New to P.L. & Heading to COLOMBIA in 2 Weeks: Need Advice & Suggestions

[CalifSur]

Hello. I JUST discovered PL about one week ago. I have read many of the posts here and they have been very helpful.  I only wish I would have discovered the site 6 or 12 months ago!

I am going to COLOMBIA for the FIRST TIME in about 2 weeks.  I probably have a million questions but I will start with the 4 below.

ABOUT ME: I live in So. California and have a great affinity for the Latin culture.  I am a white (Anglo) guy who speaks halfway decent Spanish.  I am single, no kids. While I am 40 yrs old, I have been told I could easily pass for 30.  I exercise regularly and am physically fit.  I can also dance Salsa and enjoy it too (after many initial embarrassing months of just learning the basics). I am college educated with a decent career. 

WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR: I have dated many U.S.-based Latinas in the past and have been attracted to this type of girl for a long time.  My experience meeting girls OUTSIDE the U.S. is more limited. It sounds cliché but I am looking for a sweet, intelligent, loyal, and pretty girl. My only major deal breaker is I prefer a girl with no kids (yet).  My target age range: 25 yrs to 35 yrs. I am at a place in life where I am ready to settle down with that special girl.

My trip to COLOMBIA includes the following flight itinerary:
-4 Nights in Cartagena & 4 Nights in Bogotá

Some of my key questions are as follows:

1.   Is it possible and feasible to just meet girls in Colombia in public places (malls, restaurants, clubs, bars, museums, etc.)?

2.   Should I utilize an agency while I am there? Is it too late for me to exercise this option? 

3.   Any one have any personal experience with agencies to share (either pro or con)?  How physically attractive are the agency girls? I don’t need a supermodel but I do like pretty girls.

4.   Should I try day trips or even some overnight trips to smaller cities (as compared to Cartagena & Bogotá)?  I am WONDERING if areas with less tourists and less congestion equates to more friendly and approachable local girls?

I am a member on Colombian Cupid.com so I am doing my best to make connections via the internet before I arrive.

PRIOR TRIPS ABROAD: I guess my bottom line is I feel like I am somewhat “flying blind” heading into this trip.  In the past, I have had luck just meeting local girls in public places on trips to Mexico and Spain. About five years ago, I met a nice 25 year old Mexican girl at a local bar at a Mexican beach resort near Cancun. We had a hot and heavy long distance thing but ultimately I was not ready and felt she was NOT the right one.  I also had a similar experience on a trip to Spain about 8 years ago.

I realize I can’t expect to just bump into Ms. Right on the street corner.  That said, I am looking for any input and suggestions on how to better utilize my time down there.

Based on my reading of many of the posts in this forum, I will head to COLOMBIA with no major expectations.  This is a primer for me. It is good to have COLD WATER poured on my face BEFORE I get there!

Thanks for any input or suggestions!

[pchip]

OMG, better late than never, but this is very late, IMHO...

Welcome to the boards.  I'm unfortunately a newbie as well so I can't very well answer your questions, but seems to me you stand a good chance with your previous track record.

Good luck

[ignorante]

Four nights each in two cities?  This is for the purpose of maybe meeting a future bride?  Seems kind of short . . .

[Jeff S]

Hi CalifSur and welcome. If you can meet women in Mexico and Spain, you should have no trouble anywhere in Latin America. Where in Socal? I'm in surf city.

[CalifSur]

Four nights each in two cities?  This is for the purpose of maybe meeting a future bride?  Seems kind of short . . .

I hear you ingorante.  However, I booked my flight BEFORE I found Planet Love. Also, my current job does not allow me to take off much more than one week at a time. I am hoping to jump to another firm in 2011 where longer vacations are not considered taboo.

[CalifSur]

Hi CalifSur and welcome. If you can meet women in Mexico and Spain, you should have no trouble anywhere in Latin America. Where in Socal? I'm in surf city.

Do you mean Santa Cruz or Hun. Beach? I can't remember if SC or HB won that battle? I think it was Santa Cruz. I am in Los Angeles.

Thanks for you vote of confidence. We'll see. I've not been so fortunate on every trip. I hope I can get half as lucky in Colombia as I did in Mexico & Spain.

[whitey]

Welcome Califsur ... hope you have a great trip ...

Not sure what it's like in Bogota, but be careful if you meet any women in hotels and bars in Cartagena.  There's a good chance they will be pro's or semi-pro's.

The good women are working during the day, often from 8:00am or earlier to 6:00pm or later, and often for a half day on Saturday too.  They don't go out much, and when they do, it's usually with a large group of friends and/or family.

[fathertime]

Howdy Califsur,

I would have focused on one city but what is done is done.

You can probably meet local gals in public places if you really want to go that route, but you are really up against the clock with just a few days in each city.  If you have good contacts on Colombian Cupid, then obviously you gotta use them while you are there. 
It is not too late to utilize an agency but these things are better planned ahead.  I liked latinwife.com, but they are in Barranquilla.  I don't know of any reputable agencies in Cartagena.  I think there is at least one decent agency in Bogota. 

if you are looking to make kids with your wife, then i'd bring the upper end of the age range down from 35, to maybe 32 at highest...this whole process from start to finish can take several years...which will put you up against the woman's biological clock if you take in a woman too old right now.

Fathertime!

[euforia51]

Welcome to the board! My experience here is very limited as well. And I am sadly a few short days away from wrapping up my first 11 day visit to Medellin. As for me, I am not the adventurous type by nature. But I was fortunate to find my girl on a free site. We talked for about 4-5 months and here I am. Trip report is coming when I get home!

Solely based on my limited observation, I would say it is best for you to get some good rapport with only a few of your best contacts on Colombian Cupid. And do not rush anything with any of your contacts. Keep your attitude open in that you are a tourist just enjoying the cities with your limited time and there is no rush to find a good woman. And of course, be aware and careful. Colombia, at least Medellin, is not Disney World.

For me, the best looking women (besides my girl, of course) were found in the better malls of the city. I'd definitely do some mall surfing if it were me.

Best of luck and let us know how it's going for you...

[Jeff S]

Do you mean Santa Cruz or Hun. Beach? I can't remember if SC or HB won that battle? I think it was Santa Cruz. I am in Los Angeles.

Thanks for you vote of confidence. We'll see. I've not been so fortunate on every trip. I hope I can get half as lucky in Colombia as I did in Mexico & Spain.

http://www.surfcityusa.com/

[CalifSur]

Huntington Beach....I know it well. I won't forget who won that battle.

[CalifSur]

Thank to EVERYONE for the replies.

Fathertime & Whitey: I appreciate all of your prior posts. I've been reading a lot this past week.  You have both found very lovely and beautiful ladies.  Thanks for blazing the path and showing us new guys that YES...it can be done.

This is probably a crazy idea....but I COULD just eat the $750 plane ticket I've already paid for and postpone my trip until March or April. That would give me more time to fully research what needs to be done and give me more time to build contacts either via the internet or agency or both.

[Dan Las Vegas]

Don't eat your plane ticket, just go and have a fun vacation and see a bit of Colombia. Four days in each city is not much time. Don't worry too much about meeting someone on this trip, just have fun and enjoy yourself and learn a little about Colombia and you will be better prepared for your next trip.

dan LV

[okiemike]

I agree........I have been toying with the idea of going to Colombia for 10 years now and never made it. I think 2011 is the year and I think Medellin is the city. I will only have 1 week so I have to limit it to just 1 city. Im thinking about going the agency route. I havent been on here in quite some time so Im sure I have missed a lot of posts concerning the different agencies and such but what does everyone think about "A Foreign Affair"? Their website looks great although a little outdated, but to me they seem to be the only game in town. I think I prefer the "security" that an agency seems to offer other than just going it alone and not really knowing anybody. Thanks for any replies......Mike

[Jeff S]

There used to be a guy on the (now separate) Russian board who did what he called "Rambo" trips. He'd contact quite a number of women on the free dating sites and tell them, "I'm planning on being in (your city) on (these dates.) I'm a XX year old single American, looking to meet a sweet marriage minded lady who (another phrase or two about what you want.) When I'm in town, let's get together for a cup of coffee (tea, ice cream, whatever.) Send along a couple of photos and see who bites.

He used to meet tons of women that way, with minimal wasted time and expensive date costs. That might be an excellent low risk strategy for a brief trip such as yours.

[euforia51]

Im thinking about going the agency route. ... I think I prefer the "security" that an agency seems to offer other than just going it alone and not really knowing anybody. Thanks for any replies......Mike

I don't know how adventurous you are or how fluent you are with Spanish but I would not come to Medellin alone on a first visit not knowing anyone. Even my girl here would tell you the same thing. Definitely go the agency route for the extra comfort level.

[Dan Las Vegas]

There is not much of an agency presence  in Medellin and most of the women that I know there would never under any circumstances join an agency.

Dan LV

[dennislevy]

heh heh, i havent been on this site in a long time and nothing has changed. Same old questions aobut Colombia and the women

I ve lived in Colombia since 2008, some of the guys on this board know me personally and all i can say is that meeting the right woman is a crap shoot.

if you want to bring someone back tot he US, think in terms of several trips and maybe 3 years...if you do it intensely. You may get lucky, very quickly...but it is probably isn t going to happen in 4 days each in 2 cities...

if you speak decent Spanish, you dont need agencies, with maybe two exceptions in all of COLOMBIA, they wont really try to help you. Colombian Cupid is fine if you can stack up women in a city. I ve been on an extended road trip and since early december, I ve visited and met women in Baranquilla, Santa marta rodadero, cartagena, Medellin (where I live), and Cali. Tonight im in Tulcan Equador, tomorrow I ll back in Cali, then Tulua maybe cartago, a big trip to Monteria, back to Baranquilla and cartagena, and I ll end in Bucamaranga somwhere around the end of January Ill either return to Medellin or decide to live in another city in colombia

sometiemns things click, somtimes they don t....sometimes women you thought wer einterested in you...you really don t have chemistry, sometimes women you thought were fill ins wan t to rip your shirt off. BUT IT SURE AS HELL IS A LOT OF FUN!!!!!!