriage agencies and SOME of the girls on THEIR lists) and it is MANY TIMES more dangerous than the worst parts of Cartagena (e.g. Getsumani or the barrios in Zona Sur). Add to that the fact that there is no beach and way LESS "to do" for a visitor than in CTG and IMHO people would find Cali disappointing despite its reputation for sexy women (which I cannot deny).

Guys need info,

Are Mercy's apartments worth renting? What part of the city are they located I'm looking for a place right on the beach this time in, the center of the action.

I'll be back in Cartagena in two weeks, she wants $40 a night good deal or what?

Thanks in advance,

Steve!

Slick1

Thank you for your post - really well written and candid. Looks like the city is no great shakes but the clubs are ! It is great to meet chicas with the joie de vivre. Sounds like it is worth visiting to see Colombianas in situ, though I note Surfers' comments - CTG seems to a focal point for out of town chicas.

I think I will visit CTG (and brave the touts), if only because it is there. I will go for 3 nights and then move on.

Cheers.

First, I welcome the more thoughtful, insightful, posts from Surfer and Jack, whether I agree with them or not. Its hard to put all one's trip experiences into a report. It often takes the 'cut and thrust' of the ensuing posts to crystallize the issues.

Mongering in Cartagena:

In a desperately poor city like Cartagena, mongering is almost unnecessary. Just like the Philippines, the locals are interested in YOU, the western caucasian. There is little tourism in these countries, thus, their interest is magnified. Most would like to emigrate: another reason why the female population will want to get to know you. The Colombians are hot and have no hangups about sex that I can see--another reason why its easy to bed a non pro. The only constraints are time. If you get horny at 3pm, what else can you do but head to a daytime casa. This I understand. I only mention all this so that a monger, no matter what age, should keep in mind that he can meet a young girl, make her laugh, take her to a nice restaurant and bed her in a short space of time, and everyone will be happy. I know because it happened to me, and I'm 46. If you are going to spend more than a week in Colombia, you won't need the pros. As you know, there is little or no chance of this happening during your visit to Zurich, Los Angeles or Stockholm.

Cali vs Cartagena:

I haven't been to Cali but am told that the racial makeup is different, ie there is little or no black population. Thus there no touts and a monger can move around without getting harassed. Cartagena has a large black population and they appear to be at the bottom of the economic ladder and thus the tout problem.

Personally, I love the water and always look for a beach destination. In that regard, CTG is a disappointment. The water is hot and salty, unlike anyother place I've been. The sand is dark and the touts abound. Best forget about going for the beach.

Regards the best girls from Colombia heading to CTG to meet you. Not true. HOOKERS from Medellin and elsewhere will go to CTG, but thats no indication of their attractiveness.


Don

Surfer

I wouldn't argue with your assesment that some of the best girls head to CTG. It just wasn't happening this past week. I did speak with our cabana guy who stated that in Dec and Jan. they virtually fill up the beach with cabanas and chairs for rent and that if your late you won't get one. This past week each cabana group never even set up more than 10 cabanas. The girls and for that matter, any tourists, just weren't there. When I spoke of the girls in Cartagena I mainly was refering to the local population rather than the imported nationals. My impression was that from a stroll down the city street or shopping venues, there was a noticable drop in chica talent from Cali to CTG. I would venture to say that you probably are right on that when the season in CTG is peaking and the MED. and Cali girls head north, it is quite a collection of beauties.


Forgot to add. Read elsewhere of this guy on the beach known as Tony the Tout or Tony number 1. Chica supplier and cabana salesman. Just walk down toward Hotel Las Velas and he will certainly spot any gringo and come running. Avoid this piece of garbage at any cost. He is a real scheister and very impressed with himself for being mentioned on the internet. You don't need this guy to get you girls.

Don: Cali DOES have a sizeable Black population, but race has nothing to do with the absence (or presence) of touts. Touts go where foreigners go (i.e. to CTG, NOT to CLO or MDE), period.
I DO agree with you that the beach (and water) in CTG are VERY soso, though there are nice beaches with clean water outside the city (like Playa Blanca or towards Barranquilla).

Slick: Seasonality DOES matter. My last trip (during the Miss Colombia pageant in November) was overwhelming. This trip (was there last week of April) was MUCH quiter with les chicas.
Regarding Tony, while I NEVER will buy ANYTHING from him, he DOES deliver the best chicas for daytime action bar none. But negotiate IN ADVANCE about EVERYTHING (I stand or walk despite his INCESSANT requests that I use one of his chairs). And the girl must pay him a commission so do NOT agree to pay him ANYTHING for finding you a girl.

Dashing Don,

Cali has a sizeable black population. Take a trip to South Cali when you visit there one day. Also every casa I visited in Cali last year had atleast 3-4 black Calenas.

Later!