Guys, I have to warn you. This is not going to be a trip report full of photos of naked girls. In fact, I hardly took any photos even though my camera was at hand. For some reason, I just didn’t feel like it when the situation provided opportunity.
I must say, with the exception of GoldenTime, spending time with a very good old friend and meeting a local CH’er from the board while spending a pleasant evening at a very upscale strip club, I was sorely disappointed with the talent level in Panama. Call me Rio/garota spoiled but as mentioned in a previous post, I think the whole country has gained 15 pounds………..BigMacs, Fries and KFC gorta! I did manage a pleasant session at Horario one afternoon with an amazon sized girl (6’2” tall), a pleasant lunch special at Oasis and several sessions at GoldenTime and a cutie Colombiana pick up at a casino one night. But, the pickins were slim and I spent way too much time in internet cafes sublimating, working on Portuguese lessons in my room, reading three books and taking taxis to banks and attorneys.
I had to travel to Panama on business for 13 days and thought I’d take a little side trip to Cartagena for a couple of weeks. It had been almost 4 years since my last visit and of course, reading so much about it here on CH made me a little 2nd homesick. (damn you Merlin…but thanks)
Cartagena was actually a strong contender for a place for me to live at one point but alas, Brazil finally consumed my destiny.
My good buddy SweetMesquite expressed an interest in joining me in Panama for a few days and make the hop over to Ctg. Always nice to have a traveling buddy with you for a trip. Even DG made overtures about joining us but it wasn’t meant to be in his schedule.
Sweet and I spent a day doing some sightseeing in Panama and the rest of the time was focused on GoldenTime, visiting the casinos in Panama and doing our damndest at the blackjack tables. GoldenTime was of course the top place we visited although the numbers of girls seemed to be way down versus previous visits. I chose a pretty little Colombiana named Jennifer (#7) and was not disappointed. Sweets had huge hooters and he came downstairs with a smile on his face. We did spend a day at Mira Flores at the Canal and saw several ships pass through the locks. I still marvel at the engineering wonder of the Panama Canal every time I see it. On the must do list for any traveler. (must have been this sailors lifelong dream)
The strip club we went to was very, very upscale but the talent level was very, very much on the low scale. It was one of those “all you could drink for $20” nights and we sure as hell got our moneys worth.
We took off for Ctg. on a Friday. Quick 1 hour flight on Copa and we were landing in Ctg. Sweet managed to get us upgraded on a companion flight (not sure I liked the sound of that but First is always nice). My old friend Juan Ventura met us at the airport with a taxi and we were ushered into our Apt. within 15 minutes. It was a temporary place for three days until we could move into our more permanent location. Juan looked great and it was good to catch up on old times and what had been happening since we last met. He is a really great guy and incredibly helpful. He stayed at my home in the US on one occasion and is a terrific person to add to your network of friends around the globe. We also rented cell phones from him at a very good daily rate. The phones were brand new and had never been used. Good deal for those of you looking for cellular communications in Ctg.
Hot….hell yes it was hot and thank goodness the AC was working well in our place. We did have a FT maid to clean and do a little cooking. We immediately went to the store for some provisions and Sweet loaded up on white wine. We had both brought in 5 bottles of some good spirits purchased at Duty Free in Panama. Tequila proved popular as did the Malibu Rum. Scotch didn’t last long and Sandman had to replenish on occasion.
First night in town we needed some company. Merlin had given me the number for one of his favs. and true to fashion she showed up in about an hour with a friend in tow for Sweet. Both were dressed to the 9’s and I immediately understood Merlins attraction to this girl. Sweet dumped his girl after sessioning with her but I kept mine for the night. She was a cutie and I got two pops with her that night, one the next morning and one the next afternoon before she left. Sweet tasty little morsel that was much more photo friendly with Merlin than me. Oh well!......Thanks buddy. I owe ya one!
We decided to hit the beach the next afternoon. 150 yards away and I hear “MEMO”, “MEMO”. That damn Tony not only remembered me after 4 years, he spotted me 150 yards away and started shouting my name. Of course, we took one of his cabanas and a couple of chairs. Not 5 minutes later, my all time favorite beach masseuse, Emily, comes up smiling and gives me a great big hug. Nice to be remembered after all this time.
Naturally, we arrange for her to come over and give us full body massages (without sex…trust me, you wouldn’t want to).
She is perhaps one of the strongest women I have ever met and gives an incredible 1 hour full body massage for the insane amount of about $8.50. We scheduled her every other day during our entire 14 day stay and she worked out more knots in my body than I knew I had…..especially my neck. Fellow mongers, highly, highly recommended for an early morning massage to get the day started right! Just ask Tony for Emily and she will be there with bells on. She will massage you on the beach but you will miss the full body experience. Emily also introduced me to one of the local girls who agreed to return to my Apt. with me. She was rackalicious in clothes but they quickly sagged and were full of leite from her 8 month old child.
Anyway, did I mention it was hot as hell. Oh yeah, guess I did. We bailed and went back to our air conditioned Apt., had some lunch and decided to take a power nap. Tonight was LDV night and I wanted to make sure we were up for the occasion.
We went out for a stroll and ran into sf4dfish. We had a great meal of fried snapper and seafood soup while telling old stories and lies about booty conquest and places visited. Great to see ya buddy! Want to do Medellin and Cali together some day.
Went back to our Apt. to get ready for the evening. Sweet left before me and made a quick stop by the casino. I walked up and Aldo at LDV greeted me like a long lost friend. Damn these people have incredible memories. Sweet and I entered and I swear it was about 5-6 girls for every guy in there and there were a number of hotties. I saw Merls fav but she was with another guy. I finally decided on a cutie and left with her. Not sure if Sweet hooked up or not. Mine bolted early the next morning.
THE SKY IS FALLING-Well, not really but it started pouring and I do mean torrential downpours. It decided it wasn’t going to stop and continued all day and night. The streets were flooded and we were Apt. bound all day. Made a few calls and another of Merls favs come over but was real mercenary with me. She was cute but would not budge off of a ridiculous 300K ST and 500K TLN price for Ctg. Guess she had already made her rent money for the week and I sent her home but in a nice way. Sweet and I wound up watching some music DVDs he had and making an early night of it. Cheeseeeee. In Ctg. and sleeping alone. That sucks!
Next day, the skies were ominous but we made it to the beach but nothing really interested us. Early evening, we hit the casas, and I do mean most of them but, so help me, the talent was way below normal standards. Neither one of us could find one that was even doable. Then it started to pour again and we were lucky just to make it back to our Apt. 2nd night…sleeping alone! This is not good or fun!
Next day, we moved into Juans Apt at Playa Mar. Recently renovated and quite nice for a very good price. 8th Floor and naturally, it came with a maid for an extra 15K pesos per day (less than $7 USD). She was excellent at cleaning and loved the fact I had breakfast made for her everyday when she arrived. She even got to sample French Toast for the first time in her life (Deege, we were thinking about ya buddy). She did cook for us a couple of times. I had a lot of fun kidding and tickling her while we were there. I think I really caught her off guard with my shenanigans and she did not know how to take either one of us………Strange gringos…….!
Photo: Maid
The skies finally cleared and we did a day of sightseeing in the old city. Even though it was hot as hell and like a steambath, Sweet and I made the full rounds of the old city walking. There were several stops for water and beer under shady trees. Sweet had his trusty water bottle filled with wine.
The next couple of days were a blur. Between the incessant rain and humidity, a few chicas here and there, a couple of great meals at Riquismo (the baby beef is excellent) and our incredible massages from Emily, it was all beginning to blend.
Did run into an old friend, Paola, from a previous visit. My old flame, Milena, was not working at Casa International anymore and was in her home city working in some kind of service job. Paola looked the worse for wear from her working status. Several extra pounds and way too many wrinkles for someone under 25. Guess the business takes its toll.
Did I mention rain? Yeah. Guess I did! Now, I used to live in Fla. and am quite used to daily showers but it was unzipping buckets everyday, all day, all night. Streets were flooded, cars were stalling out, beaches were totally empty and even LDV was strapped for customers and chicas. Sweet and I managed a couple of sessions out of LDV but were getting bored stiff sitting around watching it rain. Merls fav come over one day and broke the monotony but had to bolt early due to a previous commitment…another client!
One night at LDV, a group of about 10 army guys entered. Not an unusual thing and they normally just line up the Colombians, check for weapons and ID’s. For some reason, one guy started coming right at Sweet and I. He was about to say something when another guy backed him off. We were both standing palms up to show them we didn’t have any weapons of any kind. They left after about 2 minutes???
Finally, the skies cleared and we made it to the beach. There were several cuties around and I was telling Sweet to make a selection quick. One real stunner and a friend of Emilys came over and introduced herself. Before I knew it she was headed in another guys direction along with another girl. We decided to leave when I heard, Sandman, Sandman! Damn, there was Cubanut with a buddy named Sam. They had been in Medellin and decided on a side trip to Ctg. Cutie was hooked up with Sam and CN had a cutie of his own. We went back to their place, had a beer, met some buddies of theirs at Torre Marina and went home.
Sam gave cutie high ratings. Little spinner. Not big tits but very firm, stand-up, no kids, 20 year old, well hidden assets. I got her number before I left their place. She was in my gunsights…with Sams full knowledge and concurrence.
Later that day, I called her and she pretty much stayed with me until we departed. She brought a friend for Sweet who stayed a couple of days as well. Yep! She was a spinner. Maybe 32 B cups but as Sam had said, real firm and well hidden. She would not allow nudie pics but I managed a few of her on our Isla Rosario outing.
Photos: Spinner 1 Spinner 2
It finally quit raining and I suggested to Sweet that we do a day at Isla Rosario. He jumped at the idea as we were both getting a little cabin fever. The girls were excited as well. ……….HE, HE, HE, HE.
It wasn’t until about an hour into the trip that I asked Sweet, “Did I forget to mention this was about a 1 ½ hour boat trip in a 20 ft open skiff, 1-2 miles offshore in open water with no radio.” The scowl on his face was priceless. He never would have agreed if I had told him before. Sweet does like his comforts and this was well below his Hatteras standards. Not sure it would even qualify as a tender for his boat. I was cackling like a banshee.
The girls had a great time at Coco Isla Resort and my cutie really enjoyed swimming in the fresh water pool. It is also a very nice dive spot for those so inclined. We had several drinks and snacks then headed off to lunch. I still can’t remember the name of the little island even though I have been there several times. Tables and chairs in the water and a fried snapper lunch to die for.
We were accosted by all the vendors as soon as we arrived. They got so damned annoying that I just told them to all leave and we wanted to buy nothing. Several stayed around and I started getting pissed. I was damn near ready to leave. I think my temper cost us a few pesos because our bill was much higher than what I had expected or what it should have been. $35,000 pesos for a fried fish lunch was absurd. We were a captive audience and weren’t going anywhere without paying. No menu, no noted prices. Just a couple of gringos with chicas in tow and Colombianos all around. Note to self: Ask prices before ordering next time!
The ride home was a little bumpy as the clouds had started forming, wind had picked up and rain was eminent. Sweet was not a happy camper with the situation. I honestly think he would have thrown me overboard if he hadn’t needed my language skills.
We took the girls out for an excellent dinner at an Argentinean steak place two doors down from La Victrola. Incredible ambiance, decorations and the food was excellent. Name escapes me but I am sure someone can fill in here.
The second week was winding down and I began to ponder the changes from the previous 3-4 years;
Calle cinco was almost a ghost street. The little restaurants were all under “destruction” making way for new buildings. I used to love picking up street girls from there and I missed the ambiance of the chase there;
La Escollera-a landmark spot for finding chicas had been totally demolished and was getting ready for a 30 something story high rise condominium costing 300k USD plus apartments! It was almost sad to see. Way high priced for Ctg. but supposedly 60% presold???
Seems to be a renaissance of sorts going on in LaGuito. People buying up older Apts and renovating them. Mostly gringos and Europeans; Maybe Hunter can comment on this observation.
The old city was as pristine as the last day I had seen it. I still found everything very easily and remembered my way around.
Food seemed somewhat out of proportion to other costs. We spent $35USD on an appetizer and a couple of drinks one day in the old city. Crazy.
Country is still suffering from its’ 45+ year old civil war; Felt safer than being in Rio though.
Lots of beautiful girls at bargain basement prices. Remember: Make eye contact, smile and start a conversation. It just couldn’t be any simpler!
Great to see old friends like Juan, Emily, Aldo and yes, even Tony (the ever present pain in the ass who has a cell phone full of chica numbers) Sidenote: One of my chicas told me about him. He extorts as much as 30,000 pesos from girls he introduces to gringos. Mine only paid him 10,000K. Getting the girls through Emily costs them nothing.
Note to self: Do not go to Ctg. in late May, June, July or Aug. It is just too damn fucking hot, humid and rains wayyyyyyyy too much. Go after New Years like I used to.
Yeah. I’ll return. I’ll make a 3 city visit to Cali, Medellin and Ctg. on my next trip and spend several days in each city. I love to reminess in old haunts.
Language; I found myself saying obrigado and bom dia way too many times while there and had to break myself of saying gracias and buenas dias when I returned to Rio. I am also of the opinion now that only about 40% translates closely. I used to think it was much higher but no longer. Sf4dfish was excellent with Spanish. I don’t know how he switches so easily between Portugues and Spanish but he does with ease.
Costs; Actually, because of the devaluation of the dollar against the Real, Colombia was a much better value. It is a very good budget conscious destination and at $35-$40 for TLN with a chica, very cost effective. They are also easy to keep around the next morning till mid day or longer.
Security; forget the state department warnings. Ctg. is 10 times safer than Rio or SP.
Girls: Okay, your opportunity to flame me. As sweet and sensuous as the Colombianas are, they cannot hold a candle to the pure raw sexuality of the Brasilian women. I mean, I had a chica for 5 straight days and although the sex was great, the day after I returned to Rio, I had my world rocked all night by an old favorita that had “grande saudades” for me. Neither of us slept longer than 2 hours and she got up and left for work. I was fortunate enough to be able to go back to sleep. She left with R$10 bus money and a Hard Rock Café T-Shirt from Ctg. They don’t even have a real one to my knowledge. Just the shirts (thanks Sweet; at 5 for 20K pesos or about $2.00 USD apiece a real bargain. She loved it!)
Colombia as a mongering destination; Jesus guys. All you have to do is read WallStreets, Merlins or any of the other regulars here to know it is a great place for hobbying. Look at their photos, experience their trips through their reports. Much closer to the US than Brazil or Thailand and much cheaper. Tons of young, hardbodied available women for the price of a few drinks in the US. There are a number of CH’ers that live there and can provide updated local info. And many more traveling there all the time. You can go upscale if cost is not important or downscale if it is.
All I can say is make Colombia a must do on your worldly excursions….and remember to post photos and make a report. After all, that is what this site is all about.
Will I go again? Damn right I will and hopefully it won’t take another 4 years to get there.
Sandman
P.S. I have a lot of Panama and Ctg touristy "alibi" photos if you need them. PM me off line. Easy way to stay out of trouble and not waste time taking photos...he he!