Post: #1

Living in Bogotá I've met lots of people with family in Cali/Buenaventura. In Dec. I'm planning to head to Cali with a bunch of them in and stay there for the month, hitting up Buenaventura for a week in the middle.

In Jan I'd like to check out some more of the Pacific.

Anyone have intimate knowledge of the Pacific region? Any small cities ala Armenia/Periera/Manizales in the Pacific to check out? I don't mean cities with chicks like them, just small cities worth hitting up. Obviously I'm looking for something different than Medellín...

Post: #2

It's definitely beautiful! I recommend taking a girl with you so you can focus on natural beauty abd not chasing women as the quality is MUCH LOWER than Medellin. Mostly Afro-Colombian natives there, but very nice people.

I'll dig up some spots I hit last year for you.

Mixc

Post: #3

For the record, I'm LOOKING to chase afro-colombian chicks. The black/mulata chicks in Bogotá have all made me really want to check out the source.

Maybe you have some hints on where the cream of the crop afrocolombianas reside.

Post: #4

Choco is incredible. There's not a lot of tourism there, because it is difficult to get to. No roads go to towns like Bahia Solano or El Valle, you either have to fly out of Medellin or take a boat from Buenaventura. It resembles Africa more than Colombia, although they love their Vallenato there! Basically, almost nothing is developed, and most people are still fishermen. The weather changes a lot, rains almost every day, beaches don't have crystal blue water, but then again, if you take a guide with a motorboat, you have the beach to yourself. Lots of good snorkeling and fresh fish to eat. I also went whale watching, but I don't think you will be there when ir's the right season to see the whales, as they migrate elsewhere.

I only spent a day in Buenaventura, but that place was pretty dodgy. I have heard about beaches like Juanchaco that are maybe a half hour or an hour north that are pretty similar to Choco, but didnt have a chance to check them out. I don't even know many Colombians who have been to this area, so you are gonna have a lot of this to yourself, kinda felt like the last frontier. People had a totally different conception of time out there...it was one of the first times in my life that I genuinely felt like I was dealing with people with a completely different frame of reference. Don't be in a hurry, that's for sure.

I really liked Popayan a lot, which is a bit south of Cali. There were some places like San Agustin and Tierradentro around there that had some great old tombs and statues from the indigenous people there a thousand years or so ago.

I also assume you will be checking out the Feria de Cali around Christmas, which is a week long party. You know that how goes in Colombia...good times.

Post: #5

If Buenaventura is the place I think it is you got some balls to go there! Ajiaco, dodgy is an understatement! lol

Looks like one big African shanty town!

Post: #6

Feria de Cali is OVER-HYPED. They took away the horse parade long ago, abd it's NEVER been the same as far as swooping girls. I was BORED during the last one. If you don't like salsa or reggaton concerts (of artists you give two shits about) and eating (all the time) at tiki style campgrounds, you'll bore easily. Seriously. Everything about the fair was about eating, crappy concerts where it's too loud to game, and huge mixed sets abd finally eating the amount of food equal to back-to-back thanksgiving dinners.


For the inflated prices you pay everywhere, skip it and come back in January.

The whole fair revolves around (wack) concerts, with little chance to game as it us too loud and full of sausage.

Then you've got your normal nightlife, but that can happen anytime of the year except now you have 3x the amount of horny tourists looking for ass like you.

Mixx

Post: #7

Think I'm hitting up El Festival Petrino Álvarez with some friends in August, they've all assured me it's way better than the Feria de Cali, way less commercialized. I dunno if I'll be going to Feria de Cali or travelling then, but if I do go it'll be with a bunch of friends I know from Bogotá and people they know in Cali, so I'll have my social circle anyway.

I'm good on Cali, but the rest of the Pacific, that's where I need help.

Post: #8

El Festival Petrino Álvarez

Donde?

Post: #9

Cali

Folclor afrocolombiano, pero también del resto del país. Chékale: http://www.cali.gov.co/publicaciones.php?id=2502