staying in a hostel?

[stnmasn]

I am wondering how things go in colombia when staying in a hostel and trying to meet/date women.


 How do the women react to a man who is staying in a hostel?


 Do men staying in a hostel bring the girls to the hostel or have them meet them at a hostel?




i know these may seem silly questions as I probably have a misguided impression  of the cleanliness, privacy, and security of a hostel. 


 

[Henry]

Usually hotels will not allow you to bring guests.

[buencamino]

You won't have any privacy with a date at a hostel. Some like Platypus in Bogota have a rule that non guests must leave by ten pm. Many hotels don't care if you have a woman in your room till late at night but may charge you for two people. Staying at a hostal your best bet is taking her to one of the many motels.

[htown]

Hostels are like roman orgies.  Of  course you're more likely to hook up with an australian, german, dutch, or canadian chick than an actual  colombiana, but you'll still have a blast.  When in medellin go to casa kiwi, or tiger paw hostel for non-stop insanity.

[V_Man]

I forget if you are looking to have a good time or to find a wife.
I'll assume it is primarily to find a wife.
Personally I advise against a hostel. Stay in a 3 or 4 star hotel or ideally rent an apartment.
I trust you know what a motel is in Colombia.
It's probably just me but I would not want to have to suggest a motel the first time I wanted to get intimate. Many women will be fine with it but the whole picture of you staying in a hostel and using motels during your flying visit to the country gives a certain impression. You need to think about who you want to attract.

[benjio]

After what happened to Dennis I wouldn't consider a hostel again for a second. I don't care how safe it seemed to be. I stayed at a very nice place in Salento (the place in my profile pic) while vacationing there a few years ago but that was in the middle of a rural, mountain pueblo full of police and tourists. The absolute worse part of staying somewhere like that is you have no idea who you'll be staying with and what kind of people they are.

Our idea of the word "motel" in the United States sometimes makes gringos assume these places are sleazy all over the world. In Latin America that couldn't be further from the truth. There are some REALLY nice places in Colombia and Brazil where you can get luxury accommodations for a night for far less than what a 5 Star Hotel would cost you. King size bed with fresh linen, decent sized flat screen TV's, multi-jet showers, hot tubs, room service (with decent food), and a full mini-bar. I've been to cities where my company is coughing up $500 USD a night for a "luxury" hotel room that didn't allow female guest. Then I took a girl to a motel and discovered the room there was twice as big, 10 times nicer, and 75% cheaper per night.

[buencamino]

There are some motels on the old road to Yumbo out past Menga (Cali) that have rates for 12 hours that are very cheap compared to the price of any nearby hotels.

[stnmasn]

yes there are numerous motels in cali,,,,some of them look VERY nice, others not so much. I have visited one and it wasnt one of the VERY nice ones but it wasnt bad,,,,,i haven't ever slept in one.


Hostels arent anything that appeal to me and I doubt if i would find a situation in which i would stay in one. I am actually just inquiring as to how they are.  just being inquisitive.  and what i am hearing is interesting,,,,especially the roman orgy part....that seems pretty wild. and it makes sense to me.


I am not looking for a wife at this point,,, i have already been there,,, i am now just looking for  fun.   both easy to find in Cali.


I may stay at a nice motel soon to try it,,,after benjios post i am curious,,,,some are very classy seeming and it might be fun to try one out. maybe Geisha motel.


I always stay at the same hotel in Cali.

[Henry]

How does one go about finding a motel in Colombia?  I assume they arent on Expedia?


How safe is it to rent an apartment that doesnt have security? Or do most have security? I have seen some really good prices for apartments online.

[stnmasn]

one example of a motel is to search for "motel geisha in cali" and you will find this chain of motels.  They have a nice webpage.  I will probably try them out in september for the novelty of it.


Apartement's for rent  i cant help you with.  mine is rented.   The word here, I understand, is that  they are a good way to stay. I am sure someone here can advise you.


Hotels I can advise you on if interested.

[Henry]

one example of a motel is to search for "motel geisha in cali" and you will find this chain of motels.  They have a nice webpage.  I will probably try them out in september for the novelty of it.


Apartement's for rent  i cant help you with.  mine is rented.   The word here, I understand, is that  they are a good way to stay. I am sure someone here can advise you.


Hotels I can advise you on if interested.

I'm still waiting on business ideas.

No one here is married to a Paisa, but I'm looking for a lighter skinned chica. Do they have those in Cali?

[stnmasn]

Hello Henry,


Business ideas and or opportunities  in colombia are not anything that I have found  there to be many of.  What I have noticed is that many colombianos want to come to the USA or other countries to try and find the oppurtunities that aren't available  to them in their own country.


For me... business ideas in colombia arent anything I have been looking much for. I find my time and money  is better spent in the USA earning here  so that I can go there and play.


 That being said I am a partner in a business in colombia and I enjoy it but for the last year and a half that we have been running it, it  hasn't earned any money. I entered the partnership not expecting to earn any money for a couple of years, figuring i will just be investing until we get things off the ground, and my expectations have been correct, unfortunately. I hope to someday realize a positive return on my investment, but it may never happen, and I realize it may be a loss in the long run...  I  realize there is a limited potential to earn some money down there in this venture. Not gonna get rich, it is more of a hobby.




I have enjoyed the company of 3 paisas, and yes 2 of the 3 were light skinned. The 2 light skinned paisas were very cool chicks and INCREDIBLE in bed. They were very cool chicks. I keep in touch with the two of them. I wont be marrying them but I will enjoy their company in the future. They come to cali to visit  when I am there.  I have found the lighter skinned girls i have met in Cali to be from different parts of colombia but that doesnt mean there arent native calenas with light skin.


Cali is too much fun.  A good friend of mine down there, a caleno, calls Cali "sin city" and it truly is. 

[V_Man]

There are plenty of light skined women in Cali.

To find a motel, I just explained to my girl that we don't have things like that in my country and so I would like to try it for the thrill of it. You can bet she knows where they are. It's just what people do there. 

[benjio]

I'm still waiting on business ideas.

Henry,
 
Look through some of my past posts on ways I've made money in Latin America. I'm not typing all that [snip] over again and I sure as hell ain't looking for free advice for you.  Profitable businesses can be established but they usually consist of a gringo bringing something from the states to sell for an astronomical markup in Latin America (because that's the only way you're actually going to make a profit); or bringing something from Latin America to the U.S. and doing the same thing. I live and work in Latin America and do pretty well for myself; but for me it's never enough...so I'm always interested in any side hustle I can find. Three months ago I purchased a lot of 10 Unlocked, 16GB iPhone 5's for $6K with shipping and the whole shebang off eBay. In Rio, depending on the exchange rate, the same phone sells for about $1250 USD a piece. I contacted some friends of mine down there before I returned to let them know what I had. There were 7 phones sold before my plane landed. I eventually sold them all for an average of about $1000 a piece. Do the math. The only problem with bringing in things like this to Brazil is the risk of the Brazilian Customs Dept. searching your luggage and not believing you are bringing them as gifts if they are found. In which case you'd have to pay taxes on every single phone, which would subsequently eliminate your profit margin.
 
The most important thing is putting your feet on the ground, doing some research and figuring out what people need or they really, really want, wherever you find yourself.
 

That being said I am a partner in a business in colombia and I enjoy it but for the last year and a half that we have been running it, it  hasn't earned any money. I entered the partnership not expecting to earn any money for a couple of years, figuring i will just be investing until we get things off the ground, and my expectations have been correct, unfortunately. I hope to someday realize a positive return on my investment, but it may never happen, and I realize it may be a loss in the long run...  I  realize there is a limited potential to earn some money down there in this venture. Not gonna get rich, it is more of a hobby.

STN,
You are absolutely right about everything you said about business in Colombia. I've met a couple of gringos that fell in love with a woman, the culture or both and tried to start a business there only to crash and burn after a year or two. Many men look at something like Jamie does and thinks it's easy. While others look at his prices and wonder why they are high. But I can assure everyone here that that's what it takes to stay in the black while simultaneously maintaining an American level of service for a client in Latin America. It can sometimes be profitable, but it will ALWAYS be costly.
 
I'm actually extremely interested in knowing what kind of business you have there. I remember you mentioning you were a stone mason. Did you business have something to do with home building or construction?

[fathertime]

I have enjoyed the company of 3 paisas, and yes 2 of the 3 were light skinned. The 2 light skinned paisas were very cool chicks and INCREDIBLE in bed. They were very cool chicks. I keep in touch with the two of them. I wont be marrying them but I will enjoy their company in the future. They come to cali to visit  when I am there.  I have found the lighter skinned girls i have met in Cali to be from different parts of colombia but that doesnt mean there arent native calenas with light skin.


Cali is too much fun.  A good friend of mine down there, a caleno, calls Cali "sin city" and it truly is.

Boy Stnmasn, it sounds like you are making the most of your new found freedom.  I've been to Cali numerous times, but I didn't know it was known as sin city.  Can you tell me what differentiates it to the point that it has the reputation as 'sin city'? I kinda thought they were all sin cities.  [size=78%]  [/size]
Thanks,
Fathertime! 

[htown]

Boy Stnmasn, it sounds like you are making the most of your new found freedom.  I've been to Cali numerous times, but I didn't know it was known as sin city.  Can you tell me what differentiates it to the point that it has the reputation as 'sin city'? I kinda thought they were all sin cities.  [size=78%]  [/size]
Thanks,
Fathertime!

Drugs and hookers. 


I doubt cali is any more sinful than cartagena, medellin, barranquilla, or bogota.  The rest of colombia is probably just as sinful, we just don't know because there aren't as many gringos there.

[Henry]

Drugs and hookers. 


I doubt cali is any more sinful than cartagena, medellin, barranquilla, or bogota.  The rest of colombia is probably just as sinful, we just don't know because there aren't as many gringos there.

I'm sure he just meant gambling.

[Henry]

Henry,
 
Look through some of my past posts on ways I've made money in Latin America. I'm not typing all that [snip] over again and I sure as hell ain't looking for free advice for you.  Profitable businesses can be established but they usually consist of a gringo bringing something from the states to sell for an astronomical markup in Latin America (because that's the only way you're actually going to make a profit); or bringing something from Latin America to the U.S. and doing the same thing. I live and work in Latin America and do pretty well for myself; but for me it's never enough...so I'm always interested in any side hustle I can find. Three months ago I purchased a lot of 10 Unlocked, 16GB iPhone 5's for $6K with shipping and the whole shebang off eBay. In Rio, depending on the exchange rate, the same phone sells for about $1250 USD a piece. I contacted some friends of mine down there before I returned to let them know what I had. There were 7 phones sold before my plane landed. I eventually sold them all for an average of about $1000 a piece. Do the math. The only problem with bringing in things like this to Brazil is the risk of the Brazilian Customs Dept. searching your luggage and not believing you are bringing them as gifts if they are found. In which case you'd have to pay taxes on every single phone, which would subsequently eliminate your profit margin.
 
The most important thing is putting your feet on the ground, doing some research and figuring out what people need or they really, really want, wherever you find yourself.
 

So I couldnt just go to cellphone shops in Colombia and sell them?

[benjio]

So I couldnt just go to cellphone shops in Colombia and sell them?

I was just giving you an example of something I did in Brazil to make money...not suggesting you do the same. I know a young lady that owns a struggling high end clothing boutique in Barra Tijuca in Rio. Her store is in a prime location so there's always women walking in and out, but because of her prices she can't sell as much as she needs to stay in the black. I'm currently trying to make a deal with her where I buy a suitcase full of some of her most popular products in the states, then sell them to her at a much lower cost (saving her the expense of Brazilian Import and foreign product sales taxes). Up until now she has absolutely refused to do this out of fear of getting caught by the Brazilian IRS. This is not an uncommon fear for small business owners in Brazil. From my experience if they are paying their taxes and keep their operations small, the risk of being audited to that extent is very minimal. But they have all heard horror stories where small business owners were caught, their property was seized and they were put in jail for doing exactly what I'm suggesting to her. Which is why I wouldn't even bother trying to sell iPhones to an independent cell phone shop anywhere in Brazil. Not only would they be at risk, but they could just as easily report me for what the Brazilian Government calls "Black Market Commerce," which basically means any transaction performed without them making their 85% tax revenue. With all that being said, Colombia is an entirely different country.

My point was you need to put your feet on the ground wherever you want to start a business and determine what could be a profitable venture based on the amount of capital you're willing to invest, an attainable profit margin you're comfortable with, and figure out all the calculated risks associated with running that operation. What most American Businessmen don't realize about Latin America is you have an extremely small chance of being successful opening a business that offers a product or service that's already available there. Restaurants? Pssshhhh. Clubs and Bars? Even worse! We have to think outside of the box and offer the people there something they are paying too much for, or something they don't have that they would love, but it hasn't been introduced to them yet.
 
As the economies in countries like Brazil and Colombia continue to grow, you will see some very successful American businessmen emerging that made fortunes in those areas of the world. Men that put their feet on the ground, did their research and took astronomically big risks.

[stnmasn]

htown....Drugs and hookers are definately part of why my good friend calls his home city of cali "sin city"   .....for me I dont entertain all of the sinful aspects of cali that are available.  But I LOVE the fact that EVERYTHING is available,,,,and whether i choose to partake in an activity is my own decision but  i like that there are many options readily available, ( i am a suprisingly tame person,, no drugs, almost no alcohol,, and definitely NO gambling,,,,,,  but yes a lust for cute chicas,  and a good time).


i dont know if cali is any more sinful than the other cities you mentioned , as I only know cali and a few of the surrounding towns.  I would imagine that all the cities you mentioned are pretty sinful.


I am often told I need to see other parts of colombia but I keep busy in Cali.  This september though I will go to San Andres with an amiga

[stnmasn]

benjio the venture i am involved in is a small Hotel in the north of cali.
It has 16 rooms.
It is an older building, the hotel had been closed for a year before we took it over.
It needed a lot of love to get up and running and it is now running smoothly,,,, we are  still building  clientele.
our clientele are mostly business travelers, we are in the middle of a business district.
We are very close to chipechape and fortunately close to homecenter which I have gotten to know well as I am often working on the hotel when i am there.  I know homecenter much better than I know chipechape  jajaja   


so that is my deal in cali. I got to say that I am enjoying it a lot so far.


 I am partners with my exwifes sister. She has been managing hotels for years and she is the backbone.
She actually doesnt work at the hotel as she is managing another nearby hotel and has been for 10 years..


....neither of us are getting paid yet we are still investing.....  my ex sister in law and I  are very profesional towards each other and have a good relationship. The divorce with her sister  hasnt affected our business relationship.




 I think the hotel can have a good future and can earn money. We have a 5 year lease.