justino has left 54 comments
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justino comments on Hi- I had a excellent time- thanks! Ecco, I admire your adventurous spirit - seeing so much in such a short time (and flying solo, I gather)! To what do you owe such fearlessness? Rational thinking based on research here and elsewhere would suggest that these routes and destinations are quite safe, however most people wouldn't be able to overcome the negative hype to the degree that you did - especially as a first-timer on the continent. Impressive!
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justino comments on Yeah... And the actual town of Guatapé is "cute". All of the houses have colorful abstract designs on the outside ... i think they call them zócalos. People talk about the represa (dam), but they're really refering to the lake area, not the dam itself, which I've never seen. You can climb the peñol, do horseback riding (of course), and lake next to the town has a amusement-park-like ride... one of those deals where you glide over the lake in a harness attached to a cable.. pretty fun.
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justino comments on Where can I get a list of They're standard "net-speak" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_slang
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justino comments on Be careful when taking taxis from Rio Negro into Medellin Boy, this is not good news Things have gotten worse compared to mid 2005 then. I can have a friend or two pick me up, but I don't want to put them in any danger. I'm a pretty obvious visual target, and all flights I find seem to arrive after 8pm. Can these moto guys be outrun? I was there for 4 months last year, but I might not go this year with the impression that things are worse.
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justino comments on Could peace break out in Colombia? Well, no... As long as cocaine consumption is illegal... ... there will be a well-funded FARC that will not be defeated or pacified. There will also be tens of thousands of illegal drug dealers, their bosses and the territorial gangs that they require in the U.S. for distribution.
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justino comments on Interest in videos on pbh? Great idea!, but... I don't think that it's worth the hassle of you writing the software to manage them and spending the money to host them. How about you simply make a videos link in the left nav that takes us to a page that allows us to submit links to our videos on youtube, google video etc. ? This would be a great resource in itself... a consolidator of Colombian-themed multimedia avail on the internet.
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justino comments on Shakira hits the TOP CHART right on, UC Her older music en español is MUCH better to my ears. In those days I thought she was going to be a class act that produced timeless classics in both languages if she ever crossed over. I still have hope that she'll get back on what I consider to be that path... maybe after she starts to age a bit and writhing around half naked on TV no longer sells more records than great song writing and vocal performances.
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justino comments on Camera tips Don't buy a camera with a silver case. They don't work in Colombia. Also, be careful your flash isn't too bright. It angers the monkeys. The sloths don't like it either, but they're too slow to be of concern.
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justino comments on Juanes, Alejandro Sanz y Carlos Vives, por una "Colombia sin minas" Gringodiego No apologies necessary, man... I should have posted it to Solo en español too. It's a good little video!
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justino comments on Juanes, Alejandro Sanz y Carlos Vives, por una "Colombia sin minas" Volviendo al tema original Si quieren VER el concierto aquí lo tienes:
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justino comments on Mangos photo competition yeah All I see is one chick with mammaries extra grandes... are any other girls in this picture?? Oh WAIT.. THERE they are.
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justino comments on Too good for his own good? jejeje Ahora sí me siento mejor... oye, yo ni siquiera sabía que los perdedores tuvieran un rey! Muchas gracias a vuestra merced.
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justino comments on Too good for his own good? Mr. Clooney I'll have to go back into sincere mode now, as it just hit me that you guys don't know me like I know you (from frequent reading).... and I seem to be making the wrong impression with my tongue-in-cheek posts (which have brought about an association with the term "gringo loser" - one that I'd like to shed).
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justino comments on Too good for his own good? Hmmmm I find that I have the same thoughts, UC, when I see a seemingly nice, beautiful girl with a dopey looking guy with no charm, intelligence or personality. But really who are we to judge? There's a reason that those two are together. If the girl was drawn to him for money or security, then hell - they're really a good match for each other. Mutual users...
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justino comments on Too good for his own good? Huh? Arthur is gonna tell Kat what I look like?? Oh, man... my little charade is over. How do you have a pic of me, Arthur? Okay, I'm not as good looking as Mauricio... not even to me... but maybe somebody out there thinks I look better ;-). Thankfully, beauty is very subjective.
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justino comments on Too good for his own good? Hmmmm... If you let us both loose in the jungle without a razor or tweezers, I'd definitely win because I bet Mauricio has a unibrow. Still, he's a good looking guy, I can't deny. I'm only 3 times prettier than him. The fake blonde guy (yeah, that's right, I see those roots), 10 times prettier, easy.
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justino comments on Too good for his own good? Okay, bright eyes.... Are we gonna have to get on the catwalk and duke it out Zoolander style? I am at least 10 times prettier.
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justino comments on Too good for his own good? :-) I'm not Morphus... but I am somewhat amorphous... like an amoeba...
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justino comments on COLOMBIA EL PAÍS MÁS ALEGRE DEL MUNDO Gracias por el artículo... .. pero el vínculo no sirve. Efectivamente ese blog no existe, según blogger.com.
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justino comments on Medallo on my mind... caulfield2, It wasn't an owner of Parque del Cafe's daughter I'm talking about - but rather the owner of the little bed and breakfast place we stayed near there... so no worries... would be funny though if it were the same girl.
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justino comments on Medallo on my mind... caulfield2, Yeah I passed through Armenia on the way to el Parque del Cafe. I went to some hot springs around there.... oh what was it called.... ah, los termales de Santa Rosa. I still have some little soaps and shampoo bottles from that place. I loved it there. I hear there are some nicer termales, but this one was just fine. I also went to Panaca - an agriculture/livestock theme park around there. Here's a link for any home gamers following the thread: http://www.turiscolombia.com/quindio1.html
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justino comments on Medallo on my mind... Gracias a los dos Thanks guys, for the thoughtful responses. Truth be told, I did a fair bit of driving through the countryside with my paisa friend - Medellin to Ayapel to Barranquilla to Cartagena and Medellin to el Parque del Cafe not too far from Cali - and I've lived to tell about it with great memories. We got stopped by the military several times - bands of 5 or 6 guys in uniform with machine guns strapped to them - but all they wanted was to assure us that the military was protecting the roads and to give us advice about which roads to take. A couple of them asked if we had anything to drink - understandable since they were poorly supplied and it was hot out there. We gave them some juice boxes from El Exito. My fears made the drive an adrenaline-filled experience, but then again, my heart races here in the States whenever I see a cop on the road and think "I hope he doesn't pull me over". So, I just scare easily, I guess. You'd think that with scuba diving, sky diving and solo world travelling I'd have the jitters out for just about anything by now.
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justino comments on Oops - Illegal in paisa land Really appreciate the replies Well, I just found out about another illegal option from a guy in the cybercafe here. He used to work in the airport, and said that he still has contacts there that might be able to give me an extra entry stamp on my passport for about $150USD, so it would look like I just entered. Sounds even riskier than the lawyer...
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justino comments on Oops - Illegal in paisa land viewpoint The thing is, I never got an extension. I had my passport stamped good for 30 days when I arrived in the country, but I overstayed that. Now they can't give me an extension because I'm already an illegal. I plan on going back to the states before 90 days is up... just to show I didn't want to abuse my time here.. I just forgot to ask for the 90 days up front. I'd rather stay six months, but its probably better to leave and come back (if they let me back in!)
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justino comments on Oops - Illegal in paisa land It's not the fine... ... that bothers me. It's the fact that if I don't get this "fixed" before I get fined I won't be allowed back in the country! (according to said lawyer). And yeah, I'm a gringo, and I know that my passport can fetch a pretty penny... a couple thousand U.S. dollars I'm told.
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justino comments on A Question to Women currently living in colombia Some advice to avoid disappointment Don't make it a goal to "hook up". Instead make the goal "to meet women". If you are friendly and outgoing, you can meet women even if you look like a dog. How far you get with them depends much more on your personality and the situation that these women are in than your looks. Asking the question that you asked is shooting yourself in the foot. If you hear that you're ugly and have no chance, then you will lose the confidence that you need to approach them. That's all you need - act confident and otherwise be yourself. Who the hell is anybody on here to judge how another person will react to you? Don't listen to the good or the bad responses. They are both inaccurate and meaningless. Now get down here and make it happen.
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justino comments on Non-political question: Does the "power of prayer" work in Colombia? The power in prayer is that it helps you stop worrying about things that you cannot control. But you have to believe that there's at least a possibility that someone is listening that might be able to help. At that point, you've done all you can do and you can rest easier (provided that you've truly done all you can do in the earthly sense... otherwise get off your ass).
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justino comments on Medellin-Santa Marta route Caucasia I recently did this drive during Semana Santa, and stopped at a friend's finca in Ayapel. Ayapel is about 30 minutes out of your way, but it´s a charming town on a lake with a beautiful church. It is a tourist destination, so I'm sure you can find a decent place to stay. I drove through Caucasia and didn't like the looks of it. No charm in sight from the main road. Don't forget to bring some juice boxes or something to drink for the guys at the military checkpoints.
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justino comments on Un saludo from Medellin Tommy Cool, man. Sounds good. Maybe we can meet up this weekend. Give me a buzz. I´ve had luck approaching girls alone or with just one friend in many environments, but I can be pretty damned charming when I want to be. With quick wit and a smile, doors open for you everywhere.
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justino comments on Traveler Looking For Info on Santa Marta Santa Marta I was in Santa Marta a few weeks ago and was not impressed. The beaches in the Rodadero are ugly - gritty grayish brown sand and brown water. They're also crowded (of course I went during semana santa) by unattractive family types with 4 kids per couple. There were like 3 attractive women (paisas) among the 5000 people on this small beach. This refers to El Rodadero´s beach. Santa Marta has a beach too, but it´s more like a slum than a beach. The nightlife in El Rodadero is average. Taganga is a piece of caca - the only thing good about it is that there are boats that take you to somewhat decent snorkeling or scuba diving. I took one of these boats to Playa Grande, which was equally caca. But I did have some of the best fish (trucha) there that I've ever eaten.
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justino comments on Un saludo from Medellin SoCalDude I will post some pics and show you what you have to look forward to. The women are nothing short of AMAZING, and very nice and educated too. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I've been dating the same girl for a month. I'm happy in the relationship, but the temptation to expand my horizons is strong. The thing about Medellin is, it's actually not very easy to date more than one girl. Thought it's a city of 3 million, all the ones you want to date go to Parque Lleras and the same malls and restaurants, and everybody knows each other and who's dating who.
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justino comments on Un saludo from Medellin Calipro I'm pretty sure I saw Calipro in Cartagena in a bar called Babar during Semana Santa. Its hard to say since he blurs his face in all the pics, but the hairline and build looked the same. Anyway, this gringo went up to some average-looking Cartageneras like he was king of the world and tried to dance with them. They entertained him for a couple of minutes, then he got shot down. It was shameless, and pretty funny. He reminded me of one of my best friends back in the States. I didn't talk to him because I've condemned his pictures, he looked pretty trashed, and I didn't necesarily want to be associated with the drunken, shameless gringo. Anyway, if you're out there, Calipro, let me know if that was you. It was entertaining seeing you at work.
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justino comments on Un saludo from Medellin justino here On the "rich basturd" commment, save up $1000 USD. Drive to Miami and get a $300 flight. You can stay here a month on the remainder and travel about a bit, no problem.
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justino comments on Colombia, old gizzard’s paradise. Jajaja ... deleted Somebody deleted my last post... or maybe it just didn't go through. I didn't think it was as bad as the other tongue-in-cheek posts. I guess I have to it tone down since I'm a relative newcomer and people don't know if I'm kidding. Anyhow, to set the record straight I'm not going to hit on 12 year olds in Colombia despite what www.ageofconsent.com says. What I'll do instead is I'll go to a fifth grade PTA meeting and check out their moms. I'll deal with the MILFs for now and their daughters in 2011, after Elmo's done with them.
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justino comments on Buying Anti Malarial tablets in Bogota Hehe... the Russian Roulette analogy is brilliant. Should I be worried about malaria in the coastal cities like Cartagena and Santa Marta, towns nearby there and fincas outside of Medellin?
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justino comments on Driving between cities during the holidays Hmmm... Gator, I've been assured and re-assured that my friend and his friends and family have driven the Medellin-Cartagena route many times without problems. But I'll quote flight prices for MDE to BAQ just in case. I wonder on how short notice I can get them during the holiday (or if it's already too late). Do you know how long it would take to drive MDE to BAQ? No tengo ni idea...
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justino comments on Driving between cities during the holidays Gracias Roncita What you say about stats makes sense. I was recently living in Spain and ETA started getting more active with bombs. It didn't effect my life at all and made me realize that even if 100 people had been blown up when I was there, the chances of me getting blown up are so slim they aren't worth a second thought.
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justino comments on Driving between cities during the holidays Interesting So far the yays are beating out the nays. Maybe my friend isn't crazy afterall. It sounds like it's no riskier than say scuba diving, skydiving and white water rafting to which many of us subject ourselves after weighing the thrill vs. risk ratio. Getting a bus from Medellin to the coast and then finding a rental sounds like a slightly safer plan. I'll run that by my buddy.
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justino comments on Driving between cities during the holidays Gracias... mas "no"s, mejor Soy un hombre a quien le gusta enfrentar sus miedos y conquistarlos, pero esto parece que es un miedo que no vale la pena conquistar...
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justino comments on "Clearing houses" for banking? Yeah, I think the best way to go ... is to open a bank account in the foreign country where you live and transfer money from your U.S. bank account to the tune of about $6 per $3000 transfered (for Bank of America, for instance). This also gives you a hedge against the falling dollar.
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justino comments on Una pregunta para Colombianas Who cares about chances? You know what you want. You don't need statistics. They'll only demotivate you. Go make it happen! The people who say you can't or it's unlikely - screw em. Make em jealous. Prove em wrong.
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justino comments on colombian mother and thier sons hugging But think about this... American kids are more likely to kiss their mom, grandmother, or aunts ON THE LIPS! That's a big no-no in Latin culture. My grandmother and mom still try to sneak them on me, but I give 'em the cheek. I'm a latinized gringo now and interpret that which is not sexual in my native culture as sexual now; it makes me uncomfortable. These interpretations of right and wrong behavior are quite arbitrary. Maybe even a passionate kiss between two lovers is taught by society, though I would hope and suspect that the drive for sex is hard-wired.
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justino comments on Colombian Penpal wanted! So tell me, Bethy... are you claiming to be beautiful on the inside or the outside?
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justino comments on Due to popular demand..... That's great ... how you mixed the photos of some of their kids in there too. Voyeurism should be a family affair.
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justino comments on mi fufalufa Good for you, man! You're definitely on the path to recovery and happines. Forgive yourself for what you judge as failures in the past. We all have to play the hand that we're dealt. The truth will set you free! I have several friends that were really skinny, but started working out and beefing up and that really did wonders for their self esteem and the response they got from women. Give that a shot! Do what you gotta do to make yourself happy and above all "keep it real". Use this momentum to get real with everybody and see what happens. Things will change, but it will be for the better.
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justino comments on Miami is OUT, Las Vegas IN Mrs. Gomez I spent two months in Miami last year and met some great people. No doubt you can too. The secret to living there is to focus on what you have, not what you don't have. Most latin people I know are good at that. You'll love the fact that there's no winter. You'll love the fact that you can be well entertained all day at the beach for FREE. When you get sick of the hustle and bustle of South Beach's beach, you drive 10 minutes to Key Biscayne and you're in a virgin tropical beach paradise. Concentrate on the good things and the good people and you'll have a great life in Miami.
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justino comments on Miami is OUT, Las Vegas IN Mrs. Gomez Actually I'm a short, blonde white guy (think surfer dude). Being born in 1978 and living in middle class USA in central Florida, I grew up with friends from all sorts of races and cultures, and learned to be sort of a chameleon when it comes to human interaction. It helped me relate to people and helped people relate to me. I'm sure my suggested techniques wouldn't be of much good in a truly agressive dog-eat-dog environment. I avoid those. South Beach is not such a place, and that's really the point I was trying to make. You have the most interesting posts, Mrs. Gomez! :)
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justino comments on Miami is OUT, Las Vegas IN South Beach I won't back the racist undertones, but will say it's a fact that ON THE STREET in South Beach along Collins and Ocean at night ghetto culture does rule. The majority or at least the largest minority ON THE STREET is black, not latin. Ghetto/thug culture, unlike latin culture, is generally unfriendly toward outsiders. However, people of all skin colors do mix quite well on South Beach. Maybe not mix so much - more like co-exist.
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justino comments on Colombiana en Europa Buscando amigos cheveres Ummm... Europe is a big place... think you could be more specific? I live in Sevilla, Spain right now for instance. You're too old for me to date, but since you're pretty maybe I'll let you teach me a few things. If I thought you were real (email address), then I'd be much, much nicer.
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justino comments on Colombian Spanish Lisping Spanish and paisa accents To set the record straight, JamesVH, Spain's castellano is not a lisp - no more than you saying the "th" sound in any English word constitutes a lisp. A lisp would be the production of a "th" sound when one should have produced the "s" sound. In Spain the rule is that the C and Z always sounds like a "th" instead of an "s" (except in cases when the C makes a "k" sound). There is regional variation especially in the south of Spain in Andalucia. Some people only make "s" sounds like in South America (this is called seseo). Others, mostly in Cadiz only make "th" sounds for everything (called ceceo). It sounds like a lisp when you think they're doing it on accident, but they're actually taught that that is the correct way to pronounce it and do so deliberately. That said, a person from Cadiz is probably not going to be good at making "s" sounds in any language.
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