Venezuela or Colombia

[SkyNorth]

I was looking at some options in Venezuela and I was floored that the ladies there maybe prettier than Colombiana's.  I really thought that was impossible.
 
Does anyone have the scoop on the country, safety, and ladies.
 
Or is Venezuela one of those places (as the old Warren Zevon song goes "send Lawyers - Guns - & Money to get me outta this") that a gringo should not go.

[Kiltboy1]

I have been 2 times to VZ and while I think that VZ women are better looking in general then Colombian woman, they have the absolute worst attitudes of any Latinos I have ever met. They make a Paisa look like an amateur. Stick with the Colombianas and get the best of both looks and sweetness.
 
KB

[SkyNorth]

KB...Thanks for the intell.

[whitey]

Also Venezuela is very dangerous and can be hostile towards Americans since Chavez.

[Woody]

As much as I would like to visit Venezuela, there is no way in hell I would go there without damn near perfect Spanish and then not even a chance of going with the blue passport. Maybe in 20 years it will be safe(enough), I dunno.....

[V_Man]

I am white with blue eyes. I wanted to go to Venezuela right up until a Venezuelan girl took me aside and told me I would not be safe there even while travelling with my Colombian girl friend.

There was this Venezuelan girl, a Colombian girl I was dating at the time and me having a chat. We were the only people in the room who could speak Spanish but we were talking mostly in English. I was quizing the Venezuelan about her country and telling her how I'd like to go there. Eventaully she switched to Spanish and leant forward to us to talk in a low voice.

She said that she loved her country and of course she wanted to encourage people to visit her country. However we looked like a nice couple and we needed to listen to her. I would not be safe there, even if I traveled with my Spanish speaking Colombian girlfriend.

I asked her, what about outside Caracas?

She said - still not safe for you.

I figured when someone says that about their own country, it pays to listen.

The following week an Australian tourist there, having a drink at a beach bar in the middle of the day, was shot dead. He'd been in Venezula for 3 days.

And I'm not even from the USA. In case you hadn't listened to Chavez, you guys are the root of all evil. Didn't you get that news? The Venezuleans have been told that constantly for years.
 
 By far most murders in Colombia go unsolved. However in comparision to Venezuela the Colombian police are Sherlock Holmes.

[benjio]

This is one of the places I was referring to in the other thread. Venezuela is definitely not "White Guy Friendly" for the most part. Not somewhere I'd ever venture if I had blue eyes and blonde hair. I have passed through several times though. Raggedy old shirt, torn jeans, worn down British Knights with no socks...no one bothered to look at me for more than a second. When I spoke to locals and they heard the difference in my accent I told them I was from San Andreas. My company's security measures for expats are MUCH more strict in Venezuela than they are in Nigeria for example. We are currently moving the majority of our rig support infrastructure in Venezuela to La Guajira because of incessant security issues.
 
I disagree about the women though. The simple fact is your "gringo appeal" isn't as powerful there as it is in Colombia. Most beautiful women in Venezuela are not going to drool over you just because you're a foreigner. They are also less trusting of strangers and more standoffish for the simple fact that the country is much more dangerous. But I still met some very nice women there. What absolutely blew my mind in Venezuela is there are so many women that could easily be supermodels anywhere else in the world that were living in some of the worst conditions I've ever seen in Latin America. If lighter skinned, straight brown hair, slendor coke bottle bodies and REALLY pretty faces are your thing there are more in Caracas for you than I can count. If it wasn't so dangerous and Anti-American I guarantee it would be the primary location for wife-hunting gringos SOTB regardless of the misconception that the women have bad attitudes.

[mudd]

my friends neighbor is from venezuela. him and his wife moved here about 14 years ago,really nice people.  they visit venezuela about every few years and have also said the crime is terrible, mostly in Caracas and that Chavez could care less about doing anything about it. seems weird that his country is so messed up, does nothing about it but blames every" white" looking country for their problems.


but he also said that the women are extremely beautiful, so many tall, thin knockouts that colombia doesnt compare. just that nobody goes there unless they really have too. he is really hoping chavez kicks the bucket soon 

[Jeff S]

Venezuela has been that way for decades, even before Chavez. Back in the 70s I was there on a shipbuilding gig, and a British engineer had his business visa pulled after a contract dispute, and had been stuck there for over 6 months - hoping someday to get back home. Fortunately I was there on a tourist visa and left very quietly without telling anyone when my consulting was finished.


I can't imagine anyone ever going to Venezuela unless you absolutely had to. No matter how beautiful the women are, if the corrupt government doesn't get you the criminal element will. If you like tall, skinny women there are much better looking ones in Eastern Europe or Argentina. If you like voluptuous Latinas, there are much better looking ones all over Brazil. If you put looks over culture, this endeavor has all the elements to become a complete disaster.

[Alabamaboy!]

I have been 2 times to VZ and while I think that VZ women are better looking in general then Colombian woman, they have the absolute worst attitudes of any Latinos I have ever met. They make a Paisa look like an amateur. Stick with the Colombianas and get the best of both looks and sweetness.
 
KB

I have never been there but my friend is married to a Venezuelan woman and has made many trips there and says the same thing (about the bad attitude/good look combo). His wife agrees 100%! When people from that particular place agree with the stereotype, that is when I really start to believe it.

But you know what? That being said, my friend found a good woman from there, and she is also intelligent...recently became a CPA. So I guess it is like any other place, you can find what you want if you take the time and are willing to sort through the stack. And a little luck never hurts either.

My friend is from Guam by the way.

[SkyNorth]

Thanks for all the infomation guys. There are millions in Columbia so after I exhaust the resources there I might think about Venezuela.
 
But only after!

[Ray]

There are millions in Columbia so after I exhaust the resources there I might think about Venezuela.
 

 
Actually, I think the total population of Columbia is closer to 130,000...   
 
 
 
Ray
 
 

[SkyNorth]

45 million give or take a million, depending who you want to believe our state department or there stats.

[Woody]

45 million give or take a million, depending who you want to believe our state department or there stats.

Nope.


From Wikipedia:

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census.

 

[SkyNorth]

My bad...I stand currected. The twu letters (o-u) are very cluse un the key buard.

[Bob_S]

My bad...I stand currected. The twu letters (o-u) are very cluse un the key buard.

FYI, around here we routinely kick the 'nads of those who get them mixed up.  You have now been baptized.  Welcome to the club.

[htown]

Wow, are the Venezolanas really that hot compared to the Colombianas?  Does anybody know anything about the city of Cucuta?  It's right on the venezuelan border.  I wonder if there might be alot of venezolanas there.  Would it be worth a visit?  I'd imagine the the gringo presence in that city would be minimal since I NEVER hear it mentioned on any message boards.

[V_Man]

A couple of guys have been to Cucuta and wrote about it. Some hot Colombianas from there wrote to me. Personally it's just another risk I didn't need.

[benjio]

A couple of guys have been to Cucuta and wrote about it. Some hot Colombianas from there wrote to me. Personally it's just another risk I didn't need.

Probably the most beautiful Colombianas I contacted online that showed me mutual interest were from Cucuta. It's definitely one of those hidden jewels. Ah man...absolutely gorgeous Latinas everywhere. I mean like REALLY attractive women. It' almost like Venezuela spillled a cup full of women over into Colombia in that area. But again, not an area I would call "white gringo friendly."

[htown]

Probably the most beautiful Colombianas I contacted online that showed me mutual interest were from Cucuta. It's definitely one of those hidden jewels. Ah man...absolutely gorgeous Latinas everywhere. I mean like REALLY attractive women. It' almost like Venezuela spillled a cup full of women over into Colombia in that area. But again, not an area I would call "white gringo friendly."

Damn!  I hope you're right.  I definitely got to check this place out.  Plus I'd think it would be easy to hop across the border into Venezuela and check out the scene and hop right back into Colombia without risking too much.

[Woody]

Damn!  I hope you're right.  I definitely got to check this place out.  Plus I'd think it would be easy to hop across the border into Venezuela and check out the scene and hop right back into Colombia without risking too much.

Sigh.....did you actually read the thread, or only the post you quoted?

[V_Man]

Sigh.....did you actually read the thread, or only the post you quoted?

yeah i was wondering the same thing. My conclusion is that htown is not white with blue eyes and therefore he is bullet proof. Lucky bustard!

[htown]

yeah i was wondering the same thing. My conclusion is that htown is not white with blue eyes and therefore he is bullet proof. Lucky bustard!

I'm a young hispanic guy and I speak almost fluent spanish.  I hang out in very rough neighborhoods here in Houston and in Monterrey Mexico(which is a very violent and dangerous city) that most guys from this board would never dream of going to.  If anything, my problem when I'm in Mexico has been that because of my haircut and the way I dress, when I go to a nice place (bar, restaurant) the clean-cut, upperclass, preppy people get somewhat uneasy around me.  Even taxi drivers sometimes tense up when I get in their taxi, and at night alot of taxis won't even pick me up.  This can be annoying sometimes but it actually gives me a little extra feeling of security.


I know about the security situation in Venezuela and I don't think it would be worth the risk of going there, BUT you never know.  Anyway, I still haven't even gotten my butt down to Colombia yet, so I still have a long way to go before I start seriously considering a Venezuela trip.

[benjio]

yeah i was wondering the same thing. My conclusion is that htown is not white with blue eyes and therefore he is bullet proof. Lucky bustard!

No one is bullet proof. It's all about blending in and not drawing attention to yourself. White men with blue eyes do not blend in anywhere in Colombia or Venezuela.

[V_Man]

No one is bullet proof. It's all about blending in and not drawing attention to yourself. White men with blue eyes do not blend in anywhere in Colombia or Venezuela.

Those were exactly my points. I guess my sense of humour is not for everyone.