Why are guys coming to Colombia in the first place rather than other countries?

[Alabamaboy!]

Although this is the Latin section of the PL forum, it seems like about 90% of the discussions are regarding Colombia and Colombianas. Maybe 8% goes to Peru. And 1% is to Mexico and Brazil respectively. Why are so many guys pouring into Colombia to meet women? Why not other places? It seems especially odd since a lot of people do not even speak Spanish or have any connections with Colombia in the first place.

I don't know if I would ever have given it a thought to travel to Colombia if I had not had a Colombian business partner who guided me in that direction.

Do Colombian women have a reputation for making good wives? Are they supposedly soooo good in bed?

Other than Medellin and Bogota, it is not so cheap to travel there.

Maybe all this started when the exchange rate was 2100 COP/1 USD?

It cannot be that they are so desperate to leave economic hardships, because I have just not witnessed such things. It does not seem like most are interested in leaving their beloved country. And even if they were, there are alot of other poor countries where guys  are not going to.

For me, I just went down on a whim based on my Colombian business partner's urgings. And when I hit the ground in Cali I knew this was my kind of place.

[Gato4Astrid]

4 years ago, I have always wanted to travel to South America, but I couldn't choose between Colombia and Peru (I have chatted with women from Colombia and Peru as well as some of other South American countries).   After Christmas, I needed a vacation, and I had the decision to choose between Colombia and Peru.  The flight from London to Cali was only £550 that time compare to £750 to Lima, and therefore I chose Colombia.   I chose Cali ahead of Bogota and Medellin because I prefer hotter climate 
After the 1st trip, I decided to stick with Colombia ..............
 

[Alabamaboy!]

Looks like you have done well for yourself. Your girl is very pretty and seems to have a good, playful attitude.

[Alabamaboy!]

I notice a lot of the guys coming to Colombia are risk takers. They own their own companies, make a lot of gambling references, and seem to have a bit more edge than people in general. In short, maybe we are just a bit more adventurous and crazy? Like a bunch of pirates out to discover a relatively little traveled to place. And plunder each town as we go, taking all the treasures we can (the beautiful women).

[Capstone]

You are assuming that the number of postings on the PL Forum about specific countries has a direct correlation to the number of men traveling to those countries in search of a spouse. While it is true that discussions here on PL are very much dominated by those centered around Colombia, the actual visa statistics show that Colombia falls well behind Mexico and even the Dominican Republic in the number of fiancee & spousal visas that are actually issued.


Mexico:     K visas issued for 2010 = 2,749; Spousal visas issued = 21,384 Total: 24,133
Colombia: K visas issued in 2010   = 1,945; Spousal visas issued =  1,350 Total: 3,295
Dominican Republic: K visas/2010 = 1,576; Spousal visas issued =   4,150 Total: 5,726


http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY10AnnualReport-TableXVII.pdf
http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY10AnnualReport-TableVIII.pdf


So really the question being asked should be: Why is it that despite not being the most popular country to find a spouse in, Colombia dominates the PL Forum as the top country of discussion? Or. Why do guys that visit Colombia looking for a spouse post more on PL than do guys that visit other countries looking for a spouse?

[benjio]

Interesting info Cap...
 
I have no facts to back this up, but Mexico and the DR are probably more so because of proximity and guys that are from there (or have parents from there) marrying girls from back home. These men probably have no reason to seek out foreign dating information online. I live in Houston and have literally dozens of Mexican friends that were born here and married girls from Mexico. It is VERY common in Texas. I suspect the same goes in Florida for Dominicans. Not to mention the Dominican Republic, much more so than Colombia, has a huge tourist industry. I bet a lot of guys go down there and meet girls they eventually marry without having any initial plans to do so. Or just mongers that fell in love with a great piece of ass....IT HAPPENS!!!!!

[InnocentVixen]

I've thought about this before and my conclusion was that it was some sort of virus that spreads thanks to those adventurous gentlemen, add a path that has been traveled and the idea of getting your very own shakira and the less adventurous will follow.

It doesn't hurt either than those lovely colombianas seem to be so eager but I think it's about the same for them, they go to agencies and make acquaintances that ended up with a guy as handsome and rich as Brad Pitt and think, hey, I can get one of those too!

I honestly think that if it wasn't for BG and me, Brazil and Mexico wouldn't be brought up in this forum as "often" even though brazilian women have always been known for their exotic beauties and that Mexico is so close by that it barely takes any effort to travel down here.

[AndyLee]

K and Spousal Visas being used as a gauge has to do with immigration patterns I think. There are probably 10,000,000 Mexicans living in the US and only 2,000,000 Colombians. Also, for an American man it's easier to go to Mexico and it's easier to marry a Mexican.
As fior the question, "why is this board dominated by Colombian themed posts?" I wonder the same thing.
Can it be the women? There are beautiful women in all countries of the world, but there are certain countries that have a higher percentage of beautiful women whose features appeal most to the American male. Maybe Colombianas have more of the physical attributes we Americans are seeking. I personally have explored dating sites in a lot of countries in Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe and I always come back to the Colombian sites because these women turn me on like none other. That's a personal preference of course, but I'm sort of an Average American Guy, so maybe the real reason we "flock" to Colombia is for the special look of the women here.
Can it be the number of available women? If you do a search on Latin American Cupid, the largest of the All-Latin dating sites, you will find a larger number of Colomibianas in all age groups than from any other country.
Can it be the close proximity to US airports? Even with recent price increases it's still relatively inexpensive to fly from Miami to Bogota or Medellin, or from Fort Lauderdale to Barranquilla. Compare that to Brazil or even Peru, and especially compare it to Eastern Europe and Asia. Plus the travel time is less. I remember one trip having a leisurely breakfast in Baltimore, Maryland and a late lunch in Bogota. Compare that to Brazil where you might have breakfast in Baltimore then reach Rio by breakfast the next morning.
Can it be the Introductory Dating Agencies that are creating a degree of interest in Colombia? For example, does Loveme.com (A Foreign Affair) have offices in any of the other countries, compared to the three they have in Colombia?
Search Ecuador for example and find only one or two dating agencies compared to dozens here in Colombia.
My particular search began in Costa Rica in 2007. On one of my trips to Costa Rica I met a Colombiana who raved about her country so I started thinking I'd check it out. Then I went on Colombian Cupid and promptly met a Colombiana who was living in New Jersey at the time and she sold me on her country. I spent 5 weeks here in 2009 and went back to the US just long enough to close out my business, sell all my excess baggage and make the permanent move to Colombia.
AL

[beginthebeguin]

Andy it is about time you chimed in. We all thought we lost you forever. jajajaja

[Capstone]

I have no facts to back this up, but Mexico and the DR are probably more so because of proximity and guys that are from there (or have parents from there) marrying girls from back home. These men probably have no reason to seek out foreign dating information online. I live in Houston and have literally dozens of Mexican friends that were born here and married girls from Mexico. It is VERY common in Texas. I suspect the same goes in Florida for Dominicans.

Yes, I agree with you. I have known many men (including my best friend) who have married women from Mexico and for the most part none of them ever saw the need to seek out dating information online. Most of the guys I know met their Mexican wives through personal introductions - either through family members or friends. I lived in San Antonio for many years and saw countless American/Mexican marriages - like you said, it is very common in Texas.


Then on the other hand there are also many more fiancee/spousal visas issued for the Philippines & China than there are for Colombia. Discussions on the Asian board do tend to center more on the Philippines than any other country but the numbers of those discussions do not compare to the number of Colombia discussions. And postings regarding China are pretty few & far between - I didn't start posting until I had already met my wife. I guess in my case I never really felt the need to search out any foreign dating information probably because I had already traveled a lot internationally and lived & worked in several different countries over the years and so the prospect of dating/marrying a foreign woman was nothing really mysterious to me.  I know quite a few American/Chinese couples now but none of them met via personal introductions or agencies - they all met via online dating sites or on vacation/business trips.

[AndyLee]

Andy it is about time you chimed in. We all thought we lost you forever. jajajaja

I quote my illustrious forefather Daniel Boone, "I can't say I have never been lost, but I admit I was once powerful confused for two days."


tks, Begin, it's good to be back. I've been moving and playing house while waiting for Internet to be installed.

[Alabamaboy!]

Excellent work capstone. That is a good point. Maybe this site was started by guys going to Colombia? Just curious.

[Capstone]

Can it be the Introductory Dating Agencies that are creating a degree of interest in Colombia? For example, does Loveme.com (A Foreign Affair) have offices in any of the other countries, compared to the three they have in Colombia?

Andy,
I think that you make a good point here. Just as an outsider to Latin Dating sites, it just seems to me that I see more agency ads and related online articles, etc centering on Colombia more so than most other countries - so maybe the amount of publicity does stir up more online traffic discussion.


Let me ask you Colombian guys another question that may somehow be related. When you guys first started to focus on Colombia, were you intimidated by the unfounded stereotype that Colombia is an unsafe travel destination? Could it be when some guys first decide to focus on Colombia that they want to investigate this stereotype and get some reassurances from vets who have already been down the road - and then that in turn is responsible for more Colombian discussions?  I have noticed countless newbies who have posted on PL and ask about how safe the country is. Maybe they initially start posting to search out information regarding this and then keep posting about other Colombian topics? I don't know what do you guys think?

[utopiacowboy]

I've never had much interest in Colombia except for the fact that my wife is from Colombia and even that was an accident. I was actually looking for Mexicanas who lived nearby when I happened to see her profile.

[AndyLee]

Andy,
I think that you make a good point here. Just as an outsider to Latin Dating sites, it just seems to me that I see more agency ads and related online articles, etc centering on Colombia more so than most other countries - so maybe the amount of publicity does stir up more online traffic discussion.


Let me ask you Colombian guys another question that may somehow be related. When you guys first started to focus on Colombia, were you intimidated by the unfounded stereotype that Colombia is an unsafe travel destination? Could it be when some guys first decide to focus on Colombia that they want to investigate this stereotype and get some reassurances from vets who have already been down the road - and then that in turn is responsible for more Colombian discussions?  I have noticed countless newbies who have posted on PL and ask about how safe the country is. Maybe they initially start posting to search out information regarding this and then keep posting about other Colombian topics? I don't know what do you guys think?

Part of the daily prayer offered up at my family's home in the US every day is that God will protect me for another day and I won't get kidnapped and chained to a tree in the jungle. They were actually astounded that I was not kidnapped straight away when I got off the plane in bogota. They even pointed out to me that it would be difficult for them to raise much of a ransom for me. That's how bad the news is in the US. An image of hands chained around a tree is so prevalent in their minds they don't even stop to think there are 44 million people in this country and most of us don't get kidnapped very often. Nobody every hears anything good about colombia, and for truth, some things that happen in Colombia are really bad.......but no worse than the worst parts of most American cities where drugs and gangs are just as bad as they are in Colombia.

[Researcher]

       For me it was a combination of things.The beautiful women, of course, but also the friendly and happy nature of the people.I had experienced alot of Mexico and even decided to try some Asian countries but I still returned to Colombia.Once you throw in the fact it's only a 4.5 hour flight from Atlanta with the other factors, Colombia was the place for me. I got to know how difficult and risky a LDR could be and Colombia had many things I liked that was the closest.

      Also I think there is something about the women.I was talking with a friend of mine who is Puerto Rican.He is one of many Latino friends I have in the same circle.He said that out of all our friends he likes the Colombians most.He said they are more festive and overall happier.He said that he feels good just being around them and if he was a single guy he would go to Colombia to find a wife.

          Researcher

[Micky]

I think that there are several factors at play.
Turn the clock back a few years and we find ourselves in the "dark ages" of Colombia.  The narco violence,  FARC and absolute corruption.  People had a REAL reason to "get out",  the future here was bleak,  to say the least.
I would say that marriage was one of the few avenues out.  I have no proof and have never tried to look it up,  this is all just in my head,  but -  I would say that there is State Department bias AGAINST Colombians.  I would be willing to bet $20 that,  all other things being equal,  an Argentine applies for a tourist visa,  they have a 50/50 chance,  if a Colombian applies,  they have less than 10% chance.  Truly the U.S.'s best friend in SA and they are treated like the red headed step child,  f'in' prixks.  (my bias opinion of the @$#! State Department)

My own journey had nothing to do with women.  I tired of the U.S. culture of materialism and working to exist.  I started looking seriously in 2003 for a SOTB place to go.  I spent several hundred hours doing real research,  keeping my view unromantic. 
Keeping this short and to the point.  I was simply amazed at the resiliency of the Colombian people.  How could a people go through the hard decades that they had and still have their love for life and positive attitude.  I found the people that I wanted to hang with,  not perfect,  but most likely this is where I will die, I am cool with that.

Micky

[Alabamaboy!]

Yeah Micky, you seem to have a lot of the same thoughts that I have, although I first came down here for the women. After spending time there, I have the feeling that Colombia is going to be the place where I die. (Hopefully not soon). I just like the vibe of the people in general. And the fact that is it pretty good, but not perfect. I like Colombia's positive attitude and think they have good potential for the future whether or not the US goes down the tubes or not.

I have already started making my "get away plan" and taking the first steps to turning it into a reality.

[DesmondID]

At this point I think guys are looking at Colombia for the same reason they are not looking at Bolivia: available information.... Say I am Joe blow and thinking about finding that special Latina for me in another country... I begin my research by hitting the little house icon in my browser and up pops my good friend google - I type in "Latina bride" or something along those lines..

Joe Blow gathers his intel and will feel most comfortable going where he has the most information. That will do doubt be Colombia... He will go there, do whatever he ends up doing, and reporting back on some site increasing the Colombia percentage just a little more and making it just a tad easier for the next guy.

"Why is everybody crowded around around here?"

"I dunno, I saw all the people gathered around and came over to see what all the fuss was about".

[InnocentVixen]

"Why is everybody crowded around around here?"

"I dunno, I saw all the people gathered around and came over to see what all the fuss was about".

can't get more simple than this IMO

[Researcher]

At this point I think guys are looking at Colombia for the same reason they are not looking at Bolivia: available information.... Say I am Joe blow and thinking about finding that special Latina for me in another country... I begin my research by hitting the little house icon in my browser and up pops my good friend google - I type in "Latina bride" or something along those lines..

Joe Blow gathers his intel and will feel most comfortable going where he has the most information. That will do doubt be Colombia... He will go there, do whatever he ends up doing, and reporting back on some site increasing the Colombia percentage just a little more and making it just a tad easier for the next guy.

"Why is everybody crowded around around here?"

"I dunno, I saw all the people gathered around and came over to see what all the fuss was about".

   I would say that this is part of it.But what about those of us that sampled other countries only to return to Colombia?

   Researcher

[jvoorhees]

Well I am new to the foreign bride adventure, so here is my opnion.
 
I decided a few years ago after being divorced a while that I was not happy being sinlge and that I wanted to be married again.  I have continued dating women living in the twin cities where I live, but have become more and more frustrated with American women.  In my view, all of the decent women for marriage are already married by my age.
 
So I started looking overseas.  And the more I looked, the more excited I got.  And the more I felt it was a fit for me and what I am looking for in a bride.
 
I started looking at Russian countries as that was what I first thought of in thinking of a foroeign bride.  There were lots of resources, companies, and websites geared toward there.  I even got close to taking a trip with one company until the basically told me they couldn't find a bride for me because I had tattoos and that it was a detriment in that culture.
 
I was disappointed and gave up on the idea for a while.  Then I found this site.  And realized that there are many more countries that this happens in.  So I did a lot of reading.  I have never been attracted to asians, so I stayed away from there.  But I have always been attracted to latin women, so I started spending more and more time reading these boards.
 
After a while, I got more excited, interested, and set my sites on South America.  But I was wide open and considered every country.
 
I tried doing research into every country, but found little valuable information.  The best resource I found was here.  And it was taking mostly Colombia.  And at the time, Colombia was my last choice out of fear of the stereotypes I had.
 
But the more and more I read, the more comfortable I got with the idea.  Also, a huge factor with me, was the amount of 'mail-order-bride" information on Colombia.  From my research there are far more companies and websites devoted to matchmaking between US men and Colombia women.  So in my view, this made it more likely and possible that I'd have the luck of finding a bride.
 
So basically, I view it now as my best chance to find love.  More opportunity through websites.  More opportunity through agencies.  More specific advice through here.  So I am starting my search in Colombia.  Only time will tell if I finish my journey there or end up in a different country.

[benjio]

I started looking at Russian countries as that was what I first thought of in thinking of a foroeign bride.  There were lots of resources, companies, and websites geared toward there.  I even got close to taking a trip with one company until the basically told me they couldn't find a bride for me because I had tattoos and that it was a detriment in that culture.

You are not the first guy I've heard say this. In Russia people generally do not get tattoos for the same reasons we do. Body art there usually has some sort of underlying meaning, especially in the criminal realm. Tattoos are manadatory for Russian Mafia Members and tell the history of a made man's criminal exploits. During Stalin's reign tattoo's were also closely associated with ID'ing for concentration camps. The culture frowns on it and for good reason.

[DesmondID]

   I would say that this is part of it.But what about those of us that sampled other countries only to return to Colombia?

   Researcher

Shakira?

I would go back to original reason.. Many visit there first because of available information, develop a better understanding and appreciation (to a certain level) and people tend to be nostalgic for the first place they visit..

[Researcher]

  But Desmond, I had spent ALOT of time in Mexico prior to going to Colombia.Mexico is where I learned Spanish and had gotten to know many people there as well as travel to many parts of that country. Now I did return to Mexico later to try out an agency there but I still returned to Colombia....hhmmmm.....While all the attention on Colombia is probably the initial reason many guys go there the women and the country is the main reason they stay.Now Colombia isn't for every guy.There are those that go there and then end up somewhere else later.But many guys stay with Colombia and heck, a few have even moved there!



    Researcher