Search the Community

I was good in Bogota, but felt the height when I went up Monserrat

THANK YOU, @macdaddifor all your tips. You have been the Supreme Advisor for my Medellin expedition, and you are doing it again for Bogotá. I should have thought of the tip on mate de coca. I knew that In Bolivia, Perú, and the northwest of Argentina the locals chew coca leaves to deal with the height's side effects. My brain just did not make the connection. Damn old damaged brain. The condition feels very mild right now, but as soon as I can get some mate de coca I will try it. Interestingly, I am hanging out with a group of Venezuelans and some of them are suffering soroche and did not even know what it is. I will bring this tip to them and my credentials as a pretentious-know-all-Argentinean will rocket up. Going back to my reporting, I had a delicious authentic Spanish diner (pernil de cordero con papas) and a great time chatting with JM and his Catalan partner. It was almost Nochebuena, and very few patrons were sitting. However, they were delivering tons of orders, I saw many paellas going out. At 6:30PM hey closed the restaurante, JM's partner and the employees left, and we stayed while he would close the books for the day. Once he finished his business duties, we step to the back and have a quick first time in the kitchen. Hot. He is Venezuelan, 30 y.o., living in Bogotá for 6 years now, former soccer player and boxer. He does not have the hottest looks, but he is hotter than half of the men I have seen in Brazilian saunas. And this is an ongoing story, as you will see. He learned about my preference for younger athletic men, and sent me his pictures from a few years ago, damn he was porn material. Once we did our quicky, he invited me to join a group of friends to expend Nochebuena with them and then go to Chapinero for rumba, and I said yes. We called an Uber to go to our nests and at 10 PM we were meeting again at his friend's apartment. His friends were all Venezuelans: a woman in his 50s and her daughter in her 20s, and a gay guy in his 20s. The home made diner was delicious (stewed pork, tamales, Russian salad, and Venezuelan ham) and the conversation interesting. Although none of them like Chavism, they did not emigrate because of political reasons. They encouraged me to visit Caracas together with them, and I am definitely adding the city to my list. Soon after eating we all headed to Chapinero. By the way, there is some kind of magic chemistry between me and Venezuelans. Everywhere I go, I end meeting and having great friendships with them. I shared about the Venezuelan I met in Buenos Aires a few years ago to become long term FWB, and about the boy I met last April in Medellin who I am still in friendly contact. And there are many others who were just short term relationships. The pattern is always the same: we hook up, we have grave sexual and friendship chemistry, and I discover that they are Venezuelans in the process (because of xenophobia, often they do not share their nationality). Big older men like myself seem to be a fetiche for many hot younger men in Venezuela. If anyone has any doubts, I am NOT talking about transactional relationships. So we went to Chapinero. We checked a bar called El Perro y la Calandria, famous for the music and the musical videos, but very few people was there. So we moved to Leo's Bar. The place was full, with several rooms with different music styles and ambiences. We settled in the terrace so we could smoke (yes, I smoke tobacco when I am traveling). As they invited me for diner, I invited them with whatever they wanted to drink. They chose Absolute vodka ($COL 170K), and the bottle came with abundant ice, lemon juice, and two jars of orange juice a server would keep always full. All this extra were included in the bottle's price, apparently. I say "apparently", because JM seems to be very popular and know a lot of people everywhere, he may have gotten us special treatment. 6c06d2fb-177a-4ce7-8270-655da2d9f0f5.mp4 When the drag show was about to start, we moved to the main dance floor. The drag queen was not the prettiest, but her show was one of the best drag performances I have ever seen. Started with lips syncing, but not a regular musical hit as usual. Instead, she edited a sound track with many excerpts from countless songs and TV or movies dialogs. It was really hilarious and engaging. The best part came after her performance, though. She called to the staged for two men and two women, got an extra male volunteer, and announced a competition. They had two minutes to dance and strip. The two volunteers with the less clothes after two minutes, were getting a bottle of I do not remember what. After that, she announced a new competition. The two patrons who dance with more passion and energy for 30 minutes, would get another bottle. The dance floor got immediately packed with dancers who started to perrear and dance as crazy. SO-MUCH-FUN. Originally, we intended to go to El Theatron after the bars. However, my friends started to check their social medias and found out that only four rooms were opened, although a lot of fun seemed to be going on, and decided to finish the night earlier. At about 3, JM and I said goodbye to the friends and headed to my Airbnb to have a full session after our rushed quicky in the restaurante. He left at 7am, and I tried to continue sleeping. The music from El Theatron was loud and kept sounded almost until 10am. On Sunday, about 10am, I quitted trying to sleep. I was with alcohol hangover, very tired, and with very few hours of sleeping. I walk out to get something to eat and the Chapinero I saw was unrecognizable. 90% of the shops were closed. I did not find anything appealing and returned to my building to check the food offerings in the complex, trying to avoid ordering through Rappi. Most of food stands were also closed, so I was forced to try a typical dish I had never heard of: cayeye. It was ok, but I do not think I will look for it again. At noon I was calling an Uber to join my new friends in Parque Simón Bolívar. By the way, I tried Cabify (legal) and Uber, and despite not being legal the latter's service is better. The day was sunny, and beyond my soroche and hangover, we walked a lot. I forgot to bring sun block and right now I am red but not in pain. After the walking, we had a little picnic, and fun with the three dogs with us. The Park is huge and beautiful, and it was full of families and friends relaxing and enjoying the shiny day. I found remarkable that all the dogs around were unleashed and playing with each other and after hours I did not witness any incidents. Around 4pm the clouds started to look threatening. We decided to finish our outdoors day, and we made the right decision. Raining started when we were in our Uber. I did not have much time to get ready for the next plan. We all were going to play tejo, a game I had never tried before. I was expecting a call from one of the friends around 6:30 to arrange the ride. When it was 7, I called JM to let her know that no one had called me. He shared that his friends changed their minds and were not joining. Instead, he was hanging out with his brother (27 y.o.) and his cousins. I told him that I should stay and let him enjoy his family. He responded "yo solamente quiero estar contigo". I could not say no. I arrived to the Club de Tejo 76 and met his party. His brother with his wife, two cousins with their girlfriends, and one very young cousin who looked like a teen. Everyone else looked as in their 20s and very thughish and heterosexual. JM introduced me as his new boyfriend and they all were very friendly, especially JM's sister in law. We played and drunk. If you are curious, there are many photos of the place in their website. I just want to highlight this: The establishment has a full bathroom in the front, where the bar is located. Besides, they have this caged sink that the players use to rinse the clay out of their hands and to pee. I could never pee there. The guy you can see in the picture is the teen cousin. We stayed up to 11pm, it was so interesting to hang out and make up with JM amidst this 100% straight environment. Not only straight, but also socially humble. Besides JM and myself, everyone else in our group seemed to be coming from quite humble and uneducated backgrounds. JM was paying all the bills. When my Uber arrived, JM gave me a passionate session of goodbye kissing in front of everyone, and I left totally exhausted and quite drunk (again). Today I got up at 7am, feeling rested but with a mild headache. I think I am declaring a day of resting and catching up with my blog network, and perhaps writing something for my blog. JM texted me at 10 am, definitely he is giving me the boyfriend treatment. Although I love the unexpected turn this trip is taking, I do want to stick to some of my original goals: having time to rest and write. Tomorrow I am planning an expedition downtown, probably focused on the Museo del Oro and the Museo Botero, and perhaps something else like a stroll around La Candelaria. Hopefully, at night I am meeting with an adult entertainer for an interview. You will know who afterward (sorry, again because of the trolls).

It is the first thing I mention to people who want to go to Bogotá. I lasted for 2 days and left for lower grounds on day 3. Sadly so, because I would love to visit Theatron.

Honestly the most effective treatment for soroche is mate de coca. There are many cafés in Bogotá that will serve you the traditional mate. Ask your friends, I am certain that they will know a local place that offers this relief. There are a couple of places in nearby Palermo on the diagonales that I can suggest.

As often happens in my trips, the beginning was challenging but soon I started to enjoy the experience. I am loving Bogotá. My two flights last Friday were unexpectedly on time and without incidents. I dodged the storm and its inconveniences. Trouble started when I walked out of the yellow taxi and found out that the address posted by my host in the Airbnb site was wrong. Fortunately, it was 4 pm and I speak the language, besides being quite obvious which one was the only building that could be my destination. This was the first time I seriously complained to an Airbnb's host. If I were a Gringo unable to speak Spanish and arriving at night, something bad could have happened. The issues continued during checkin. My host did not send the email to authorize my entrance, and the code to open the lock box was missing. The Recepcionist was super friendly and fixed all this issues, but after almost no sleeping all these incidents did not set me in the right mood. I am not happy with this Airbnb, although many of you would love it. There is so much security! It is a brand new building with a shopping center in the first two levels. The building is so new, that some of the pictures in Google Map show the construction site. Everything is trendy and modern, you do not need to walk out of to the streets if you do not want to, as there is even a 24 hrs OXXO supermarket in the complex. To move around and use the elevators, you need a magnetic card. I had no problem bringing a friend in who stayed overnight, but all my movements were monitored by CCTV and my entrances and exits watched by security guards. My unit is in the 15th floor, with a beautiful view of the mountains and even The Theatron. It is a roomy studio divided in two sectors. One would be the living room/kitchen, including a closet with a washer/dryer and a 1/2 bathroom, the other one would be the bedroom, with a walking closet and a full bathroom. It does look great, but soon the disappointments started. I pooped in the 1/2 bathroom upon arrival and it took me a long time to flush my shit away, the water does not drain properly. The full bathroom does not have that issue, but the water does not drain properly in the lavatory. The shower looks amazing, but the water pressure is low. Everything else is fine, I especially love the WiFi, faster than all my previous ones, even faster than my home wifi. But I found out other challenge that has nothing to do with the airbnb. I felt tired and short of breath, and found out that I was probably suffering from soroche. I attempted a walk but returned to my base to lay down. Not only I was suffering from the height, but also the temperature. Never believe your Caribbean friends when they tell you that a place is cold. Bogotá is not cold. It is weird, though, the thermometer shows temperatures that I would consider cold in Washington DC or other places, but here it feels mildly cool. I was overdressed, and packed to many warm clothing. So far (I am starting the night of my day #3), all I needed to feel comfortable was two layers and no jacket. On day one, when I returned to y base to rest after my failed attempt to walk, I got busy with Grindr and make a few interesting contacts. With one of them, I even arranged for a meeting that night. First, I wanted to explore Gigolo Hot House, it is a 10' walk from my nest. As I shared before, I found out the boys are on vacation (after walking on the wrong stripers club, my first straight strippers club experience ever), and returned to my base. That short walk left me exhausted, I cancelled my date and went to sleep. Day one was not good. On Day 2 I woke up feeling better after a good sleep. My research on soroche indicated that I needed to sleep well, rest, drinks lots of water, and eat carbohydrates. I stayed in bed up to late, and then made a short expedition around Chapinero. I was still feeling my breath short, but I was able to walk for a couple of hours without feeling totally exhausted. I returned to my base and contacted my Grindr date. He invited me to his Restaurante located north of Chapinero. I do not want to give much detail because of the trolls in the forum. He invited me at 5pm, so I had a few hours to rest after my walk. I took advantage of that time to contact a few escorts I find appealing. The prices I was quoted were between 100K and 150K Colombian Pesos. Our friend @tassojunior (are you there) has reported that the prices in Bogotá were higher than in Medellin, and the boys less attractive. My short adventure so far indicates otherwise. There are boys in Bogotá as hot as in Medellin, and the prices are lower. At 5PM I arrive to the restaurant, a surprisingly nice Spanish cuisine establishment. My hook up is a partner and chef, the other owner is a Spaniard from Catalunya. The food was excellent and the chemistry with JM (lets call it that) was right. I will continue with this report later, I have to get ready to go out now.

Everyone that I know in the capital is gone for the holidays, but I will ask around in the new year. Colombia is good for word-of-mouth referrals. You might want to explore this guide to Gay Bogota published by the Alcaldia of Bogota (the mayor is a lesbian) that contains a lot of good information in English about the city. https://www.idt.gov.co/sites/default/files/4.1. GUIA LGBTI INGLES- 29 Sept 2020.pdf

Thanks to the guys who replied here and DM. I’m thinking of hiring a city guide for the first day or two. I’m sure I read of one online a few months ago but cannot remember where. He didn’t offer extra services… but suggested if the mood and chemistry was right it’s happen lol Does anyone know of a friendly English speaking guy in Bogotá? Comfortable with a gay guy or visiting gay clubs in the evening?

Teatrón is THE spot on a Saturday in Bogotá and you can hang around in the central courtyard area and people watch (until that too becomes an open air dance floor as the night progresses).

The problem with places like Bogotá is too many choices. Whatever I pick, I will anyways suffer from FOMO. I think I should go to Theatron on Saturdays, I guess I must go through the experience at least once.

You are looking for the Mercure Financial District (Hotel Mercure Bh zona financiera) Cra. 7 #65 01, Localidad de Chapinero, Bogotá 10 minute walk downhill to the action in Chapigay.

Some places to consider that may not be on your list: Zona T (south of Parque Virrey) has become the area of choice for many locals who find Chapigay to be over the top. Suggestions include: 1. Moza (formerly El Mozo) - largest gay dance club in the area and very popular with the best looking men in Bogotá (sorry Theatrón). 2. Cuecha Club - another dance club, however this one has a consistent offering of working boys on site. Open Wed - Saturday 3. El Recreo de Adan (Orignal location on Cra 12a sounth of Clle.80) - while not actually a bar, this is a gathering spot to play board games and you can sign up to play with other groups-singles looking for additional players. The food is okay - burgers and sandwiches - but the cocktails and the crowds that gather here keep this bar popular with the locals. Always a fun way to kill a few hours and meet new people. ¡Hasta pronto!

I was wondering whether reactivating this thread or starting a new one. I made the obvious decision. I will be landing in Bogotá next weekend, staying one block away from The Theatron. I think I will need at least the entire first week to explore the gay bars on a 3 blocks radius from my base. I already have a few online contacts, and many recommendations shared here by @macdaddi and other connoisseurs. Does anyone have any updated information or last tips? You have 7 more days to feed me.

Can do both, but like Riobard said...go to Colombia 1st because vice versa, you need Yellow Fever Vaccination. Sao Paulo, Rio (watch dates for Carnaval, VERY pricey) Bogota and Medellin, or just Bogota...I feel it's less dangerous. If you are connecting in Panama at all, try to fit a couple of days there, very cute guys, no real commercial scene and more expensive, but worth it if it's on your way.

I’ll chime in and suggest Brazil, as a punter having travelled to both, and this winter will be a few months splitting the two. Easier access in Brazil to the types to hire you like, as our tastes overlap somewhat. There’s essentially only one provider sauna in Colombia (St Moritz in Bogotá) analogous to the several on tap in Brazil, and the few curated private massage spa venues that don’t have overlapping club/food features in Brazil will also yield more of your type. Brazil does not have a strip club with private dances, whereas Bogotá has Gigolo Erotic House right above St Moritz. A month in Brazil can fly quickly by particularly if you do more than one city. The problem will possibly be never visiting Colombia as FOMO may take over when considering subsequent bypassing of Brazil. Later today, I’ll try to provide some examples of Brazil tantrica massage spa team images to see if I have interpreted your tastes accurately. They exist in the public domain. In contrast, photos of sauna garotos de programa are discouraged. You will also find escort sites through your searches here.

I had in Bogota case where I chatted with a nice guy few days and then he proposed he would visit me and would bring bottle of wine to share and chat. I said, sure, but bring ID with you, there is a registration process for security and I have to meet you in the lobby. He got nervous, why we meet in the lobby and why he cannot come directly to my room. Then the profile dissapeared. Later I thought few red flags were there: dissapearing grindr pics, proposal to drink wine which he would bring (unusual; they guy did not look like „wine guy“); reaction to the security procedures. Other guys presented their IDs without hesitation. I felt Bogota mostly safe (I am from Europe) and was not too concerned. Its a misleading feeling, one must think of safety even if you dont feel threatened.

I will be in Bogota from July 17 to 21 and in Rio and Brazil from July 22 to Aug 14. Anyone willing to have a drink or a chat is welcome to pm me

Hi, I am planning a trip to Bogota and need a recommendation for a hotel or airbnb that is close to stripper bars or massage/sauna and allow guests. I currently choose Chapinero area but am open to any recommendations. Thanks

Nothing special to note during those months. As a general trend, Latin America travel is projected to grow 14% in 2023, and Colombia travel by 18% next year. That's a lot of new faces discovering the capital. Anecdotally the presence of foreigners in Medellín, particularly digital nomads, has increased significantly in 2022 and that trend shows no sign of slowing. Oh, i almost forget. With the reopening of travel post-pandemic, there is a string of big-name rock acts performing stadium shows in Bogotá in February and March. The rolos love their rock music.

Dont know. Others: bogo 64 Mercure bogota bh holiday inn express Embassey suits by hilton

Hola, sorry for opening a new topic on this same issue (I will be fine if the admin closes that). I am right now in Bogota and planning to go in few hours to Gigolo, any experience on Fridays? Many boys there? How easy or difficult is to negotiate with the boys/strippers there? Thanks a lot of you have any input.

https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-travel-arifare-deal-bogota-colombia-20190503-story.html

Hi: Can anyone tell me if I should be worried about altitude sickness when going to Bogota for the first time? I understand that you can take Diamox (Acetazolamide) to help prevent it. Does anyone know if it is easily available in Colombian pharmacies? Finally, the el Dorado airport website says there is a pharmacy in arrivals. Would anyone know if you can buy it there? Thanks.

There r no brazil-like garotos saunas. However, there r saunas without garotos as well as brothels. I suggest you aquaint urself with bogota and medellin businesses threads. My medellin trip report partly mentions some.

Just wanted to drop a note about Bogota. I was there a few weeks ago and it was my first time in this city, but not Colombia, having visited Medellin, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta and Cali before, so I am very familiar with the country at least. What has helped with my travels in Colombia has been getting to know an actual Chaturbate studio (and have visited numerous times), and because of that I have been sifting through its models to be my companions in my travels in Colombia. When I’m discovering a city for the first time, I always like to have a constant companion with me, preferably someone who speaks the language to discover the city with me. Interestingly (unlike my experience with garotos in Brazil), through this studio, I don’t pay the boys any money per se, but I do take them to the occasional shopping spree, plus of course providing all food and transportation. I think it is because I started right with the first cam model in this studio I went out with, and subsequent boys have followed suit. Of course I will get the occasional plea for money when I am home, but I just say no. The disadvantage in having someone there all the time is it is hard to meet other boys to have sexy time with you when you are with your chosen boy for the trip. But I can hardly complain, as these Chaturbaters are really sexy and eager to show you a good time. Lately I have been spending a lot of time with two Colombians, ages 23 and 24, and boyfriends who only do duo broadcasts on Chaturbate (and Cam4). They seem to be the perfect combination of hotness, generosity with their bodies, with a healthy dose of humility and easy-going demeanor. They let me stay in their apartment one weekend, and they always insist that I sleep in between them, for maximum contact. It is such an amazing arrangement, but it can get awkward sometimes when you have to get out of bed to pee. You either have to roll over one of the boys, or get out of the bed the long way in the middle. But again, hardly a deal breaker. Sex with both is always great and satisfying, and having each sexual encounter be a threesome is always a production (three times the cumming, all three need to be showered, etc). Bogota has always been a dream destination for them. As “Costeños” they were used to the constant sunshine of the Caribbean coast. They were excited to visit what they call “the refrigerator,” due to Bogota being colder and grimmer than the coast due to its altitude. Before the trip, I promised to bring them old sweaters and jackets I had in storage back home that I haven’t worn in a while. They insisted on taking the arduous 18-hour or so bus ride to Bogota from the coast, due to one of the boy’s fear of flying, so they left their home hours before I had to hop on my flight from California. I was glad I brought the sweaters and jackets for the two boys. They got to the AirBNB safely, but were freezing their asses off, even though it was only 65F (18 C). The AirBNB unit I rented did not have a heater, the same as most apartments and hotels in Bogota, so the boys snuggled up to me in bed and the couch, which worked for me of course. Days were much better for them, as It was warmer, but they still had to bundle up when leaving the house, and I also had to buy them some gloves and beanies, which was readily available from street vendors for cheap. Some points: 1. I was kind of surprised by how Metropolitan Bogota was. It is not as modern as Medellin, but the pace of the city was much faster than the more laid-back coast. During the day the city had an army of workers who filled the offices, and it was kind of a nice change of pace from more tourist-oriented towns. 2. My Uber driver from the airport to my AirBNB was a tall, muscular and hot Bogotano was also a firefighter. Spoke very little English but very accommodating with my broken Spanish and talked slowly enough for my American ears to understand. Good start to the trip, and his hotness got me worked up for my boys. 3. The AirBNB I rented did not have any issues with my two companions staying with me, and I can imagine them not having any problems if instead I had a rotating harem visiting me constantly in the building. The security, though fairly cautious, seem to be very laid-back. View of the front of the building, with a drumline celebrating… something: 4. The neighborhood we stayed at was in Chapinero, and I was unprepared on how gay it was. Opening Grindr was like seeing a Christmas tree light up. The boys were checking Grindr as well and got inundated with offers from locals to meet. If I were to guess, the boys who messaged me constituted of 40% boys looking for customers, and 60% were just regular locals wanting to hookup, 30% of which what I would consider hooking up with. I will need to go back here alone to take advantage of the boys: 5. Speaking of gay, I purposefully picked an AirBNB that was close to the gay bars. I was surprised that the apartment building was just across the street from not one, but three gay bars, and in the same block as 4 others. And we saw the occasional gay couple holding hands in the streets. It was really gay central, complete with a rainbow crosswalk: 6. Another surprising benefit of staying in gay central Chapinero, is that it was relatively safe to wander the streets at 4 AM without fearing for our safety. Granted, there were 3 of us every single time when we walked the streets, but we did not have any problems stumbling out of a bar at the usual ungodly hour, and to look for late-night snacks around Chapinero. We did not have to take any Ubers and appreciated the relative safety of the neighborhood. 7. Even if Bogota is a proper world city, it still had relatively third-world prices for the most part, cheap food readily available and super delicious. The boys insisted in indulging my request to eat authentic Colombian food. I certainly was not disappointed here. And having soup in the morning is a good counter for the cold: 8. There are a lot of things to do in the city, if you are bored with all the indoor sweaty activities. Highlights for us were the Gold Museum, which was free on Sundays (most museums are free on Sundays): and the mountain Montserrate, which had a church on top of it, which we took a cable car to get up to: 9. Sadly, I did not have the opportunity to check out the saunas. Maybe next time. 10. And finally, and probably the highlight of our trip (apart from the sex, of course), was visiting Theatron, the legendary gay bar in Chapinero. Saying it is a bar, of course, does not describe the venue accurately, because Theatron is really 13 bars in one: it was this large stadium type dance hall: surrounded by 12 other gay bars, each with its own theme and vibe: We all agreed that Threaton was a destination on to itself, and the sheer variety of what you can find in the place deserves multiple trips back. We only had time to go on a Saturday night, and there was a tremendously long line of energetic party-goers trying to get in, but once we paid the 35,000 COP ($12) entry fee, which included a hard plastic cup we used to get our unlimited drinks (between 10 PM and 2 AM), we took advantage of the various venues the place had. Traditional dance tunes, electronica, latino music, trance, chill music, you name it, they had it. But probably the crowning jewel of the place was in the 4th floor, which was a men’s only floor. We did not know why women weren’t allowed until we saw this: I will definitely go back to Bogota, possibly alone next time. There is so much more to see.

I usually carry a small amount with me from home -- 500K COP is plenty to get you through a few days while getting set up. Most of the major banks (Bancolombia, Banco de Bogota, Colpatria/Scotiabank, Davidivienda, BBVA) will work just fine with your US banking card. Do let your bank know that you are traveling in Colombia (including credit cards) as there remain many financial restrictions on Colombian transactions. I have had issues with Scotiabank transactions being rejected multiple times before I can withdraw cash so be aware. Most will offer to do the transaction in COP or USD. Always choose COP as the currency - the exchange is designed to not favor the recipient and the US dollar exchange rate is noticeably higher. Most machines limit you to a maximum withdrawal of 700K COP. Another local tip -- if you can find an ATM machine with Banco Agrario de Colombia (bright green machines) they always offer the best exchange rates and the highest limit on withdraw (up to 2MM COP).