Hopefully a new adventure

[NorthernLion]

I am a complete mismatch for this site but it seems with the demise of PBH that it is the only place to go to get good and honest accounts of Colombia which I might be moving to in the future.  I have lived in Buenos Aires and Rio in the past and found things I loved and hated about those experiences. 
The original plan was to move to Prague but now I am thinking Latin America again to try one more shot at really learning Spanish.  I mainly worked in Buenos Aires so despite living there for a year my spanish sucks.  The hope is that if I go down with little to do but learn the language and hit on Colombian girls I can get the language down to a conversation level sooner than latter.
I am primarily debating between DR and Colombia as my original choice of Costa Rica now seems way too working girl touristy - sounds more like the place you go when you have someone to take or when your a man who likes to pay for sex.

I am thinking about Colombia because what I loved about Brazil was the women and Colombia seems to have the most comparable ones in terms of beauty, fun and open minded willingness to accept a foreigner.  Buenos Aires was a great city but I found the Argentine attitude kept one at a distance.

The idea in my head is to start first in Cartagena and then move from there to Barranquillla to Bogota to Medellin to Cali as my spanish improves but at issue with this plan is that it seems the best women for a north american guy are in Cali and Medellin so I have the urge to go there first.  I say this because Cartagena seems to be infected with the tourist town prostitution bug, Barranquilla sounds uninviting and Bogota is just supposed to suck.  At least that is what I have picked up off of reading various posts.
 
Best guess percentage chance of going either this year or next for another long adventure is about 60 so odds are I'll be packing my bags again ... hopefully ...

Augustus
 

[bcc_1_2]

I am primarily debating between DR and Colombia as my original choice of Costa Rica now seems way too working girl touristy - sounds more like the place you go when you have someone to take or when your a man who likes to pay for sex.

I say this because Cartagena seems to be infected with the tourist town prostitution bug, Barranquilla sounds uninviting and Bogota is just supposed to suck. 

I really like Costa Rica. Outside of an area with massage parlors/bars in San Jose (and one bar in Jaco) you won't find prostitution all over Costa Rica (or San Jose). I mean unless you specifically seek out the Blue Marlin Bar this just isn't an issue. The pay for play is all concentrated in one area... its not all over.

What is this prostitution kick? I hear Medellin is as popular of a sex tourist destination as Cartagena. And Cali is loaded with Prepagos.

I'm not sure what job you have that allows you to travel like this... but I say lucky you... and enjoy.

I wouldn't look past Costa Rica... if you are willing to rent by the month there are some good places to stay.

I personally crossed the DR off my list. You don't think prostitution is huge there? You might want to read up on that. It is where Rush Limbaugh goes to bust a nut.

[fathertime]

I am a complete mismatch for this site but it seems with the demise of PBH that it is the only place to go to get good and honest accounts of Colombia which I might be moving to in the future.  I have lived in Buenos Aires and Rio in the past and found things I loved and hated about those experiences. 
The original plan was to move to Prague but now I am thinking Latin America again to try one more shot at really learning Spanish.  I mainly worked in Buenos Aires so despite living there for a year my spanish sucks.  The hope is that if I go down with little to do but learn the language and hit on Colombian girls I can get the language down to a conversation level sooner than latter.
I am primarily debating between DR and Colombia as my original choice of Costa Rica now seems way too working girl touristy - sounds more like the place you go when you have someone to take or when your a man who likes to pay for sex.

I am thinking about Colombia because what I loved about Brazil was the women and Colombia seems to have the most comparable ones in terms of beauty, fun and open minded willingness to accept a foreigner.  Buenos Aires was a great city but I found the Argentine attitude kept one at a distance.

The idea in my head is to start first in Cartagena and then move from there to Barranquillla to Bogota to Medellin to Cali as my spanish improves but at issue with this plan is that it seems the best women for a north american guy are in Cali and Medellin so I have the urge to go there first.  I say this because Cartagena seems to be infected with the tourist town prostitution bug, Barranquilla sounds uninviting and Bogota is just supposed to suck.  At least that is what I have picked up off of reading various posts.
 
Best guess percentage chance of going either this year or next for another long adventure is about 60 so odds are I'll be packing my bags again ... hopefully ...

Augustus
 

I've enjoyed barranquilla and cali...i would consider visiting both if that is feasible for you...if you have been travelling a while you should be able to pick up who the real gals are after a little time together...there are plenty of available and good looking gals  in the two cities i mentioned....probably the same in med. and bogota, but i won't comment directly since i haven't been to either.  moving there as a single man seems like it would be heavenly.   
good luck,
Fathertime!

[utopiacowboy]

If your Spanish skills are poor you're limited to Bogota or Cartagena because in the rest of the cities, no one and I mean no one speaks English. If I were you I would skip Colombia completely and try Peru or Uruguay.