Anyone know 1st-latin-women.com

[splurf]

Heading to Columbia for the 1st time next year so a newbie.  Have five weeks so I thought I would start with a romance tour and then explore the delights of Columbia and have plenty of time to get to know a special girl.  I see a lot of recommendations for different tour groups.  Does anyone know this company:  1st-latin-women.com  Good or Bad?

Also I am curious to know if Columbia is like Brazil and do the girls differ ethnically or in generally character and appearance from area to area?  My thought was to look for a girl starting in Cartagena as that seemed to combine girls with a nice beach and city.  So many companies offering tours I do not want to get stuck with a lousy one. 

I travel quite a bit so I am street smart and appreciate a guiding hand in the right direction. 

Thanks,

John

[utopiacowboy]

Yes, they do differ in appearance as you go from area to area. The majority of women on the coast tend to be darker than in other areas, ranging from black to a tan color. Of course there are also many women in each of the areas that do not fit the local type. In Medellin you'll find many natural blondes as well as a lot of women (like my wife) with pale skin and long jet black hair. Overall the paisas are more European looking.

[pablo]

Hi John,

Welcome!  Reading your plans reminds me of my own journey south to Colombia a few years ago.  I joined a reputable agency in Bogotá and stayed for ten days and had a wonderful time meeting various women but found it very frustrating when it came time to return home.  I made a few more trips to Latin America until I decided to relocate here as I wanted to have normal dating relationships rather than long distance ones and get to know these wonderful Latin women, their culture, customs and language.  What a change that was from my twice a year trips!  I realize that my choice might not be for everyone but for me it was a very good decision as I have a wonderful girlfriend that I would not have met in an agency or by happenstance on one of my trips.  For others like Utiopiacowboy he hit pay dirt meeting his lovely wife on his first trip to Medellin after discovering her on an introduction web site.

If you are looking for that special lady I'd recommend that you choose a city to your liking (I'd recommend Bogotá, Medellín or Barranquilla) and stay there your entire time rather than go from city to city unless you enjoy exploring around.  This will increase your odds on meeting the ladies and allow you more time to get to know them. 

You didn't mention if you speak Spanish.  If not, start studying now as this will be of immense help to you later. 

I personally think the "romance tours" are too expensive and would not recommend them.  Rather, use other options at your disposal; join some of the internet introduction sites a month or two before you leave, use a good agency (ies) where you are staying, and be outgoing and personable while out and about and I'm sure you will meet a number of ladies that ring your chimes.  Just don't be in a rush and have a great time as I'm sure this will be one of many trips you'll be taking.  Once you get smitten by that Latina bug you won't settle for something else.

Suerte!

[splurf]

Thanks for the advice!  My Spanish is rusty but OK and I have started studying.  Amazing how quick it comes back.

I notice that Cartagena and Cali were not on your list.  Is there a reason for that as Cali seems to talked about a lot here and Cartagena seems to be a favourite for the large tours.

My hope was to meet a nice girl and then if she is able to invite here to explore a bit of Columbia with me.  It seems a beautiful country so I would like to see it.  I thought an agency would speed things up a bit.  Do you recommend any agency in Bogota or Medellin?

Interesting that you moved there as that option is open to me if I wish to retire early.  But I live in a great spot so we will see.  Out of interest where did you settle down?

[pablo]

I notice that Cartagena and Cali were not on your list.  Is there a reason for that as Cali seems to talked about a lot here and Cartagena seems to be a favourite for the large tours.

Cali is one major city that I haven't visited however, I know a few men that have lived there and they didn't like it as much as other cities like Medellin.  Cali is smaller, more polluted, more dangerous, and with less activities than other Colombian cities.  This is a generalization and I'm sure plenty of men would disagree, but it's my opinion that there are more Latina "players" in Cali because of the large influx of Gringos that have visited to monger, play, or even search for a wife. 

The Colombians (?) have a saying that if you want a mistress go to Cali, but if you want a wife go to Medellin.  Unfortunately, in the time that I have lived in Medellin I have seen an increase of Gringos visiting here and many Colombians don't view Gringos in a favorable light.  I don't want to discourage you or sound overly pessimistic but this is what I've experienced.  Wherever you decide to visit you will find sweet, sincere, lovely ladies.  I'd actually recommend smaller cities to visit and stay for longer periods of time because you'll receive more interest than those cities on the "Gringo Trail", places like Bucaramanga, Armenia and Pereira.  I really enjoyed using Medellin as home base while exploring these and other Colombian cities.

Cartagena was not on my list because aside from the fact that there is some historical interest to the city and the lovely Old Town I didn't care much for the city.  It has a very hot and humid climate, there are tons of annoying vendors in the tourist sections of town and the beaches suck (like in Barranquilla).  There is also a large monger crowd visiting the city and attracts lots of working girls.  If you want to visit Cartagena and plan on using an introduction agency I would recommends Mark's www.amordecartagena.com

My hope was to meet a nice girl and then if she is able to invite her to explore a bit of Colombia with me.  It seems a beautiful country so I would like to see it.  I thought an agency would speed things up a bit.  Do you recommend any agency in Bogota or Medellin?

That is a very realistic goal but also consider that many women work 5-6 days a week and they have very little vacation time.  This is one reason why I suggested picking one city and staying there your entire time to be able to meet a number of ladies to allow more of an opportunity to get to know each other.  Seeing her interact with family and friends over a longer period of time will reveal much valuable information about her (and your) personality, goals, etc. to see if you guys are compatible.  On the other hand, if you want to visit as many Colombian cities as you can buy an Avianca air pass and have at it.  I just think you'll increase your odds if you stay in one location by networking and making new friends.

If you are going the agency route I'd recommend the following agencies:

Bogota
www.latinintro.com
www.introductionsbyconsuelo.com

Medellin
www.colombiansweethearts.com  (I'd use their 10 dates for $200 offer)

Barranquilla
www.latin-wife.com

Cartagena
www.amordecartagena.com
 

Interesting that you moved there as that option is open to me if I wish to retire early.  But I live in a great spot so we will see.  Out of interest where did you settle down?

If you have the ability to retire early I would check it out regardless of where you live in the States.  I would recommend that you live here for six months to a year before deciding if it's really for you.  I sure didn't regret my decision to do so even though there are things that I miss in the States.  The small disadvantages of living in South America pale in comparison to all the benefits.  I am presently in Medellin but prefer other smaller cities to live in Colombia but I'm also considering lovely Argentina.  Medellin however was a good starting point. 

The look on your friend's and family's faces will be priceless if you follow suit. 

[splurf]

Thanks again - you have given me a lot to think about and I am not sure if I am more enlightened or more confused.  But I do know that too many gringos spoil the pie as has happened in Bangkok. Moscow. St Petersburg and even Angeles in Philippines.  At this stage I think I will follow your advise, keep my options open and when I find a place or a girl that I really like stop there and enjoy that area.   

Since my original question was about 1st-latin-women.com I found out the answer to that.  It is really A Foreign Affair agency and they go under many internet names.  Here is their response to my enquiree:

Thank you for your interest in our services.  Cartagena is probably the most tourist friendly, we have maintained an office longer and have a larger database in the city.  However both Baranquilla and Medellin although newer offices are placing some very attractive women and social participants are extremely happy with the end results.

As far as comparisons go the differences are clear.  Our largest competitor in Latin America offers a 7 day tour also for the price of $995 but it does not include the hotel.  AFA was the first service of this type in existence on the Internet 12 years ago.  We have set ourselves apart over these 12 years by treating our clients both male and female as we ourselves would like ourselves to be treated and our future wives. 

These offices and owned and operated by AFA ( with exception of Manazeles where we do not offer a tour) so we know the women, the profiles are validated for accuracy prior to placement and the buck stops here.  We are a US owned an operated company and thus act and are help accountable accordingly. 

I could go on and on but the proof is in the service and in our satisfied clients.  If you desire we could give you a list of reference for men using our service and you can join us anytime on one of our conferences calls where you will find past and future clients participating.


                 

[utopiacowboy]

As usual, impeccable advice from Sr. Pablo.

[bdman]

i concur with pablo comments. living in a city like medellin provides you with a more comprehensive perspective of life in the country and insodoing a better understanding of the people. there are more women in these cities than those featured on the websites and meeting them will be worth it.

[Kiltboy1]

Pablo knows his stuff and i would agree with what he has to say. Everyone here knows my view on Cali, but thats not to say you cannot find a decent woman there because there are men on this forum and others that have. I just tend to not like the sub-culture in Cali that puts such a high price on rumbear  and silicone . The Colombians do say if you want a mistress, go to Cali and for a wife , go to Medellin. Not sure how much truth it holds though. Colombian sweethearts in Medellin is the only show in own for a legit agency, and the owner is a Fed ex pilot and spends about half of each month at the agency and he runs a good ship as far as agency's go, The cattle call hand holding tours i am not a fan of . If you ever see the videos for these things, can you not imagine anything more cheesy then some of theses boobs that they put on stage. You would be better off to use an agency and hire a translator  ALA  Daytrader then to use the tour , but if it makes you feel more comfortable , then i am sure you could meet someone that way. If i had to give my personal pick, i would say go to Bogota because they have a much bigger supply of professional serious women. The downside is the weather there is cold. I like Bucaramanga as well and the woman there are known to make great wives. Medellin too. Barranquilla would be next to last followed by Cali being last . As Pablo said, you will do much better staying away from the GRINGO TRAIL .Good Luck with wherever you decide to go .


KB

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