Too Many Hot Women to Compete With

“There’s just too much competition. There’s too many good looking women around here to compete with.” That’s what she told me as we were riding in the taxi. We were headed down Calle 72 in the northern part of Barranquilla. It was our second date, and we were headed to the mall to walk around and do some window shopping.

I’m not sure exactly how it came up. But it wasn’t the first time I’ve heard attractive women complain about the tough female competition in Latin America.

The thing that always gets me, is that I’ve never heard a woman complain once about the tough female competition in the United States. But in Latin America, no matter what country I’ve been to, I always run into women who complain about the dating environment.

I’ve heard it from Ecuadorian women, Brazilian women, Colombia women, Peruvian women, and even Bolivian women, just to name a few. Not every girl complains but enough women complain to the point where you start asking yourself? Is there really something to this?

But when it comes to American women I’ve never had one complain in my presence. I read an article on a website about an American woman who couldn’t compete with the Latinas in Miami, but other then that, it’s never happened.

So what gives? Are Latinas just whiners? Or is there something else going on here?

10 years ago I might have just chalked all this complaining to coincidence. But today I’m a much more experienced guy, and I know the REAL reasons why so many women complain in Latin America. I’ve cataloged and detailed everything in my book about International Dating and Foreign Women. Once you read it, you’ll have the upper hand over all those guys that have no clue why Latin American women complain about their local female competition.

Papaya: Eat It, Don’t Do It

If you’re like me, you probably grew up feeling relatively safe and a bit careless. Where I grew up, no one thinks twice about wearing a fancy watch, expensive chains, jewelry, or clipping the newest blackberry to the side of your belt.

But some places are different, Latin America included. In Colombia, there’s a saying that goes something like this: “No de Papaya” which translates into “Don’t give Papaya.” That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t share your papaya with anyone. It’s a saying in Colombia that basically means “Don’t be careless and attract unnecessary attention to yourself or get taken advantage of.” Basically it means to have your wits about you, and have some street smarts. Don’t get taken advantage of by women, thieves, sales people, taxi drivers etc.

I’ll give you a couple of examples of giving papaya.

Example 1: You’re in a club and you have your phone on you. You leave your phone on the table and go to the bathroom. If you were at the table alone, you’re really giving papaya, but even if you’re with a group, leaving it there would be a bit careless, it’s still giving a bit of papaya, especially if it’s an expensive phone.

Example 2: You’re paying for a taxi and you take out a wad of cash in front of the taxi driver or when you step outside to pay for the taxi. Your giving papaya because anyone passing by will see you reach into your pocket and pull out a nice big chunk of cash, and you’re attracting unneeded and unwanted attention. Chances are nothing will happen, but you’re still giving papaya.

Example 3: It’s your first night in Cali, Colombia and you don’t know the city well. You get all dressed up and wear a nice shiny, expensive gold chain. You’re going out alone you call a taxi service (not giving papaya), but you fail to take a cautionary step and leave the fancy stuff at home, because first you need to get a feel for the city and the places you’re going to frequent. Not leaving the chain at home is giving papaya. You’re compromising your chain, money, and maybe even your safety.

So what happens when you give Papaya:
Eventually if do it enough times, you’ll run into someone who’ll want to take advantage of you. Leave your cell phone on the table and someone will snatch it when no one is looking. The taxi driver that sees your wad of cash might say he doesn’t have change to give you because now he’s seen you have a lot of money. Your gold chain attracted the attention of the wrong person and as you walk from Club A to Club B a young kid runs by and snatches it, or worse threatens to attack you if you don’t give it up.

Moral of the story: Don’t give Papaya

How Much Does It Cost To Live In Brazil?

Costs of living depends on various factors. First of all, as a foreigner one of the most important factors is the exchange rate between the currency you hold vs. the currency where you plan to go. Next comes location. If you live a small and medium size city the costs will be lower then living in one of Brazil’s mega cities like Sao Paulo and Rio. But location also matters within a particular city. You’ll spend more living in the high class part of town, then in the middle class, and you’ll spend even less living in the poorer parts of town, although this isn’t recommended because of safety issues. The final aspect of cost comes down to lifestyle. If you’re willing to live modestly you won’t spend much. However, if you want to ball in the city of Rio you’ll need a nice chunk of change.

How To Make Brazil Affordable, Even Cheap:

For those who are looking to take advantage or the lower cost of living in Brazil obtain a comfortable lifestyle for a lower cost, it can definitely be done. Like I mentioned above, you’ll want to rent an apartment in a middle class part of town. Don’t rent in the fanciest part of town. If you’re staying long term, don’t rent a furnished apartment. Rent an unfurnished apartment and get in the news papers and buy some used furniture found through the adds in the paper. Take public transportation and don’t rely too much on taxis. Don’t eat out at all or very little, instead shop for your groceries and cook your own food. If you live in one of Brazil’s smaller or medium size cities the cost for rent, utilities, cell phone, internet, transportation, food, health insurance, medical costs, clothes, haircuts, gym and miscellaneous expenses could range anywhere from $2,500 dollars to $4,000 per month. You can increase these costs by 50% if you move to the larger more expensive cities in Brazil.

Here’s a sample budget to show you how much you would spend per month in a small, medium size city with a comfortable lifestyle, taking some taxis, going out on weekends, having internet at home, etc.:

The Expensive Side of Brazil

Brazil use to be a lot cheaper because Brazil’s currency the “Real” was a lot weaker a decade ago. Since then, Brazil’s currency has appreciated greatly against the dollar and modestly against other currencies. For this reason, the cost of living in Brazil has increased greatly for foreigners who rely on currency differences to get great bargains. If you’re the type of person that only likes to take taxis, or wants to by a car, live in a fancy apartment, eat out often, and treat yourself lavishly in Brazil’s most well known cities you’ll find that the costs add up. Although you might save some money compared to say, the same lifestyle in New York, places like Rio and Sao Paolo wouldn’t fall to far behind on cost.

So How Much Does It Cost?

Although Brazil is not as cheap as it was, say 10 years ago, there are still various ways to live comfortably at a lower cost then most places in North America. However, it all depends on location and lifestyle. If you want a penthouse in the best part of Rio, and give yourself a lavish lifestyle, you could end up spending big bucks. By applying a more modest lifestyle you can end up living comfortably in Brazil at a very affordable cost.

How To Greet Latin Women With A Kiss On The Cheek

If you run into a Latin women anywhere in this world, or anywhere in Latin America this is a useful little tip that will get you started off the right foot.

Generally in Latin America anytime you greet someone from the opposite sex you extend your hand do small handshake or hand clasp and then pull her in for a small cheek to cheek kiss. This move includes the first time you meet someone.

The following is an excerpt from my book The Global Dating Revolution on page 175 explaining the whole process:

How To Greet People In General In Latin America

It’s also important to greet everyone in the room when you enter. North Americans are notorious for entering a room and just giving a “hey, howdy, hey!” to everyone. That is considered very rude to a Latin. Here you enter a room, and go around the room greeting each person. Kiss every woman on the cheek, even older women and younger women, and shake every man’s hand. When you depart from a gathering, you should generally also say goodbye to everyone individually. The handshake or kiss is repeated at departure.

Cheek Kissing Videos:

This first video is a video that explains the origins of the cheek kiss, and gives you some great examples and explanations of the cheek kiss:

This second video is from a Latin American soap opera. You’ll notice that the father kisses the mother and daughter both on the cheek but with his lips. The guy dating the girl gives her a kiss on the cheek goodbye but it’s a bit more intimate because their lips come very close.

For more great information on international dating and foreign women get The Global Dating Revolutionwith the 5 bonuses included for free.

International Dating: The Reality And Some of The Obstacles

There are numerous reasons why it’s going to take a long time for you to hit your stride in foreign countries. Some of these include:

• How well you know the language
• How fast you find the best night spots or if you know where they are
• How fast you find the best day spots or if you know where they are
• How fast you get use to the culture
• Overcoming stereotypes of you as a foreigner

These main barriers are the usual road blocks abroad. The most important one being language. But all of this doesn’t mean that dating environments abroad can’t be better then your local dating environment. Sometimes it just takes time to hit your stride.

Although language can be barrier, as long as you obtain some conversational fluency, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

What you need to do is focus on the obstacles and overcoming them…

Overcoming stereotypes:
One of the main stereotypes you’ll encounter abroad, especially in Latin America is the fact that people will think you’re a rich American who’s only there to bang prostitutes. I’ve seen this all over Latin America. A lot of these stigmas come from past Americans and past foreigners who have come to Latin American countries for just that. These guys have given the rest of the “gringos” a bad name, but it is something that will change with time. The only way to get by this stereotype is to stay away from the “prepagos” or working girls, and in some cases from the places where these women frequent.

Overcoming style differences:
If you have an eccentric style like that of a rocker in the U.S.A you might have a tough time fitting in unless you find your perfect niche inside the city you’re visiting. American rock isn’t that popular throughout most of Latin America. In some cities the music might be popular but the style is pretty much non existent. The same can be said for a hip-hop type of style with fitted caps etc. You might find certain venues that cater to the music in certain large Latin America cities but in general these styles won’t help in Latin America. In these cases I would suggest you try to fit in more by changing your style a bit, to something you feel more comfortable with, but something that is more common throughout Latin America.

Finding The Best Night Spots:
In large cities the size of Buenos Aires or Bogota or even Medellin sometimes it’s taken me up to one month to find the really good night spots. I’m talking about the spots where you might be the only foreigner in the place and places that are loaded with single women. Also, these same places might be the best places to approach women who don’t speak any English.

It takes a lot of trial and error, asking around, checking different places out on different nights. In the first week you’ll find the most well know, places. Usually people will point you the priciest most well known place in the city, for example if you’re in Medellin and get in a taxi or ask anyone, they’ll tell you to go to Mangos or El Poblado, but I’ve found they’re not the best place to meet single women in Medellin.

If you’re lucky you’ll find the best places on the first week, but I usually don’t expect to find them until week 3 or 4, sometimes longer. And you’ll only find these places by being persistent and going out often.

When To Dress Up And When Not To Dress Up

You’ve probably read me blog posts on safety and dressing in Latin America.

This should give you an overall view of how to dress but there’s a bit more to it then what I’ve mentioned in the past. The thing is that it’s difficult to condense everything into two small blog posts. And if you know me a bit already, you know that I’d rather fall short on the side of safety. That’s why I usually recommend people in general not to dress to flashy.

But dressing down isn’t always good, even though it might be safe. It all depends on where your going. I’ll lay out some examples based on Colombian experience so far this year:

• Cartagena Old City: Dress Up
• Medellin 33: Dess Normal
• Medellin El Poblado: Dress Normal or Dress Up
• Medellin Mangos: Dress Up
• Barranquilla 82 & North: Dress Normal or Dress Up
• Anywhere in Colombia stratus 4: Dress Normal
• Anywhere in Colombia stratus 2-3: Dress Down

In the above examples I’ve layed out three ways of dressing:

• Dressing Up: Some Jewlery, Nice watch, Chain, Rings, Button Down Collard Shirt, Nice Shoes (Depending on the city and locale a suite)
• Dressing Normal: Maybe No Jewlery (Depends), Not too many accessories, Possible Button Down or Brand Name T-Shirt, Shoes or Sneakers
• Dress Down: No Jewlerly, Sneakers, Normal T-Shirt

If it’s your first time someplace and you’re not sure where you’re going or how the people dress there, I recommend you error on the side of safety. If anything you can dress down go back to your place and dress up and come back to the place.

In general my safety and dressing tips recommend guys to dress down so they won’t stand out and so that their safety will be the most important outcome. However, as you spend more time in Latin America and as you get more comfortable with your surroundings and get a better feeling of how safe the places you frequent are, you can elect to dress up a bit more.

Whenever you do this, do so incrementally. Don’t go all decked-out on the first night. Upgrade little by little. Dressing up definitely does help with the higher class ladies, and it’s a luxury worth taking part in, especially in foreign countries, just remember to always start on the safe side and ease into it.

Five Things Ecuador is Famous For

Ecuador is a larger less explored, cheaper version of Costa Rica. Many people tout Costa Rica for the proximity of it’s different ecological landscapes. You can be on the coast, in the jungle, and high up at the volcano peek in just a matter of hours. The same can be said for Ecuador although it’s a bit larger. Ecuador has a great coast, a tropical amazon region, and mountainous region which offers a diverse ecological landscape in a relatively small geographic region. Apart from that Ecuador is probably 1/3 or at least 1/2 as affordable as Costa Rica. Ecuador is very often ranked as one the of the cheapest countries in Latin America. As far as the women, Costa Rica probably has more attractive women per capita, but Ecuador does have it’s fair share of attractive women. Ecuadorian women tend to be more reserved, faithful and old fashioned then just about any other women in Latin America… Onto the top 5 things:

#1. Natural Rejection in the Galapagos Islands. As you peer out of your cabin you wouldn’t expect that the neon seas and coral shores mark not the peripheries of paradise, but of hell solidified – a savage wasteland of ash cliffs, petrified lava lakes and angry volcanoes. Despite all of this, you will be surprised to learn that nature and life abounds amongst it’s scarred landscape, albeit curious lifeforms, the result of many generations of adaptation to an uncomfortable dwelling. A marine iguana flashes you a mischievous smile before scuttling into the sea to feed – very unlike it’s ancestor’s on the continent. Nearby, yet another one-of-a-kind perches atop the rocks to dry it’s now useless wing stumps – a flightless cormorant which abandoned its aerial abilities for nautical ones years ago. Every island uncovers more animal oddities from giant tortoises to Darwin’s finches – each one a participant in the world’s most famed works of evolution.

#2. Retail Therapy at Otavalo Craft’s Market. At some point in your travels, you will be hit with panic – realizing your nearest and dearest are at home awaiting your offerings of exquisite gifts from a faraway land. If you happen to be in Ecuador count yourselves lucky – one of the largest craft fairs on the continent is Otavalo, brimming with crafts handmade by indigenous artisans. You can hover wide-eyed around stalls selling an astounding range of jewelery, musical instruments, carvings, paintings, textiles and a whole lot more. The phrase ‘Something for Everyone’ is an understatement – deciding who should have the locally made poncho and who back home will appreciate that two meter rain-stick is all part of the fun.

#3. Watching the Sun Rise from Volcano Cotopaxi. At 5897meters high – Volcano Cotopaxi is one of the highest and glorious active volcanoes on Earth. Starting your eight hour trek to it’s summit during the evening will mean most of the climb will be done under starry speckled skies. The payback of a grueling climb in the dark is reaching the top just in time to watch in awe one of the most spectacular sunrises our world has to offer. Cotopaxi’s yawning crater, the great peaks of the Andes and a distant Quito sleeping below the clouds are sights not to be missed.

#4. Standing On the Equator. Just half an hours drive away from Ecuador’s capital city is the middle of the earth – the equator. Don’t leave your camera behind as you will want to show the evidence of having one foot either side of the equator – marked by a simply painted red line. Just a little further is a rival museum which states that it sits directly on the ‘true’ equator line. On visiting the second location, expect to watch the wonderment of magnetic forces at work. Watch how a sink is filled with water and on pulling the plug, instead of whirling – water at the equator runs straight down the plughole. Genius. Amaze friend by balancing an egg atop a nail, performed with ease due to low gravitational pull at the middle of the earth.

#5. Fishing for Piranha in the Jungle. Trekking through the Amazon you will come in to contact with many notorious predators from the pesky Mosquito, the less than friendly Piranha and even those menacing missionaries! Your guide will try to give you the fear if you haven’t yet felt it – tales of piranha’s frenzied attacks and their flesh ripping teeth will put a stone in your throat. If you want a daring challenge – take the plunge and head out in a canoe to the murky waters of Piranha territory. Expect nothing more than a rather primitive set of tackle and bait – a long stick with a piece of twine and an extremely large metal hook carrying a lump of chicken. A mixture of panic and exhilaration will be something of the feelings you experience while tracking and catching your first Piranha.

Is Venezuela Too Dangerous?

Being so close to Venezuela, here in Barranquilla Colombia, I’ve thought about traveling to one of the Venezuelan cities that’s closest to the Colombian boarder. The one that made the most sense for me was Maracaibo Venezuela. From Barranquilla, Maracaibo is only about an 8 hour bus ride, but the entire time I’ve remained undecided because of safety concerns.

There are a few reasons to travel to Venezuela right now. First of all it would be a new adventure. I’ve never been to Maracaibo, and I enjoy exploring new cities and countries. The second would be the high inflation that venezuela experience (25% in 2009), which means the Venezuela is currently at a very steep discount for foreigners with foreign currencies. Finally, I can’t deny that one of the top reasons to go to Venezuela is because of the Venezuelan women.

The last time I was in Venezuela was about 3 years ago. I remember when I went to Caracas that some people had told me it was a dangerous city. I took the normal safety precautions when I traveled there, but it didn’t seem anymore dangerous than other Latin American cities I had already visited.

Since then I know for a fact the Economic situation in Venezuela has declined immensely. In 2009, the official inflation rate in Venezuela was 25 percent — the highest official inflation rate in Latin America. The economic hardship in the country has increased the crime and violence across the Capital city of Caracas, but also across other parts of the country.

One of the benefits of being here in Barranquilla is that there are a lot of people here in Barranquilla who have family in Venezuela, or who have traveled or lived in Venezuela themselves. There are also many Venezuelan people who live in Barranquilla. Anytime I come across someone with ties to Venezuela I ask them if it’s dangerous, and about 60% of the time I’ve gotten reports that it is dangerous.

However, you have to take into consideration that the majority of the Colombians who move to Venezuela move in order to find work. Most of the these Colombians are working class people, who tend to live in the poorer sections of town. These poorer sections of town are undoubtedly the more dangerous sections, but are not sections of any city which I would consider staying in.

Overall, I do think things have probably gotten more dangerous then before in Venezuela, as far as crime goes. However, looking for information on the Internet, I’ve seen that there are still many foreign travelers who venture into Venezuela without a problem. I would only consider traveling to Venezuela if you’re fluent in spanish, and are a veteran traveler. Even still, I think a trip to Venezuela should be taken with extra safety precautions and good planning and research. I still plan on doing some more research including making various online contacts before I make my final decision on traveling to Maracaibo.

What To Eat In Medellin

In most parts of Colombia, including Medellin, you’ll find two kinds of food, “comida rapida” meaning “fast food” like hot dogs (perros), and shish kebabs (chuzos). You also have the regular restaurants offering all types of local foods as well as international foods.

Whenever traveling you should follow my guidelines on how to eat and not get sick when traveling.

In Parque Lleras you’ll find all sorts of international food including sushi, mexican, and local food. Usually the vendors of fast food are small places, or food carts found on various street corners.

The food in Medellin is based on some core ingredients including beens, eggs, beef or pork, potatoes, plantains, and the famous “arepa”, a corn based bread similar to the Mexican tortilla.

Some of the most well known typical plates that you may want to try include the following:

Bandeja Paisa: Traditional Antioquia dish with beans, ground beef, egg, rice, plantain, chorizo sausage, pork cracklings, arepa and hogao (a sauce based on tomatoes and onions).:

Ajiaco (Soup): Ajiaco is a Colombian Potato soup. It typically contains pieces of chicken, large chunks of corn on the cob, two or three kinds of native potatoes, and guasca (Galinsoga parviflora), a weedy, aromatic herb that lends the dish part of its distinctive flavour.
The soup is typically served with heavy cream, capers and avocado, all mixed in just before eating in the proportions each individual prefers.:

Sancocho (Soup): Sancocho is probably the most famous of all Colombian soups and is a soup based on chicken, potatoes, and plantains. However many places offer sancocho de res (sancocho made with beef):

Mondongo (Soup): In Colombia sopa de mondongo is often eaten as the soup course of a traditional almuerzo. The soup in Colombia, is often made with chicken or beef stock, with a lot of cilantro. Many vegetables such as peas, carrots and onion are used to flavor the chicken or beef stock. Salt and pepper, along with corn, are also thrown into the soup for extra flavoring. The tripe used for this soup is varied. The most typical kind of tripe is beef tripe, but in several other regions across the nation, pork tripe and chicken or turkey tripes are also used in the soup:

Five Things the Dominican Republic is Famous For

The Dominican Republic is located on the island of Hispaniola, which is part of the beautiful Caribbean region. The island of Hispaniola is unique in that it is home to two nations: Haiti and the República Dominicana. The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation besides Cuba. The nation has over 48,000 km of land and has an estimated population of 10 million people. While the Dominican Republic is known for producing top notch athletes such as Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez, the island offers much more than baseball. The Dominican Republic is famous for their hospitality and friendliness, baseball, beautiful beaches and weather, carnavals, as well as music and dance.

Hospitality and Friendliness
The citizens of the Dominican Republic are very friendly and personable. Whether you are ordering a meal, asking for directions, or conversing with locals, the people are always looking for good conversation. The country opens its doors to millions of tourists each year with their arms wide open. Their hospitable nature extends beyond the beaches and results, even in the busy capital of Santo Domingo, which houses one-fifth of the population.

Baseball
Baseball is a way of life for those in the Dominican Republic, which produces some of the best MLB players in history. The Dominican Republic has several players in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, including Juan Marichal, who retired with the legacy that is called the San Francisco Giants. Record-breaking Dominicans include San Pedro de Macoris and Albert Pujols. Overall, the Dominicans have 1,521 players signed to either minor or major league teams in the MLB. Many American teams, including the Cubs and Athletics, have baseball camps in the Dominican Republic.

Beaches and Weather
The Dominican Republic offers beautiful and elegant beaches and resorts, offering five star conditions year round. The tropical weather attracts millions of tourists, as the average weather is 77 degrees. Average temperatures range from 64 degrees in higher elevations to 82 degrees at the beaches. January and February are the two coldest months of the season, while August is the hottest time of year. The rainy season, primarily by the coast, lasts from November to January. Everywhere else in the country the wet season lasts from May to November, however; May is the wettest month in most locations.

Carnavals
The Dominican Republic knows how to have a good time, especially during the months of January and February, Carnaval is a festive celebration in which everyone takes to the streets and participates in circus, masque, and street parties. It is not uncommon for people to dress up in costume, which is used to signify a change in daily life. Carnaval Vegano is the most famous carnaval in the country.

Music and Dance
The Dominican Republic is known for its music and dance, most notably the Meringue, Bachata, Perico Ripiao and Reggaeton. The Dominicans invented the Moquegua, which is a mixture of fast paced beats and rhythms between 120 and 160 beats per minute. The Meringue is composed primarily out of drums, bass, and chorded instruments unique to the region. Bachata was invented in rural and country neighborhoods and focuses on romantic subjects.