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[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2857923] Saw the sign on the exchange place. 3,900 pesos for $1. Looked at my Schwab for the 920,000 I just took out and it was minus $219.94. So exchange of 4182.95 for using the ATM.[/QUOTE]Where? In the Airport? Of course the worst rates and prices occur there. But thanks for the confirmation of what everyone already knows. Speaking only on behalf of myself, I appreciate it. LOL!
[QUOTE=LoveItHere;2861100]This trip I did not receive a "WELCOME TO Colombia" message from Google FI. Within 2 weeks I could not use my Mobile Data. There was a "No SIM Card" message. "Emergency calls only" message. Super rare for a SIM to go bad. Had a new SIM shipped to friend in USA and then to Colombia. This SIM lasted about 3 weeks. My guess is that Colombian cell phone towers and Google FI no longer have an agreement and thus killing FI's connections. Looks like I will have to get a local SIM is the answer.
I know there are other Google FI users here. Any problems? How did you fix?[/QUOTE]Basically what happened is that Google sees that you're in Colombia and they're not competing against the Colombian Cell Phone carriers.
If you need to call back to the states use Skype.
It's cheaper to boot.
Hope this Helps.
Trip.
[QUOTE=LoveItHere;2861100]This trip I did not receive a "WELCOME TO Colombia" message from Google FI. Within 2 weeks I could not use my Mobile Data. There was a "No SIM Card" message. "Emergency calls only" message. Super rare for a SIM to go bad. Had a new SIM shipped to friend in USA and then to Colombia. This SIM lasted about 3 weeks. My guess is that Colombian cell phone towers and Google FI no longer have an agreement and thus killing FI's connections. Looks like I will have to get a local SIM is the answer.
I know there are other Google FI users here. Any problems? How did you fix?[/QUOTE]What you wrote doesn't make sense.
Haven't read about Google FI cancelling their roaming agreement with the providers in any of the 200+ countries. Why would the service work for 2, then 3 weeks, before going bad. Logically, the only reason I can think of with the facts you wrote is that the SIM slot of your phone is going bad.
The "No SIM Card" message would be displayed when the phone cannot find a SIM in its slot. Don't know why it would display that message if Google FI/Claro did stop its service.
I'm thinking of changing my service from T-Mobile to Google FI (Mainly because you get fast data in 200+ countries already priced in). But the problem is that I need 4 Google FI lines to drop the price to what I am paying now with T-Mobile. I hate have slow data when I get off the airplane. And I hate going to Andino Mall to recharge; I couldn't recharge using the Claro App on my phone. It rejected my credit card.
[QUOTE=GreenBud;2861274]What you wrote doesn't make sense.
Haven't read about Google FI cancelling their roaming agreement with the providers in any of the 200+ countries. Why would the service work for 2, then 3 weeks, before going bad. Logically, the only reason I can think of with the facts you wrote is that the SIM slot of your phone is going bad.
The "No SIM Card" message would be displayed when the phone cannot find a SIM in its slot. Don't know why it would display that message if Google FI/Claro did stop its service.
I'm thinking of changing my service from T-Mobile to Google FI (Mainly because you get fast data in 200+ countries already priced in). But the problem is that I need 4 Google FI lines to drop the price to what I am paying now with T-Mobile. I hate have slow data when I get off the airplane. And I hate going to Andino Mall to recharge; I couldn't recharge using the Claro App on my phone. It rejected my credit card.[/QUOTE]You can use this third party app called ding to recharge claro or Tigo with a US credit or debit card. You just want to make sure you recharge before you completely run out of data. (If that happens you will need to use Wi-Fi to recharge or recharge with cash at a gana or many of the papeleria shops).
I have a dual Sim phone with a telcel sim from Mexico and and a Tigo sim from Colombia. I use Ding to recharge my Tigo line before I step foot on the Wingo plane in Cancun and when I arrive in Medellin I switch over to my Tigo sim for data sms and calls and I have service before I even get off of the airplane.
I don't know what fast means to you guys but when I download movies from piratebay / utorrent I get speeds of up to 10 mbps thru the data. And I also get 39 gb of data for 31 k COP (but they give you less if you haven't been with Tigo for at least 12 months).
My iPhone 14 Pro Max 512 has the capability for multiple e-sims. Please review the Apple website for more information on that. I have multiple e-sims in multiple countries. T-mobile offers excellent plans, one of which use. So, I am quite comfortable in my international travel using my US based number. I have nothing to hide. I do not live in Colombia. I visit Colombia to attend to my business and girl friend that I have there.
[URL]https://www.t-mobile.com/plan-details[/URL]
So that is the how now let us dress the why for those who need education on telecommunication issues.
[QUOTE=Gabacho;2861527][b]Oh and if you are from the Dominican Republic why do you have a Las Vegas phone number?[/b][/QUOTE]Well the short answer is: because I can! LOL! I happen to like Las Vegas a lot. It is my favorite city in the (Dis) United States of America. I do not see the need to set my international operations up for anyone other than for me. I have a system that works.
[B]I am not FROM the Dominican Republic.[/B] Maybe some did not get the memo because they are not on my distribution list? All you have do if you want to know my country of origin is to read my extensive body of posts over the years. Very easy to figure out where I am from and where I currently live. I have nothing to hide. Nor do I need to hide behind my keyboard. I have met / meet my fellow ISG brothers who are not afraid to come out from behind their keyboards all over the world. And I maintain contact with them through WhatsApp and Line.
WhatsApp is the standard for Northern, Central, and the Southern Americas. Line is standard for many countries in East Asia. That is how I communicate. I rarely make a regular phone call or text. Line is a very cool program. If you meet a girl and want to exchange contact information she can show your her QR Code on the spot, you take a picture of it and you receive her Line ID directly. Keeps yours and her phone number private.
In this day an age all you need is a persons country code and their phone number in WhatsApp. If you have internet you can communicate. For more information, please review the attached thumbnail. I get one of those messages each time I have wheels down in a country. All those questioning my bonafides please note this on just one of the many I have received when I arrived in Colombia.
I stayed for several weeks in cities like Lima, Mexico City and it was very safe. My Spanish is not great and I am in my 50's.
I am planning a similar trip (remote work+some sightseeing+hobby) to Colombia in December. I am having some seconds thoughts, as things that I like to do is walking, and it sounds like I would need to be extra cautious even in good areas. Can somebody calm me down on this forum?
[QUOTE=Tumeric1;2861876]I stayed for several weeks in cities like Lima, Mexico City and it was very safe. My Spanish is not great and I am in my 50's.
I am planning a similar trip (remote work+some sightseeing+hobby) to Colombia in December. I am having some seconds thoughts, as things that I like to do is walking, and it sounds like I would need to be extra cautious even in good areas. Can somebody calm me down on this forum?[/QUOTE]My longest day walking in Colombia was 26 miles in Bogota. I've exceeded 20 miles a few times in Medellin. I've walked from Parque Lleras to Envigado at 4 am, and several times between midnight and 2 am. I've walked from Laureles to El Centro and Poblado. I've walked around Bello, Belen, Envigado, Sabaneta, Itagui and many of the less reputable barrios. I'm currently 61 years old and have probably walked over 2,000 miles in Colombia, mostly Medellin.
Is it safe? No. Can it be done safely? Yes.
[QUOTE=SubCmdr;2861782]My iPhone 14 Pro Max 512 has the capability for multiple e-sims. Please review the Apple website for more information on that. I have multiple e-sims in multiple countries. T-mobile offers excellent plans, one of which use. So, I am quite comfortable in my international travel using my US based number. I have nothing to hide. I do not live in Colombia. I visit Colombia to attend to my business and girl friend that I have there.
[URL]https://www.t-mobile.com/plan-details[/URL]
So that is the how now let us dress the why for those who need education on telecommunication issues.
Well the short answer is: because I can! LOL! I happen to like Las Vegas a lot. It is my favorite city in the (Dis) United States of America. I do not see the need to set my international operations up for anyone other than for me. I have a system that works.
[B]I am not FROM the Dominican Republic.[/B] Maybe some did not get the memo because they are not on my distribution list? All you have do if you want to know my country of origin is to read my extensive body of posts over the years. Very easy to figure out where I am from and where I currently live. I have nothing to hide. Nor do I need to hide behind my keyboard. I have met / meet my fellow ISG brothers who are not afraid to come out from behind their keyboards all over the world. And I maintain contact with them through WhatsApp and Line.
WhatsApp is the standard for Northern, Central, and the Southern Americas. Line is standard for many countries in East Asia. That is how I communicate. I rarely make a regular phone call or text. Line is a very cool program. If you meet a girl and want to exchange contact information she can show your her QR Code on the spot, you take a picture of it and you receive her Line ID directly. Keeps yours and her phone number private.
In this day an age all you need is a persons country code and their phone number in WhatsApp. If you have internet you can communicate. For more information, please review the attached thumbnail. I get one of those messages each time I have wheels down in a country. All those questioning my bonafides please note this on just one of the many I have received when I arrived in Colombia.[/QUOTE]LOL you really love to brag about everything. Anyways it makes more sense to have a +57 phone number while you are here. If you use your +1 number then the girls you contact are going to charge you more. By using a +57 WhatsApp and typing in Spanish you get better prices. Plus it just looks more normal to have a +57 number in your daily interactions with people. But I guess for a guy like you (with an IPhone 15 pro max with 512 gb of almacenamiento and what like 16 gigs of RAM) you don't care if you're getting ripped off. You have that "fuck you" money and all the arrogance that goes along with it.
Hope you have a great day.
-Gabacho.
[QUOTE=Tumeric1;2861876]I stayed for several weeks in cities like Lima, Mexico City and it was very safe. My Spanish is not great and I am in my 50's.
I am planning a similar trip (remote work+some sightseeing+hobby) to Colombia in December. I am having some seconds thoughts, as things that I like to do is walking, and it sounds like I would need to be extra cautious even in good areas. Can somebody calm me down on this forum?[/QUOTE]I've been all over Colombia and walking around in public during daytime hours I have never had a problem, other than homeless people asking for change but that happens everywhere. Bogota especially around the Carrera Septima area is real nice to walk around with some good restaurants and bars and lots of people out and about. The weather is cooler so you might want a light jacket. Medellin is warmer but currently we are in the rainy season so pack an umbrella if un will he outside any length of time especially in the afternoons.
I recommend you try Alitas Colombianas and BBC (Bogota Beer Company).
And in Medellin California Buffet near the Ayura metro station in Envigado for an excellent selection of food including sushi, Chinese, and all you can eat grilled to order steaks for about 60 k COP drink included.
A nice day trip from medellin that no one here ever mentions is the town of Caldas, Antioquia (take the metro linea A as far south as possible to estacion La Estrella) then from there look for busses that say "metro caldas" and if you pay with your same civica card as you used on the metro then you get a discount on the bus. Last time I went I got a bottle a Ron de Caldas at a local store there and sat down in their little plaza there under the gazebo drinking my rum and enjoying the scenery (drinking in public is legal here). I felt very safe the entire time and even ran into one of my regular girls who happened to be there confitiando and we ended up going to get a bite to eat and then came back to my place.
-Gabacho.
[QUOTE=Tumeric1;2861876]I stayed for several weeks in cities like Lima, Mexico City and it was very safe. My Spanish is not great and I am in my 50's.
I am planning a similar trip (remote work+some sightseeing+hobby) to Colombia in December. I am having some seconds thoughts, as things that I like to do is walking, and it sounds like I would need to be extra cautious even in good areas. Can somebody calm me down on this forum?[/QUOTE]First thing, is don't look like a target, don't look like a tourist. Wear jeans and a dark t-shirt or polo shirt and you blend in as a local or as a resident gringo, no one bats an eye. Leave the dress shirts, dress shoes, dress belt, shinny watch, etc. At home. You want to blend in as a local resident Gringo living off a pension or such without money. Second, carry just your credit card (and have more than one in case you need to replace it) and cash for the day. My license / passport / etc. I have photos in my cell phone. Carry your wallet and cell phone in front pocket. If you carry your backpack (like when I carry my laptop to a co-working place), carry a generic one over a shoulder and all is good. If it gets crowded, packed, metro, or in el centro, then it is ok to sling backpack on front and protect it with your arms (so no one can open a zipper). Same rules as Barcelona, Paris, or London (where pickpockets are MUCH more active).
Next, and this applies to ANYWHERE in the world. Like NYC, 'walk with purpose', don't wander in circles or let yourself look lost or like a target. Look like you know where you are and where you are going. Even if you don't know, just walk towards shops / lights / businesses and then find a good place to reference your phone. If you need to look at your phone, not a problem, just make sure it is a safe spot not right in front of strangers or at the corner of a street near the street (where guys in a moto could ride up, grab your phone, and go). I usually stop mid-block, then can safely look at my phone. Learn to ask "Habla Ingles?" and if they don't and you need to inquire further; it's ok to use Google Translate. They are used to it.
If strangers approach too closely (more than one especially) expect it to be a standard pickpocket scheme. Shove your hands into those two front pockets to protect your belongings and walk away saying "no gracias" and just walk away. They won't stop you, they were just looking for an easy target.
That's it, people will pretty much leave you alone. People are very friendly (at least pretend to be), so you will smile lots and even not having great Spanish is fun and can endear folks. Treat them all with respect, say "hola" lots, and smile. You will love it.
The only other thing I do, is I do bring a backup cheap Amazon unlocked android phone. My email, WhatsApp, etc. Are synced to it and while it only works on WIFI, it gives me easy portability for backup. When I stay longer than a week I get a local sim for it and use that instead of my main phone (especially if out really late at night).
[QUOTE=SubCmdr;2861782]I do not live in Colombia. I visit Colombia to attend to my business and girl friend that I have there.[/QUOTE]I meet a girl in person. Negotiate the price on the spot. And then do the deed. How is that going to get a person charged more for sexual services? Exactly what part did you miss about multiple e-sim capability of my iPhone? How difficult is it to have a +57 country code? Especially when my phone allows for dual sims to be active. Oh, I am not getting ripped off my jealous ISG Brother with a phone he may or may not be proud of. Because I travel to Colombia on Business and to see my girlfriend. And unlike your friend, I get my ass licked without having to ask (I just mentioned that I liked it) or without having to spend a lot of money while I am there. And she does not care one bit about the country code I am using on my phone. And it should be noted, when you are primarily worried about the price of the pussy you are paying for and mostly doing business like I do, a country code of +1 does not hurt me one bit. But now you wouldn't know that would you considering who you are.
Enjoy your busy days in Colombia. When I am in Colombia I am in chill mode. I mostly read reports, have meetings where I set the times, and fuck.
[QUOTE=Gabacho;2862062]LOL you really love to brag about everything. Anyways it makes more sense to have a +57 phone number while you are here. If you use your +1 number then the girls you contact are going to charge you more. By using a +57 WhatsApp and typing in Spanish you get better prices. Plus it just looks more normal to have a +57 number in your daily interactions with people. But I guess for a guy like you (with an IPhone 15 pro max with 512 gb of almacenamiento and what like 16 gigs of RAM) you don't care if you're getting ripped off. You have that "fuck you" money and all the arrogance that goes along with it.
Hope you have a great day.
-Gabacho.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Tumeric1;2861876]I stayed for several weeks in cities like Lima, Mexico City and it was very safe. My Spanish is not great and I am in my 50's.
I am planning a similar trip (remote work+some sightseeing+hobby) to Colombia in December. I am having some seconds thoughts, as things that I like to do is walking, and it sounds like I would need to be extra cautious even in good areas. Can somebody calm me down on this forum?[/QUOTE]I've been coming to Colombia for a number of years, doing a lot of walking around mostly, I don't take that many cabs. Been to Medellin, Bogota, Cartagena and lately mostly Cali and Pereira. Never been robbed. I do most of my walking in the daytime or early evening. If I see some bad boys, I cross the street or go the other way.
One time many years ago in Medellin, some dude stuck his hand in my left pocket. He got nothing, because my dinero is in my right pocket. Keep your wits and stay out of the bad nieghborhoods.
[QUOTE=SubCmdr;2861782]My iPhone 14 Pro Max 512 has the capability for multiple e-sims. Please review the Apple website for more information on that. [/QUOTE]OMG! I am hard as a rock. Is this what you tell all the girls when you first meet them about your phone? They must get so wet they nearly drowned themselves. Can you please tell me more? If you posted some pictures I think I would fall in love. I do not think you meant to impress anyone with that information, but you sure have. I want to be you when I grow up.
[I]Its not bragging if you can back it up.[/I] ― Muhammed Ali.
[QUOTE=LoveItHere;2862217]OMG! I am hard as a rock. Is this what you tell all the girls when you first meet them about your phone? They must get so wet they nearly drowned themselves. Can you please tell me more? If you posted some pictures I think I would fall in love. I do not think you meant to impress anyone with that information, but you sure have. I want to be you when I grow up.[/QUOTE]I will take your post in jest as I should. [B]LOL![/B].
[B]Hope you are having a great day my ISG Brother. Because I am![/B]
Do you have anything to add about telecommunication issues? Because that is what my original post was about. Do you find that having a +57 country code is an advantage for you? Do you get better prices on the prostitutes you hire? Are there any other advantages?
The girls that I have hired all around the world as my prostitutes have not mentioned to me. Is Colombia special? Do they have a special hate for those with country codes different from them? I have found that in Colombia they do not engage in imposing the "gringo" tax like they do in a country that I have extensive experience in like the Dominican Republic. And that after the local businesses that I frequent say me on a repeated basis, became much more friendly, complemented me on my Spanish and even remember my usual orders.
Keep practicing your comic routine. You have good material. But your delivery needs a little work. [B]ROTFLMAO![/B].
Because I fail to see the importance of having a +57 country code for short term visits. [U]I do not live in Colombia.[/U] I travel all around the world with my +1 country code. I am uncertain that anyone pays attention to it other than those on ISG. In fact this guy is the first person that mentioned it to me:
[QUOTE=Gabacho;2861527][b]Oh and if you are from the Dominican Republic why do you have a Las Vegas phone number?[/b][/QUOTE]He asked the question and I answered him.
[QUOTE=SubCmdr;2861782]My iPhone 14 Pro Max 512 has the capability for multiple e-sims.[/QUOTE]Don't be a hater. If you want one just buy one. It is an amazing model I do not recommend that individuals buy a iPhone 15 if they already have a iPhone 14. I upgraded to the phone that I have from a iPhone XR. The XR still works perfectly. But I ran out of memory. One of the downsides of iPhones. Fixed memory. Advantage for these who use Android OS is that memory on those phones can usually be upgraded by just adding a bigger memory card. And memory cards are a great value these days. Especially if you catch a sale on one.
[B]There is no reason to be jealous or to fall in love with material items. Money is worthless. Last time I checked you cannot take it with you. Stop tripping and get a grip.[/B]
Dear All.
If I can only pick one city, which one should I do my tour?
Bogota seems get better price, but Medellin seems get hotter girls.
The goal of my tour is to BBFS as many girls as possible.
Thanks for all the guidance.
Yours Truly.