How to prepare for your trip to Meet Colombian Women

Preparation and Planning for your trip to meet Hot Colombian Women!

It is always a good idea when planning a trip to make a list of what to take, what to leave at home and what to buy upon arrival;

Sun Block-No matter where you are from, bring a very high SPF number of sun block with you or plan to buy locally (although you will find it much more expensive in CTG than a local Wal-Mart or Wall-Greens). Cartagena is very hot during the day and is close to the equator so the sun is very strong. I lived in Florida for many years and normally use number 4 or 8 for tanning purposes. I took a 30 and 50 and am very glad I did.

Medications_ other than any normal prescription medicine you might be taking, I recommend having your Dr. prescribe (or you can buy without prescription when you arrive) a broad spectrum antibiotic such as 500 Mg Cipro or a Z-Pak, Amoxicillin or other similar antibiotic. The water is generally safe to drink but the food handling and preservation methods may lend themselves to exposure to some stomach problems. I normally take 2 Cipro capsules the day before departure just to build up my immunities and usually take one per day while I am there. On this trip, I forgot to take my pills on the second and third day and sure enough, I got a case. Don't worry! if you come down with a stomach problem, it is easily cured with the Cipro and white wine (something about the acidity level of white wine that kills stomach bacteria). Do not take Lomotil or other diarrhea blocking medication. You do not want the bacteria remaining in your stomach, you want it flushed out.

No use losing a day or two of precious vacation or mongering opportunities because you are not feeling well. Of course, you should take aspirin, some throat lozenges (you are in and out of heat and A/C all day; the girls love them; and, it helps with bad breath all in one). I also recommend you take some antihistamine capsules to avoid the sniffles or colds. This is as much from kissing the women as it is flying in what I like to refer to as virus tubes. You can count on being exposed to every virus, bug and sickness in the world when you fly. Since they literally re-circulate the air in planes, anyone sneezing, coughing, blowing their nose or having any other infirmity is going to expose you to it. Another good reason to take the antibiotics before you leave. Lastly some Pepcid AC, Prevacid or other similar antacid. You will probably not be used to the amount of grease they cook with and spicy foods they serve.
If you have plenty of advanced notice prior to your trip, a regime of Echinacea is not a bad idea. I always start taking them before I travel and continue until I return.

You should also take a tube of antibacterial ointment. You will get little scratches, cuts and abrasions. No use letting them get infected. Also, several packets of Tincture of Betadine or alcohol wipes (available in drug stores). Comes in real handy for cleaning a scratch or cut.

Lastly, bring some Viagra, Cialis or Levitra or plan on buying some when you arrive (without prescription). You are going to need it!
Beverages: Beer, good Chilean wines and Rum are very inexpensive locally. If you are a Scotch, Bourbon, upscale Gin or Vodka drinker, make a stop at the duty free before you leave the US. These are somewhat expensive locally. One other note. Although most locals drink beer, rum or tequila, the national drink of Colombia is scotch and no one will ever turn down an offer for some (they refer to it as whiskey). They drink it neat or on the rocks without water.

Changing money:

Only change a small amount of money at the airport. They give the lowest exchange rate to the dollar but you will need some money for taxi and perhaps some necessary provisions. The banks are a good place to change money but the exchange rate varies from bank to bank and whether it is cash or traveler's checks (take your passport) be prepared for a long wait in line, very close scrutiny of large bills and close inspection of your traveler's checks. There is also a monthly limit to how much you can change at a given bank and many banks have a daily limit on how many US dollars they will accept. Rule of thumb. Go early! ATMs (or ATHs as they are called in CTG) are easy to find but also limit the amount of money you can take out daily (generally $300,000-400,000 per day). I did find the exchange rate higher at the ATH's. Many of the larger grocery stores (Carullo in Boca Grande) also offer money exchanging operations right inside the store. Not far off the bank rates and infinitely less time consuming than the banks.

Credit Cards: Although widely accepted in many restaurants and stores, almost no one accepted AMEX except the airlines. Others places only honored Visa so if you plan to use credit cards, better get a Visa. Even MasterCard was refused in several places.

Safety:
Even though the US Govt. still has a travel advisory for Colombia, I am not sure it should really apply to CTG. CTG is a tourist resort area and the police and military do a lot to protect that very important source of revenue for the city. Plus, most people are on vacation and there to have a good time. Now, this shouldn't be misconstrued for not being alert. There is a lot of petty theft, crime, drugs, drinking, partying etc. Never carry large sums of money and don't flash it around. Keep small amounts in one pocket to pay for things and only move small amounts from your primary cache to your spending pocket as necessary. Belly packs work very well for valuables, keys etc. and; if you are carrying a camera (cameras are prime targets) make sure it has a good strap on it and keep your hand firmly on the strap (like women do with their purses).

Don't be flashy with gold chains, rings, designer clothes or your cash. Leave them at home! Play down the fact you are a wealthy American/European (as they all think we are). I even recommend you leave your good watch at home and go for one of those water resistant Casios with rubber or leather wrist bands.

A frequently heard urban legend told by the locals is: "never be within 500 feet of a military vehicle!!!".

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