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[QUOTE=Vitrea]I can address the last question. On your iphone download a free VONAGE or line2 or (even a skype app I believe) and use the wi-fi to make free phone calls to US and very cheap (around 5 cents a min) calls within Colombia. For intenet/data/email access use Wi-Fi.[/QUOTE]I have used the skype app on my itouch to make calls back to U.S. using the wi-fi at Mcdonalds.
[QUOTE=Soldierb11]I have used the skype app on my itouch to make calls back to U.S. using the wi-fi at Mcdonalds.[/QUOTE]Great. Thanks for confirming Skype for iphone/itouch
For others, you can do the same on your iphone. These iphone/itouch apps use Wi-fi instead of the cellular networks to make the calls. Isn't technology great?
Thanks guys,
I was more concerned with getting a chicas phone number and being able to send and receive calls to her. I will call 611 and talk with AT&T and see what my options are, I might just end up getting a prepaid phone if that will be easiest.
[quote=john york]thanks guys,
i was more concerned with getting a chicas phone number and being able to send and receive calls to her. i will call 611 and talk with at&t and see what my options are, i might just end up getting a prepaid phone if that will be easiest.[/quote]you can get a cheap prepaid phone for about $20. at&t will absolutely [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord123][CodeWord123][/url] you for using your iphone in colombia,don't even think about it.
[quote=manizales911]you can get a cheap prepaid phone for about $20. at&t will absolutely [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord123][CodeWord123][/url] you for using your iphone in colombia,don't even think about it.[/quote]if his iphone is unlocked he can just pick up a local sim.
though wandering around shady parts of bogota with a flashy phone may be asking for trouble. cheap prepaids are disposable.
[QUOTE=John York]Thanks guys,
I was more concerned with getting a chicas phone number and being able to send and receive calls to her. I will call 611 and talk with AT&T and see what my options are, I might just end up getting a prepaid phone if that will be easiest.[/QUOTE]Here's what I do:
It's not uncommon to see young Colombianos here-and-there with 2-3 cell phones from different providers selling minutes for individuals to use their phones to make short calls. The price is usually quite cheap and you don't have to hassle with bringing a phone nor buying/renting a phone while in country. I utilize these guys services.
If you meet multiple ladies during your stay it also prevents them from calling and bothering you at all hours of the day and night, hassling you about who you are talking to if they call and the line is busy, etc.
I have their number and can call them when I want, if I want, but they cannot call and pester me nor keep tabs on my whereabouts and whom I am with.
Just my 2cents,
SrLengua
[QUOTE=SrLengua]Here's what I do:
It's not uncommon to see young Colombianos here-and-there with 2-3 cell phones from different providers selling minutes for individuals to use their phones to make short calls. The price is usually quite cheap and you don't have to hassle with bringing a phone nor buying/renting a phone while in country. I utilize these guys services.
If you meet multiple ladies during your stay it also prevents them from calling and bothering you at all hours of the day and night, hassling you about who you are talking to if they call and the line is busy, etc.
I have their number and can call them when I want, if I want, but they cannot call and pester me nor keep tabs on my whereabouts and whom I am with.
Just my 2cents,
SrLengua[/QUOTE]Not a bad idea but if you are an aggressive monger and like to get as many names and numbers of chicas as you can you have to walk around with a pen and paper with you all the time,for $20. I personally like to have the convenience of a local cell phone in my pocket and if I get a call from a chica and I don't want to talk to her I don't answer it.
[QUOTE=Tank Not Mt]If you pay Jackson his small fee and join-you can message me and I can recommend just what you're looking for in Cartagena-been there many times. Actually going to be there same time as you! If you want you can hook up with us![/QUOTE]Hi Tank,
I paid for a membership here. I'll PM you as soon as my membership is active and it allows for PM's. When are you going to be out there? I'll be meeting up with a buddy on Thursday and we're staying in El Laguito.
Cheers,
John
[quote=manizales911]you can get a cheap prepaid phone for about $20. at&t will absolutely [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord123][CodeWord123][/url] you for using your iphone in colombia, don't even think about it.[/quote]this is what i plan to do, i only wish i could set it up with google voice easily (i think that is still invite only). google voice lets you setup a different phone number and then let you screen your calls as they come in without giving away your real phone number so that you don't get bombarded. maybe there are other services available on the net?
[QUOTE=John York]This is what I plan to do, I only wish I could set it up with Google Voice easily (I think that is still invite only). Google Voice lets you setup a different phone number and then let you screen your calls as they come in without giving away your real phone number so that you don't get bombarded. Maybe there are other services available on the net?[/QUOTE]I have google voice,I didn't think to use it that way.
Gracias amigo
We will be there from Wednesday for a few days with a group of friends. If you can message me; I will give you my local number. Happy to meet with you and share some of my experiences there.
[QUOTE=John York]Hi Tank,
I paid for a membership here. I'll PM you as soon as my membership is active and it allows for PM's. When are you going to be out there? I'll be meeting up with a buddy on Thursday and we're staying in El Laguito.
Cheers,
John[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=John York]Thanks guys,
I was more concerned with getting a chicas phone number and being able to send and receive calls to her. I will call 611 and talk with AT&T and see what my options are, I might just end up getting a prepaid phone if that will be easiest.[/QUOTE]John York and Manizales,
Unlike the other apps, i phone's Line 2 app (new) allows you to receive calls using wi-fi. I have not used Google voice but sounds like you need to be by a computer /wi-fi for that also. Line 2 uses the contact list from your address book and if you put the phone on "airplane mode" you don't have to worry about AT&T.
This is a post from May 2008 at [url]www.Twoplustwo.com[/url] posting here for any guys looking to understand the poker options, I'll check this out while I am in town.
[quote]So I'm in Cartagena Colombia for the weekend on a business trip (no it has nothing to do with any import/export!). The only game I can find is at the "Casino La Perla".
A couple of differences$:
1. There is no dealer button. Instead there are big and small blind buttons. The first player to act on every street is the first player after the big blind (UTG). So essentially the big blind is the button.
2. I think the rake is terrible it's 3% of every pot. No time charges. This really sucks as I've already seen a couple of times where two players split the pot and the house takes 3%.
3. After the final action, all remaining cards are dealt out so everyone can see what they would have had.
4. There is a dealer and a shuffler. The dealer hands the deck to the shuffler who shuffles that deck so it's ready for the next hand.
5. The dealers are pretty horrible handling the cards. Almost every mucked hand is picked up to pass back to the shuffler who is on the dealers right flashing the cards to the 8 and 9 seats. This is one of the reasons I'm taking a break I want to come back and get in one of those seats.
6. There are no breaks allowed. If you are not there when it is your blind the dealer takes the blind from your stack and the deals you a hand, also to any other players not sitting. When it's your turn to act, dealer mucks your hand.
7. There is a pretty hefty jackpot. 300k (US) for a royal, 18k for any 4 of a kind, 30k for 4 aces, and 80kish for a straight flush. (is that big for 10-20?)
The game goes from 9pm to 6am. There is only one table. It's 10-20 no limit (or close enough with the exchange rates) with a 500 buy in.
There are 7 players, and generally 4 or 5 limp into every pot. A preflop raise of more than 50 or so generally folds all the way around or maybe gets one caller.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Hilltopper]J
Yes, you will want to use the ATM's. The vig charged by the money change houses on exchanging dollars will be steeper than what your bank charges you for a foreign transaction on your ATM card. Some bank ATM machines in Colombia do add a surcharge of 2 to 5 mil pesos. For example, the Servibanco machine in La Perla Casino now charges a transaction fee (started charging sometime last Summer/Fall). I know that the Santander Banco machines don't charge, so I mostly use them now, but it's not the one in La Perla Casino and sometimes you just go ahead and incur the transaction charge out of convenience/necessity.
(...)
Your own home bank will probably charge you the highest transaction fee, depending upon what bank you use in the States. For example, my main bank charges a 3% foreign transaction fee on all ATM withdraws and for transactions at restuarants, etc. Because I travel to Colombia frequently, I opened up accounts at a different bank online that charges 1% (I did have accounts with a bank that had a 0% fee, but alas they were closed down by the FDIC).[/QUOTE]Dear all,
I read several comments like this and I want to add my piece of information about using ATMs in Colombia and in other places of the world. I think this will be useful to many.
As I also duly reported in my reports on ISG, I've experience of using my MAESTRO card (just in the last 2 years) in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, El Salvador, Panama, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Ghana and Uganda, not to mention USA and Europe. Sorry for listing, but it is just to make my claims below more trustworthy.
DONT USE CREDIT CARDS IN ATMs (if you can)
1) If you use the *credit* function of your credit card (e. G., VISA, MASTERCARD circuits), you will be charged:
- about +1% above the international exchange rate (the one you read on Yahoo Finance, so to speak)
- +4% as credit fee from your bank/VISA/MC
2) I know an US guy who also withdraws money from ATMs using his *revolving* credit card. This is crazy, because he also pays the high fee (10%? 15%?) for paying his debt later.
ASK YOUR BANK TO ISSUE YOU A MAESTRO CARD INSTEAD
1) WHAT is it?
Maestro is the debit card of Mastercard. If you have the Maestro logo on the card, you can take money from ATMs wherever in the world, at the OFFICIAL exchange rate (plus maybe 0. 5%), paying 2-3$ fee, from your bank account without the need of loading the card before.
By far, the most convenient and cheap way to get cash and to change currency abroad in any place. Forget Exchange Offices and hidden envelopes with 2000$ cash brought from home.
By the way, this is is not a debit card you have to load in advance. With this, you take money straight from your bank account.
2) WHERE to use it?
You can use it in ALL ATMs exhibiting the Maestro logo, that is all those exhibiting the MasterCard logo. This means almost all ATMs in all those countries above. I had some problems only in Bangladesh (only maybe 25% of ATMs in Dhaka) and Ghana (only 2-3 ATMs in Accra centrally located).
If you are in a place which is really off-track, use the "MasterCard Global ATM Locator"
[url]http://www.Mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/atmlocations/index.html[/url]
3) What are its FEES?
Maybe +0. 5% or less than +1% above the international exchange rate (the one you read on Yahoo Finance, so to speak) plus FIXED fee from your bank (2euro for my bank). No other hidden fees.
4) I know what someone is wondering now. Yes, I checked my bank statement. I did not find any hidden fee for all my MAESTRO ATM withdrawals in Colombia or other places. Only the fees I listed above.
Enjoy
[I](It seems that Jackson, upon posting my message, edited it to remove all uppercases and add many line breaks here and there. Since I used upper cases and line breaks purposely, to make headings more visible and improve readability, I edited my message to restore everything like it was. Please Jackson...)[/i]
[QUOTE=Black Page]Dear all,
I read several comments like this and I want to add my piece of information about using ATMs in Colombia and in other places of the world. I think this will be useful to many.
As I also duly reported in my reports on ISG, I've experience of using my MAESTRO card (just in the last 2 years) in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, El Salvador, Panama, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Ghana and Uganda, not to mention USA and Europe. Sorry for listing, but it is just to make my claims below more trustworthy.
Don't USE CREDIT CARDS IN ATMs (if you can)[/QUOTE]That is true. But your best option is ALWAYS debit cards. It's crazy to do a cash advance from a credit card at home. Why would you want to do it overseas?
For debit cards:
If you are in the States, Paypal charges 1% + $1 per transaction. I recently found out that Capital One charges 0% + $1. 50 per transaction. If anyone has any experience with Capital One, please let me know. I am going to try using them on my next trip.