Retirement in Columbia?

daver says on Aug 5, 2004, 23:22:

Before someone else beats me to it, it's Colombia, not Columbia.

I caught hell from my fiance a couple times for that one.

Besides, it might help you mail get there faster!

My advice would be to go to Col"O"mbia first, and make your own opinions. Retirement is a long term venture (well, hopefully) and you don't want other people telling you where to spend it. Use the advice you get here to plan a trip, and then decide...

"refined, attractive, educated, and mature ladies"

You'd have better luck finding Santa Clause!! Joking.

As far as this in Colombia, it would be no different than anywhere else in the world. And to find them single is tuff. Good luck!

Colombian women are very attractive on average, and are unique, but the criteria you gave... you will have no better chance in Colombia than anywhere...

I hope you find a good place to retire.

Dave

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ned says on Aug 6, 2004, 01:51:

Ouch!!! I haven't even gotten there yet, and I have already made a big mistake. You can be sure that I will never forget that the correct spelling is Col"O"mbia! Thanks for the gentle lash with the proverbial wet noodle.
You are certainly correct that I should not use other people's opinions when selecting a retirement spot. I will merely use that information as a starting point. Part of my first year will be spent in gathering information and visiting different places.

So far as meeting a suitable lady, perhaps I should lower my standards somewhat by eliminating "mature" from the mix. LOL

I know that worthwhile relationships come along when you least expect them. I will try to remain patient, but at my age I hesitate to even buy green banannas. LOL

Thanks again for your imput. I enjoy your site. Keep up the good work.

Ned

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Atrevido (☼Travelguide writer) says on Aug 6, 2004, 05:47:

poco says on Aug 6, 2004, 06:40:

Retire / Stay Opinion on best places, in order

Costa Rica
Panama
Colombia
Brazil
Venezuela
Heard Argentina is good. No personal information, same Peru.

Love reading posts like "I'm moving to Colombia for one year". Right,, just how? (No work permit). Staying in these countries “full time” is very difficult. Six months a year is the most you will get. Proving an income from a pension can get you a visa,,"SS is not enough", hear min. is $1,500 month,, but no personal information.

Health care can be better than US,, You would also need Health Insurance,, or,, ??? Medical treatment for foreigners is a big business in Colombia. Large numbers of people fly to Colombia from United States,, England,,, etc. for top quality treatment at a reasonable cost.

Check out the Consulate sites. BTW: This is how the spelling of Colombia became automatic,,,, search engines do much better with the correct spelling !!!! Just checked the google search engine for "Columbia South America" Wow,, lots of sites spell it wrong,, what a hoot. The first hit even had a map, etc. gives a person lots of confidence in the information,,, looks like this is even worse than it was 4 years ago...

Poster is correct, finding someone older w/o boyfriend, husband, attachments etc. is very difficult. Being young does have its advantage.

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy." Quote - General Tommy Franks

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mzzmerized says on Aug 6, 2004, 06:50:

attractive and mature women You will find plenty of those in Colombia. Colombia is very youth-oriented...most guys in their 40's and up who for whatever reason are single again will often go for women in their 20's. That leaves a lot of women over 40 who would like male companionship but may not be able to find it among their male Colombian counterparts. You may end up being one hell of a popular guy!

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 6, 2004, 08:05:

Daver, what are you telling him? Mzzmerized is right - there are tons of single women over 40, many of them widows, at least in Medellin. I know of several myself. Ned, take a look at my wife in my photo gallery - she is a typical example of what I am talking about.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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beto el feo says on Aug 6, 2004, 10:43:

I think Utopia is right about that. I find it a bit sad, but in Colombian you see quite a lot of older women who are alone due to death of a spouse or divorce and have little chance of finding someone because the men their age are basically with some young thing. I have a Colombian friend here whose mother is a widow. She's a very sweet, attractive older lady. I'm guessing she's around 55. My friend tells me there isn't much hope for her in Medellin.

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daver says on Aug 6, 2004, 14:57:

To all:

I didn't mean to suggest Ned would not meet the girl of his dreams in Colombia, its just that I would discourage people from thinking that it is "easy" in Colombia. There are wonderful women that would meet his criteria all over the world, including Colombia.

In North America, the divorce rate is so high that there are plenty of single people in all age groups, and it is possible to meet that special someone no matter how old.

It may be easier in Colombia, but I wouldn't say its "easy". The good thing about this site, is that people will correct you when they think you are wrong... Ned will obviously take all things into consideration.

Ned: Your green banana comment had me laughing all day! It reminded me of when my Great Aunt purchased a 20 year warranty on a VCR, and she was 83 years old. We had to bite our tongues not to say anything. Needles to say, she died peacefully at the ripe old age of 84. The warrany on the VCR is still good, but everyone has a DVD anyway.

You will have no problem finding ripe bananas in Colombia, so you don't have to worry about having green ones in your house when you pass on! Hahaha... its still making me laugh.

Good luck... I hope you find your perfect match (Colombian or non-Colombian), and I wish you the best in your retirement. I'm only 26 and I'm looking forward to it already.

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 6, 2004, 15:03:

Well, it does seem easy to me, Daver. Could be the $50 bills Elmo suggested or maybe something else. I was never anywhere where I had so many women interested in me. I do all right in the US but damm, I felt like George Clooney or Harrison Ford there.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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daver says on Aug 6, 2004, 15:09:

Are they "refined, attractive, educated and mature ladies" or just pretty Colombian girls who find a tall gringo exotic? Didn't Harrison Ford star in "Clear and Present Danger"? I wonder how he did down in Colombia (although the movie was most likely filmed somewhere else).

Dave

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mzzmerized says on Aug 6, 2004, 15:12:

believe me... In North America few young women would have anything to do with an older man (unless EXTREMELY rich). In Colombia, the opposite seems to be true...the young women generally like older men (more stable, more secure, etc.). In Colombia it is very difficult for a woman, say, over 35 or 40, no matter how attractive, to get men. Combine that with a reduction in the male population in general due to the ongoing civil war (fighting and dying on one side or another) and what you get is a significantly skewed ratio of women to men. I guess that's good news to all you guys out there...but don't overlook the older woman...she has way more to offer than some of these young bimbos!!! (meaning bimbo in the kindest sense of the word of course...don't want to start another war!!)

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utopiacowboy says on Aug 6, 2004, 20:43:

Hey, Daver, as far as I was concerned, if they were interested in me, they were "refined, attractive, educated and mature ladies" even if they were fresh out of high school!

You're right, mzzmerized. My wife had no problem attracting men - heck all she had to do was walk down the street. The problem was finding a man who was single and compatible, and financially able to marry a widow with three kids. And none of those "young bimbos" can compare with her. She is a woman! Hey, where is she? I think I have to leave now.....

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Hunter says on Aug 8, 2004, 15:13:

refined, attractive, educated and mature ladies Should be extremely EASY (sorry daver) here in Colombia, where most guys, me inclued when I can be bothered, want the younger girls. I agree with mzzmerized in the age range you are looking at you are going to meet loads of women, with you required attributes.

Also visas are easy to get as well, just a bit of hassle, but as with most things in Colombia you can pay a third part to take a lot of the hassle away.

Hunter

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Elbigie says on Aug 12, 2004, 18:56:

Ned,

My suggestion: Don't take generalisations and stereotypes as the absolute true. Go to Colombia, and get a feeling of how things are and how they work (including women, safety, costs) -6 months perhaps?-

Good luck and be cautious

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