JAYBLK

Perhaps my different experience is related to the fact that I travel alone rather than bringing along someone 6'2 185lbs to underscore my physical limitations. I am fully aware of what a bargain Brazil is and, when necessary or deserved, I happily pay more than is required. Still, I have never been made to feel that my size determines the prices I am offered. I only offered my own data points in case other big guys are reading this and inclined to think they must offer more to get the same treatment as others. It turns out that my cash is perfectly sized.

It is not that men in Medellin in are more handsome. It is that they are more available and that the market for sexual favors is better developed than in Cali, Bogota or Cartagena/Barranquilla. It would be like saying that the men of Rio or Sao Paolo are better looking than elsewhere in Brasil. The presence of the market attracts both buyers and sellers. Those with the best goods tend to migrate to where they can achieve the best prices. That said, the ethnic differences between different regions of Colombia can be profound. The coast, cartagena and barranquilla, is essentially Caribbean. Bogota is visibly more indigenous ethnically. Medellin has a bit more European ethnic character. And the sugar cane fields have made Cali the center of African ethnicity in Colombia.

Keep checking. You may need more data points. I have a particular affinity for versatile, muscular mulatos. I have found the Cuban variety to be every bit the equal of their Dominican, Brazilian, Panamanian and Colombian cousins in terms of size.

This begins an inspection process that will likely result in regularly scheduled flights sometime this Spring.

Im also a very large guy. I've never been charged more because of more work in Brazil or in the USA. Just another data point.

Thanks Rob. This was very helpful. I will be spending a few days in Oriente on my next trip and was hoping for more info on Santiago. Otherwise, La Habana would be more than enough.

FloridaRob- Thank you so much for the helpful info and for the eye candy. A few questions, if you don't mind. I haven't been to Cuba since before the recent rapprochement with the USA: 1.) I know that Cubans are allowed to enter hotels or even stay in them as guests. Do you have the register your Cuban guests or do they just need to show their ID at the front desk? 2.) What are the black market exchange rates like these days? Everyone knows that the dual currency (regular pesos & dollar-linked convertible pesos) is going away soon and those with hoards of CUC are desperate to turn them into hard currency before the day arrives when Raul says, " as of Monday morning your CUC are worthless except for 300CUC per person". Again, what rates have you gotten? 3.) MasterCard and AMEX have said that cardholders can use their cards in Cuba. Is anyone in Cuba accepting them yet or is it still a cash only situation for Americans? 4.) Having gone to Cuba so many times for so many years, do you have any suggestions on where to find boys in Santiago or other cities?

Im back in Medellin on business and the market for fun seems to be developing. Frankly, Chaturbate may as well be a room service menu. Easily half the Colombians are more than open to a non-virtual meeting at very reasonable prices, 70-150,000 Colombian pesos ($25-50USD). Club Tobi is still the place beautiful paisa (guys from Medellin) go to look at each other. The masseurs are all better than acceptable but the "complete package" is less available than before. Fercho Masajes, basically a whore house for boys has a new competitor/colleague in Pothos. Fercho is in central Medellin, a neighborhood its best not to be after dark and features rougher trade for $90,000 pesos. Pothos is on Calle 49 in the Stadium neighborhood. They will literally email you a menu and arrange for your choice to meet you at the 5 bedroom house at the time of your choosing for $150,000 pesos. All of this assumes that you or someone with you speaks passable Spanish. Otherwise, stick to the Grindr and Hornet delivery menus. http://medellin.backpage.com/Strippers/pothos-club-de-acompaantes/3190684 CATALOGO POTHOS CLUB MASCULINO.pdf

So are these just representative of what you will see when you are down there. Or are these actual guys you have hooked up with?

I feel like I've seen this movie before. Cue the tanks and armored personnel carriers. Tell the uniformed dictator promising stability that he's on deck next. Meanwhile, the military police should be removing their uniforms so we can all "wonder" where the death squads came from. The middle class can practice incredulity and outrage at the suggestion that the vast majority of the "criminals" executed without trial or simply disappeared will be Black or Indigenous. Once they start killing white students, the country can insist on democracy again.

The lessons seem to be: when you think the economy has hit rock bottom, after the Olympics, look for cheap beachfront real estate and stock in politically connected construction companies. Start selling both the next time Brazil is on th cover of American business magazines as a miracle. Repeat.

Never used Yunior. I speak Spanish. I would suggest giving it another try and making it clear to Yunior who might be acceptable alternatives. Another venue might be to try to find someone in Miami who would deb willing to guide you on the island. There are now hundreds of young Miami Cubans who go to the island monthly if not weekly. All those things available for sale in the newly legal tiendas come from Walmarts in Hialeah via well travelled routes. Taking trade goods to Cuba in checked luggage has become a viable career for recent immigrants whose only other option is Burger King. Some of these boys, almost all of them are young men, might be willing to pick up some spending money by guiding a Yuma (American) through Havana's tight and well-lubed secret spaces.

Damn! Uber was so convenient and so much more reliable/safer. Yet another reason why Brazil is the country of the future...and always will be.

I really liked Colombia, despite its not being as erotically fulfilling as Brazil. I am already planning a return trip. Im certain that if my Portuguese were half as good as my Spanish, I'd greatly prefer Brazil. MVan1- If you didnt enjoy Medellin, you wont like any of the rest of Colombia either. Medellin is, by far, the best of Colombia, IMHO.

Im just back from two weeks in Colombia, having visited Barranquilla, Cartagena, Cali, Bogota and Medellin. Its a wonderful country, full of beautiful and interesting people. But the scene is not nearly as well-organized or convenient as in Brazil. When I mention Brazil, I mean the sauna boy system wherein there are places to go to see a variety of men, choose whom you like, and strike a bargain right there. Nothing analogous exist in Colombia, sadly. Perhaps they await the right couple of entrepreneurs to set it up. There is very little English spoken among the sex worker class. Colombia seems to trend somewhat toward the youngish twink types, with visible indigenous ancestry rather than the big-dicked, versatile mulattos that make Brasil so wonderful. Hotels- I generally stay in upscale hotels connected to American chains when possible. In every city, my guests had to check in at the front desk and leave a copy of their ID. In the most upscale, Hilton and W, I actually had to register to the room. Barranquilla and Cartagena- Local rentboys, few in number and frequently visiting from Cali or Medellin, seem to subsist on the cruise ship and other foreign visitor trade. The prices are at North American levels ( $125-150 USD) because tourists seem willing to pay it. These transactions are initiated online via Mileroticos or other such sites. Cali- Not much rentboy action to speak of, not even online. Bogota- Much like Cartagena and Barranquilla with prices a little more reasonable. Medellin- As close as you get to the Brazil factor, though not all that close. The Chaturbate Factor- Those of you who frequent chaturbate will have noticed that a plurality of the Latinos present there live and work in Colombia. I found it relatively easy to arrange in person time with some of my favorites in Cali, Bogota and Medellin. For $325COP ( ~$100USD), I arranged a wonderful 3 hour threesome with my favorite m/f couple in Cali and spent the whole night in Bogota, with a delightful twink, for a similar amount. In Medellin, I connected with another Chaturbator who brought a friend along at no extra charge ($120 COP for both). Grindr / Hornet Factor Both of these smart phone apps are full to overflowing with men looking to play for free and a few prepagos, as the rent boys are known there. Apparently, the conservative society, combined with the history of violence makes for a strong desire among gays to have exciting experiences with foreigners whom they won't bump into on the streets and who are beyond the age of drama for drama's sake. I will admit, upfront, that I am not the type physically to usually inspire much lust. But in Colombia, there was ALWAYS someone who wanted to come over for some dick and cuddling. I paid for taxis, a drink or two. But, not much else. If you tend to have luck with these apps in the states or elsewhere, Colombia just might be a smorgasbord for you.

Planet Romeo seems to be the hands down favorite from my experience. Getting online is hard in Cuba and doing so from a telephone is nearly impossible. Planet Romeo seems to have a good collection of guys and even many English speakers.

Just got back from Colombia. Your best bet in finding a guide is to contact one of the English-speaking prepares via Grindr or Hornet. They are few, and far between. But, I wouldn't count on bumping into an English speaker at Tobi. The best statistics I have seen suggest that 3% of Colombians are reasonably fluent in English. Most of them don't come from the same economic classes as the prepagos do. By the way, without English, the Grindr and Hornet apps are your only chance of finding reasonably-priced fun in Barranquilla, Cartagena, Cali or even Bogota. Chaturbate is also extremely well-established in Colombia and served as a way to meet and get to know a few Colombians for me. Again, not many English speakers.

Club Tobi prices are now 40,000; 70,000 and 90,000 still a great bargain!

I've had questions asked of my guests and all had to leave a photo copy of ID. A couple of them had to be registered. Hilton Cartagena, W Bogota, Sheraton Medellin, Hampton by Hilton Cali, Hilton Bogota.

Im writing from Medellin right now and have visited Cali, Cartagena and Bogota on this trip. Medellin is by far the most active city and the only one with anything like a Brazilian sauna. I have managed to connect with a few guys for free via Grindr and Hornet. And I even arranged in person meetings with a couple of my favorite Chaturbaters. I can imagine any of that having happened if I spoke no Spanish.

Thanks. I'll be sure to report back after my trip later this month.

Can anybody offer any recent market wisdom on the price of fun in Colombia? The professionals who offer services online are suggesting prices like 150euros, which seems insane to me given the current state of the economy. I know that there is an online premium and, perhaps another for English, but really?

As much as Id like to think of Colombia as a Spanish-speaking Brazil. It just isn't so.You are likely to find that Tobi and others like it are saunas where clients go to meet each other that also offer "massages" from the house masseur. Those I have spoken to suggest that in Medellin, Tobi has the most (3-4) and the hottest house masseurs. So, you might think of it as a Brazil-style sauna with only 4 rent boys or as a Brazilian sauna with only the masseurs and not the rent boys. we all await your evaluation.

Keep a careful watch on the news. Now that the embassy is open, the credit card situation is right around the corner. MasterCard has declared that they will be first and rumor has it that the White House is about to give US banks the cover they need to dip their toes in that water. A friend tried a MasterCard debit card there last week that did work. But, one day soon, they will. Meanwhile, forget the cadeca. Just take cash. As the prices are so reasonable, I sometimes have both a hotel room (air conditioning) AND a casa particular nearby. Keeping the bulk of my cash in the hotel room has never been a problem. ( Remember that the person cleaning your hotel room likely has a college degree too as your tips, no matter how stingy, means that her income is triple or more what it would be were she a teacher)

Tip#1 Assume that the guys looking for fun want trade too. A great salary in Cuba is USD$60/month. The average is closer to $20. Cubans on gayromeo have unusual access to the Internet which doesn't come cheaply. Using that access to find foreigners is usually about looking for money to handle day to day needs or looking for a sponsor to leave the country. Tip#2 Cuba is less safe today than it once was, in terms of violent crime. Still, it is far safer than anywhere else in Latin America. Be careful but not paranoid. Tip #3 The competition for the time and attention of tourists is fierce at the gathering places like Copelia and outside the Capitolio. Be clear and firm about who you like and don't like. Don't let a guy mark you as his and deter approaches from others until you have decided that is what you want. Tip #4 If you don't speak Spanish, pay and English speaker to be your guide. Generally better to choose a guide with whom you are not engaging in physical fun to keep them clear that their pathway to a payday lies in your enjoying yourself with others. Your guide may even get a finders fee from the boys. Pay your guide well and your trip will be 100% better than it might have been. planetromeo might be a good way to find a guide. Tip #5 In most places, the guys who work at this tend to be uneducated, unskilled and with few other options. In Cuba, you occasionally meet a medical student or an engineer in the trade. They tend to be more discreet, more interesting, more fun and safer.