ramalot:


Both countries are nice, but very different.

Bangkok, Thailand can be a bit overwhelming and chaotic, if you have never been to South East Asia. It's a very vibrant city, with all kinds of people and tourists. Bangkok is one of the most visited places in the world, so you'll find all nationalities there. Though a ton of backpacker and hippie-types.

I spent 1 month in Bangkok, and nearly 4 months total in Thailand, on 3 different visits.

There are more relaxed cities, like Chiang Mai. And many cool beach towns. Places like Ao Nang, PhiPhi etc. Lots of interesting temples in the country.

The people are generally all right.

Colombia on the other hand has a great vibe. I prefer Spanish culture in general. The language, music and food are cool.

Cool cities like Medellin, with great weather year-round and some nice neighborhoods, like Poblado. Although, areas like that are a bit of a "tourist trap." You need to venture further out, to experience the true Colombia.

It's like visiting Nigeria for the first time, and only staying in Maitama, Abuja. You won't get a real sense of Nigeria.

Colombia also has some nice beach cities like Cartagena. Nice beaches and nearby islands. With an interesting walled city. Although, Cartagena has way too many prostitutes roaming the streets.

Overall, Colombia remains one of my favorites.

Attached pics (in order of appearance):

Ao Nang, Thailand (on a boat to Railay beach)
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Cartagena, Colombia (in Bocagrande)
Cartagena, Colombia (from the Old City, looking at Bocagrande in the distance)

Bro nice thread you got. Your detailing everything with pictorial representation is unique.

Btw........ Medellin (That's Pablo Escobar town?) I hope those drug cartel and their errand kids don repent sha?

Nice. Following. How's the weed culture all over the world like?

ramalot:


My closest guess at your question might be Bali, Indonesia. Jakarta might be different.

Personally, I don't travel or interact with people based on skin color. So I don't dwell much on these things. When people are too focused on it, they end up creating a barrier for themselves, which mentally limits their range of places to visit. All based on what someone else said or experienced, regarding race.

That said, there is certainly a bit of cautious skepticism toward blacks in Asia, so it depends on the interaction and your nationality. Honestly, this happens in most parts of the world, so it's not unique to Asia. For instance, in many places, some people who might've been a bit wary, instantly reset their attitude as soon as they hear me speak. Simply because I have an American accent, which isn't fake.

Suddenly they treat me different, because in their little heads, they go "oh, he's American." If I had an African accent, the interactions might have gone different. This is a multi-layered issue related more to classism than racism, but contains both. Classism in the sense they relax and show respect to a black person, if they realize you're American, British or from any Western country.

Is this not what I have been preaching on Nairaland about the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs regarding immigration? Since the vast majority of blacks are sub-Saharan Africans and the vast majority of poor people in the world are black people, most Asians believe that any black person they see is poor and most likely an illegal migrant. One British-Nigerian narrated a similar experience. She was walking the streets of Tokyo when a policeman ran towards her and asked for her residence card and passport. She presented both her card and British passport. Upon sighting the passport, the policeman feigned disinterest and asked about Harry Potter and his movies. If she had presented a Nigerian passport, I am sure he would want to scrutinise it further.

Gerrard59:


This is the thing I have been preaching on NL - the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs regarding relocation. You are comparing yourself - a black African - to oyibos who japa'd. Both of you are not the same. Oyibo migrated to Hong Kong - another functioning place - for greener pastures. The oyibo did not relocate to a country in Africa. Yet, according to you, because oyibo left Canada, then it is wrong for Nigerians to leave Nigeria to Canada. So, what about the Chinese who left the same Hong Kong where you are to Canada and the UK? What about Indians who leave their country for Australia, UK and Canada? Are you saying those countries are not greener pastures for new migrants? Why the Chinese wey dey Hong Kong no stay for there since it is green simply because a Canadian left Canada? Why the Hong Konger no relocate enter Tanzania?

This behavior is based on the assumption that as an American, you're probably not poor. Unfortunately, on the other hand, they assume all black Africans are poor illegal immigrants in Asia, into some illegal "hustle." So that's where a bit of racism plays into classism.

Again, I have stated this countless times: no one disrespects a rich person, and no country offers visa-free access to a citizen of a poor country. Visa free privileges are hinged on a country's wealth and the citizens' prosperity. The richer a country is and the wealthier her citizens are, the stronger the passport. The strength of the UAE passport has increased simply because she has gotten richer. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/07/united-arab-emirates-ranked-as-having-the-best-passport-in-the-world.html

It is the same way anyone reading this will grant free access of his/her apartment to Dangote instead of me. The belief is that since Dangote is wealthy, he won't constitute a nuisance either as a poor person or a criminal. It does not matter whether I won the Nobel prize, I won't be offered the same privilege as Dangote simply because I don't come from a family as notable as his. Humans are naturally discriminatory.

Visa free privileges are not hinged on racism like some woke people opine, but on wealth. Black people will be respected globally if the vast majority of black-dominated countries become rich. As it is, the wealthiest set of black people are African Americans, but the vast majority of black people are sub-Saharan Africans who happen to be the poorest people globally. Thus, the average black person outside Africa and North America/UK/France is seen as a poor person.
https://www.nairaland.com/5886610/racism-against-blacks-reduce-drastically

Gerrard59:
The strength of the passport helps and for a country to have a strong passport, she must have attained some sort of wealth thereby making her citizens rich/middle class. Yet again, using the Maslow Hierarchy of Need, survival comes first and statistically, most black dominated countries are poor thereby making black people to be the poorest globally of all races. Using that Maslow's rank, you don't expect a poor person to indulge in things like travelling and sightseeing. Na when person don chop belly full, the person go begin dey think of traveling. And for these persons to travel freely without checks here and there, they need a strong passport. But how can the passport be strong when they are poor? Look at the Chinese, when they were poor, they travelled less but now that they are rich, they dominate the tourism market globally that countries dependent on tourism were fearful of the lockdown in China when coronavirus started spreading like wildfire. Same concerns in the higher education industry as most foreign students these days are Chinese (it takes rich people to effortlessly pay tuition fees of >$£30, 000). Another example was when Saudi Arabia revamped her visa rules, she listed China who has tortured more Muslims yet did not include a SINGLE African country including Nigeria which has the highest population of Muslims in Sub-Saharan Africa. In summary, for there to be more black people not necessarily less white people (the advent of Chinese travellers hasn't stopped whites from travelling) travelling, black people have to be rich. When that happens, our passports would be strong, we would achieve the highest point of Maslow's rank and then travel.

This happens more often in Asian countries with a lot of African (especially Nigerian) illegal immigrants causing problems. So places like Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in particular. I have a story about nearly being arrested in Kuala Lumpur, for no other reason than being black. Which is what the officer in charge told me. If I wasn't strong-headed, I and my friend (who wasn't even black) would've been arrested as a bundle deal, just because we were together

The OC said they were arresting all black people they saw that night, because Nigerians caused a big situation in that area the night before. He said they always cause problems, so they're tired and rounding them up, since most are there illegally I might tell the full story another day.

This is the problem when a country's immigration laws are lax towards poor countries - all sorts of people get unfettered access. Before 2006/7, Nigeria had visa-free access to Singapore. But after a spate of drug smuggling, the Singaporean gov't cancelled it and imposed strict visa application processes. The result? The kind of Nigerians you would find in Singapore are better behaved, richer, educated and disciplined than those in other parts of South East Asia. The stricter the visa application process of a country is, the more disciplined the Nigerians there are. In the next few years, Nigerians in the UAE will become better behaved citizens than five years ago. Another contrast to Malayasia is Canada. Tighten the borders to get better behaved Nigerians. Loosen it and you would have them create cult gangs.

ramalot:


Latin America (South, Central, North):
5. Brazil
6. Colombia (multiple visits)
7. Argentina
8. Uruguay
9. Ecuador
10. Chile
11. Costa Rica
12. Peru
13. Panama
14. Dominican Republic
15. Mexico
16. Paraguay

Asia:
20. Thailand (multiple visits)
21. Vietnam
22. Singapore
23. Indonesia
24. Philippines
25. Hong Kong
26. South Korea
27. China
28. Malaysia

Bonus (transits only, without bothering to leave the airport)
31. Moscow, Russia - 6 hours
32. Lome, Togo
33. Doha, Qatar


Current location: Buenos Aires, Argentina (Yes, there will be epic street parties if Argentina wins tomorrow!)

All pictures I post on this thread were taken with my phone. None are edited.

Apart from the bold, how do you gauge the safety in other parts of Asia you have visited? What about South America? How safe are the cities you have visited? Which is the safest city in South America from your experience?

Op you fxck up gan.

You dey use the passport of the most advanced country to tour developing countries and you've got a developing country passport wey just dey waste away, he no too make sense now.

I wish Anthony Blinken revoke ur citizenship ASAP.

Na joke my guy enjoy.

CornOak:
Interesting thread. Detailed and captivating. Your pictures are clear and beautiful as well.

Following.✅

Thanks!

odinga1of:

Bro nice thread you got. Your detailing everything with pictorial representation is unique.

Btw........ Medellin (That's Pablo Escobar town?) I hope those drug cartel and their errand kids don repent sha?

Thanks!

Medellin is a nice city, and the days of Pablo Escobar are long gone. There are no cartels roaming the streets and murdering people. There are dangerous militias in some rural areas, but most people don't go out there.

Like any major city, there is some crime, so you have to be careful, especially in some areas. In nicer areas, like Poblado, if you're a male foreigner, you have to be careful around girls we call "gringo hunters." They're girls who target foreigners they believe have money or valuables. They also target men who use dating apps, like Tinder.

The common plot is they hook up with guys (typically Western guys), on Tinder or around Parque Lleras. They get him to buy a drink or two, and when he's not paying attention, they slip a drug known as Scopolamine into his drink. He soon goes into a state of delirium and loses control of himself.

This puts the guy in a sort of zombie trance, where he's still functioning, but the girl is like the puppet-master. The girl takes him to an ATM and gets him to withdraw as much money as his bank will allow. Then she takes him to his hotel or apartment, where she takes his laptops, phones and all valuables.

She also gets all his bank cards, their PIN and all relevant info from him. Then leaves him at his place. Typically, he'll wake up later the next day and not remember anything at all from the previous night. This is actually the best-case scenario, because the unlucky guys get killed by accomplices she works with, or by an adverse reaction to the drug.

This is happening more and more frequently now. Three of my friends have had this happen to them. Two Americans, one Canadian. Luckily, none of them were killed.

Colombia is generally safe, as long as you stay away from drugs and prostitutes. Drugs and prostitution are actually legal in Colombia. Individuals are allowed to legally have 1 gram of cocaine on them, and 20 grams of weed, for personal consumption only. However, avoid engaging in these things, and you should be fine.

Especially since Colombian police behave like Nigerian police. In that, they will still extort money from foreigners, even if whatever they're doing is not illegal. They are always trying to get bribes from people on the streets.

akwesenana:
Nice. Following. How's the weed culture all over the world like?

I don't smoke weed or cigarettes, but the weed culture varies a lot, from public use in some places, to places with death penalty. Though it's getting more legal status in many places.

In the US, more and more states are legalizing weed, for recreational use. Though I don't smoke, in the 2016 US Presidential election, I voted for legalizing recreational marijuana in my state, as it was on the ballot as well. It went through, and now we have recreational marijuana.

Same status as alcohol. Nearly half of US states now have recreational weed. Nearly 40 have medical marijuana. It's still illegal at the Federal level, but there is a push to legalize it at Federal level.

Around the world, Amsterdam in the Netherlands used to be the weed capital of the Western world, as it legalized it long ago. When I was in Amsterdam, people buy weed brownies at coffee shops, and smoke weed in some designated places.

In Asia, some South East Asian countries like Indonesia have a death penalty for drugs, including weed. This is funny, because you can't walk 10 steps in parts of Bali, like Legian Street, without being offered to buy drugs. I'm not exaggerating. Every 10 steps, someone is trying to sell you cocaine and other drugs.

In Thailand, weed just got legalized this year. So now, street vendors sell weed by the road side. In places like South Korea, Hong Kong and the likes, I didn't notice much of a weed culture. People are a little more conservative about such things, and will typically do it in secret.

In Latin America, people are more open about their weed habits. In Argentina, where I am now, you see cute young girls walking on the street, wrapping and smoking their weed. Sometimes riding a bicycle and smoking it. It's fully legal here.

People hang out at parks and smoke weed. Mature ladies too. I think I've noticed more females smoking weed here, than men.
So yeah, in a lot of places, weed is treated the same as alcohol.

Ramalot,

I'm enjoying your travel experiences across the globe.

You are truly a digital nomad!

Please keep it coming.

Gerrard59:


Apart from the bold, how do you gauge the safety in other parts of Asia you have visited? What about South America? How safe are the cities you have visited? Which is the safest city in South America from your experience?

I agree with your comments about the socioeconomic dynamics of black experiences.

To your questions, safety in Asia is generally good. Other than petty crime, you don't find much major crimes, even in South East Asia.
Hotspot tourist areas, like Legian Street in Bali, Indonesia is really bad for petty theft. My fiancee had her purse and phone stolen from her bag, right behind me. When walking on Legian Street, I always warned her to never walk behind me, because I know how it goes with the guys on that street. So she's always in front, so I can keep an eye on her, for her safety.

One day, she trailed behind me on a narrow sidewalk for literally 5 seconds, or less. Boom, someone opened her handbag, and took out her purse which had her phone and some cash. I turned around immediately I noticed her behind me, and pulled her in front of me, but it was too late. We didn't notice what happened in those 3-5 seconds, till we got about 5 minutes later.

I went back, found one of the guys who distracted us for a few seconds, as part of the plot, when that happened. I threatened him, and he kept denying. When he realized I would probably deck him, he confessed that he knows who took it, but the way it works on that street is if he snitches, they could kill him. I saw it was a waste of time, so I let him go.

Another night on the same street, I was alone and 3 little drugged-out Indonesian guys tried to take my watch, but the one trying to remove it was moving slow, like a zombie. I grabbed him by the throat, then grabbed his friend by the shirt and threw him like a rag doll. He and the other one ran away. The one I had had to beg a bit, before I let him go.

These are the only petty thievery situations I remember experiencing in Asia. Overall, East Asia and South East Asia are much safer than Latin America.

South America has safe cities, and safe neighborhoods in otherwise unsafe cities. For instance, Rio de Janeiro has some of the most notorious favela hoods, but as long as you stay in Zona Sul, you'll be fine. Zona Sul is Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and parts of Botafogo. We stayed in Zona Sul for nearly a year. There are tons of drugged-out homeless people in Zona Sul, but they don't really harass or bother people.

The safest cities in South America are Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina (where I am now). We spent almost two months in Montevideo. Montevideo might be the most expensive city I've been in a long time. More expensive than the US, for everyday items.

It was worth the expense, as last October, I and my fiancee were invited to a small private event, to meet the President of Uruguay and a group of awesome people. I had heard about those other people since I was a kid, and even did speech presentation about them, when I was at the university. I was really more interested in meeting them, than the President. This event was one of the highlights of all my travels, and is a story for another day.

shegzhkn:
Op you fxck up gan.

You dey use the passport of the most advanced country to tour developing countries and you've got a developing country passport wey just dey waste away, he no too make sense now.

I wish Anthony Blinken revoke ur citizenship ASAP.

Na joke my guy enjoy.

Haha, no vex.

If only the green passport had any use. I only carry it in case I need to go somewhere in West Africa. It recently expired, and I called the Nigerian consulate here in Buenos Aires, to ask if I could renew. They said I had to go to Brazil to renew it. Typical Naija operation.

I don't really need it for now, so it's all good.

ferhyntorlah:
Ramalot,

I'm enjoying your travel experiences across the globe.

You are truly a digital nomad!

Please keep it coming.

Gracias!

ramalot:


Haha, no vex.

If only the green passport had any use. I only carry it, in case I need to go somewhere in West Africa. It recently expired, and I called the Nigerian consulate here in Buenos Aires, to ask if I could renew. They said I had to go to Brazil to renew it. Typical Naija operation.

I don't really need it for now, so it's all good.

Lol, did you aquire the American accent by investing in accent reduction / speech pathologist or you came from a family of means and attended a good school in Nigeria ?

ramalot:


I agree with your comments about the socioeconomic dynamics of black experiences.

To your questions, safety in Asia is generally good. Other than petty crime, you don't find much major crimes, even in South East Asia.
Hotspot tourist areas, like Legian Street in Bali, Indonesia is really bad for petty theft. My fiancee had her purse and phone stolen from her bag, right behind me. When walking on Legian Street, I always warned her to never walk behind me, because I know how it goes with the guys on that street. So she's always in front, so I can keep an eye on her, for her safety.

One day, she trailed behind me on a narrow sidewalk for literally 5 seconds, or less. Boom, someone opened her handbag, and took out her purse which had her phone and some cash. I turned around immediately I noticed her behind me, and pulled her in front of me, but it was too late. We didn't notice what happened in those 3-5 seconds, till we got about 5 minutes later.

I went back, found one of the guys who distracted us for a few seconds, as part of the plot, when that happened. I threatened him, and he kept denying. When he realized I would probably Bleep him up, he confessed that he knows who took it, but the way it works on that street is if he snitches, they could kill him. I saw it was a waste of time, so I let him go.

Another night on the same street, I was alone and 3 little drugged-out Indonesian guys tried to take my watch, but the one trying to remove it was moving slow, like a zombie. I grabbed him by the throat, then grabbed his friend by the shirt and threw him like a rag doll. He and the other one ran away. The one I had had to beg a bit, before I let him go.

These are the only petty thievery situations I remember experiencing in Asia. Overall, East Asia and South East Asia are much safer than Latin America.

South America has safe cities, and safe neighborhoods in otherwise unsafe cities. For instance, Rio de Janeiro has some of the most notorious favela hoods, but as long as you stay in Zona Sul, you'll be fine. Zona Sul is Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and parts of Botafogo. We stayed in Zona Sul for nearly a year. There are tons of drugged-out homeless people in Zona Sul, but they don't really harass or bother people.

The safest cities in South America are Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina (where I am now). We spent almost 2 months in Montevideo. Montevideo might be the most expensive city I've been in a long time. More expensive than the US, for everyday items.

It was worth the expense, as I and my fiancee were invited to a very small private event, to meet the President of Uruguay and a group of awesome people. I was really more interested in meeting the other people, than the President. This is a story for another day.

Interesting, absolutely interesting. As for Uruguay, that would be a fantastic place to own a big farm and live a very quiet life. You seem to be a muscular dude from your Indonesian narration. Na the reason I dey very particular on safety. I no get strength to fight.

Could you narrate your Singaporean experience? I really love that country. I met a Singaporean recently and she was stunned at my knowledge of the country. I am a die-hard Lee Kuan Yew fan.

As for East Asia being safe, I am not surprised. It is the reason I said apart from those ones.I am sure you did not see how a gun looked like while across East Asia. Singapore can be categorised as East Asia in demographics and political parlance due to the fact that Chinese dominate the city-state.

Gerrard59:


Interesting, absolutely interesting. As for Uruguay, that would be a fantastic place to own a big farm and live a very quiet life. You seem to be a muscular dude from your Indonesian narration. Na the reason I dey very particular on safety. I no get strength to fight.

Could you narrate your Singaporean experience? I really love that country. I met a Singaporean recently and she was stunned at my knowledge of the country. I am a die-hard Lee Kuan Yew fan.

As for East Asia being safe, I am not surprised. It is the reason I said apart from those ones.I am sure you did not see how a gun looked like while across East Asia. Singapore can be categorised as East Asia in demographics and political parlance due to the fact that Chinese dominate the city-state.

Singapore was great. I visited there with a friend (also American), while I was spending a few months in Malaysia. Clean and organized little country. It's a tiny place. Like if Abuja was a country. It's really expensive though. I was paying $20-25 per glass of whiskey+red bull mix.

Singapore also has a special place in my story, because about 4 years ago, that's where I met the beautiful person who is now my fiancee. She was also visiting Singapore.

ramalot:


Singapore was great. I visited there with a friend (also American), while I was spending a few months in Malaysia. Clean and organized little country. It's a tiny place. Like if Abuja was a country. It's really expensive though. I was paying $20-25 per glass of whiskey+red bull mix.

Singapore also has a special place in my story, because about 4 years ago, that's where I met the beautiful person who is now my fiancee. She was also visiting Singapore.

Eyaaaaaaaaaaaa, see love story.
I'm sure madam is a digital earner like yourself.

shegzhkn:


Lol, did you aquire the American accent by investing in accent reduction / speech pathologist or you came from a family of means and attended a good school in Nigeria ?

I come from a good and well-educated family. I also attended great schools in Nigeria, but more importantly, while I understood our native language, from hearing relatives speak it, I have never spoken it. My parents never spoke it to us at any point. So I have only spoken English, since I was born. When I became a teenager, I also spoke pidgin English with my friends most times, but that had much less of an impact on speech.

I'm happy I understand my native language, and can probably have a conversation in it, if I had to. However, since I never spoke it, it never influenced my speech patterns. When you have a somewhat neutral speaking voice, or the kind of voice some kids in Nigeria used to tell me "why you de speak phonneh," the transition to an American accent is seamless.

Especially when you already grew up fully understanding the nuances of American English, through cartoons, movies and music. No speech pathology needed. It's a natural process, over a long period of time in America. However, the necessary foundation has to be there, to begin with.

ramalot:


I come from a good and well-educated family. I also attended great schools in Nigeria, but more importantly, while I understood our native language, from hearing relatives speak it, I have never spoken it. My parents never spoke it to us at any point. So I have only spoken English, since I was born. When I became a teenager, I also spoke pidgin English with my friends most times, but that had much less of an impact on speech.

I'm happy I understand my native language, and can probably have a conversation in it, if I had to. However, since I never spoke it, it never influenced my speech patterns. When you have a somewhat neutral speaking voice, or the kind of voice some kids in Nigeria used to tell me "why you de speak phonneh," the transition to an American accent is seamless.

Especially when you already grew up fully understanding the nuances of American English, through cartoons, movies and music. No speech pathology needed. It's a natural process, over a long period of time in America. However, the necessary foundation has to be there, to begin with.

Yeah the muscle memory and the fact that English wasn't your second language.

I asked because I see only professionals from Western Europe and countries like South Korea, Japan, China & India obsessed with the American accent thingy, they complain they loose folks pretty quickly in conversations.

Lots of excitement on the streets of Buenos Aires right now

I love this thread. Keep it up man!

ramalot:
Lots of excitement on the streets of Buenos Aires right now

I can only imagine the massive overnight celebration that took place. What a time to be in Argentina to witness this feat.

My question: have you met or come across any black Argentine? I read that the Argentines greatly reduced the black population by sending the men to war front so they could be killed, thus erasing black existence from their history.

As a black person, what has been your perception of the Argentines towards you thus far? Your view may change my mind as I kinda view then as anti black, so reading from you may change that.
Thanks!

ferhyntorlah:


I can only imagine the massive overnight celebration that took place. What a time to be in Argentina to witness this feat.

Absolutely! Lots of partying in the streets, with hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people flooding the streets.

ferhyntorlah:

My question: have you met or come across any black Argentine? I read that the Argentines greatly reduced the black population by sending the men to war front so they could be killed, thus erasing black existence from their history.

As a black person, what has been your perception of the Argentines towards you thus far? Your view may change my mind as I kinda view then as anti black, so reading from you may change that.
Thanks!

The black population in Argentina is very small, compared to other South American countries. Less than 1% of the population.
It's rare to see black people, and when you do, they're foreigners. Usually Senegalese or other African immigrants.

My relationship with Argentina is a bit of a love-hate relationship. I love the city and it's beautiful well preserved historical architecture and parks. However, the people can be a bit odd. There is certainly what's called "passive racism" in Argentina. Meaning you won't experience any overt racism, but you will get the sense that you're being ignored sometimes.

That said, this doesn't only happen to black people. Even my white friends who have visited Argentina experienced the same cold unfriendly treatment and bad service. Argentines are notorious for being cold and aloof, in general. So as long as you know that before visiting here, you'll be fine.

In Uruguay, which is just a 1-hour boat ride away from Buenos Aires, the people are so much warmer and more courteous. Several Uruguayans I spoke with in Uruguay made fun of Argentines, telling me how Uruguayans are more friendly than Argentines.

I find this difference interesting, as Uruguayans and Argentines are ethnically very similar. Unlike most other South American countries, both these countries are made up of a majority purely European population. Over 80%. Mostly immigrants from Italy and Spain, who have only been here about 100 years. So most are the same as Europeans in Europe. In the same way blacks in Haiti and Jamaica are the same as West Africans.

Attached pics:

1 & 2: Celebrations in Buenos Aires yesterday, at the Obelisk (that big white structure, similar to the Washington Monument in the US)

3. View from a restaurant we go sometimes, in Puerto Maduro area of Buenos Aires

4. View of Palacio Salvo in Montevideo, Uruguay. We stayed 1 street away.

ramalot:


Panama City is nice. We weren't there for too long, but the main city around Balboa is very clean and modern. There's an Old city too.
The setting is very similar to Cartagena in that the historic Old City and modern part are right next to each other.

Panama is a bit notorious for money laundering, which is why you hear stuff like "Panama papers" in the news. Lots of shell companies inside shell companies. So the financial institutions are a big part of the economy. The city is really expensive though. Lots of good sea food. Saw a huge local seafood market/restaurant close to the Old city.

Pics attached are all Panama City. First 2 are in the Old City. Other 2 are in the new part.

wow!
The city is beautiful and clean... Am gonna visit

Sweetvie:
wow!
The city is beautiful and clean... Am gonna visit

Sweetvie

ramalot:


Absolutely! Lots of partying in the streets, with hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people flooding the streets.




The black population in Argentina is very small, compared to other South American countries. Less than 1% of the population.
It's rare to see black people, and when you do, they're foreigners. Usually Senegalese or other African immigrants.

My relationship with Argentina is a bit of a love-hate relationship. I love the city and it's beautiful well preserved historical architecture and parks. However, the people can be a bit odd. There is certainly what's called "passive racism" in Argentina. Meaning you won't experience any overt racism, but you will get the sense that you're being ignored sometimes.

That said, this doesn't only happen to black people. Even my white friends who have visited Argentina experienced the same cold unfriendly treatment and bad service. Argentines are notorious for being cold and aloof, in general. So as long as you know that before visiting here, you'll be fine.

In Uruguay, which is just a 1-hour boat ride away from Buenos Aires, the people are so much warmer and more courteous. Several Uruguayans I spoke with in Uruguay made fun of Argentines, telling me how Uruguayans are more friendly than Argentines.

I find this difference interesting, as Uruguayans and Argentines are ethnically very similar. Unlike most other South American countries, both these countries are made up of a majority purely European population. Over 80%. Mostly immigrants from Italy and Spain, who have only been here about 100 years. So most are the same as Europeans in Europe. In the same way blacks in Haiti and Jamaica are the same as West Africans.

Thanks for your response. You really take your time to explain things in details.

After reading this, i think I will choose Uruguay over Argentina then if I'm to visit, lol.

TheCongo2:


Sweetvie

present sir

ferhyntorlah:


Thanks for your response. You really take your time to explain things in details.

After reading this, i think I will choose Uruguay over Argentina then if I'm to visit, lol.

Honestly, other than the people, Buenos Aires is a much nicer and bigger city. BA = 15+ million people. Montevideo = 1.3 million.

I'd recommend visiting both, if you're in the area. Getting to Colonia, Uruguay from Buenos Aires takes 1 hour by boat. Then a 3-hour bus ride to Montevideo, if you want to enjoy the rural scenery along the way.

Or you could take a 1-hour flight, direct from Buenos Aires to Montevideo. Many people visit Argentina and only visit Uruguay for a day-trip to Colonia, and return the same day.

Hello sir... I have always nursed the intention of migrating to the USA but the visa lottery ban on Nigeria since 2014 has been tough to take.
I spoke with a friend in Liberia about the possibility of coming there to get a Liberian passport so as to help me migrate from Liberia to USA and this friend told me a lot which showed its accessible as long as I have money to spend (5kusd) at least for birth certificate, passport, immigration processing and my accommodation/feeding in Liberia till everything is sorted out.
My question: is this true or am I on the verge of been scammed?

NumeroUno7:
Hello sir... I have always nursed the intention of migrating to the USA but the visa lottery ban on Nigeria since 2014 has been tough to take.
I spoke with a friend in Liberia about the possibility of coming there to get a Liberian passport so as to help me migrate from Liberia to USA and this friend told me a lot which showed its accessible as long as I have money to spend (5kusd) at least for birth certificate, passport, immigration processing and my accommodation/feeding in Liberia till everything is sorted out.
My question: is this true or am I on the verge of been scammed?

I apologize, but I can't answer any visa-related questions. I don't know.

NumeroUno7:
Hello sir... I have always nursed the intention of migrating to the USA but the visa lottery ban on Nigeria since 2014 has been tough to take.
I spoke with a friend in Liberia about the possibility of coming there to get a Liberian passport so as to help me migrate from Liberia to USA and this friend told me a lot which showed its accessible as long as I have money to spend (5kusd) at least for birth certificate, passport, immigration processing and my accommodation/feeding in Liberia till everything is sorted out.
My question: is this true or am I on the verge of been scammed?

If Nigerians can't get a USA visa do you think it's Liberians that will get. Liberia is the biggest shithole ever. Better do research and use your 5k usd judiciously if you have that. Give yourself brain.

Sweetvie:
present sir