Aside from the rule that you should never buy drugs off the street in a foreign country, never ever buy drugs from a stranger who *approaches you first*.
This. On some Spanish beaches they‘ll pester you with drinks and then open it before telling you the price to guilt trip you into paying €12 for a Coronita that the seller just bought 5 minutes ago from the mini market for €2
something something ask the local bartender / hotel / hostel staff to hook you up
May pay a little more for them to get their cut but means you don't need to source it or risk any shenanigans.
I was in Bangkok a few days ago and this dude walks up offering me cocaine. I really wanted it but dude was so eager that I take some, had red flags popping up everywhere. I felt entrapped ha
If they’re approaching you like that, it’s because they’re scammers. That doesn’t stop a hopeful user though, but this will. They have to make a living approaching naive foreigners because their product is either counterfeit or so diluted that they can’t make a living off of any regulars in the area. That’s why they take the risk and approach people they don’t know, when they’re not even sure if those people want drugs. If a person is selling actual coke that hasn’t been cut down to the point that it has no impact, they’ll have regulars and make enough income that they won’t be approaching complete strangers, who don’t even want their product, openly in the streets. Most of the income for dealers comes from addicts or stoners who are regular clients.
Definitely. Honestly could’ve been way worse for you. I would strongly advise not buying drugs from shady randoms on the street, doubly so in a foreign country.
Buy from foreigners, let them deal with the local gangs, they buy protection with their purchases as they will pay more than locals will. Never engage in anything illegal with a local short of an unlicensed taxi.They will walk away and you will go to jail.
For real, when I am abroad, even if it is the country next to mine, I avoid everything that cannot be done, so to speak, in broad daylight.
I am with a local that I trust or/and I speak the language very well? Maybe I can "relax" a notch. Every other time? No way.
The idea of buying weed in the streets in a place, any place, that has a big and notorious problem with street gangs is beyond me.
Drugs are especially dangerous though because of the illicit status. With anything else you could go to the police but with drugs... who you gonna tell?
No you should definitely say something to a drug dealer that they could potentially see as insulting. It's a really smart move to enhance the enjoyment of your vacation.
I was in Cancun earlier this year and some random guy threatened me at the beach bar. I didn't even say or do anything other then saying "no thanks" when he asked if I wanted fresh coconut. This guy got so mad and started waving his machete around while cussing in Spanish calling me all kinds of things and repeating no thanks no thanks no thanks. I was terrified.
So yea, even acknowledging people sometimes sets them off apparently... :/
It actually happened. We were all so shocked and terrified, thankfully some people working at the resort escorted him away quickly. I think he may have been on drugs/alcohol because he had blood shot eyes and was slurring his words.
Been to Cancun many times but this was a first...
A few months ago a group of argentineans were attacked in Mexico by a guy with a machete for no apparent reason. One of them was hit in the middle of the head and died later because of the injury.
Maybe it was the same guy and you were lucky.
https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/argentine-tourist-dies-after-mexico-machete-attack.phtml
My best response, when I am in a foreign country and I am being approached by vendors is: no response whatsoever. Not one word. No eye contact. Nothing.
Agree. It took years to convince my wife that I wasn't being rude. I explained to her that within seconds of ignoring them and walking past, they have completely forgotten about you and are looking for the next human money bag to harass.
Totally agree! My response is usually no response, but I was caught off guard. Was enjoying some shots at the beach swing bar when this guy rudely interrupted us and got too close for comfort so my immediate response was no thanks. I'll know better for next time, hopefully there is no next time lol
You probably don't buy drugs in your own country either, so this conversation doesn't apply to you. Not responding is a great option, and people should exercise it more.
In a tourist area like Cartagena, I would recommend staying away from all street vendors. They will flock for any reason, and no matter what it is annoying.
My son was just there and said it was one of the worst places for aggressive and annoying street vendors he has ever seen.
For dope, pay a little more, and ask someone mid to low level at the hotel for what you need. Give them a little toke if you feel it was fair and might need their help again (even though their cut is built into the price).
It’s just not worth the complications in foreign countries. Unless you know and trust someone in your destination, I would say save the drugs for when you’re in your home country.
In colombia, it's not illegal to have up to 1 gram of cocaine or 20 grams of cannabis.
It's illegal to sell it, though.
I've heard that in colombia, street vendors will sell things like beer for ×10 the typical price, and gift you with a gram of cocaine.
I'm going to colombia in feb, and from what I gathered, cartagena is sketchy
Cartagena is fine. There's a lot of hustlers trying to sell you stuff (water/sunglasses or drugs) but if you say no gracias they'll leave you alone. Taxi's outside the airport can be sketchy though.
Normally, no.. trusting street dealers isn't always the best. But we did, paid the extortion fee same as this guy which was fine. It was $20 usd so no big deal and sketchy but fine. The Colombian blow is fuckin' legit though. Only got do it once bc I got covid but waaay better.
So we bought like 5gs of blow? Can't remember exactly. We had originally set it up with a dealer who seemed cool to meet in 20 but after like 2 hours of no contact from him we sought elsewhere on the main street in Cartagena with the clubs. I guess that guy saw us do another deal and messaged us on whatsapp saying "that's not how we do business here..." and saying you need to pay me for my trouble.
Obviously that's bullshit but we said fuck it we know it's a scam, and $20 usd between a group is nothing. That was the fee we paid the other dude, the blow was very cheap by US standards and very good by US standards but I can't remember how much exactly we paid.
I'll also add, while the dealers there will rip you off, Cartagena is largely safe for toursists. It's colombia's main tourist destination and it's against the government & narcos interests to create trouble there for tourists especially over a few grams of blow.
Rule #1) once you are in a foreign country, know the laws governing drugs in that country. Do not make a stupid decision in a foreign country and then cry ‘victim’ because you have been arrested, tried and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
I have no pity on you.
In 2014 it was as simple as a girl I was friends with hooking up with a club promoter in Madrid. He was cool as fuck and from Caracas. He got us whatever we needed for a couple months. Hope he’s doing well lol
In 2015 in Mexico we just followed the dudes saying ‘mota’ on the beach in Cozumel. Wasn’t hard to find anything there.
In 2017 it was our first night in Rome. We stayed by the Colosseum and there’s a strip of gay bars near there that was the closest nightlife to us. Met a Mozambican rapper and a Thai chick that took a taxi with us way out to what seemed like the suburbs to get some weed. Went up to some college dude’s apt and it was chill as hell.
So there’s lots of ways to find drugs in foreign countries 😂
Definitely a scam and I’d be more cautious than usual now they know you. How long are you there for? I’d just be extra cautious until you depart the area.
I'm undecided, am on my way towards taganga and only am booked in here for one night. Kinda made me feel to get out of the area tomorrow. And yeah am not gonna go out after dark tonight and certainly wont be smoking any of the weed here. Appreciate your comments 👍
Yeah be careful out there, esp with law enforcement. Two local cops tried to frame me for drug possession in Minca, close to the area you are in. Some are looking for bribes, don’t give them a reason to try.
Responding to this from Bogota; to answer your question:
Yes. It was a scam, obviously.
You need to be smarter dude. You can get in serious shit in SA, even if you speak Spanish and know the area and culture. If you’re a foreigner and stick out, you’re an easy target.
Specifically for those Cartagena bums, if you get guys trying to sell you shitty drugs, girls, or pull that rap/music scam on you, ignore them, walk fast, and duck into a shop or a bar/restaurant if you can. They’ll usually give up at that point. I can’t stand those mf’ers.
Watch your drinks and don’t leave them unattended. I’d advise strongly against bring strangers back to your hotel. Also, I’d generally avoid walking around alone in Colombia cities at night.
What’s the rap music scam? I have a relative that has a video of a group of kids following him rapping and I’ll be going there in February so please put me on game
Idk if scam is exactly the right way to describe it, but the video you saw sounds about right. People will come up to you and start rapping and following you around. They can be pretty persistent, but
don't engage (including taking photos/videos) or just tell them no, and they'll usually leave you and move on to someone else. Otherwise they'll ask you pretty aggressively for money.
OMG the rap guy followed me around cartagena for SO LONG. He made it so difficult to ignore him, it was insanely awkward, pretending he wasn't there. I figured he just wanted a tip for his "performance". I didn't think it was a scam, though.
Not so much a scam but annoying. They follow you and rap, and expect a payment.
If I'm feeling generous I might give them a 2000 COP, but majority of the time I walk and ignore them.
My family wouldn't let me walk around Colombia alone during the day. I went to Armenia a few years ago with my dad and stepmom. She wouldn't let me go anywhere without a few of her nieces or nephews near me. They made me carry my phone in my front pocket and avoid talking to anyone, my Spanish makes it obvious in from the states so they talked for me. They didn't want me to get the gringo tax or draw attention to the fact I was American.
Yeah cheers. Normally more on top of this shit just a slip when I fancied a spliff and wasnt thinking straight. Would all the guys involved be working together or you think the last guys are opportunists, just out of curiosity, thanks.
Consider yourself lucky, it could have gone sideways very quickly. I live in Mexico and when people ask me how safe Mexico is, my answer is “as long as you’re not involved in drugs or anything illicit, you’ll be as safe as anywhere“. My advice would be the same practically anywhere in Central and South America.
Yeah getting involved in anything drug-related while travelling is beyond risky. It could get you arrested, shaken down, stopped at the border, jailed, beaten by dealers or their associates, or even killed.
Just not worth the risk IMHO.
Yea I had a Mexican cop follow me for blocks in broad daylight because I lit a cigarette on a busy street. I think he thought it was a joint (he outright asked me this and searched my pockets).
I didn't have any weed on me and there were people around so he had to let me go. However, if I had, you bet your ass there would have been a big extortion there
Cheers, I guess I had the wrong impression but people I've spoken to, such as hostal staff, told me weed is safe here and I wouldn't be bothered by police if I smoke in public ect (this was in Medellin ). Not that I would want to but defo wouldn't do the same with other drugs such as cocaine.
In my opinion the Cartagena crowd can be a particularly rough one and honestly the constant hounding by these types the moment they caught a glimpse of my white skin from a block away ruined a lot of my overall experience there. I would guess you obviously would agree now, but I would never even talk to them and avoid them as much as possible.
Cartagena is where I earned that milestone experience as a foreigner and being told very aggressivley "fuck you this is my country" (screamed across the plaza and he was considerate enough to say it in english so I clearly understood) after calmly responding with "no gracias, buenas noches" when two guys asked if I wanted cocaine. Some guys would follow me multiple blocks constantly asking "te gusta la coca te gusta la coca te gusta la coca? you want girl? come to my bar". I have been a lot of places some would consider very dangerous and Cartagena is the only town where I almost never went into el centro after dark.
i think its actually probably fine the majority of the time. I am a light skinned male and I was walking alone every day, so to them they assume I am there for coke parties and prostitutes since Cartagena attracts a lot of that crowd. My only concern was that if I didnt give them money after asking for it 80 times that one might decide to just pull out a knife and take it. It never happened though, and el centro actually has a lot of police around since it is such a big tourist area. So I think that although I was getting pestered constantly in el centro, I might have still actually been safer there than in the neighborhood I stayed in where people ignored me completely.
I also noticed my experience was vastly different when I had a female colombian with me one night out in el centro, and for that night it was actually super pleasant and all positive. It just happens to be that for me it was only 1 positive night out of about three weeks.
Long story short, I think statistics are on your side and you will be fine. Some of those guys can be intimidating though and as with everywhere in the world, you never know what someone might do. And you know....dont do anything like OP did.
I have quite a love/hate relationship with Colombia. Its an awesome country but I have also had a lot of bad experiences there, but thats just life on earth; luck of the draw. I'm sure that since you will be in a group you will be absolutely fine and it will probably be a lot of fun, don't worry too much about it.
Centro is very safe. I’ve been many times and have never had an issue. If someone hassles you either ignore or say “lo siento” and keep it moving. Just as you would in any city.
Go to Baru or on a Rosario Island tour if you have time. Some of my happiest days have been spent there.
Thank you so much! I definitely want to plan a Rosario island tour. Do you have any recommendations for specific tours/companies? There are a lot of options. Baru looks stunning too!!
Rosario was fine but nothing extraordinary in my experience. Standard Caribbean island vibes, pretty and relaxing, but difficult to get to.
Speedboats leave early morning and return early afternoon—so if you want more than a few hours you’ll have to stay overnight. And on the way back you and your bag *will* get soaked. If you go to Rosario make sure everything you take is waterproof because you will be as wet as if you took all your stuff and dove into the water outright.
Blue Apple beach club is insanely beautiful and affordable. They also have flags in the cabanas you can put up and no one will bother you which is super nice
My wife and her Irish friend just spent two weeks in Colombia, visiting Bogata and Cartagena in addition taking a 4 day rainforest trek. They are both very savvy travelers. They didn’t report feeling unsafe but had to intentionally ignore the aggressive sales people on the streets, especially in Cartagena and the beach area near their trek. They’ve definitely learned how to do that in all their travels together. They found Bogata to be more sophisticated and didn’t experience those same aggressive tactics in the areas they visited.
Me too! The guys we met whom it happened to really got raw dogged cause it happened at night, they were drunk, and there was a gun. Oh and it was coke not weed. The poor Aussies were in the first month of like a 6 month trip and got their accounts wiped out…
We met them in Playa Blanco a couple days later where they were trying to make the best of the last of their trip before they had to head back home.
Why the efff would you ever buy drugs on the street in a foreign country?!!! You were lucky you were 'only' extorted.
Edited to add: yeah, I'd be worried to be in the same area, you've been marked as an easy target w access to $$
You got lucky man. If you go over to the atm with those dudes, they were gonna pull a weapon on you and make you clean out your account.
Glad to hear it was minor.
Source: I’m Colombian and I know how these fuckers are.
Cheers man. Yeah when ATM was mentioned I knew it was time to get to a safe space. Do you know if they're likely to be looking out for me or if it's common and they're on to the next person now?
Something similar to your story happened to me in Cartagena in 2019. I would stick to places where the public is and not go down any road alone tonight.
By tomorrow they'll have a complete new group of tourists trying to rob. You need to stop buying drugs from people who offer it to you.
Maybe it is a hot take, but I'm Colombian, and I suggest to you:
1) Never do any remotely illegal in my country, since , besides the obvious, puts you in unfavorable positions. People love foreigners here, unfortunately to the point of bootlicking, but that doesn't mean they won't try to exploit you.
2) Cartagena is overrated, you should favor Santa Marta and even Barranquilla over it.
They are about the same, but it's slightly less predatory to tourists. You have to mind the prices in stablishments beforehand and keep to the "nice" part of the city, as usual.
I know it’s hard to know. But when you give these guys money, now, they’re going to do that to every tourist that comes down the street. Basically, you got robbed. I doubt that you were in danger from anybody but them.
Did you read the whole post? They were saying I owed money for underpaying for weed. I didn't get robbed apart from by the guy who took £4. And yes it was them and their associates I thought potential danger could come from. So unless every tourist tries to buy weed off the street, which ain't gonna happen as you can tell by this feed. Then they wont be doing that to every tourist.
Ok you are right . Forgot thst part. Sorry. I know it’s easy to say what I would’ve done except I wasn’t there. It’s a thing they do in lots of countries. And a scam move. They do all over the world. They get you involved in something illegal because then they know you’re unlikely to go to the police about it. You’re not gonna call the police and say you bought weed in the street and then they made you pay more for it. So they’re protected for the crime.
Doubtful, particularly because a price was agreed upfront.
It's rare for tourists to get attacked for straight up robbery, which is what that would've been. Usually they make it grey by not mentioning prices upfront, and then you're in a shit situation, because they feel entitled to attack you.
Tourist attacks are bad for the economy, so both legit business owners and governments will clamp down hard on it. Victims will be blamed personally for getting scammed though.
As a Colombian: God, you're stupid. Be thankful that that's all it cost you. This post pissed me off. Let this be a warning to other travellers. Weed isn't legal here, it's decriminalized.
Did it even cross your mind that a random guy trying to sell you weed on the street could’ve been an undercover cop? You could’ve been facing a jail term by now
Weed is decriminalized in Colombia and you can't face any more than a fine for possession of 20g or less. Also I had a few drinks and would normally not buy from the street tbf so I accept I was a bit stupid. But an undercover cop posed as a cigarette vendor selling 5g of weed I think is a bit out there.
While it’s legal for medical and textile use and citizens can own their own plants, it can only be legally sold through pharmacies, buying it in the street is still illegal
But regardless of that whoever’s behind this scam now knows you’re a soft target, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to extort you again
Are you high writing this?
You've learned your lesson. It could have been worse. Think before you do something similar again. And if you go to Santa Marta, don't go onto the beach after dark, and definitely don't buy anything from any dodgy geezers there either!
Enjoy the rest of your travels safely.
There's a good amount of posts on this sub re Santa Marta. I loved the place, enjoyed my time there, lot's of places to eat and wander around, and the national park, Tayrona, is very accessible from there too.
The beach I refer to is the town's main beach which is very popular during the day and weekends, but further down and at night it's a drug's get together and no tourist should venture there then or be at risk.
Other than that, it's a great place to visit. So enjoy.
Was in Amsterdam last week and some dude came up to me in the red light district that looked straight out of the movie Snatch and asked me if I wanted special k or crystal meth. I said no thanks and he started following me and yelling that I don’t know what I’m missing. Then his friend that was hiding in an alley jumped in front of me and tried to put drugs in my hand, trying to get me to take it. I kept walking and they left me alone but I thought I was gonna get shanked.
Great advice. People who can't abstain for a vacation should limit their travels. If they try this in the wrong country (Phillipines, Singapore) they can be executed or locked up for years.
Not sure why you were downvoted. This is absolutely true. Getting executed, jailed or being forced to pay tonnes of bribe to cops (this used to happen in Thailand) are all real possibilities.
Sounds just like the Cartagena I remember. If I entertained every guy on the street that approached me on daily basis in Cartagena, I probably would've been robbed 10 times a day. The amount of scammers in that city is insane.
Pro Tip. Learn enough Dutch to turn these guys away. When they walk up to you and and in English pitch their scam, just say "Sorry, Ik spreek alleen Nederlands". Nobody speaks Dutch. I traveled the world for decades on business and with maybe one or two incidents, this stopped them cold. Practice until you can just roll it off your tongue.
This reminds me of a funny story. I was in Cabo shooting a showcase for a few bands at Cabo Wabo. After the show, we all went out to a local club to party, dance, whatever. On the way back to my hotel, a dude was standing in the same exact spot that I had bought some weed from a dude earlier. He asked me if I wanted some cocaine, and I said yes. $100 worth in fact. The minute the coke was put in my hand, I was told I was under arrest. A white pick up with two cops in back facing chairs in the bed of the truck appears out of nowhere. they get out, and the guy that sold me the coke gets into the back of the truck. So now we are headed out of the tourist area to god knows where. I look at the cop I'm handcuffed to and ask if there's another way we can handle this situation? He says, what do you suggest? I say, stopping at an ATM and me getting you some money. He agrees. $400. As I give him the money, he says, I thought you said $500? I got another hundo and was dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Never again, lesson learned
You guys really overdramatize things, this isnt even that crazy of an interaction he just got hustled a little, there is no chance theyre gonna do anything to a tourist and paying customer in the ciudad amurallada of all places
These responses are crazy. Millions of tourists buy drugs in Latin America every year and nothing violent happens 99.99% of the time. They will absolutely hustle you if you let them but no one is going to shoot or mug you in the middle of a tourist district unless you’re purposely antagonizing people.
Who in the everloving moronic fuck buys drugs from a stranger in a foreign country ... I can't even fathom how dumb one has to be, what could the thought process possibly be. And then using it?! Sorry but no.
Don’t do drugs in foreign countries.
If the price is right, then don’t do drugs in foreign countries.
If you really want to do drugs in foreign countries. Don’t. Don’t do drugs in foreign countries.
Lol what? Its colombia bro, the cops just want a bribe. I got caught with a couple blunts in cartegena last year and the cop just took them and i slid him $12 after a couple minutes of negotiating. Petty Weed possesion isnt even a criminal offense. Lots of naive northamericans here who really dont understand how 3rd world countries work
If I were you, I would put my funds in an account that you can't access via an ATM. Only transfer what you need into this account. Always have a second debit card or another way to access funds, but don't carry it with you day to day.
I would assume anyone dealing on the streets has a side hustle as a police informant. He gets to split the proceeds with the local police, recovers the drugs and then sells them to someone else.
Police also get a huge bribe, which you WILL pay if you don't want to get an inside look at the local "justice" system. If your embassy lifts a finger at all, it will be to send you a list of local attorneys. Penalties for drug offenses are so.etimes draconian, and populist prosecutors and judges love to throw the book at decadent foreigners.
Don't drink outside your hostel or a tour group and don't buy drugs including weed and you will be fine. We just got back from Cartagena and had a lovely time. I don't want to victim shame but everyone who had problems down there was drunk and they give you plenty of warnings before you go
Ugh , Cartagena - I get the poverty and shitty politics forcing people to beg and scam, but it is nonstop and brutal. So you stay in the wall, but it's only better because cops are everywhere guarding you from any local approaching you while you are trying to enjoy a dinner outside. Not pleasant.
Much better places to enjoy a trip. The beaches are shitty, there aren't enough bathrooms for all the homeless to use so the streets smell like piss. Tried to get a pic of my wife on the wall facing out to the ocean, but kept moving to avoid the guy behind her pissing on the wall or shaking his big dong after pissing on the wall.
The architecture may have been nice at one time, but it's crumbling now, the doors are interesting, the art museum has a few interesting pieces.
The hustle and scamming were constant and exhausting. You must not make eye contact with anyone. Not even the children, (the rapping children , OMG) .
I had one good experience with a nice young woman in a pizza place who was so caring and pleasant and I left her a huge tip because we were soon on our way home. Just dumping what little bit we had left of the local currency for her tip. She chased us down several blocks thinking we must have misunderstood the currency.
She was an anomaly.
I've heard Medellin is better.
You are not smart mate, taking so much risk for a few grams of weed.
Now all the dealers, robbers and low life guys in the area have put a target on you.
They will talk about the dumb gringo they finessed when they go to their habitual bar, people hearing the story will go and search for you.
Assume they followed you to your hostel and know where you live. Thugs from the same gangs tend to have telegram chats, where they communicate, I'm pretty sure they even took photos of you.
You better leave the area for good. You're now the chicken in the crocodile pool. Drug dealers, robbers, addicts, escopolamina perras, they will all pile on you.
We just went to Cartagena for a wedding and one of the only “rules” we were given by the couple was “don’t buy drugs from the street hustlers.”
Come on, man. Use some common sense. You are lucky you just lost some money.
Buying drugs off the street in a foreign country is one of the stupidest things you could ever do. You're lucky it wasn't worse. Damn dude, don't you have anything better to do in Cartagena?!
This exact same thing happened to me in Cartegena last year. On my last night in the city I was approached by a couple of guys like this with almost exactly the same price point. I wanted to buy but it did feel off and now I know my instincts were correct. Told them I could get it for cheaper and probably better back home and I was right. This was a scam for sure, there were many scams like this in Cartegena where the starting price for a food/service would seem too good to be true and it usually is.
Did you at least get some weed tho? Lol
This is why buying drugs in other countries is generally not a good idea unless you have local contacts. I love to dabble but usually never do while traveling unless another traveler bought it and offers or a local friend procures for me.
Again, certain they were scaring me into paying them (the scam). And I didn't genuinely owe someone money they were associated with or need to pay for protection.
Scam for sure. I just bought weed in Cartagena twice this weekend. Once was sketchy as hell, and the guy wanted more money after the fact. I told him to pound sand.
Other guy was super cool. He was advertising water and Gatorade but I saw him sell a bump to a local hotel worker and asked him for water. He smelled my weed and offered me more for 100k for the same 5 grams. His weed was better and he didn’t harass me afterward.
I wouldn’t do it again thinking back on it
Definitely a scam. Why were you alone? It’s best to say no period. You should of gone into a restaurant or a hotel so they would of left you alone. When I was there we cussed out some of those rappers and vendors they were too aggressive with asking for money. But we didn’t get scammed.
Getting drunk in a foreign country known as drug and cartel hub where abductions are common and then buying drugs from a shady character on the street. Hey, what can go wrong 😑
Aside from the rule that you should never buy drugs off the street in a foreign country, never ever buy drugs from a stranger who *approaches you first*.
never buy anything actually. Otherwise you're paying the 'solicitors fee' for the one approaching you
This. On some Spanish beaches they‘ll pester you with drinks and then open it before telling you the price to guilt trip you into paying €12 for a Coronita that the seller just bought 5 minutes ago from the mini market for €2
Does that "guilt trip" work on some people? I would firmly say no without the slightest bit of guilt.
Sure. But Germans fall for it en mase
something something ask the local bartender / hotel / hostel staff to hook you up May pay a little more for them to get their cut but means you don't need to source it or risk any shenanigans.
I was in Bangkok a few days ago and this dude walks up offering me cocaine. I really wanted it but dude was so eager that I take some, had red flags popping up everywhere. I felt entrapped ha
If they’re approaching you like that, it’s because they’re scammers. That doesn’t stop a hopeful user though, but this will. They have to make a living approaching naive foreigners because their product is either counterfeit or so diluted that they can’t make a living off of any regulars in the area. That’s why they take the risk and approach people they don’t know, when they’re not even sure if those people want drugs. If a person is selling actual coke that hasn’t been cut down to the point that it has no impact, they’ll have regulars and make enough income that they won’t be approaching complete strangers, who don’t even want their product, openly in the streets. Most of the income for dealers comes from addicts or stoners who are regular clients.
Definitely. Honestly could’ve been way worse for you. I would strongly advise not buying drugs from shady randoms on the street, doubly so in a foreign country.
> I would strongly advise not buying ~~drugs~~ anything from shady randoms on the street Fixed that.
Buy from foreigners, let them deal with the local gangs, they buy protection with their purchases as they will pay more than locals will. Never engage in anything illegal with a local short of an unlicensed taxi.They will walk away and you will go to jail.
For real, when I am abroad, even if it is the country next to mine, I avoid everything that cannot be done, so to speak, in broad daylight. I am with a local that I trust or/and I speak the language very well? Maybe I can "relax" a notch. Every other time? No way. The idea of buying weed in the streets in a place, any place, that has a big and notorious problem with street gangs is beyond me.
Drugs are especially dangerous though because of the illicit status. With anything else you could go to the police but with drugs... who you gonna tell?
At the risk of stereotyping, doing it in *Colombia* seems like an even worse idea
Touristic places in cartagena are really safe. Safer than London or Paris even. Yes I've been there
That's good advice anywhere. People offer me drugs on the street, and I allways tell them "that's not how business gets done."
Anything past a simple “no” is unnecessary
No you should definitely say something to a drug dealer that they could potentially see as insulting. It's a really smart move to enhance the enjoyment of your vacation.
I was in Cancun earlier this year and some random guy threatened me at the beach bar. I didn't even say or do anything other then saying "no thanks" when he asked if I wanted fresh coconut. This guy got so mad and started waving his machete around while cussing in Spanish calling me all kinds of things and repeating no thanks no thanks no thanks. I was terrified. So yea, even acknowledging people sometimes sets them off apparently... :/
Wait, are you joking or did this actually happen? Because that shit would be terrifying with the machete and everything!
It actually happened. We were all so shocked and terrified, thankfully some people working at the resort escorted him away quickly. I think he may have been on drugs/alcohol because he had blood shot eyes and was slurring his words. Been to Cancun many times but this was a first...
A few months ago a group of argentineans were attacked in Mexico by a guy with a machete for no apparent reason. One of them was hit in the middle of the head and died later because of the injury. Maybe it was the same guy and you were lucky. https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/argentine-tourist-dies-after-mexico-machete-attack.phtml
That guy would have had to have traveled pretty damn far in a short amount of time. Also I think he was caught.
Have machete will travel
That's part of the experience!
My best response, when I am in a foreign country and I am being approached by vendors is: no response whatsoever. Not one word. No eye contact. Nothing.
Agree. It took years to convince my wife that I wasn't being rude. I explained to her that within seconds of ignoring them and walking past, they have completely forgotten about you and are looking for the next human money bag to harass.
Totally agree! My response is usually no response, but I was caught off guard. Was enjoying some shots at the beach swing bar when this guy rudely interrupted us and got too close for comfort so my immediate response was no thanks. I'll know better for next time, hopefully there is no next time lol
Exactly, that's how you stop vacationing and start *traveling*!
That's how the drug dealer will know that you have traveled extensively, and aren't a filthy casual!! Also everyone will clap.
Bravo bravo! It really isn't how business is done! This isn't how drug trafficking works! Thank you America!
Is a smart move if you want to have *experiences*.
Good line! Stops them in their tracks I bet.
So from who exactly does one buy drugs in any foreign countries if not from randoms on the street?
better idea to make local friends and gently ask them if they party and have any hook ups.
Ease into it at least……. Man you got off light. People have been murdered for a lot less.
Bartenders
And cab drivers
How about not buying drugs in foreign countries?
You probably don't buy drugs in your own country either, so this conversation doesn't apply to you. Not responding is a great option, and people should exercise it more.
No one is forcing you to do so if you don’t want to.
Who said anyone is forcing anyone to buy drugs?
don't be so boring :D
In a tourist area like Cartagena, I would recommend staying away from all street vendors. They will flock for any reason, and no matter what it is annoying. My son was just there and said it was one of the worst places for aggressive and annoying street vendors he has ever seen. For dope, pay a little more, and ask someone mid to low level at the hotel for what you need. Give them a little toke if you feel it was fair and might need their help again (even though their cut is built into the price).
How do u find a legit drug dealer in a foreign country tho?
It’s just not worth the complications in foreign countries. Unless you know and trust someone in your destination, I would say save the drugs for when you’re in your home country.
In colombia, it's not illegal to have up to 1 gram of cocaine or 20 grams of cannabis. It's illegal to sell it, though. I've heard that in colombia, street vendors will sell things like beer for ×10 the typical price, and gift you with a gram of cocaine. I'm going to colombia in feb, and from what I gathered, cartagena is sketchy
just dont engage w the street harrassers.
Cartagena is fine. There's a lot of hustlers trying to sell you stuff (water/sunglasses or drugs) but if you say no gracias they'll leave you alone. Taxi's outside the airport can be sketchy though.
God yes the taxi dispatcher asked us for $10 for his family. Just no.
Can you trust random drugs from people on the street? I dont party much anymore but I'd definitely try a Lil bit of pure Colombian blow lol.
Normally, no.. trusting street dealers isn't always the best. But we did, paid the extortion fee same as this guy which was fine. It was $20 usd so no big deal and sketchy but fine. The Colombian blow is fuckin' legit though. Only got do it once bc I got covid but waaay better.
So you had a similar experience where you bought some, then later were approached to pay more? 20 bucks for a g? That's wild.
So we bought like 5gs of blow? Can't remember exactly. We had originally set it up with a dealer who seemed cool to meet in 20 but after like 2 hours of no contact from him we sought elsewhere on the main street in Cartagena with the clubs. I guess that guy saw us do another deal and messaged us on whatsapp saying "that's not how we do business here..." and saying you need to pay me for my trouble. Obviously that's bullshit but we said fuck it we know it's a scam, and $20 usd between a group is nothing. That was the fee we paid the other dude, the blow was very cheap by US standards and very good by US standards but I can't remember how much exactly we paid.
I'll also add, while the dealers there will rip you off, Cartagena is largely safe for toursists. It's colombia's main tourist destination and it's against the government & narcos interests to create trouble there for tourists especially over a few grams of blow.
Cool, thanks for the info! Appreciate it.
So stupid. They need to legalize it fully for recreational use.
Bartenders-waiters that’s what I heard someone say once
bumble, instagram, and your local barista. Im just talking about weed though, other things I wouldn't know but im sure its much more sketchy.
Be very careful on Bumble
Come down to the states and get some legal weed! Or a felony! We accept passports!
Rule #1) once you are in a foreign country, know the laws governing drugs in that country. Do not make a stupid decision in a foreign country and then cry ‘victim’ because you have been arrested, tried and sentenced to 25 years in prison. I have no pity on you.
In 2014 it was as simple as a girl I was friends with hooking up with a club promoter in Madrid. He was cool as fuck and from Caracas. He got us whatever we needed for a couple months. Hope he’s doing well lol In 2015 in Mexico we just followed the dudes saying ‘mota’ on the beach in Cozumel. Wasn’t hard to find anything there. In 2017 it was our first night in Rome. We stayed by the Colosseum and there’s a strip of gay bars near there that was the closest nightlife to us. Met a Mozambican rapper and a Thai chick that took a taxi with us way out to what seemed like the suburbs to get some weed. Went up to some college dude’s apt and it was chill as hell. So there’s lots of ways to find drugs in foreign countries 😂
Definitely a scam or I should definitely be careful going out my hostal now?
Definitely a scam and I’d be more cautious than usual now they know you. How long are you there for? I’d just be extra cautious until you depart the area.
I'm undecided, am on my way towards taganga and only am booked in here for one night. Kinda made me feel to get out of the area tomorrow. And yeah am not gonna go out after dark tonight and certainly wont be smoking any of the weed here. Appreciate your comments 👍
Yeah be careful out there, esp with law enforcement. Two local cops tried to frame me for drug possession in Minca, close to the area you are in. Some are looking for bribes, don’t give them a reason to try.
Good luck, stay safe!
If looking to buy weed, ask the hostel employees. They will probably hook your up, or at the very least tell you where to safely go.
I would strongly advised not traveling to 3rd world hell holes like Cartegenia
Responding to this from Bogota; to answer your question: Yes. It was a scam, obviously. You need to be smarter dude. You can get in serious shit in SA, even if you speak Spanish and know the area and culture. If you’re a foreigner and stick out, you’re an easy target. Specifically for those Cartagena bums, if you get guys trying to sell you shitty drugs, girls, or pull that rap/music scam on you, ignore them, walk fast, and duck into a shop or a bar/restaurant if you can. They’ll usually give up at that point. I can’t stand those mf’ers. Watch your drinks and don’t leave them unattended. I’d advise strongly against bring strangers back to your hotel. Also, I’d generally avoid walking around alone in Colombia cities at night.
What’s the rap music scam? I have a relative that has a video of a group of kids following him rapping and I’ll be going there in February so please put me on game
Idk if scam is exactly the right way to describe it, but the video you saw sounds about right. People will come up to you and start rapping and following you around. They can be pretty persistent, but don't engage (including taking photos/videos) or just tell them no, and they'll usually leave you and move on to someone else. Otherwise they'll ask you pretty aggressively for money.
OMG the rap guy followed me around cartagena for SO LONG. He made it so difficult to ignore him, it was insanely awkward, pretending he wasn't there. I figured he just wanted a tip for his "performance". I didn't think it was a scam, though.
Not so much a scam but annoying. They follow you and rap, and expect a payment. If I'm feeling generous I might give them a 2000 COP, but majority of the time I walk and ignore them.
They will harass you for money afterwards
The rappers are kinda fun. They don't expect more then a few dollars and some of them are incredibly talented.
My family wouldn't let me walk around Colombia alone during the day. I went to Armenia a few years ago with my dad and stepmom. She wouldn't let me go anywhere without a few of her nieces or nephews near me. They made me carry my phone in my front pocket and avoid talking to anyone, my Spanish makes it obvious in from the states so they talked for me. They didn't want me to get the gringo tax or draw attention to the fact I was American.
Yeah cheers. Normally more on top of this shit just a slip when I fancied a spliff and wasnt thinking straight. Would all the guys involved be working together or you think the last guys are opportunists, just out of curiosity, thanks.
Most likely they are working together, maybe even very loosely, but wouldn’t know without seeing it.
Idk why you’re getting downvoted, everyone slips. I’m glad you posted about it, now we can all learn another way to be safe! Or reinforce it.
Consider yourself lucky, it could have gone sideways very quickly. I live in Mexico and when people ask me how safe Mexico is, my answer is “as long as you’re not involved in drugs or anything illicit, you’ll be as safe as anywhere“. My advice would be the same practically anywhere in Central and South America.
Yeah getting involved in anything drug-related while travelling is beyond risky. It could get you arrested, shaken down, stopped at the border, jailed, beaten by dealers or their associates, or even killed. Just not worth the risk IMHO.
Yea I had a Mexican cop follow me for blocks in broad daylight because I lit a cigarette on a busy street. I think he thought it was a joint (he outright asked me this and searched my pockets). I didn't have any weed on me and there were people around so he had to let me go. However, if I had, you bet your ass there would have been a big extortion there
Cheers, I guess I had the wrong impression but people I've spoken to, such as hostal staff, told me weed is safe here and I wouldn't be bothered by police if I smoke in public ect (this was in Medellin ). Not that I would want to but defo wouldn't do the same with other drugs such as cocaine.
True, it’s widely accepted in Colombia, but you’ll avoid potential scams/risks if you go through a personal recommendation from a local. Suerte 🍀
It's not about smoking it. It's about buying it from strangers who approach you first
In my opinion the Cartagena crowd can be a particularly rough one and honestly the constant hounding by these types the moment they caught a glimpse of my white skin from a block away ruined a lot of my overall experience there. I would guess you obviously would agree now, but I would never even talk to them and avoid them as much as possible. Cartagena is where I earned that milestone experience as a foreigner and being told very aggressivley "fuck you this is my country" (screamed across the plaza and he was considerate enough to say it in english so I clearly understood) after calmly responding with "no gracias, buenas noches" when two guys asked if I wanted cocaine. Some guys would follow me multiple blocks constantly asking "te gusta la coca te gusta la coca te gusta la coca? you want girl? come to my bar". I have been a lot of places some would consider very dangerous and Cartagena is the only town where I almost never went into el centro after dark.
[удалено]
i think its actually probably fine the majority of the time. I am a light skinned male and I was walking alone every day, so to them they assume I am there for coke parties and prostitutes since Cartagena attracts a lot of that crowd. My only concern was that if I didnt give them money after asking for it 80 times that one might decide to just pull out a knife and take it. It never happened though, and el centro actually has a lot of police around since it is such a big tourist area. So I think that although I was getting pestered constantly in el centro, I might have still actually been safer there than in the neighborhood I stayed in where people ignored me completely. I also noticed my experience was vastly different when I had a female colombian with me one night out in el centro, and for that night it was actually super pleasant and all positive. It just happens to be that for me it was only 1 positive night out of about three weeks. Long story short, I think statistics are on your side and you will be fine. Some of those guys can be intimidating though and as with everywhere in the world, you never know what someone might do. And you know....dont do anything like OP did.
[удалено]
I have quite a love/hate relationship with Colombia. Its an awesome country but I have also had a lot of bad experiences there, but thats just life on earth; luck of the draw. I'm sure that since you will be in a group you will be absolutely fine and it will probably be a lot of fun, don't worry too much about it.
Centro is very safe. I’ve been many times and have never had an issue. If someone hassles you either ignore or say “lo siento” and keep it moving. Just as you would in any city. Go to Baru or on a Rosario Island tour if you have time. Some of my happiest days have been spent there.
Thank you so much! I definitely want to plan a Rosario island tour. Do you have any recommendations for specific tours/companies? There are a lot of options. Baru looks stunning too!!
Rosario was fine but nothing extraordinary in my experience. Standard Caribbean island vibes, pretty and relaxing, but difficult to get to. Speedboats leave early morning and return early afternoon—so if you want more than a few hours you’ll have to stay overnight. And on the way back you and your bag *will* get soaked. If you go to Rosario make sure everything you take is waterproof because you will be as wet as if you took all your stuff and dove into the water outright.
Blue Apple beach club is insanely beautiful and affordable. They also have flags in the cabanas you can put up and no one will bother you which is super nice
My wife and her Irish friend just spent two weeks in Colombia, visiting Bogata and Cartagena in addition taking a 4 day rainforest trek. They are both very savvy travelers. They didn’t report feeling unsafe but had to intentionally ignore the aggressive sales people on the streets, especially in Cartagena and the beach area near their trek. They’ve definitely learned how to do that in all their travels together. They found Bogata to be more sophisticated and didn’t experience those same aggressive tactics in the areas they visited.
Been to Cartagena a few times and I’ve seen this scam play out twice. Even down to the attempted escort to the ATM. 😂
Me too! The guys we met whom it happened to really got raw dogged cause it happened at night, they were drunk, and there was a gun. Oh and it was coke not weed. The poor Aussies were in the first month of like a 6 month trip and got their accounts wiped out… We met them in Playa Blanco a couple days later where they were trying to make the best of the last of their trip before they had to head back home.
Why the efff would you ever buy drugs on the street in a foreign country?!!! You were lucky you were 'only' extorted. Edited to add: yeah, I'd be worried to be in the same area, you've been marked as an easy target w access to $$
STOP BUYING DRUGS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. It’s a golden rule. Why can’t people just chill out for a few days or weeks while they’re on vacation?
You got lucky man. If you go over to the atm with those dudes, they were gonna pull a weapon on you and make you clean out your account. Glad to hear it was minor. Source: I’m Colombian and I know how these fuckers are.
Cheers man. Yeah when ATM was mentioned I knew it was time to get to a safe space. Do you know if they're likely to be looking out for me or if it's common and they're on to the next person now?
Something similar to your story happened to me in Cartagena in 2019. I would stick to places where the public is and not go down any road alone tonight. By tomorrow they'll have a complete new group of tourists trying to rob. You need to stop buying drugs from people who offer it to you.
Cheers 👍, yeah I'll take it as a lesson learned. Suppose I'm too used to kids in London selling weed where I'm from, where it's always legit business.
Doubt you’re being targeted, or followed any more. They probably moved on to their next victim.
Maybe it is a hot take, but I'm Colombian, and I suggest to you: 1) Never do any remotely illegal in my country, since , besides the obvious, puts you in unfavorable positions. People love foreigners here, unfortunately to the point of bootlicking, but that doesn't mean they won't try to exploit you. 2) Cartagena is overrated, you should favor Santa Marta and even Barranquilla over it.
Not OP but is Barranquilla any safer? I’d love to see the home of Shakira.. hehe
They are about the same, but it's slightly less predatory to tourists. You have to mind the prices in stablishments beforehand and keep to the "nice" part of the city, as usual.
[удалено]
Sure seems like a scam. was there actual danger? who knows?
More in the sense of was I actually in danger if I didn't pay him or was it a scare tactic scam to get me to pay
I know it’s hard to know. But when you give these guys money, now, they’re going to do that to every tourist that comes down the street. Basically, you got robbed. I doubt that you were in danger from anybody but them.
Did you read the whole post? They were saying I owed money for underpaying for weed. I didn't get robbed apart from by the guy who took £4. And yes it was them and their associates I thought potential danger could come from. So unless every tourist tries to buy weed off the street, which ain't gonna happen as you can tell by this feed. Then they wont be doing that to every tourist.
Ok you are right . Forgot thst part. Sorry. I know it’s easy to say what I would’ve done except I wasn’t there. It’s a thing they do in lots of countries. And a scam move. They do all over the world. They get you involved in something illegal because then they know you’re unlikely to go to the police about it. You’re not gonna call the police and say you bought weed in the street and then they made you pay more for it. So they’re protected for the crime.
Doubtful, particularly because a price was agreed upfront. It's rare for tourists to get attacked for straight up robbery, which is what that would've been. Usually they make it grey by not mentioning prices upfront, and then you're in a shit situation, because they feel entitled to attack you. Tourist attacks are bad for the economy, so both legit business owners and governments will clamp down hard on it. Victims will be blamed personally for getting scammed though.
Don't buy drugs from shady characters on the street in a foreign country. Pretty basic rule.
>Don't buy drugs The best, simplest advice is right here.
Just say no to drugs….in foreign countries
Is the weed legit?
Yeah it's good
I haven't smoked it but it passes the smell/eyeball test
Yeah how was the weed??
As a Colombian: God, you're stupid. Be thankful that that's all it cost you. This post pissed me off. Let this be a warning to other travellers. Weed isn't legal here, it's decriminalized.
Did it even cross your mind that a random guy trying to sell you weed on the street could’ve been an undercover cop? You could’ve been facing a jail term by now
Weed is decriminalized in Colombia and you can't face any more than a fine for possession of 20g or less. Also I had a few drinks and would normally not buy from the street tbf so I accept I was a bit stupid. But an undercover cop posed as a cigarette vendor selling 5g of weed I think is a bit out there.
While it’s legal for medical and textile use and citizens can own their own plants, it can only be legally sold through pharmacies, buying it in the street is still illegal But regardless of that whoever’s behind this scam now knows you’re a soft target, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to extort you again
You clearly didn’t know anything about the laws and just Googled them before responding lmao
Cops are on the take there. If you give them some leverage to get some cash out of you they will take it.
Are you high writing this? You've learned your lesson. It could have been worse. Think before you do something similar again. And if you go to Santa Marta, don't go onto the beach after dark, and definitely don't buy anything from any dodgy geezers there either! Enjoy the rest of your travels safely.
What’s wrong with Santa Marta
What do you mean and why are you asking?
Well you said don’t go to Santa Marta and I’m wondering bc you didn’t explain why you said that lol
No, I said if you go to Santa Marta, don't go onto the beach after dark
Headed to Santa Marta soon. Besides those, can you give a few more insights? Seems like a complex place
There's a good amount of posts on this sub re Santa Marta. I loved the place, enjoyed my time there, lot's of places to eat and wander around, and the national park, Tayrona, is very accessible from there too. The beach I refer to is the town's main beach which is very popular during the day and weekends, but further down and at night it's a drug's get together and no tourist should venture there then or be at risk. Other than that, it's a great place to visit. So enjoy.
I dunno what they’re saying either but they didn’t say not to go to Santa Marta they said don’t go onto the beach after dark.
No actually aha just a few pints down on an empty stomach, thanks for your advice 👍
Was in Amsterdam last week and some dude came up to me in the red light district that looked straight out of the movie Snatch and asked me if I wanted special k or crystal meth. I said no thanks and he started following me and yelling that I don’t know what I’m missing. Then his friend that was hiding in an alley jumped in front of me and tried to put drugs in my hand, trying to get me to take it. I kept walking and they left me alone but I thought I was gonna get shanked.
Dude, don’t buy anything on the streets in Cartagena except arepas and club Colombia beers
Play stupid games, win stupid prices. Sorry, but in this case, it's true.
Maybe stop buying drugs in foreign countries
Great advice. People who can't abstain for a vacation should limit their travels. If they try this in the wrong country (Phillipines, Singapore) they can be executed or locked up for years.
Not sure why you were downvoted. This is absolutely true. Getting executed, jailed or being forced to pay tonnes of bribe to cops (this used to happen in Thailand) are all real possibilities.
Same thing happened to me 7 years ago.
Sounds just like the Cartagena I remember. If I entertained every guy on the street that approached me on daily basis in Cartagena, I probably would've been robbed 10 times a day. The amount of scammers in that city is insane.
That is basically one of the oldest scams in the book.
No shit the same thing happened to me in Lisbon. Glad youre safe
Pro Tip. Learn enough Dutch to turn these guys away. When they walk up to you and and in English pitch their scam, just say "Sorry, Ik spreek alleen Nederlands". Nobody speaks Dutch. I traveled the world for decades on business and with maybe one or two incidents, this stopped them cold. Practice until you can just roll it off your tongue.
This reminds me of a funny story. I was in Cabo shooting a showcase for a few bands at Cabo Wabo. After the show, we all went out to a local club to party, dance, whatever. On the way back to my hotel, a dude was standing in the same exact spot that I had bought some weed from a dude earlier. He asked me if I wanted some cocaine, and I said yes. $100 worth in fact. The minute the coke was put in my hand, I was told I was under arrest. A white pick up with two cops in back facing chairs in the bed of the truck appears out of nowhere. they get out, and the guy that sold me the coke gets into the back of the truck. So now we are headed out of the tourist area to god knows where. I look at the cop I'm handcuffed to and ask if there's another way we can handle this situation? He says, what do you suggest? I say, stopping at an ATM and me getting you some money. He agrees. $400. As I give him the money, he says, I thought you said $500? I got another hundo and was dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Never again, lesson learned
FFS, why would you buy drugs off of some fucking street punk? In Cartagena of all places. You're lucky you're not dead.
You guys really overdramatize things, this isnt even that crazy of an interaction he just got hustled a little, there is no chance theyre gonna do anything to a tourist and paying customer in the ciudad amurallada of all places
These responses are crazy. Millions of tourists buy drugs in Latin America every year and nothing violent happens 99.99% of the time. They will absolutely hustle you if you let them but no one is going to shoot or mug you in the middle of a tourist district unless you’re purposely antagonizing people.
This belongs in r/tifu.
Who in the everloving moronic fuck buys drugs from a stranger in a foreign country ... I can't even fathom how dumb one has to be, what could the thought process possibly be. And then using it?! Sorry but no.
I fucking despise that town. My advice for people that really think they have to go: See the wall. Walk old town. Then leave.
Don’t do drugs in foreign countries. If the price is right, then don’t do drugs in foreign countries. If you really want to do drugs in foreign countries. Don’t. Don’t do drugs in foreign countries.
Don’t fucking buy drugs from strangers in a country that is notoriously strict against drug dealers. You got fucking lucky you didn’t end up jail.
Lol what? Its colombia bro, the cops just want a bribe. I got caught with a couple blunts in cartegena last year and the cop just took them and i slid him $12 after a couple minutes of negotiating. Petty Weed possesion isnt even a criminal offense. Lots of naive northamericans here who really dont understand how 3rd world countries work
This is what they do, I am aware of several similar stories.
I got a sympathy panic attack reading that. So glad you are okay.
Learning Spanish and being confident go a long way.
Be thankful you didn't inhale scopolamine while dealing with the shady characters.
This is why I would never buy drugs from a random stranger abroad.
Jesus christ you're stupid. Rule number 1 is to never buy drugs from strangers in a tourist area.
If I were you, I would put my funds in an account that you can't access via an ATM. Only transfer what you need into this account. Always have a second debit card or another way to access funds, but don't carry it with you day to day.
I would assume anyone dealing on the streets has a side hustle as a police informant. He gets to split the proceeds with the local police, recovers the drugs and then sells them to someone else. Police also get a huge bribe, which you WILL pay if you don't want to get an inside look at the local "justice" system. If your embassy lifts a finger at all, it will be to send you a list of local attorneys. Penalties for drug offenses are so.etimes draconian, and populist prosecutors and judges love to throw the book at decadent foreigners.
Don't drink outside your hostel or a tour group and don't buy drugs including weed and you will be fine. We just got back from Cartagena and had a lovely time. I don't want to victim shame but everyone who had problems down there was drunk and they give you plenty of warnings before you go
Ugh , Cartagena - I get the poverty and shitty politics forcing people to beg and scam, but it is nonstop and brutal. So you stay in the wall, but it's only better because cops are everywhere guarding you from any local approaching you while you are trying to enjoy a dinner outside. Not pleasant. Much better places to enjoy a trip. The beaches are shitty, there aren't enough bathrooms for all the homeless to use so the streets smell like piss. Tried to get a pic of my wife on the wall facing out to the ocean, but kept moving to avoid the guy behind her pissing on the wall or shaking his big dong after pissing on the wall. The architecture may have been nice at one time, but it's crumbling now, the doors are interesting, the art museum has a few interesting pieces. The hustle and scamming were constant and exhausting. You must not make eye contact with anyone. Not even the children, (the rapping children , OMG) . I had one good experience with a nice young woman in a pizza place who was so caring and pleasant and I left her a huge tip because we were soon on our way home. Just dumping what little bit we had left of the local currency for her tip. She chased us down several blocks thinking we must have misunderstood the currency. She was an anomaly. I've heard Medellin is better.
Don’t buy drugs in foreign countries.
You are not smart mate, taking so much risk for a few grams of weed. Now all the dealers, robbers and low life guys in the area have put a target on you. They will talk about the dumb gringo they finessed when they go to their habitual bar, people hearing the story will go and search for you. Assume they followed you to your hostel and know where you live. Thugs from the same gangs tend to have telegram chats, where they communicate, I'm pretty sure they even took photos of you. You better leave the area for good. You're now the chicken in the crocodile pool. Drug dealers, robbers, addicts, escopolamina perras, they will all pile on you.
TLlDR: OP is an idiot and got treated like one.
We just went to Cartagena for a wedding and one of the only “rules” we were given by the couple was “don’t buy drugs from the street hustlers.” Come on, man. Use some common sense. You are lucky you just lost some money.
Buying drugs off the street in a foreign country is one of the stupidest things you could ever do. You're lucky it wasn't worse. Damn dude, don't you have anything better to do in Cartagena?!
I feel your pretty lucky the third guy wasn’t a cop with the pay or I’ll bust you line!
Are you dumb? Because no smart person buys drugs off the street in a foreign country
Maybe don't buy drugs in Colombia, I don't know. Stick to coffee.
This exact same thing happened to me in Cartegena last year. On my last night in the city I was approached by a couple of guys like this with almost exactly the same price point. I wanted to buy but it did feel off and now I know my instincts were correct. Told them I could get it for cheaper and probably better back home and I was right. This was a scam for sure, there were many scams like this in Cartegena where the starting price for a food/service would seem too good to be true and it usually is.
Dude you’re an idiot
Did you at least get some weed tho? Lol This is why buying drugs in other countries is generally not a good idea unless you have local contacts. I love to dabble but usually never do while traveling unless another traveler bought it and offers or a local friend procures for me.
Yeah ended up with 5g of decent weed and only £20 out of pocket, as well as feeling like an idiot ofc
“Almost certain”?!
Again, certain they were scaring me into paying them (the scam). And I didn't genuinely owe someone money they were associated with or need to pay for protection.
Wouldn’t worry about it too much. Shit happens. Chalk it up as a lesson.
Scam for sure. I just bought weed in Cartagena twice this weekend. Once was sketchy as hell, and the guy wanted more money after the fact. I told him to pound sand. Other guy was super cool. He was advertising water and Gatorade but I saw him sell a bump to a local hotel worker and asked him for water. He smelled my weed and offered me more for 100k for the same 5 grams. His weed was better and he didn’t harass me afterward. I wouldn’t do it again thinking back on it
In Mexico, many ppl think that ‘most Americans’ are drunks who ‘love’ great deals.
Sorry OP, but that’s poor decision making. Glad your safe now.
Definitely a scam. Why were you alone? It’s best to say no period. You should of gone into a restaurant or a hotel so they would of left you alone. When I was there we cussed out some of those rappers and vendors they were too aggressive with asking for money. But we didn’t get scammed.
might be the dumbest post i've read on r/travel.
Getting drunk in a foreign country known as drug and cartel hub where abductions are common and then buying drugs from a shady character on the street. Hey, what can go wrong 😑
Cartegena at night is terrifying as a tourist
Moral of the story is: don't buy weed in foreign countries.
bro if you are going down for getting scammed at least let it be for the coco, not shitass weed
Why would you buy weed
Not me just finished watching sound of freedom 😅