Severe Latency on remote DB

This stop watch is only for CONNECTING to the database.

Local Server:
Total execution time: 0.0006 seconds

Non-Local Server:
Total execution time: 21.0226 seconds
In USA still, but different GEO location… connection time alone 21 seconds, no queries, just connection!

This is insane!

Anyone have any suggestions / tweaks ??!?

Disabled hostname lookup in my.cnf now its fast!!