50th birthday adventure vacation

tomtom33 says on Dec 28, 2007, 05:04:

Do not rent a car. I have managed to live in Colombia for 5 years without doing that. Hit a travel agency and book a nature tour. You could go to the Rosario Islands by boat from CTG.

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kentuckygreg2 says on Dec 28, 2007, 05:38:

Rent an apt in Cartagena in Laguito. Do not rent a car...the drivers are nuts.

Go see the castle in Cartagena...nice views.
Go see the old city in Cartagena...beautiful.
Go to Mr. Babilla, Babar (old city), Tu Candela (old city) for dancing and nightlife.
Avoid the beach - loaded with vendors who will annoy the shit out of you. Besides, it's not a nice beach.
do what Tom said and go to Rosario Islands by boat for the beach.
Enjoy the loads of beautiful ladies everywhere. :)

Enjoy your b-day. This is your first trip and it won't be your last.

Love and happiness!

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elmodefoque says on Dec 28, 2007, 05:42:

again with the beautiful ladies everywhere?
greg, where? where? where?

over 5 million colombianos in USA and only 27 barranquilleros, i'm one. CURRAMBA, EL MEJOR VIVIDERO DEL MUNDO!

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elmodefoque says on Dec 28, 2007, 05:43:

i'm there all the time, but i see more beautiful ladies standing 5 minutes on 34th st and 7th avenue in manhatttan than i do one month in colombia

over 5 million colombianos in USA and only 27 barranquilleros, i'm one. CURRAMBA, EL MEJOR VIVIDERO DEL MUNDO!

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morphus says on Dec 28, 2007, 05:44:

Avoid the beach? Its not that bad.

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elmodefoque says on Dec 28, 2007, 05:44:

sorry to be so brutally honest

i'm a female beauty SNOB

over 5 million colombianos in USA and only 27 barranquilleros, i'm one. CURRAMBA, EL MEJOR VIVIDERO DEL MUNDO!

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tomtom33 says on Dec 28, 2007, 06:00:

They wear a lot less in CTG. And I ain't gettin' any in Manhattan.

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morphus says on Dec 28, 2007, 06:04:

Elmo, i'm going to do a little test. I'm going to walk around 34th street and Roosevelt ave to see which is easier for meeting women. I'll wear my hidden button camera and post the footage on here.

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tompower says on Dec 28, 2007, 06:07:

Go to caribe hotel walk directly to the beach turn left i am there in one of those beach tents to your left you will recognize me because of all the vendors hanging around my tent, if you get to the rocks at the break water you've past me go back and ask for Turbaco Tom or just look for a big pile of beer.















Remember, we're all in this together.
Tom Power

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elmodefoque says on Dec 28, 2007, 06:13:

.

over 5 million colombianos in USA and only 27 barranquilleros, i'm one. CURRAMBA, EL MEJOR VIVIDERO DEL MUNDO!

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morphus says on Dec 28, 2007, 06:15:

LDV girl, right?

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kentuckygreg2 says on Dec 28, 2007, 09:08:

Yah, I guess they aren't that bad. Just wear a t-shirt on the beach that says "NO GRACIAS" to the beach and point to it every time you get hassled. :)

Beautiful ladies everywhere in Manhattan I agree. However, probably need to make 500K plus to date any of them. Hell, 100K in Manhattan is just scaping by in my book.

Love and happiness!

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tomtom33 says on Dec 28, 2007, 12:40:

I had "no quiero nada" embroidered on a cap and wore it for a couple of months. Two years later, I was hearing cat calls of no quiero nada as i walked down the street.

I got hassled less without the cap.

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kentuckygreg2 says on Dec 28, 2007, 13:51:

Hilarious. I guess us gringos just stick out sore thumbs especially amongst the costenos.

Love and happiness!

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sloopskipper says on Dec 28, 2007, 15:45:

I can not understand why the, often typical, gringo mentality is that the first thing they want to do is "rent a car" and "get behind at the wheel" in a country where they maybe don't understand the language, can't read the signs, and have no idea what to expect in traffic.

"Ya ain't in Kansas anymore, Dorthey!", and it's not Pittsburgh. (especially if you're from Union County). Just a joke, I moved to Latin America from Perry County.

Take a bus, train, airplane, or get a driver/guide, see something, and enjoy!

Cartagena is wonderful!

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Robert Jorge says on Dec 28, 2007, 19:52:

Visiting the coast of Colombia is tops on my long list of places I want to visit. But, with all due respect, that is a shitty looking beach. It looks like .... mud. Is that the way it is naturally, or is it just polluted?

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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travelingirl says on Dec 29, 2007, 00:10:

RJ, the beach there really does suck. It isn't just bad pictures. I'm guessing it is polluted from all the barges and whatever else it was I saw out near the docks. I literally got black oil on me from taking a swim. Gross. And I thought Daytona was bad, hehe. I was really looking forward to crystal clear waters like all the islands in the Caribbean seem to have but was disappointed (and don't get me started on the annoying vendors). Don't get me wrong, Cartagena is still a cool city. It just isn't for me with all the tourist stuff, heat, and humidity.

Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon...

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Robert Jorge says on Dec 29, 2007, 00:51:

I tried to find a picture without my dorky-ass or my beautiful wife in it - showing the beach that I am used to. She's in this one, but pretty far away. Anyway, the sand here is literally like sugar. It actually isn't "sand" as in silicon. It is pulverized quartz crystal. So the beaches here are like walking on flour, and your feet squeak. And the water is clear, with about a dozen shades of green depending on the depth. Hence, the nickname "Emerald Coast".

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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tomtom33 says on Dec 29, 2007, 01:40:

There is a lot of pollution in all of Colombia. The air quality in Cartagena is pretty good due to the constant breeze off the Caribbean. I'm not so sure that pollution is the primary reason for the shabby beach. The sand itself may bear some responsibility.

I lived in Laguito for 4 years and never got any black oil on me from swimming in the ocean. My place there is on the 9th floor right on the beach. I can see cloudy water 50 to 100 yards off the beach depending upon wave action stirring up the sand. The water beyond that zone is always that gorgeous azure blue.

My guess is that there is a lot of semi-soluble sediment in the sand around the city. That may also contribute to the less-than-pleasing appearance of the beach itself.

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sloopskipper says on Dec 30, 2007, 02:47:

The beach looked fine to me in Cotober, and I saw no evidence of pollution.

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tomtom33 says on Dec 30, 2007, 03:40:

October is one of the worst months for dirty water. October is the rainiest month of the year. The rain washes all the crap from the city into the ocean.

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tompower says on Dec 30, 2007, 07:10:

Maybe the people complaining about dirty water were swimming on the other side of boca grande the beaches in castillo grande face cartagena harbour and it is like the toilet of cartagena but the boca grande side from laguito all the way to boquilla gets a constant current from way out i cant imagine garbage floating all the way from jamaica.

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robi666 says on Dec 30, 2007, 07:29:

Maybe you should just try to go somewhere else in Colombia to find good beaches...




As far as adventure... what kind of adventure you'd like to have?

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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robi666 says on Dec 30, 2007, 07:40:

Let's speak frankly... there are three reason to go to Cartagena:
women & booze, nightlife, and to visit the walled city.

Beach, nature and adventure are not among them...

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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tomtom33 says on Dec 30, 2007, 07:47:

You are correct, Robi. However, I like to look at the ocean and feel the breezes come in from the sea. I can walk out my back door for a swim then shower immediately upon getting out of the water. And the air connections are much better to CTG. Can you even fly to SM?

TP, stuff can and does float over from Tierra Bomba even onto Hollywood beach.

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diabloblas says on Dec 30, 2007, 09:51:

i have to agree with robi...but i also keep finding myself drawn back to cartegena for a few day refresher & a whiteout

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robi666 says on Dec 30, 2007, 11:22:

Right Tom, you can fly only from Bogotà. The air connection is so bad that I prefer to fly to Barranquilla with ADA and take the bus to SM.

I have a friend from Neaples (owner of a not expensive good Italian restaurant in Laureles), who has got an apartment on the beach in El Laguito. He's fond of it. He just sit on his terrace, talk to people and order fresh fish to cook from the vendor passing by. Something you could do 40 years ago in Italy...

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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tomtom33 says on Dec 30, 2007, 12:15:

What's the name of the Italian restaurant in Laureles? I live in Conquistadores.

I am starting to enjoy sitting in front of my building in Laguito. A great restaurant(Julia's) owned by a friend just relocated next door. I get to chat with friends including an Italian named Luigi(sp?) who lives a couple of buildings down. And many old and new amigas stroll the street. Julia(actually Claudia) cooks my fish.

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robi666 says on Jan 5, 2008, 15:28:

Tom, the name of the restaurant is Crispino Pizza y Pasta. Circular 1 74-04.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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tomtom33 says on Jan 5, 2008, 16:33:

Gracias, Robi. I will try them out. Circular 1 goes around UBP where I take Spanish classes.

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robi666 says on Jan 5, 2008, 19:29:

Try the Melanzane alla Parmigiana (stuffed eggplant). Good homemade bread and pasta, also.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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