droble77 has left 395 comments

droble77 comments on Near Death Experience with Brasilia

It's been awhile since I've checked out this site but reading this anecdote has motivated me to put in my 2 cents. I can understand juepaje's reaction, in fact I find it kind of amusing for his "gringo" response but I do think ultimately it's a fruitless endeavor; "teaching a lesson" is a gringo idea that usually doesn't work in countries like this. While I don't live in Colombia, my understanding having visited there a bunch of times is that bad/mediocre bus drivers are a dime a dozen; and that even if this particular driver was fired, his replacement would be the same or even worse! I also have the impression some of these bus companies are practically criminal syndicates themselves; I suspect their owners have ties, if not directly involved, with Colombia's many other unofficial enterprises. Quite frankly, I'm amazed that there aren't MORE people killed from head-on collisions over there! From my limited stays, it did seem most driving on the curves seems based on blind faith alone. And for those scared of going on the buses, try experiencing those roads on a Twingo which is the way my colombian friend took me to Sante Fe de Antioquia. ;-) I'll take my chances with the buses, LOL! In short, there isn't much standing to complain, as the danger on the roads is no secret, even for short-term visitors. It's one of the prices you pay for living in "paradise." You've exchanged U.S. bullshit for Colombian bullshit. That's life folks! juepaje, since you need to stay alive for the sake of your family ;-) you might want to consider hiring a driver to transport your goods for say half the time. From my understanding of driver's salaries, it might not cost that much more than time and money spent if you did it yourself. Since life is not all that valuable down there, you might want to leverage that juicy kernel of knowledge to your benefit every once in awhile, lol! ;) Let someone else take the risk. . .

droble77 comments on 2 new COL-US flights

For what it's worth, Spirit is planning to start 3x weekly service to Armenia in May and later on in '09 to San Andres as well (from their Fort Lauderdale hub). And they don't need DOT permission for either of those flights. The Colombian north coast (Cartagena, Baranquilla, Santa Marta) is "Open Skies" as is San Andres and Armenia. Hopefully the economy and fuel prices won't be so bad that these flights can come online. I'd be interested in the Armenia flight, always wanted to check out the eje cafetero (coffee zone).

droble77 comments on Shakira Goes To The White House!

LOL, I think you need to adjust your tin foil hat gs. . . ;-))

droble77 comments on El complemento del hombre.

LOL, but come on admit it people, stupid question is going to get a stupid answer. Plus, imagine if you had to answer a stupid question with half of the country watching you on tv! ;)

droble77 comments on Great book to read by Hector Abad Facioliolince, our next G. Marquez. EL OLVIDO QUE SEREMOS

Here's the cover:

droble77 comments on Avianca Schedule Changes at JFK

AA schedules flights to work with their Miami hub. So they always had an early morning flight to MIA which leaves around 9:30 AM (arriving at Miami around 12:45 PM). The Avianca flight from MDE to MIA leaves about a half hour later. AA now also has an afternoon flight to MIA, leaves around 3:30 PM (arrives Miami around 7PM). I thought they even had a 3rd flight going for awhile but it looks like they're back to two. Maybe the extra flight will come back in the future if the demand goes up again or during certain peak times of the year. . .

droble77 comments on

I know a lot of folks here still don't believe in global warming, but I suspect there will be more mudslides and flooding in Colombia due to higher average rainfall in the years to come. All the construction up that Colombian topography over the past 5 years probably doesn't help either. I remember there was some nasty flooding in poor neighborhoods in Cali back in Nov. '06 during my first visit to that city. So we're definitely in the season for more news like this. . .

droble77 comments on Avianca Schedule Changes at JFK

I think the 330 for MIA-BOG is a temp thing, but yeah, I notice they're going from a 757 to a 319 only AFTER the holiday season is over.

droble77 comments on Avianca Schedule Changes at JFK

I also notice the plane is downsizing from a Boeing 757 to an Airbus A319. An A319 can fit 125-130 people comfortably, 145 if you squeeze them in like Spirit. A 757 can carry 180 - 200 people depending how it's laid out. Looks like the global economy is taking a toll on people visiting families or making a pleasure trip.

droble77 comments on Do people wear shorts in Cartagena?

I was able to bear Cali with long pants but not Cartagena. At least I tried, lol. :) No open sandals though, went around in a cheap pair of Keds canvas sneakers and white socks rolled low. Definitely stood out as a tourist in CTG with shorts and t-shirt, but the heat and humidity was almost too much to bear sometimes so I relented to practicality as opposed to trying to blend in with the locals. Even my rola companion had problems; it looked like she was going to collapse from heat exhaustion one afternoon, she bought a water pack that you can get from one of those street vendors for 400 pesos and just spilled it all over her head right in the street! LOL! The evenings cool down naturally and many of the tourist venues and restaurants have some climate control, so dockers and a nice short sleeve or polo shirt was my usual evening attire. But even at night, it can still be quite stifling if you stay outside and walk around a lot. Didn't notice much of a cool sea breeze, unlike Havana. . . or even Cali was much better with the night breezes.

droble77 comments on

First we were robbed. Then we were swift-boated. But we're back, baby. We are BACK! :) Hope has defeated hate. The world sighs in relief. A great day for democracy.

droble77 comments on

Hussein TRIUMPHANT !!! ;-)) I just love that. Someone with that notorious middle name, which the right had tried so hard to smear him with, is going to set out and erase the atrocious policies of the Bushes, who have ultimately shown themselves as just pretenders to the Reagan throne of the Repubs. Man I'm going to treasure this night for a long long time. It's been 8 years in the desert. YES WE DID !! :))

droble77 comments on

Proportionately speaking that is correct. Warren Buffet has pointed this out in the past; as a percentage, he pays LESS in income taxes than his secretary. During the Reagan years, tax reforms were passed where the highest rates were EQUAL for income and capital gains. But now capital gains is taxed much lower, creating distortions in our society. Why would anyone want to work hard trying to make money the old-fashioned way when it's potentially more profitable to work hard making money by speculating in stocks, real estate. Add to that the massive leveraging that was allowed and you have the mess that we are in today. . . :-((

droble77 comments on

I stayed at this place last time I was in Medallo (it was just a 6 day trip). I paid $75 a night (now it's $80) for the 2nd floor suite, and since no one else was renting the lower rooms, I had the place all to myself. Felt like a mafia kingpin, lol! :-))

droble77 comments on Why is life so cheap in Colombia?

Darloup, as for the racism thing, you are right in one way but also wrong in another. ;-)) It's true that there hasn't been a tumultuous history regarding race like the "civil rights struggle" in the U.S. back in the 60's (or the Civil War going way further back). . . and you don't have white Colombians wearing pointy hoods and burning crosses, LOL! :) But there's no denying that the lower you go in the societal ladder, the darker the skin on average. And there's still certain comments said in the privacy of homes and offices that reflect a prejudiced attitude. There's still certain tony clubs/restaurants in Medellin and Bogota where blacks (even foreign blacks) are not exactly welcome. So it's usually not a stark, ugly, public racism, but a more subtle kind, which in a way is harder to defeat because a lot of people can then pretend and/or lie to themselves that there's no problem here. . .

droble77 comments on Why is life so cheap in Colombia?

It's a complicated thing. Going back at least into the 19th century, there's been a Conservative-Liberal schism within Colombian politics/society. Then around 1948, it got really nasty with the period called La Violencia, sparked by the assasination of the liberal populist Gaitan and the ensuing "Bogotazo" (although the violence had already started building in the years before with 14,000 killed in the elections of 1947 alone) The drug trade really started in the 70s and that made the violence problem evolve into a somewhat different beast. Less "ideological" and more "territorial" if you will, but perhaps also more "vulgar" as Desi has suggested because of the way that biz penetrates and corrupts many different layers of the society and glorifies consumer consumption for its own sake which certain recent movies or telenovelas have commented on (Rosario Tijeras, Sin Tetas, et al). It's that "vulgarization" and "glorification" of consumption that has helped spawn this "sicario" phenom where you can hire a killer on the cheap to eliminate an enemy, or just someone who has offended or dishonored you and/or your family. . . or maybe just screwing your woman! ;-)) And of course, the inequality is one of the main causes as well. Colombia has one of the highest inequality indexes in the world. Right up there with Brazil. . . which you may know already can be pretty violent as well, what with those favelas in the large cities of Rio and Sao Paulo rubbing right up against some very tony neighborhoods. A poor young male living in a favela or an estrato 1 probably knows he's expendable, that his life isn't worth much to begin with. So he's not gonna value YOUR life that much either! And so it goes. . . So it's that inequality index that should help you understand what you've observed in other countries that also have poverty. . . but not as much violence. Cuba for instance has a lot of poverty as well, but the people rarely see or rub up against the wealthy. . . except maybe the tourists in Havana and some other places. Yet when it comes to the local population, only Fidel's vetted inner circle is living large (and Fidel supposedly has always boasted of not living extravagantly anyway); the regular apparatchik is a bit better off, but only enough to inspire some envy, not massive violence amongst Cubans. By the way, this is by no means an endorsement of the Cuban system; just my unexpert comparison I've made since I've visited both Colombia and Cuba several times.

droble77 comments on Go to Colombia but don't leave CARTAGENA!!!!!!

Tell the truth, I was kind of disappointed with my 1st trip to CTG last month, don't think I would return. The heat and humidity is one factor, and the other is the street touts, they almost never left me in peace. I was shocked that after a couple of hours on a boat, I had to literally squirm through a gauntlet of beach touts on one of those Rosario islands. I guess that's what I get for letting my girl choose the cheapo option, but I had thought that at least out there on those islands, you could escape the touts. Well, that was not the case; at least not on that specific strip of beach we landed on! :( Taxistas were about 50/50 in terms of honesty. But the guy who overcharged us after driving through one of the poorer commercial areas (past the sports complex going east) I didn't mind so much, I was just glad to have gotten the hell out of that area without incident. There are definitely large swaths of CTG that I would want to stay far away from, just like Cali, Bogota, and yes, even MDE have their sketchy sectors. The Old City is nice but I've been to Old Havana and Old San Juan, so it wasn't such a big deal to me. Maybe I was just unlucky in terms of weather. . . even the nights were hot whereas Havana would actually get quite cool. And the beaches? Nothing special, certainly not something one would fly thousands of miles for. Colombians from the interior on the other hand, it's another story obviously. The funny part is that many Colombians find the Miami-ish tourist-trappy Bocagrande more interesting and exotic than the old city, go figger. Lots of Venezuelans from Maracaibo also go to CTG as tourists. That coastal city is close to the Colombian eastern border so they share a lot of the same Caribbean culture, dig the same music, speak similar accent, etc. I talked to several of them and they told me there's a direct daily flight from Maracaibo to CTG, so they don't even have to fly through Caracas, which is a good thing I suppose as I've heard that airport is a real mess nowadays.

droble77 comments on Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota Musica Colombiana

There was a couple of opera productions around this time last year in Bogota, in the Teatro Colon. Maybe there's a few in Medellin as well, although I'd imagine it's done mostly by students/university staff.

droble77 comments on

I don't want to get into the big hullabaloo about this but just wanted to add that quite frankly, I'm surprised a foreigner can own a business with "pay 4 play" ties in this region for as long as he has without running into more trouble, although it looks like trouble has finally arrived, and big time. This reminds me of an American who was throwing certain kinds of "boat parties" in Rio but soon ran into HUGE trouble with the Brazilian authorities, was stuck in a Brazilian jail for quite some time. At least in Colombia, you usually don't have to worry about police corruption/shakedowns but besides the dual standards about local and gringo "mongers" the idea of a foreigner owning an establishment that is connected (even if just indirect) to this kind of activity I don't think will be accepted ANYWHERE in the world in the long run. . . And given all the construction in the surrounding area, I don't think they could continue running things the same even if this incident never happened. . . As for the repercussions. . . it probably means less "stupid gringo sex tourists" in Medellin but the guys who speak Spanish, keep a low profile, and don't stay at the Mansion will probably not be stopped/worried about this incident. The no-Spanish newbie chica-hunter will go back to other places, wherever that may be. And the girls will have to screw 5 Colombians instead of one gringo to make the same money! ;-))

droble77 comments on

LOL, looks like others were keeping close tabs on them as well besides DAS. . . or DAS wasn't keeping enough of a close eye. ;) I thought that part of Poblado was pretty secure. Would certain people "allow" something like that to happen to send a message to the owner? Or did the Mansion get too high-profile after the recent TV segment that was talked about in a post here about a month ago. . . ??

droble77 comments on Spirit Airlines, Cartagena-Ft Lauderdale

I've been getting too many emails from Spirit about their fare deals. And I thought the flights to CTG and BOG were always limited to one check-in bag?? I booked the flight online back in March and if I recall correctly, you could only pay for one check-in bag which I did around May/June for $10 each way just a few days before the price was going up to $15 each way. It's true though that if you like/need to pack a lot, then Spirit might not be the airline for you; although nowadays, you will usually have to pay quite a bit for a 2nd checked bag at the other airlines, at least Avianca sometimes has deals for a complementary second piece of luggage on certain flights. I recommend you pay for your luggage in advance and reserve your seats as well, which you can do up to 90 days in advance. I did that and got very good seats, at the exit row (extra leg space) or at the front of the plane (you're one of the first to get out and clear immigration). You have to pay for the seats but at least for me, it's worth it to reserve a good seat in advance (like at the exit row), it's like paying for a little upgrade. In other airlines like Continental, you have to be an Elite-level frequent flyer to get a good chance of sitting in the exit row or at the front of the plane (get off quicker and jet engines not as noisy at the front).

droble77 comments on Spirit Airlines, Cartagena-Ft Lauderdale

Just came back from a trip to CTG on Spirit and was very satisfied with this airline. My flights were from New York (LaGuardia apt.) to Ft. Lauderdale and from FLL to CTG. All flights left and arrived on time or early. In CTG, my luggage was the 2nd one out. FLL is a busy hub airport for Spirit; so if you're flying directly from FLL, it's true you should get there 3 hours early since you can't check-in online for intl. flights. Also, as mentioned above, their terminal area gets very busy during the morning and evening peaks. But when I landed yesterday in FLL at 5:00 from Cartagena, the terminal was almost empty and the whole immigration/customs process plus the recheck-in of luggage was prompt and smooth. By 7:00 PM, the terminal was full of people coming in for their connecting flight home, the evening wave of flights which starts around 7:45 PM. No major complaints about Spirit for my part. It's true you have to pay for the food, I saw the menu and didn't think what they had to offer was worth it, unless you need an alcoholic drink when you're flying. :-) It would be nice if they could offer a complimentary soft drink or juice and at least some nuts/pretzels. . . but the most important thing for me is that they are ON TIME so I can live without the food. Just buy a sandwich at the airport before you fly. I bring on board a Balance bar and a bottle of water bought at the airport as I usually don't like to eat on the plane anyway, unless it's a really long flight. My only other minor complaint is that on some flights, there was too many announcements over the PA by the flight attendants, when I just wanted to nap and not hear them for awhile. The ear plugs helped a bit but it was still quite annoying, especially for the early morning 6:30 AM flight to FLL from NYC. By the way, the flights were mid-week and were at least 95% full except for the one from CTG back to FLL yesterday which was around 70% full. I also noted a lot of gringos on the FLL-CTG flight last week.

droble77 comments on How expensive is your bank?

I commented in a thread a few months ago, that the bank institutions are one of the ways the big guy keeps the little guy down in Colombia, by nickle-and-dimeing them to death. CG just provided some very interesting numerical breakdowns to really bring the point home. And since these institutions are dominated by a relatively small group of people, there's not as much competition or motivation in improving service. For example, there is just one super rich Colombian who controls directly and indirectly about 90% of the shares of Grupo Aval a financial firm that owns Banco de Bogota, Banco de Occidente, Banco AV Villas, etc. This guy is worth 4-5 billion and is preparing his son to take over the empire once he's retired. No need for executive searches and Board of Directors in a family business! ;)

droble77 comments on A warning to those who wire money to Colombia

August: I wouldn't waste any time on testing her. Whether she's lying or not, my reaction would have been the SAME: I would have gotten pretty mad at her, calling her careless with my money and her security and giving papaya like that. And since she's not reliable, you won't be able to send anything to her for the next 4-6 months while she learns her lesson. :) Robert: Nice pic!! ;-)) But bro, you messed up. No need to end up marrying her. If I had seen similar pics on facebook or pegateya.com with this girl I dated, I would have gotten mad at her for not telling me about the jello fight because I happen to LOVE jello fights too! :-))) And next time I drop by, she better be ready to give me something "very special" (like a trip to the local swinger club or a 3-way with her cousin/ best friend), otherwise no mas plata for jello fighting, LMAO!! ;0)) Guys, you gotta let go that gringo-logic that don't apply nowhere south of the border. Do a little less "rescueing" and a little more disciplining. Some of these colombianas can get pretty wild and that can be fun but they will walk all over you if they see you're weak and give them half the chance. . .

droble77 comments on Spirit Air: bad idea?

Great price! I'm going tomorrow to CTG on Spirit, we'll see tomorrow what happens with regards to Hurricane Ike nearby. . . My price was a little more than yours, but still very good, but I also then paid in advance for luggage and seats. Don't forget to add those costs later. Also, I don't think they collect in advance ANY of the Colombian airport/exit taxes so don't forget to have at least 60-100K COP with you at the airport for your return flight.

droble77 comments on

"To me the irony is that it is the very things that are different that I find attractive, yet at the same time can frustrate the crap out of me. But I realise that to change these things will only make it like the place we just left. You know, the work ethic that compels us to work 60 hours a week, the consumerism that makes us want a 100 inch plasma, the neighbours that hide behind their 10 foot tall fence and we have never met." EXACTLY !! You can somewhat fix these problems if the culture changes or "reforms," but then we'd all be running out of there with our tails between our legs. . . :)

droble77 comments on

"Many New Yorkers work 6 and even 7 day weeks these days. It's getting more and more common all the time." True that, but those folks tend to be higher-end driven salaried workers or lower-end jobs that are paid BY THE HOUR, whereas most Colombians get a lump-sum monthly wage that's the same no matter how much or how little they work!! In my town, people work hard because it PAYS, or they're ambitious and being driven in NYC usually has a pay-off down the line. . . whereas being ambitious in other parts of the world means you're just another dreamer. One more comment: as a consultant, I get paid by the hour and I make time-and-a-half for anything over 40 hours. I could be wrong but I have a funny feeling the overtime concept doesn't exist AT ALL in Colombia. The point is: people need a REASON to bust their ass. If there is no rational advantage or motivation to work harder (except to increase the profits of your EMPLOYER, lol), then you don't. Shit, if I was in the same socio-economic environment, I'd be a bit perezoso too! ;-))

droble77 comments on

One more point, I do think it's true about the stealing. That's why you can't let them stay too long I guess; aren't many people in Colombia hired for a specific period of time, to be renewed by the employer at-will? By the way, let's be honest here. I'm sure almost everyone here has, ahem, "availed themselves" of certain company or employer resources or "stolen time" or what have you. We tend to believe we're more honest and hard-working but I don't completely buy it. I don't think we're THAT much better than them in that respect, it's just natural to see the weaknesses in others instead of ourselves. There was a MAJOR scandal a few years back in the IT purchasing dept. of the company I consult for; at least three people ended up terminated. I would say the main difference is that we have a better structure in enforcing the rules, as per my example. Also, there's an attitude difference. A working-class Colombian doesn't have much social mobility in his life; on top of that, you add the fact that he feels exploited by his employer, which I believe is true to a certain extent given those salaries. So if you feel like you're employer is "stealing" from you, it's not much of a step to think it's okay to take back a little bit of that action. In fact, you would be STUPID not to try. After all, aren't the SMART people the ones who are "getting over" ? ;) I'm not trying to justify the attitude, I'm just trying to explain it. Also, people love to point out how many holidays Colombians get. . . but do you know how many vacation days, sick days, and personal days they get? The answer is usually very little or none at all. Also, how many Americans here go to work on Saturdays? Millions of Colombians work a half-day on Sat. so once you take all these things into account. . . well, I don't really feel I can get too much on their case if some of them are a bit lackadaisical at their job, although believe me, I can understand the frustration. Remember, I'm from New York; we're supposed to submit reports "by yesterday" and handle emergencies in a "New York minute" :-))

droble77 comments on

Interesting post. As a casual tourist, I can't say I've run into any of these issues. I've found restaurant staff and sales people at the malls to be pretty helpful/efficient; then again, I'm a gringo so maybe I get good treatment because I'm an extranjero with the dollar sign on my forehead?? Quick example: I thought the staff at MickeyD's by Oviedo Mall was super efficient and polite; WAY BETTER than the ghetto employees I'm used to at the ones here in NYC. I purposely left an extra soda at the table and one of the girls came running after me with the soda as I was walking out. Okay, maybe she wanted me to ask for her cell number. . . ;-)) And in Bogota, I actually saw airport staff RUNNING down the hall, in order to quickly set up an entry station for a gate for an upcoming flight. Never saw airport staff hustle like that before in my life, I was almost shocked. :) Still, if you're living down there, I'm sure you're bound to run into all kinds of issues with the everyday non-tourist stuff. I still think a lot of gringos here are suffering from some kind of confusion or cognitive dissonance. They're initially attracted to this country (and other Lat-Am countries) BECAUSE of the laid-back lifestyle. . . but then when it comes to THEIR needs and problems, all of a sudden, everyone's got to hustle their ass for the gringo?? LOL, nah, it usually doesn't work that way fellas. :-) As for the business thing, I'm an IT consultant so I wouldn't dare to think I can run a business on my knowledge except maybe a small humble computer service store. That would be my greatest ambition, lol, at least in Colombia. A possible innovation or twist I thought about would be to have a room upstairs or next door as a combined mini internet cafe with English classes taught by yours truly. Besides that, own a couple of well chosen furnished properties to rent out to foreigners and rich Colombians as a secondary source of income. The store sounds like a lot of hours though so it would make moot the point of living a more relaxed life UNLESS I had a reliable, trustworthy partner and/or found a colombiana who's the love of my life. . . ;)

droble77 comments on

I like the brasileiras too elmo. I think no one can match them when it comes to energia en la cama. :0) But there's plenty of Colombiana stunners also, and they have other positive traits as well besides just looks.

droble77 comments on esto si es vida

I'm not Colombian but that had me in tears laughing; an instant classic! Gracias roloenNJ I'm sure there are many variations of these jokes from different countries all over the world. It's interesting how much people are used to their home country's negatives and even miss them in a bizarre way when they live abroad.

droble77 comments on Selling Laptop in Cartagena. . .

thanks again briarblue; lol at the pic, good use of those six megapixels! :o)

droble77 comments on Medellin Mansion Continued

lol, and the posts just keep coming. Let me just add one more thing: I hope people realize here there are DOZENS of "casas" or "massage parlors" right in Centro of Medellin not to mention strip clubs or dive bars. All of them owned and operated by locals I'm sure. I must have the sleaze bag sex tourist look because I always have guys trying to give me the flyers to these places. There was a couple of days I tried to collect a bunch of them for shits and giggles but I threw them all out so I don't even remember the names. . . :0) I am by no means an expert on this subject, but it's surprising at least to me that a foreigner can get away with operating this type of "grey area" biz, even if it's not officially a brothel. What I suspect happens a lot with these gringos is that they arrange rendezvous with the girls OUTSIDE of these venues they work in, taking them back to the Mansion, an apartment, motel, whatever. Eventually the owners find out about this and are not happy as they are out of a cut like a room rental fee. Just another possibility on why this "Mansion" is in trouble. . . it comes down to controlling the girls. (Which I agree is not right) As a liberal guy, in theory I believe anything between 2 consenting adults is fine, but I do admit prostitution can be problematic because of the potential for exploitation. And sometimes it's the gringo who's exploited, especially when he pays the "gringo price" ;-))

droble77 comments on Selling Laptop in Cartagena. . .

Awesome, thanks for the help. If it pans out, I owe you something. A litro of aguardiente perhaps? ;-))

droble77 comments on Selling Laptop in Cartagena. . .

It has to be a Dell cause that's all I got. :) I can sell it for less as I got a special corporate discount on it. I'll very likely bring it for email and Skype anyway; if I can sell it, cool. . . if not, it goes back to the states with me, no major disappointment. . .

droble77 comments on Sin senos no hay paraiso......

I checked out most of the episodes of the original series on YouTube. Damn, that was one crazy telenovela! :) That girl goes through so much, it's insane. Losing her virginity to a narco via rape, getting raped again by another narco, abortion, not one but TWO botched boob jobs, losing her boyfriend to her mother who then gets knocked up by the former bf, brother is a sicario who gets killed on the job, her best friend betrays her, the list goes on and on, LOL! Her heavy paisa dialect combined with all the whining she did got annoying though. So weird. . . half the time I felt sorry for her, the other half, I wanted to kill her myself! :o) Seeing this soap is like a bad car accident, you don't want to look (the plot and acting is so out there) but you just can't help it. The funny part is that the brother was the only likable one in that bizarre gallery of characters, and he was a sicario! Loved the way he handled seeing his gf as a hooker and when he stepped into his mom and sister's bf going at it. Too bad he had to die. ;) The patron's guard Pelambre was a decent character also. The actress who plays Catalina, isn't she in a bunch of other Colombian soaps? I'm assuming she can act beyond just whining. . . otherwise . . .

droble77 comments on Medellin Mansion Continued

Good point roci. Many visitors just don't realize how class sensitive the locals are. I suspect this is what led to this "little problem" at this so-called Mansion venue. Too many barrio girls zipping in and out in taxis in a very spiffy area of Poblado. I don't think the neighbors who are paying top estrata 6 COP to live there, will appreciate that. And with all the construction in that area, people are going to see something and complain sooner or later. . .

droble77 comments on Medellin Mansion Continued

Agree somewhat about the "ingrained culture thing" lol, but just because a local guy can do it doesn't mean that you should; as someone above said, we're just guests. You might think that's hypocritical bs but "it is what it is," whining about it is pointless. I'm a pretty liberal guy but I am very uncomfortable with some of these arrangements that are borderline exploitation or illegal; sometimes it's the girl that's exploited and sometimes it's the gringo. . . ;-))

droble77 comments on Medellin Mansion Continued

Isn't Loutron, the upscale "massage parlor," up the hill from this "Mansion" ? I'd imagine it's much more low profile though, plus it's owned by a very rich local, and it doesn't have chicas from Bello, Itagui, and other poor "low-class" areas popping in and out through the day and night in one of the nicest parts of town (Poblado). At least this is the idea I get about this "Mansion" from what I've read here. I don't really condone prostitution but I understand why it's quite common down there. "It is what it is" as I always like to say. Of course, if the girls are underaged, it's illegal not to mention just plain disgusting and wrong, and it should be stopped.

droble77 comments on US Troops Forced Out By 2011

Way out of topic but yep, sadly the whole Iraq thing is a major clusterf*** imho. Putting aside the whole WMD issue, when Bush talks about Iraq being a future strong democratic ally in the "war on terror" in the Middle East, I can only shake my head and wonder if he's still drinking or snorting something. The Bush family has close ties with the Saudi royal family and I don't think that's made that country AT ALL much of an "ally" in the GWOT. Shared economic and political interests with Saudi, Iraq, Egypt. . . yes, but "allies" ? Give me a friggin' break, they're Arabs, we have almost NOTHING in common with these people, lol, except the oil of course. . . ;-))

droble77 comments on DADDY YANKEE IN COLOMBIA

I hear you CG, but a lot of chicks dig it, so I play along. . . ;))

droble77 comments on Lonely Gringos In Medellin Without A Day Job

Does that 300K include lodging? If not, it does seem way too much, although there are certain restaurants and clubs where you can easily blow 300K or more. How strong is your Spanish? You need to be networking as much as possible, making friends/contacts. As a gringo, you get a bit of a pass in terms of asking the occasional annoying question, like places to shop for good yet inexpensive clothes, food, etc. If you stick to the fancy malls, you're going to run out of money fast. Avoid the rich estrato 5,6, Poblado women and date nice "round the way girls" from the middle estratas. One lady took me out to see a free movie in Centro, then we went to a park and shared a single order of fries while chatting away. Some of these girls might even enjoy the idea of helping or advising you a bit, not all of them are looking for an ATM or a green card. You might think I'm crazy but try to focus on being friends with these girls instead of getting into all of their pants. Your priority now is to learn how to save money, focus on the horizontal action later! ;) So basically, you don't have to booze it up every night and piss your money away. :-)) As for the other suggestions above regarding work, think carefully about what you might get into. I don't think you want to get too Colombian and work 5 and 1/2 days a week for little pay! :0)

droble77 comments on

jaja, you just reminded me I did the exact same thing when I was a kid on a vacation trip to Spain. My parents were so embarrassed. :)

droble77 comments on Bogotá to become a Business Destination

"If this is so true , then why has the HIlton Hotel been vacant for years, and still is , except for a disco on the top floor?" I'm not sure, I might be mixing up hotels, but wasn't there a fire or some kind of incident in that building many years ago. . . ?

droble77 comments on

LOL, that's right a "kid-sized" urinal! :0))

droble77 comments on

Well, all I can say is that the places I stayed at in Poblado did NOT have a bathtub, one of them was a penthouse duplex that had almost every other luxury you can think of BUT no bathtub which did surprise me, but I didn't complain because the rate I was paying was pretty good ;) Suites Real 85 in BOG had a semi-tub as you couldn't really lie down in it, perfect size for young children though. And other places I rented in CTG and Cali had nice comfy shower stalls but no tub.

droble77 comments on Cartagena: matrimonios ‘express’ con prepagos

LOL, true that CG. I think some guys like the stability that being with one girl supposedly provides. Other guys are wired more like butterflies, but that can take a toll on your immune system! :0) Maybe these guys don't want to deal with that and/or are just not into the "hunt" aspect. . .

droble77 comments on Jica Restaurant, some Harleys, and Parque Cajica.

I dated someone from Cajica. I saw some of your pics in that vid and I think I hung out at the same place one evening. I remember the live music, just a bunch of guys riffing on their guitars and singing in english and spanish. Nice laid back groove and good change of pace from Bogota.

droble77 comments on

A cold shower is bad enough, a cold bath just takes it to a whole other level. Maybe as hot water becomes more common for the working classes, more people will take baths? So it's true tinas are not that common, some hotels and luxury apartments have them but it's really not a dealbreaker for me if the bathroom doesn't have it. And c'mon, how often does the average gringo have a bath once he's not a kid anymore? Leave the bubble mix and rubber ducky at home. :-)) What's wrong with showers? Most modern apartments feature shower heads with the metallic hose connected to them so you can hold the shower head in your hand and have full control; as long as the calentador is working, lol, that's more than good enough for me. Colombians do like swimming pools in their fincas however, not to mention jacuzzis at the love motel. . . ;))

droble77 comments on Festival of Flowers A Disappointment

I can see how the feria can potentially be a bit of a "disappointment" from a gringo perspective. A local will get more out of it, paisa29's idea of consulting the paper is a good one, as you can find some interesting "side events" that might even be more fun than the main ones. . . Me personally, I can't possibly imagine spending more than an hour watching people on horses go by (cabalgata), I don't care how beautiful the women are, lol! :) As for the silleteros, probably about the same maybe a bit more, an "hour of flowers" ? ;) The crazy part is the bs "high season" prices you pay in terms of air fare and lodging, all these apartments being marketed to gringos go up in price in August. The smart thing to do is to crash with a local friend or rent from some local contacts you've previously made to keep costs reasonable, otherwise you will feel like gringo just got ripped off by the time the feria is over. . . and if the rumbas are no more fun/intense than any other time of the year, then gringo might also begin to wonder what was the point of his trip. . . ;)