Me gusta Monteria

[dennislevy]

Today is my fourth day in Monteria.... a  medium sized city an hour form the coast and six hours west of Baranquilla. A bus from baranquilla to Monteria was 40,000 pesos and a taxi from the bus station to the middle of town was 4,000

I came to Monteria to meet and hopefully date two women. The first picked me up at my hotel and from he moment we saw each other, we could not keep our hands too oursleves. Six minutes after meeting her, she had her hand on my thigh in the cab....and this is a classy 41 year old woman....never married and withoutr kids, smart, a straight woman, makes very good money for a town like Monteria.

Many Colombian women if they like you..many demonstrate that immediately!

I have not had any out of the ordinary expensives taking her out, a nice dinner the first night was 46,000 pesos including the tip..and we kissed like schoolkids for what seemed like hours in the restaurant! Two night ago she took me out and yesterday...we had a nice lunch for something like 22,000 pesos and last night we stayed ......in. She has asked me for absolutely nothing! I ve spent incluidng hotels and meals and cabs with her MAYBE 110 dollars in three days!!!!!!

Now that is what is possible when there is chemistry and a woman is normal.... and she feels she has been treated well and with respect. We had chatted on cupid and Messenger for about 2 months on and off. So when somesone says hat Colombain women are not passionate, I have to wonder.

The city is warm...not as hot as Cartagena...but warm. It s not exactly a mecca of culture and the cinema is being remodeled. Yesterday we walked along the river and had a nice time.

I changed hotel to accomodate the lady.....I m in the kind of Colombian hotel I love. its got 22 rooms, you eat breakfast at a massive dining room table for 12 next to the open kitchen and outide of my door on the second floor, there is a large alcove with chairs the dueña has family fotos and dipolomas of her kids.  The hotel is called Casa LindaV, its on Cra 5 and Calle 40, Im paying 45,000 pesos a night including breakfast and the room is comfortable with both air conditioning and a ceiling fan and a decent sized private bath.

For now, over and out from Monteria

[Jeff S]

I like those kinds of private, family-owned hotels, too. They always remind me of older, more genuine times, Way better than than some of the disneyland-ish modern places.

[AndyLee]

Good report Dennis, I'm happy to hear Monteria is not as hot as Cartagena. When I was in Cartagena my friends were telling me don't go to Monteria it's too hot so I didn't go there. Sounds like I should have at least checked it out.
Thanks for the link to your friend, excellent choice IMHO

[utopiacowboy]

Whatever you are experiencing is extremely abnormal. Monteria is at least as hot as Cartagena. IMHO, the city is a dump but I like it anyway.

Did you see any monkeys in the trees along the river?

[fathertime]

Hey dennislevy!

Thanks for the report on Monteria.   I don't know if you have the technology, but if you ever get the chance could you post some pics of some of these places.  I would love to see how the ladies look and some of the local scenery.

Thanks,
Fathertime!

[Researcher]

      Thanks for the trip report Dennis. Sounds great!


      Researcher

[JimD]

Dennis thanks for that report. It sounds ideal. Traveling around Colombia and meeting new women in new places. You said you went to meet two. Sounds like #1 stole the limelight. I haven´t been to Monteria.

[whitey]

Yes, let's see some pictures of these citiies and towns that many of us will never get to.  Is there a camara somewhere in those 3 suitcases of yours? 

[dennislevy]

I m sorry and I plead guilty. I am traveling with one suitcase on wheels and a carryon.....and I have two suitcases at my ex novias house in medellin.....and the digital camera is in one of them!

Monteria is hot.....but the most uncomfortable I ve felt is in Cartagena, just stifling Turkish bath wet heat....

I havent seen monkeys in trees along the river....but yesterday in Monteria to celebrate an anniversary of the periodico El Diario...there was a cavalcada de caballos.....along the river......a parade of horses and riders, from ponies to stallions......several hundred at least.....and the smell was....pungent! One of the two bridges across the river that links Monteria...was closed and the riders and horses rode through a large park area. Ad there was a big traffic jam....

I met her family yesterday...for the first time. The family s house is on a rutted dirt street...and much of the residental areas of Monteria are dirt streets. but there are sidewalks in front of most of the houses. The house itself was just about the equal of  of a solid middle class one story tract house in Southern California, about 1700 square feet a garden in front an iron fence and gate  ...a modern kitchen with a sink and running water IN the kitchen, on the coast that s not always a given.


My girl left me with her aged parents for at least a good half an hour while she put away groceries and prepared coffee. Her dad is 84, mom is 81 very soft spoken AND with Parkinsons and I didnt have good Spanish and we hadn t been patient with each other............it would have been REALLY hard!!!!!!

The parents and three remaining unmarried daughters, 35, 41 and 43 spend a lot of time in the backyard. For the backyard.....the youngest sister, who is both knockout gorgeous (but with a Colombian novio) and an architect had designed a kiosko which was built on a 15 by 20 or so foundation wth tile, there was a dining table with chairs, two hammocks slung from the concrete posts and a TV and long flluoresecent light,


So my girl and I held hands and watched Argentina and Messi vs the US and kissed when everyone was in the house!  

And THAT is my Colombia, the one I love, of beautiful, normal women, close families, people who are gracious and open their homes to me.  

[utopiacowboy]

This part is classic: "an architect had designed a kiosko which was built on a 15 by 20 or so foundation wth tile, there was a dining table with chairs, two hammocks slung from the concrete posts and a TV and long flluoresecent light". I bet that is one of the most heavily used areas in the place.

One of the things I like about Monteria is the freedom to move around the city at night. My wife and I can walk about even late at night without fear. A lot of people in Monteria like to sit out on the sidewalk in the evening and chat with passersby while they play cards or talk. As long as you keep trade union talk to yourself or don't go around telling everyone you have leftist sympathies it is a very safe place. It is a very vibrant city with a lot of agricultural related activity.

[Gromit]

Whatever you are experiencing is extremely abnormal. Monteria is at least as hot as Cartagena.

Monteria is hotter than Cartagena, at least this week.  Here is the four day forecast.


Weather for Montería, Cordoba, Colombia
28°C | °F   Sun   Mon   Tue   Wed
         
Current: Scattered Clouds
Wind: N at 0 km/h
Humidity: 79%   33°C | 24°C   33°C | 24°C   33°C | 23°C   33°C | 23°C


Weather for Cartagena - Bolivar, Colombia
28°C | °F   Sun   Mon   Tue   Wed
         
Current: Partly Cloudy
Humidity: 80%   31°C | 24°C   31°C | 24°C   30°C | 24°C   31°C | 24°C

[JimD]

I have landed in Cartagena and upon leaving the airplane felt I couldn´t breath. I have been there three times "been there, done that" and I have no need to return...ever. Same goes for San Andres ( I will hang there only the few hours I have to wait to catch my plane to Isla Providencia) and same goes for Santa Marta/Rodadero, been there, done that, no desire whatsoever to return.

[dennislevy]

One more night in Monteria and then I ll go to baranquilla.

I found a terrific restaurant last night, a restaurant called WRAP on Carrera 10 and 41 st in Monteria. We both had robalo,the filets were sizeable, hers was planchada,mine had a cheesy shrimp and fish sauce, side dishes of patacones and french fries and small green salads, a lemonade and an orange Postobon soda.

The fish was wonderful....... The tab with a tip, was 35,000 pesos,  a little more then 18 USD. Try taking a woman out for seafood in the US for 18 dollars!!!!

Not bloody likely!!!!!!!

She is a terrific woman....but she wants to have a baby....she is 41, never married, no kids...and I am 57, been there and done that. We ll keep talking and I promised her I ll return to Monteria in less then 2 weeks.  

  

[dennislevy]

I am back in Monteria, found a hotel.... the Carcala on 5th and 41st for 25,000 with a fan...that s about 13 bucks.....Small room but the bathrom was decent and long as the TV has cable, I m good to go. Saw the yankees vs the BLue jays tonight, befiore I went out.

I saw the 41 year old woman who wants the baby (see prior post) one last time just to make sure I had given it my best shot. Physically, she was everything I look for or in a woman and she has an incredible smile  but she jjust  has different goals and althoigh we went out tonight and last night , we knew after the first trip of eleven days...that it just wasnt going to work. . I came from Ayapel only two hours away, so it wasn t time consuming or very epxensive.....and Monteria is on the way to Baranquilla

I had a terrific meal tonight..... a restaurant in Motneria called La Bonga del Sinu a restaurant in the open air kiosko style .. simple food but SPECTACULAR in taste. I had 2 hefty pork chops (chuletas), coco rice and broiled vegetables, huge portions...and a lemonade and bottled water ....for 42,000 pesos,

One of the best meals I ve had in awhile. if you are in Monteria and you like very good chow, not to be missed....La Bonga del Sinu.

OK; NEXT......on to Baranquilla!

Whitey I ll email you when I get there.  

vaya con Dios caballeros!

Dennis

[dennislevy]

Another thing that  I love about liivng in Colombia is sometimes I discover incredible values.

Buying ice cream from Exito or Carrefour and I love ice cream is NOT a value. But Monteria is an inexpensive place I had a decent room for 25,000 pesos,  posted aobut 2 terific restaurants, one budget with great chow  and one from last night)  that was a bit expensive but with incredible chow.

And on 4th and 38th five blocks from my hotel is the Monterrey ice cream store AND factory, they make the stuff on premises.

And I can buy a half pound of hand packed ice cream up to four flavors for 5,000 pesos, about $2. 75, Today, chocolate, mora, rum with rasins and mandarina (orange).

Life is good!


 

[Jeremy.west]

Heydennislevy where is 1st 3 days? can you tell me the conversion rate of pesso on $?

[AndyLee]

Here is a link to the Colombian Peso conversion rate http://www.xe.com/?c=COP

[Caliche]

....and this is a classy 41 year old woman....never married and withoutr kids, smart, a straight woman, makes very good money for a town like Monteria.

Dennis,


Was wondering if the reason for things not working out for the two of you in terms of long-term was because of the fact that this classy lady, at 41, was already established in her career, or in a good job for the area, making decent money..and therefore, would be reluctant to give that up to move to a more cosmopolitan Colombian city that you would prefer to live in?


The reason I ask is that I've recently begun exchanging messages with a potential "keeper" from Monteria (assuming all the usual caveats, she turns out to be  normal in real life, etc. etc.). This lady I've met on Colo Cupid is also classy, early-thirties, no kids, great job that she LOVES, that has to do with the agricultural sector in Monteria.


My concern with this lady is that IF everything continues to go smoothly, we meet, hit it off, chemistry,etc, etc. will she really be able to let all this go? She has a university degree in her field, and is stable and expresses joy when describing what she does. However, on her profile she says she is willing to relocate.


Has it been your experience that the women in Monteria, if they find their man, would sacrifice a career they love and provides them with good income, and that they've worked hard to attain, to go live in the suburbs in the U.S.?


Caliche

[dennislevy]

Caliche
 
The woman I was with in Monteria wanted a family...as in a BABY!!! She will be 42 in November, I turned 58 in May, I thought it was completely unrealistic from my point of view and also unrealistic and dangerous to have a baby at more then 42.
 
She is a very tenacious personality, a salesperson who is successful, she makes between 3 and 4 million pesos a month (which is just a crapload of money  for a single woman in Colombia, she lives at home.....and she is determined to accomplish her dream, so we pretty much dumped each other.
 
I also thought and I won t get into too many details...that she has blockage in relationships with men...ther eis some fear base don what happened in her past.
 
Women in Monteria are no different then woman anywhere in Colombia. Many SAY they are free to relocate...whether they WILL is theproverbial horse of a different color.
 
if she is tied into her carrer and its super important to her and her family means a lot to her....you may have avery tough row to hoe.
 
Im not saying dont go to Monteria, but its not that easy to get to......And if you do go, maybe have backup plans possibily in Monteria or in Baranquilla.
 
Talk with the girl talk a lot with her.
 
OK?
 
 
 
 

[maritime04]

dennis you sound as happy as pig in [snip].
 
i do envy you from time to time.

[Caliche]

Caliche
 
The woman I was with in Monteria wanted a family...as in a BABY!!! She will be 42 in November, I turned 58 in May, I thought it was completely unrealistic from my point of view and also unrealistic and dangerous to have a baby at more then 42.
 
She is a very tenacious personality, a salesperson who is successful, she makes between 3 and 4 million pesos a month (which is just a crapload of money  for a single woman in Colombia, she lives at home.....and she is determined to accomplish her dream, so we pretty much dumped each other.
 
I also thought and I won t get into too many details...that she has blockage in relationships with men...ther eis some fear base don what happened in her past.
 
Women in Monteria are no different then woman anywhere in Colombia. Many SAY they are free to relocate...whether they WILL is theproverbial horse of a different color.
 
if she is tied into her carrer and its super important to her and her family means a lot to her....you may have avery tough row to hoe.
 
Im not saying dont go to Monteria, but its not that easy to get to......And if you do go, maybe have backup plans possibily in Monteria or in Baranquilla.
 
Talk with the girl talk a lot with her.
 
OK?

Thanks, Dennis.


By the way, did you get a chance to see any of the countryside while you were there? Outside of Monteria city center, it appears to be generally a rural area. The intimations I've received from the girl are that there are relatively small family farms and subsistence farmers working the land. Geographically, I see that the nearest coast to Monteria is the Gulf of Darien, I've heard to  be ecologically rich with virtually untouched, primal forest.

[utopiacowboy]

My mother-in-law has a finca outside of Monteria on the road to Arboletes. It is a dirt poor area. The town nearest to her finca has a church but no priest because the town is too poor for one.

[Caliche]

My mother-in-law has a finca outside of Monteria on the road to Arboletes. It is a dirt poor area. The town nearest to her finca has a church but no priest because the town is too poor for one.

UC,


That's interesting. I figured it would be generally a poor area. There are some areas like that in Costa Rica (Osa Peninsula, Los Chiles in Alajuela), where even the most remote areas have at least a school, though they may be short on supplies, books, teachers, and access during the rainy season can be iffy.




By the way, will you be in Monteria in August? I may move my trip from September to August to catch the Flower Fair in Medellin, then head to Monteria and BAQ. I figure I'll take things slow and if worse comes to worst and none of the ladies pan out, at least I will have enjoyed a nice cultural event in Medellin.


Caliche

[utopiacowboy]

If you go to Monteria you will be one of the few gringos ever to venture there. I have only seen another gringo there once, a young guy in the airport with his GF and her family. I had to wonder, WTF are you doing here, dude?

[dennislevy]

Uc
If I understand correctly, Caliche may go to Monteria to emet a woman.
 
Monteria is not crawling with gringos that s for sure. i spent two weeks in Moteria, two different trips, and I didnt see any other (obvious) foreigners.
 
Caliche
Cordoba, the department in which Motreria is located and is the capital..is primarily agricultural.   As I posted in another thread.....I spent almost two weeks in Ayapel, two hours from Monteria....WAY OFF THE GRINGO TRAIL.
 
the woman in Monteria and I went to Lorica for a day trip which is al town about 45-60 minutes drive from Monteria, also off the gringo trail. 
 
Also, you mentioned something about Costa Rica. IMHO  the backwaters of Colombia (and although parts of Cordoba are classified zona rosa, its still civilized comapared to SOME other parts of Colombia), but I think....it is much different then Costa Rica.
 
Twice in almost three years in Colombia, I ve said to myself, Dennis, WTF are you doing here?   Absolutely nothing happned, but I was jumpy. I never felt like that in Monteria or anywhere else in Cordoba.