Post: #1

For South America... More Dangerous than getting Married. Known to have one of the highest murder rates per capita in the world. In fact arguably the HIGHEST in the world.

Before I jump into the deets i'll give the plus side because I did get a notch here and u can use this game on any country in the world.

http://www.livemocha.com
Get an account, you basically speak to people around the world with internet access trying to learn various languages. Tons of omegas are on here trying to spit game out the door. What i did was make mine very teacheresque and wrote "Not looking for relationships" in my profile. After that ping the best looking women you can find and start making friends. You essentially "venue change" to skype or MSN, dependent on country. I pretend that the LiveMocha voice thing doesn't work on my end to change it. You get the idea here, when you visit you can either close said girl out or more likely (in my case) a friend in her social circle when u meet up. I dont know why people would use CS over this because i get to learn the language for free and stay with someone who has a lot of time to learn a language = more money = safer neighborhood... so i thought on that last part for Venezuela

Quick Description: Been to Rio? Please bring the favelas down from the hillz and mix that up with the tourist areas, least thats how I felt. This was good and bad given I get a hard on for dangerous shit and illegally sold currency to pay for my trip which was prob the only reason to go back unless i was balling like some of these guys on the forum.

Day Game: Caracas Cathedral, Universidad Catolica Andres Bello, Universidad Santa Maria. I think these are the 3 best places to game, i got a few numbers that could have been good with tighter game and better social connections or simply more time (I always seem to get catholic girls?). Simple day routines here work, i saw some decent talent but compared to other cities out there its not worth the risk to reward.

As you see I mentioned "social circle", similar to Mexico where people roll in packs. To understand how fucked up the city is basically your average girl cannot afford to eat out ever and people pool $$ together to get groceries. The only reason i even got a notch is because of a girl who introduced me to her vast set of friends and it took me 10 days to break through. Of course with higher skill sets sky is the limit.

Night Game: Go check yourself into a hospital ahead of time with information. Just kidding. I got mugged here once but luckily only for $50. As I mentioned before its like Rio combined with favelas so there are super balling rich people here, but they are all connected so if u have swag and money this place might be worth a visit. I think thats the #1 reason i would come back is with money and break into the best venezuelan club/bar scene because i have an affinity for their look.

Hotels: I think this is your best bet to start getting into the scene and seeing high end assuming you have game. I got a glimpse of it when i stayed here. http://www.gran-melia-caracas.com/en/index.html "The Gran Melia". Plus side? I think i saw the best talent i have ever seen in here. Down side? Expensive and u gotta break into that clique.

Nightlife - IMHO here are the best ones for game (note these are upscale because I was soiling myself imagining rolling the dice out here after barely surviving my black market currency move):

Whiskey Bar - Upscale vibe. Some true ballers up in here, again saw some great talent just less accessable. Generally i felt the dudes here didnt have great game but the women are certainly not gonna free pass you unless u can outdo a bunch of high end biz men who are already well known. Social Status = King.

Masai - Best thing u are gonna get to more americanesque layout to get anything. As expected i did best here (again disclosure i am a youngish dude and do much better in a club scene). The I'm having fun vibe and speaking in english is best. Got to 2 make out sessions but numbers that were fake (odd experience).

El Mani Es Asi - Salsa dancing, someone with good body language can likely do well here if your spanish is whack like mine was (actually my shit is still whack). Tons of whiskey (seeing a theme from above) and the venue had some decent tail.

Conclusion: I am a bit of a adrenaline junky so i would return when i was older with more money because it would be sick to get into the scene. I actually think the clubs were sicker than Lique and Awake out in Curitiba Brazil which were off the hook in terms of talent. However for average guys, you're best off avoiding, doing livemocha game and maybe try hooking up with tourists in hostels if thats ur thing.

I was told by multiple people in that hotel and the high end clubs to go to Margarita Island, dunno if anyone has been there apparently that should be on my list.

My bad to some readers as everyone can see my traveling style is a bit fucked up, i like to see the full range from high to low because i get bored easily. I have a strong taste for their look though and the high end gave me a lot to consider

Post: #2

Wild. Chavez pretty much fucked up the country. And some people like him , go figure.

good data sheet , although not a place that attracts me at first.

Post: #3

How would you rate the women in Caracas? Could you make a comparison with Colombianas and Brasileiras?

I've heard Venezuela is a shitty place to visit, with the exception of isla de margarita.

However, the women are said to be among the world's most beautiful, evidenced by their domination of miss universe pageants.

What are the average chicks down there like? How do they typically look? Do they resemble Colombian or Brazilian women at all?

Post: #4

Can't beleive I'm not using LiveMocha already, perfect pipelining tool. Thanks for the suggestion.

Post: #5

Hmm okay so i have never been to Colombia but i have been to Brazil and Mexico so i'll use those two to help out.

I would say the women are medium grade skin color of a mexican girl (think someone who would be darker in say Sonora but lighting in say GDL) but taller and more of a brazillian body than mexican body. Hard to give a description of an average venezuelan because the ones u see anywhere u look up on the internet is straight up smashing hot bc the high end there was the best i have seen. If you google Venezuelan women in images I'd say i saw quite a few who looked like the girl whose your 7th option on the images (white shirt black pants). Then again it was a rap shoot because again its a social circle is king. I almost want to compare your skillset to something like LA where its all about knowing where and who because all the talent just explodes at those places.

I got lucky once and walked into Whiskey Bar where they had this high end night, i paid the dude like $500USD to get in (making my trip exactly break even after all my black market shit). Dude assumed i knew someone and of course i didn't and it was impossible to break into cliques so i didnt get shit but my god I thought George Clooney had to be up in there because of the talent level.

Average girls? Just go to brazil. If you have good game, want a challenge and really understand high end women go to Caracas and work that network. In sum, use some sort of way to break into a social circle before going and u can get average girls but the effort to reward is better spent elsewhere. In fact effort to reward is prob better in Colombia too based on my limited research.

If the game has gotten too easy for you, hasn't yet for me, please go there because i haven't seen better talent pool anywhere in the world than at the super high end of Caracas. Then again not as well traveled as many peeps on here. Hope that helped

Post: #6

Quote:I got lucky once and walked into Whiskey Bar where they had this high end night, i paid the dude like $500USD to get in (making my trip exactly break even after all my black market shit).

$500USD to get into a club. Why on earth would you do that?

Post: #7

Long story short when i travel i have very little time and i save for large adventures. I pulled the trigger on it, went down with a few grand, spent nothing for 10ish days just doing the livemocha cheap stuff while trying to network to get into the shady black market (all part of my mugging experience). Went to the black market got a 100% return because the black market exchange rate is 8:1 versus 4:1. So to me it was free money. I always want to see what the super high end at any place i visit is. I normally wouldnt do it but I saw the women who were coming in and it was certainly models/super high end. Once and a life time experience. I'll never forget that day for the rest of my life $500 is worth less than what i saw that day.

I essentially paid $500 to walk into the playboy mansion once in my life for free (accounting for black market retarded mugging risk). You can google it you'll see it mentioned as having a currency mrkt. Wild shit, only go to caracas with coin or just do the livemocha thing for BRL/Colombia/Argentina whatever place u think has ur women.

Post: #8

(03-06-2012 12:02 AM)WestCoast Wrote:  Hmm okay so i have never been to Colombia but i have been to Brazil and Mexico so i'll use those two to help out.

I would say the women are medium grade skin color of a mexican girl (think someone who would be darker in say Sonora but lighting in say GDL) but taller and more of a brazillian body than mexican body. Hard to give a description of an average venezuelan because the ones u see anywhere u look up on the internet is straight up smashing hot bc the high end there was the best i have seen. If you google Venezuelan women in images I'd say i saw quite a few who looked like the girl whose your 7th option on the images (white shirt black pants). Then again it was a rap shoot because again its a social circle is king. I almost want to compare your skillset to something like LA where its all about knowing where and who because all the talent just explodes at those places.

I got lucky once and walked into Whiskey Bar where they had this high end night, i paid the dude like $500USD to get in (making my trip exactly break even after all my black market shit). Dude assumed i knew someone and of course i didn't and it was impossible to break into cliques so i didnt get shit but my god I thought George Clooney had to be up in there because of the talent level.

Average girls? Just go to brazil. If you have good game, want a challenge and really understand high end women go to Caracas and work that network. In sum, use some sort of way to break into a social circle before going and u can get average girls but the effort to reward is better spent elsewhere. In fact effort to reward is prob better in Colombia too based on my limited research.

If the game has gotten too easy for you, hasn't yet for me, please go there because i haven't seen better talent pool anywhere in the world than at the super high end of Caracas. Then again not as well traveled as many peeps on here. Hope that helped

Damn. The women there sound like the real deal. $500 entrance fee to a bar?!? That's unheard of. You sure you didn't mean to say $50? You sure that wasn't a "gringo tax" ? Damn, I knew about the elite class there but I didn't know they were rollin' high end on that level. Pretty sick.

Post: #9

My home boy was there not too long ago, this guy is a super tough guy and he told me this city was dangerous, not dangerous because people say that it is dangerous, he said that shit really pops at all times.

Did you find the women there to be friendly? Many mullatas or black girls around?

Post: #10

(03-06-2012 12:12 AM)WestCoast Wrote:  Long story short when i travel i have very little time and i save for large adventures. I pulled the trigger on it, went down with a few grand, spent nothing for 10ish days just doing the livemocha cheap stuff while trying to network to get into the shady black market (all part of my mugging experience). Went to the black market got a 100% return because the black market exchange rate is 8:1 versus 4:1. So to me it was free money. I always want to see what the super high end at any place i visit is. I normally wouldnt do it but I saw the women who were coming in and it was certainly models/super high end. Once and a life time experience. I'll never forget that day for the rest of my life $500 is worth less than what i saw that day.

I essentially paid $500 to walk into the playboy mansion once in my life for free (accounting for black market retarded mugging risk). You can google it you'll see it mentioned as having a currency mrkt. Wild shit, only go to caracas with coin or just do the livemocha thing for BRL/Colombia/Argentina whatever place u think has ur women.

Now that is the spirit.

Take notes young ones.

Post: #11

(03-06-2012 12:12 AM)WestCoast Wrote:  Long story short when i travel i have very little time and i save for large adventures. I pulled the trigger on it, went down with a few grand, spent nothing for 10ish days just doing the livemocha cheap stuff while trying to network to get into the shady black market (all part of my mugging experience). Went to the black market got a 100% return because the black market exchange rate is 8:1 versus 4:1. So to me it was free money. I always want to see what the super high end at any place i visit is. I normally wouldnt do it but I saw the women who were coming in and it was certainly models/super high end. Once and a life time experience. I'll never forget that day for the rest of my life $500 is worth less than what i saw that day.

I essentially paid $500 to walk into the playboy mansion once in my life for free (accounting for black market retarded mugging risk). You can google it you'll see it mentioned as having a currency mrkt. Wild shit, only go to caracas with coin or just do the livemocha thing for BRL/Colombia/Argentina whatever place u think has ur women.

What do you mean ? trying to network to get into the shady black market ?? You make it sound like you're doing some James bond/stealth operation to change money. I met lots of guys who traveled there and you can change money at a lot of places for the black market rate. You make it sound like it was some adventure. What 100% return ? What free money ? Any tourist there knows he should exchange money in the street or his hotel. I met nerdy Japanese travelers barely speaking English who did that.

I almost visited Venuzuela but skipped it because i thought i was too short on time. I really regret it since in hindside i would have enough days. Its the ONLY country in south america i didn't go and high on my list when i come back there.

Post: #12

@ Pitt - I had off and on experiences with that, but generally its tougher if u're not already in the circle. I assume my success at the church/school area made more sense because they assumed I was a student / new member of the group. It's very cliquey from my experience. I'd say I saw a large mix there are definitely some mulattas, my couple week experience saw more of the dark brownish type (likely heavily influenced by the people i was with). Finally, did your buddy check out isla margarita? (this is the same as the Margarita island place i mentioned). I also believe you when u say he visited bc it is def dangerous.

@ the gmanifesto and Hencredble - I think you see where i am coming from i knew for sure I was going to see the best talent the city had to offer so i bribed the dude to get in (I am dead certain many of the high end guys just walked in since they had 5 girls on their arms with them who would make a 13 year old's balls drop immediately!). It was a great way to see the elite just once so at least i have one positive takeaway (high end is best i have ever seen).

@ Neil - This is going to be a bit tough to explain but here's the jist. go to http://www.google.finance.com. Type in the following ticker USDVEF and u'll see it is hard pegged legally at 4.2949. So for simplicity if i exchange at 1:8 (black market rates) with 1,000 USD i now have ~$8,000 VEF. I take half of that back to the USA $4,000 VEF.... i get my $1000. I can now spend the first half of that out in VEF. Most people who just backpack around get stupid rates like "4.5:1" so its not worth it, its easy access for "nerdy japanese traveller" because he is quasi getting ripped off in black market terms.

I read a few of your posts, dude I would not waste my time unless u're rolling high because its that dangerous and you seem like a nice guy. I was scared shitless at times and i've been to favela funk parties... Then again you're prob stronger/older than me so what the hell for a visit. Just want to give all you guys the jist upfront go if you're balling and u can stay a while (or check out margarita island and let us know since its apparently safe) otherwise i would just go back to brazil. If you're more concerned about the financial aspect of the 100% return i can add a currency movement piece to a financial advice thread i started on the other forum. But this is just a Caracas sheet.

Good luck players walking my ass to work!

Post: #13

(03-06-2012 08:01 AM)WestCoast Wrote:  @ Pitt - I had off and on experiences with that, but generally its tougher if u're not already in the circle. I assume my success at the church/school area made more sense because they assumed I was a student / new member of the group. It's very cliquey from my experience. I'd say I saw a large mix there are definitely some mulattas, my couple week experience saw more of the dark brownish type (likely heavily influenced by the people i was with). Finally, did your buddy check out isla margarita? (this is the same as the Margarita island place i mentioned). I also believe you when u say he visited bc it is def dangerous.

@ the gmanifesto and Hencredble - I think you see where i am coming from i knew for sure I was going to see the best talent the city had to offer so i bribed the dude to get in (I am dead certain many of the high end guys just walked in since they had 5 girls on their arms with them who would make a 13 year old's balls drop immediately!). It was a great way to see the elite just once so at least i have one positive takeaway (high end is best i have ever seen).

@ Neil - This is going to be a bit tough to explain but here's the jist. go to http://www.google.finance.com. Type in the following ticker USDVEF and u'll see it is hard pegged legally at 4.2949. So for simplicity if i exchange at 1:8 (black market rates) with 1,000 USD i now have ~$8,000 VEF. I take half of that back to the USA $4,000 VEF.... i get my $1000. I can now spend the first half of that out in VEF. Most people who just backpack around get stupid rates like "4.5:1" so its not worth it, its easy access for "nerdy japanese traveller" because he is quasi getting ripped off in black market terms.

I read a few of your posts, dude I would not waste my time unless u're rolling high because its that dangerous and you seem like a nice guy. I was scared shitless at times and i've been to favela funk parties... Then again you're prob stronger/older than me so what the hell for a visit. Just want to give all you guys the jist upfront go if you're balling and u can stay a while (or check out margarita island and let us know since its apparently safe) otherwise i would just go back to brazil. If you're more concerned about the financial aspect of the 100% return i can add a currency movement piece to a financial advice thread i started on the other forum. But this is just a Caracas sheet.

Good luck players walking my ass to work!

Hmm, not sure if i understand it. The way you say it it looks like you double your money at some point. I doubt that since than every guy in the world would come over and double heaps of money all the time. Maybe i don't get it, math was never my strongest point. Please explain even simpler.

The Japanse guy and a Dutch guy i know who traveled there got 7 to 7.5 vef for the dollar. This was also confirmed by a irish guy i met in French Guyana.

I look like a nice guy ?? well thanks but i'm a hardcore traveler who has been in lots of scary places and situations all over third world countries. When your traveling on a budget, you always get into trouble everywhere.
Datasheet is good, thanks for that. i will visit the triangle Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador some day. Probably a month each country

Post: #14

(03-06-2012 09:02 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Hmm, not sure if i understand it. The way you say it it looks like you double your money at some point. I doubt that since than every guy in the world would come over and double heaps of money all the time. Maybe i don't get it, math was never my strongest point. Please explain even simpler.

I've known about this trade for years and considered doing it myself. It's called a (pure) arbitrage opportunity and it's created by the dual exchange rate system of the government. It literally is free money if you know what you're doing and are willing to take the risk.

To give a simpler non-currency example, lets say two different people were both willing to buy and sell the same product for $15 and $20, respectively (say, big boxes of condoms.) Well, buy one from the first guy for $15, sell to the second guy for $20 and you've made an easy $5. That is essentially what is going on in Venezuela with the official vs. black market exchange rate, where the "product" is the Bolivar fuerte.

So why doesn't everyone do it? Well, many people do, including Venezuelans who implement it with trips over to Brazil, but there is definitely risk involved. Why doesn't the government stop it? Because it is dysfunctional and incompetent and Chavez is an asshole who is hard-set on ruining his country financially.

Post: #15

Sure cutting to chase again if you exchange 7:1 but locked up a legal forward contract in the USA to exchange back at the legal rate u get that return. No different than buying 14:1 on the peso for example getting lucky and seeing it go to 12:1 and exchanging back. I locked in rates ahead with a staggered fwd contract. Again don't want to turn this into a finance blog can on me if u want all the details.

Nice guy means someone I don't want to send into a dangerous place via a post. As mentioned prob can handle more danger than me, but I wouldn't going back to Caracas without the sole purpose vein to break into the higher eschelon. Guess point being for south America I think that's the worst place to be a budget traveler in terms of danger levels.

Post: #16

(03-06-2012 09:25 AM)Soma Wrote:  

(03-06-2012 09:02 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Hmm, not sure if i understand it. The way you say it it looks like you double your money at some point. I doubt that since than every guy in the world would come over and double heaps of money all the time. Maybe i don't get it, math was never my strongest point. Please explain even simpler.

I've known about this trade for years and considered doing it myself. It's called a (pure) arbitrage opportunity and it's created by the dual exchange rate system of the government. It literally is free money if you know what you're doing and are willing to take the risk.

To give a simpler non-currency example, lets say two different people were both willing to buy and sell the same product for $15 and $20, respectively (say, big boxes of condoms.) Well, buy one from the first guy for $15, sell to the second guy for $20 and you've made an easy $5. That is essentially what is going on in Venezuela with the official vs. black market exchange rate, where the "product" is the Bolivar fuerte.

So why doesn't everyone do it? Well, many people do, including Venezuelans who implement it with trips over to Brazil, but there is definitely risk involved. Why doesn't the government stop it? Because it is dysfunctional and incompetent and Chavez is an asshole who is hard-set on ruining his country financially.

Ok, i understand the example but who's gonna buy the currency at higher value ? A bank ? And does it involve smuggling cash paper over the border. I might be interested in it once i'm there.

Post: #17

(03-06-2012 09:59 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

(03-06-2012 09:25 AM)Soma Wrote:  

(03-06-2012 09:02 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Hmm, not sure if i understand it. The way you say it it looks like you double your money at some point. I doubt that since than every guy in the world would come over and double heaps of money all the time. Maybe i don't get it, math was never my strongest point. Please explain even simpler.

I've known about this trade for years and considered doing it myself. It's called a (pure) arbitrage opportunity and it's created by the dual exchange rate system of the government. It literally is free money if you know what you're doing and are willing to take the risk.

To give a simpler non-currency example, lets say two different people were both willing to buy and sell the same product for $15 and $20, respectively (say, big boxes of condoms.) Well, buy one from the first guy for $15, sell to the second guy for $20 and you've made an easy $5. That is essentially what is going on in Venezuela with the official vs. black market exchange rate, where the "product" is the Bolivar fuerte.

So why doesn't everyone do it? Well, many people do, including Venezuelans who implement it with trips over to Brazil, but there is definitely risk involved. Why doesn't the government stop it? Because it is dysfunctional and incompetent and Chavez is an asshole who is hard-set on ruining his country financially.

Ok, i understand the example but who's gonna buy the currency at higher value ? A bank ? And does it involve smuggling cash paper over the border. I might be interested in it once i'm there.

Ultimately, it is the Venezuelan government/central bank who is willing to trade at the official rate. You are legally allowed to exchange up to $10,000/year; if you exchange more you are technically committing a crime. Within the country, you can exchange the currency at the official rate at some hotels, casas de cambios and banks, in theory subject to approval of the Commission for Administration of Foreign Currencies (CADIVI). Outside the country, any bank or other institution that is willing to exchange the Bolivar fuerte will do so near the official rate. You can take up to $10,000 out of the country freely and if you take more you have to declare it. Like WestCoast said, you can mitigate some of the exchange rate risk by locking in a forward contract with a home bank beforehand, but that isn't strictly necessary.

That's my understanding of it. WestCoast, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Post: #18

Banks an financial instructions buy at legal rates which is 4:1. Black market is where you get your real return by getting as close as you can to 8:1. If you are serious about going there def save up to swindle into a nice event at least once. You'll know you chose the right place when you see literally nothing but high end talent. Sousa crazy to pay up to see it but after that experience my game got better because there is no such thing as a 10 anymore there are so many of them there and their dumb enough to all congregate in the same pack and compete with each other.

Realize trying to make a profit here is increasing your risk because you definitely need to do it all in cash. Walking around with that kinda dough in Caracas is equivalent to walking around in the hills of RIO with a Hawaiian shirt, iPhone with headphones being used at full blast and a Casio camera arnd your neck.

Post: #19

@ soma - yes correct, do need to dig around to find a bank who gets u as close to the 4.3 number as well. 5 is good enough. I work on the street so I have too much knowledge of how to find the right places. Anyway, good luck for sure man and again I really hope u see the high end, I haven't seen a 10 since coming back

Post: #20

Quote:I essentially paid $500 to walk into the playboy mansion once in my life for free

It's still a lot of money just to have a look.

Post: #21

(03-06-2012 12:15 PM)AlphaTravel Wrote:  

Quote:I essentially paid $500 to walk into the playboy mansion once in my life for free

It's still a lot of money just to have a look.

Depends on your bankroll. And since the Venezuelan government paid for his trip, who cares?

Post: #22

Yeah I guess if he broke even on the whole trip then it's all good.

Post: #23

Not trying to fear monger, but the island doesn't appear to be much safer. I still want to visit though.

"Crime on Margarita island is currently very high, having soared nationally since 1999 when Chávez came to power. The murder rate index for the island (population about 400,000) in 2008 is reported as 63.1 per 100,000 inhabitants which is among the highest in the world"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Margarita

Post: #24

I'm pipelining someone in Caracas, and she's coming to NYC in late April. She's a big traveler (when I saw her online profile that's what caught my eye and made me wanna holla). She asked me about the weather here, and when would be a good time to come. I gave her my cell number, and she immediately reciprocated. She also turned me on to whatsapp, so we could text for free. I plan on asking her all about Caracas - what area she lives in, where she goes out, etc.

Post: #25

Nice data Westcoast and welcome to the forum, you are one crazy dude!

Another forum member I was chilling with lately recently spent about 2 weeks in Venezuela where he did a visa run from Colombia, he didn't have too many good things to say about the place, he actually thinks that Venezuela has an obesity epidemic! Did you find that there was an abundance of fat people there? He was comparing the quality of women to Colombia and he said there's no comparison, Colombianas are hotter, hands down.

Of course the scene is probably better in the Capital than the smaller city he was in but, with the crime and violence and shitty politics, I think I'll pass for now.

Funny thing is that just a few years ago, Colombia was the "crazy" place and Venezuela was relatively stable, interesting to see what a right wing gov't (Colombia under Uribe and Santos) and a left wing gov't (Venezuela under Chavez) can do to two seemingly similar countires.