Colombia Trip Report
May 2005

I am sitting in the airport in Bogotá Colombia, my favorite destination for the hobby. My eight day trip to Bogotá and Cali has come to an end, and it is thus that I present this report for the good of the cause.

All in all it was a real dichotomy of a trip. I had several fantastic experiences, a couple of disappointments, surprises…a very complete trip indeed.

Random Thoughts on Bogotá:
I arrived in Bogotá on Saturday afternoon and grabbed a taxi to the Suites Real 85. The exchange rate at the airport was $2150 COP per dollar, so I passed on making an exchange there. For comparison, I made a withdrawal using my ATM card, and got a rate of $2325 COP. So as always, I recommend using your ATM card as needed while keeping your hard cash on hand for an emergency (e.g., if you lose your ATM card).

The Suites Real gave me a rate of $95.000 COP per evening. Not bad but, considering that I used to pay $82.000 back when the Colombian Peso was at around $2.900 (2 years ago), the weakening dollar has caused the price to go up considerably. Still I’ve always been 100% happy at the Suites Real 85, as I’ve written in other reports, and the price creep hasn’t yet been enough to change my feeling on that. Their telephone number is 57(1) 218-0100, in case you’d like to make a reservation.

Bogotá in general is the least friendly of all the Colombian cities I’ve been to, but as usual I found the people to be generally courteous, even if in a stand-offish kind of way. I find that the people will not smile at you or make eye contact, but if you approach them with a smile and some polite words, they warm up quite easily. In previous reports I’ve written about how much I like the museums, restaurants, etc. in Bogotá, and that stuff is still true so I will not repeat myself here.

The Hobby in Bogotá:
Having landed mid-afternoon, I was a bit tired but decided to walk in the Chapinero neighborhood, where you cannot walk down the street without receiving about 10 different cards for “reservados” (a.k.a. brothels/whorehouses). These places in general are inexpensive and staffed with average talent, although I’ve definitely met some cute girls in these places before. My experience on this afternoon was unspectacular, but it was simply good at that moment to be back in Colombia after 9 months. From there I just grabbed something to eat and returned to take a nap.

The nap ended up being 8 hours long, which made sense as I had not slept the night before. So it was about 1:30 AM when I woke up, but at that point feeling completely refreshed I ventured the short walk to Calle 86, where the high-end nightclubs like Extasis and Casanova reside. I went into Exstasis about 40 minutes before their closing time, to find about 10 girls working with absolutely no customers in the whole place. Strange, I thought, as I sat down and ordered my $18.000 COP beer (this perhaps explains the lack of customers!).

These clubs cater to foreigners who are willing to pay high prices for drinks, ladies, etc. There’s a whole infrastructure around it in fact, including high-priced taxis, doormen asking for tips…the whole 9 yards. I like to go once or twice during a trip, but hardly ever take out any of the talent. On this evening though, I was able to take a very attractive 29 year old named Laura for $120.000 COP, and in fact did not even need to pay the multa as the club was closing anyway. In addition to the great service she provided, she and I hit it off as we talked about the TV shows we like. I had brought with me seasons I and II of The Family Guy on DVD, and we spent a good portion of the evening watching and laughing at that. She ended up staying the whole night, and was well worth the amount she charged.

The following day was Sunday, so I took it slow and enjoyed walking around the zona rosa. There are plenty of hobbying opportunities on Sundays, but I am finding that my evolution as a monger is leading me to seek more quality and not necessarily as much quantity. This is a change over two or three years ago, when I was going for 4 or 5 sessions a day. Perhaps I’m getting old…

On Sunday evening I decided to return to the high-end places on Calle 86, having had such a good experience the previous evening. At about midnight I was the only customer, this time in Casanovas, with about 15 girls working and looking pretty bored. One girl very much caught my eye, and as I attempted to make eye contact with her, another attractive woman (although not my type) invited herself to sit with me. I made some small talk with her, but was also able to initiate the eye contact with the other that I wanted to talk with.

The dynamics of these establishments are fascinating to me, probably because I visit them so infrequently. In fact I imagine it gets quite mundane after a short time, but I enjoy the way that the girls seem to play roles (e.g., some very aggressive, some very reserved, some very suggestive and some feigning relative innocence). I suppose it’s a matter of matching up with what different customers are looking for, which makes sense as I myself on different occasions have found each role appealing.

Turns out that the girl who’d sat down with me was playing the aggressive role, but I was able to politely dismiss her after a few moments. I got up to use the bathroom, and the girl I’d had my eye on tapped me on the shoulder and asked why I was leaving so soon. This presented a great opportunity to gain an advantage in the potential bargaining session to come, so I told her that it seemed as though there wasn’t much happening. Carolina, as I would discover her name to be, was playing the suggestive role, as she informed me in explicit detail of why I might re-consider staying and having a drink with her instead.

After some time she suggested I take her for $200.000 COP. I countered with $120.000, and she asked for $150.000 for toda la noche. That was fine, but I was not about to also pay 85.000 for the multa as well. Here is a very important point that I hope makes reading all of my babbling worthwhile; in a situation where you are the only customer in a place with 15 girls, you are the one in the better bargaining position. Don’t forget this! To make it work though, you have to be willing to walk away from the deal, because the club owners will stick to their guns if they sense that you are desperate to take your chica back with you. I countered the $85.000 price with $30.000, which of course they balked at. So I waved goodbye to my chica and began to walk out the door. They countered with 60.000, to which I replied 40.000, final offer. They acquiesced and off with my chica I went.

I used to think that being this way was not good because it would give the chica the impression that I am cheap. What I have found in more cases though is that it lets the chica know that I am in charge and am not a sucker (well, at least not a complete sucker). There was a reporter some time ago named Hombrecito who wrote an excellent piece on the mentality of Latinas. He said, in essence, that Latinas expect a man to take charge, to bargain hard, to be dominant, etc. All women like men who fit their concept of what a “real man” is as much as we like women who fit our various concepts of womanhood. Now, apply that basic truth to Latinas. The willingness to pay high prices without negotiation, as well as other general demonstrations of not being in charge make a guy look to a Latina the same way that some woman with hairy armpits and Birkenstocks on her way to a N.O.W. meeting looks to us.

So Carolina and I went back to the Suites Real for a really great evening. She actually asked me to do her from behind, to pull her hair, and to remove the condom and finish on her tits. She stayed the whole evening and wanted to go at it once more before leaving the next morning…all of which, of course, was not a problem at all for me.

After two nights in Bogotá I’d managed two all-nighters at relatively good prices with very attractive women from the high-end places in Bogotá. I will admit that there had to have been an element of luck, good timing, etc. involved in this happening, but the takeaway is that one can still do pretty well in Bogotá if playing the cards right.

The next day was my last in Bogotá, so I spent some time doing a few of the touristy things that I like. I managed to get a session in at one of the places in Chapinero…again unremarkable but fun for 45.000 COP. That evening I went to a mid-priced reservado that has the same modus operandi as the high-end places in the North. I don’t know what it is called, but I’ll dig for the address (which I wrote down and have somewhere in my luggage) and post later. There you can buy a drink, check out the girls and either use the facilities on site or pay the multa and leave. My suggestion is to negotiate the prices for everything (i.e., drinks, the multa) ahead of time, as this place is a little less polished than those places that cater to tourists. They might have a tendency to see a gringo and raise the prices…again, negotiate hard and be willing to walk away. Or even better, ask your taxista to wait an extra moment for you. As you enter, ask them “Cuanto vale la multa?” If they tell you something ridiculous, like 50.000 COP or higher, tell them good-bye and return to the taxi. They’ll probably negotiate, to get you to come in. If not, there’s plenty of other places in Bogotá.

Anyway, I had a really strange experience in this place. I’d been there last August, and at that time took a Paisa named Nancy back with me. It was a decent time, and I’d remembered her somewhat. Well she was still there, and very much remembered me including my name, birthday, email address (she actually recited my email address off the top of her head), what I was wearing that night, my hotel (room number included) where I stayed at in August. She told me that she’d thought of me often and that she didn’t understand why I’d never written her back. This was very strange to me…I’ve heard a lot of bullshit from working girls about how special I am, how much they love me, blah blah blah…all a precursor to catching a sugar daddy. This was highly unusual though, and I really wasn’t sure what to make of it. There was a different sort of look in her eye, and of course it all could have been her acting skills but if so I’ll just congratulate her on being a tremendous actress. She told me that she wanted to be with me that night, and that she didn’t need me to pay her but that she just wanted to go.

I declined. I really wasn’t sure what her angle was, if she was a very good actress, incredibly desperate, completely insane, or actually with feelings, but whatever way I thought it better to take caution and leave. As I write this I still have absolutely no idea what to make out of it, other than that it made a peculiar sadness come over me.

I think I was probably already a little emotional that evening myself. The next day I would go to Cali and see my son, who was sure to have grown so much that I wouldn’t even recognize him. That was in my head, and it may have contributed to my confused sadness over Nancy and whatever emotional state she must exist in. Whatever opinions we have about ourselves, the working girls, our ex-girlfriends/wives, etc. at the end of the day we are all human beings and it makes me sad to see someone else in a state of odd confusion and sadness. I returned alone that evening to reflect on the larger context and the gravity of human relationships and emotions.

Off to Cali:
Cali is just about my favorite city in the world. I love the women, the way they look, walk, dance, talk, eat, blow their noses, lick stamps, and whatever else they do. I love the weather and the food and the prices…on an on and on. Most of all I love my son who lives there with his mother. If I had one of those jobs that I could do remotely, Cali is where I would go, in a heartbeat.

As I mentioned, traveling to Cali is something I do to see my son, but while there I like to hobby and enjoy the life. So my days there are a bit different than they are in Bogotá, as I wake up early in the morning to go see him. That generally leaves me with the evenings to do the things that you guys want to hear about, and that I will further discuss.

On my first free evening I wanted to go to a salsa club in Juanchito, and needing a partner I decided to check out the selection at Kaliente. Three hours is sufficient for about an hour or so at a club, and hour or so at the hotel and the remaining time in between for transportation. The lineup at Kaliente was decent, and I invited a very petite girl named Lorena for a drink and to talk. She had given me the vibe of someone who would enjoy going out to party a little bit, and upon sharing a drink with her I confirmed as much. So off we went.

She turned out to be a reasonable selection. A very good dancer and very affectionate, but she started to annoy me as she kept asking me for stuff. Again it becomes a matter of demonstrating control and letting her know that she was not going to take charge, which is what I did. The prices at Kaliente have risen, to 200.000 COP for three hours. Not a bad option all in all.

Lorena gave me her cell phone number and asked me to call her the next morning. She said that they are free to leave between 6:00 AM and 2:00 PM, and that she would like to meet up during that time. I did not call her, but the next day she actually called me and left a message at my hotel to return her call. She was a nice girl, but definitely a professional and would have been a piece of drama that I do not need.

The next day the mother of my son was not feeling well, and asked me to delay my arrival. So while waiting I checked out a place that advertised in the adult section of El Pais for a massage w/ full service option for 80.000. I chose Carolina (aka “Caro”) a 20 year old Caleña with a cute face and a nice, curvy figure. She has the type of body that will probably fail on her in the next ten years or so, but at 20 was really nice. She gave an excellent massage and was enthusiastic in the extra-curricular activities. The address for this place is Calle 22, 5BN-94. It’s right off of Avendia Sexta, on Calle 22. The building looks like a medical office or some other professional type of place. I do recommend it you check it out should you be in Cali.

My Progression through Mongerhood:
I began the hobby six years ago. I was 25 years old and I’d just terminated a relationship with a real bitch of a gringa (Latina actually, but US-born and a total pain in the ass). Mongering was a personal renaissance for me, as it helped me to understand that I have no need to allow a woman to take the power position in a relationship over me if I wanted to experience affection and companionship. Hobbying offered all of that plus variety without repercussion, which I think has always been the most appealing component.

Over the past year or so though, I’ve started to develop an inclination towards entering into a stable relationship once again. A lot of other things have happened, including being relocated from Miami to New York (which I am not thrilled about), the birth and growth of my son (the result of an extremely careless hookup with a non-pro in Cali) and a bit of deterioration in my level of physical activity and fitness. I also think that, in spite of the good times I am writing about here, hobbying has become a bit stale. The same types of places, he same conversations and the same net results have made me a touch cynical. The next evening in Cali, I went by Faraon to check out the action. I invited a very attractive 20 year old girl named Alejandra, from Manizales, to join me for a drink. She and I made some small talk, but the whole time I was looking at her and thinking to myself that there was nothing interesting or even enjoyable about the moment I was in. It was a microcosm of some thoughts that I’d been weaving in and out of over the last year or so, and in spite of how cute this girl was I simply paid for the drinks and walked back to the Aparthotel del Rio, alone.

Something Different:
Now, on the other hand, I was probably tired and a little bit drained from the variety of events I’d experienced on my trip to that point. Ever since my mistake more than two years ago, when I hooked up with a non-pro and got her pregnant, I’ve stayed clear of the non-pros. But all things coming together, my creeping desire to enter something stable as well as my boredom with the working girls, I decided to look for an activity that might serve as some sort of bridge. So I did some research on the plethora of introduction services and agencies in Cali.

I found one that was having what they call a reunion that evening. In reality, it amounted to a party where about 25 girls who want to meet foreigners were brought together to hang out with 6 guys, including myself, each one of us from the US. I’d never done nor had any notion to do anything like this before, but it was actually kind of fun. In some ways it matched my prejudices about the types of women and the types of guys who would join such an agency. But all in all it felt more normal than I thought it would, and as a result I got to hang out with, dance with and have some nice conversations with some girls that lived in a far different world than the one that I’d familiarized myself with as a hobbyist. Hell, I might even stay in touch with one or two of them.

The Last Day:
Having enjoyed the time away from the hobby on the previous evening, I decided to end my Cali trip with a venture to Flores Frescas, the high-end hangout in the north of Cali. It was only two blocks from my hotel and I’d actually come in a little bit under budget for the trip overall thus far, so I thought I’d splurge.

I witnessed the famous girl-on-girl show for the first time (in previous trips I haven’t really gone to FF), which in my opinion was tacky and sort of ponderous. The whole time I’d been hanging out with a girl whose name I have no idea how to spell, but sounded something like “Nasslie.” I asked her to repeat it twice, confirming that it wasn’t Nathalie or something like that. Anyway, she offered me some very explicit services for 160.000 COP, on-site, which I accepted.

Nasslie was very…um…adventurous, and gave a real good session. After a few positions she removed the condom and asked me to finish in her mouth, which I did. The strange part was that afterwards, she was kind of clingy and wanted to hang out with me instead of working the crowd. My experience with other girls of this type has always been that they are not ones for sentimental attachment. I hung out with her for the next 40 minutes of so, before finally heading back to the hotel to rest up for the next day’s trip back to the US.

Random Cali Thoughts and Bits:
Avenida Sexta continues to be on the decline. Gator has been saying so since the first time I went to Cali, and as always on matters regarding Colombia he is 100% correct. There you’ll find a lot of seedy types hanging out, hustlers, dirt bags, annoyances, underage working girls, etc. I barely spent any time there as I just didn’t find it at all appealing.

The Aparthotel del Rio was adequate, although my room had no hot water and the cable was not working. I got a rate of 85.000 COP per evening, which is good. The place is chica-friendly, clean, safe and decently located, but those few things were kind of a pain. I wish there was a good infrastructure for short-term apartments like there seems to be in Rio and Cartagena, because that’s what I’d go with if so.

Chipechape is still there, and still full of incredible female scenery, as was Unicentro in the south.

I actually noticed a few people, Colombians, males included, wearing shorts. I’ve really never seen that in any Latin American city other than beach towns, regardless of the weather. Not a lot, but enough to have made an impression on me. I still strongly suggest that you not go down there wearing shorts…it gives the impression of naivety, which I think increases the chance that someone will try to take advantage of you.

I felt no inclination of danger at all at any point in Cali, and I very much tend to be on the adventurous/risk-taking side, walking alone at night at things like that. I don’t recommend that to anyone, but that’s my observation based on my experience.

Conclusion:
I don’t think I’ll be retiring from the hobby or anything like that. I am more open to the idea of entering a stable relationship, at which point I would take a hiatus from the hobby for as long as the relationship worked out, but I will not be aggressively pursuing a real, actual, non-working type of girlfriend either. That goes double for myself in New York, where the few women I’ve met are all insane. So I think I’ll be getting back to Colombia in the future, and contributing more reports if I think I have something of value to contribute. I’ve always wanted to check out Pereira, but between wanting to spend time with my son, my general fondness for Cali, short vacation times, etc. I’ve still not done so.

If you go to Colombia, have a great time, do your homework, be safe but not fearful at all. It’s a really neat country with wonderful people. Oh, and please, if you go there, please be patient, polite and respectful. It will go a long way in maintaining the decent perception that Caleños have of gringos, and will go a long way in ensuring that you do not find yourself in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation. If I can contribute anything more, please let me know.

LM

Thanks for the report and good luck in the future with whatever type of relationship you eventually end up in. I am in my 50s, and do not believe I will ever have any kind of serious relationship with an American woman again! Without mongering where would we be?

La Muerte...many thanks for this report and any more that may be forthcoming.

I look fwd to my first trip to Colombia (hopefully within a year). I hear a lot about Cartagena and Merlin has said very good things about Medellin. Can you comment on those cities and how they compare to Cali? What makes one stand apart from the others?

Thank you.

Diceman, thanks for the good wishes. I'm with you...even if I entered a serious relationship again, in no way could I picture it being with a gringa.

Concarne, just go for it! I think you'd have fun in Cali, Bogotá, Medellin or Cartagena. For real good analysis, read all of the reports on each city and use that to develop your own sense. There's no one clear-cut place that's better than another, but rather good fits for certain personality types and interests. I will offer my own brief analysis here.

Bogotá: Very cosmopolitan, very big, easy to get lost, tons of places to get laid, good restaurants, shopping, museums, etc. It's not the friendliest city in the world and the weather can be on the cool side.

Cali: Incredibly beautiful women who dress to make sure you'll notice. Nice people, decent amount of places to get laid, and excellent if you like salsa clubs. The weather is warm but there's not too much else to do besides visit the P4P establishments and otherwise try to hook up with girls.

Medellin: I've only spent a few days there, but the women there are also very beautiful. It seemed a little more reserved than Cali, but not as much as Bogotá.

Cartagena: Great place with a very large tourist infrastructure. That's good because there's a lot to do (the old city is awesome), places to eat, etc., but bad because a lot of people there are hustling tourists (e.g., it's very hard to find peace and relaxation on the beach with all of the people trying to sell you stuff). The weather is hot (think Miami).

If you have any uneasiness about Colombia, than I'd recommend Cartagena to get your feet wet. There are great chicas and other positives about in each city, but Cartagena might be the place you'd be the most comfortable for your first visit.

LM

Photos: Carolina - Casanova 01 02 03 04 05

LaMuerte,

I am a New Yorker who has dated many Colombian girls and is currently dating a Colombian girl. I just love their passion. The one common theme I have found in all of them is their jealousy (and also, the lack of male figures in their lives). I am about to visit Medellin in early July (my first time). I have a very hot ex in Pereira and the mother of my current girl lives in Armenia. Any thoughts on making this trip to all three cities more adventurous. Thanks.

"hairy armpits and Birkenstocks on her way to a N.O.W. meeting"

Brother, think I'll have that image tatooed on my dick. So, every time I even think about dating a Gringa I can see where I'm headed.

Great report. thanks.

HL