hi all,

i have a couple of weeks upcoming first half of November, live in the San Francisco Bay Area. i have only been to Mexico, Cuba, and the DR, otherwise I'm a novice to Latin America. I have lived in several countries, am a seasoned traveler. I speak Spanish well enough to hold a conversation.
I am interested in a mixture of activities, certainly women (i'm more of an afternoon massage guy than a nightime bar guy), some interesting sites, maybe a bit of tourism and/or beach time.
i'm not working, have money, but my destination should be cheap.
more than anything i like to visit cities and towns and hang out the first visit, get the vibe, decide if i'd like to go back and get into more detail.
Costa Rica is an easy and cheap flight but the stuff i've read in here sounds like Pattaya, everybody has a scam. Lima is also a good connection at a decent price from here. Colombia intrigues me but i wonder about safety.
i would be grateful for any tips.
many thanks
teelac

Cartagena,,,,,,,

Lima, or Rio............
Can't go wrong with either one.

thanks very much gents

it's Lima!

i imagine cartagena is lovely but i am always a bit nervous about colombia, it is probably stupid i know.

i'll save brasil for a big long trip one day.

i'll write what happena on my trip

thanks again gents