General Info

[Furysys]

Will be in Medellin starting tomorrow for the next couple of weeks. I usually hang out at Cafe Le Bon in Poblado, and will be spending mornings in a spanish immersion course, for the first week anyway. Anybody around, please say Hi, I am usually reading Portifolio, with a dictionary, to improve my rather shaky hold on espanol.

[Midwest]

If you haven't already, subscribe, (it's only 20 bucks). You can get a good feel of what's out there by viewing the pics. Also, I've gotten & given great info thru pm'ing when discretion is in order for all concerned.

And/or

Rtff for English speaking drivers that have been recommended by members with more than a 1 or 2 posts to avoid self-promoters disguised as mongers.

And/or

Just book a room at the mansion.

They have everything you need there. I stayed there on my 1st trip. Greg is a good guy. Not once, but twice, I was short on c. O. P. (like a dumbass) late at night & greg loaned me some pesos til the next day when I can convert USA d. To c. O. P.

I think he sets the tone at the mansion: everybody from the staff to other mongers staying there are friendly & willing to help.

Hope this helps.

Hello,

I am 23 from Australia. I am going to Medellin and bogata for the first time. Thanks to WT69 i have the list. I do not speak spanish. How badly is this going to affect my trip, and also i am looking for friendly english speaking drivers for both cities. If someone could shed a bit of light on this it would be appreciated.

[BayBoy]

To Dave,

Please, please take a Spanish class before you come to Colombia. There is very little English spoken in Medellin and Bogota.

If you stayed in Poblado in Medellin or the Zona Rosa in Bogota you could probably get by. But if you go beyond those areas, there's no mucho Ingles hablado.

Check the drivers list on WT69 for Ingles speakers.

Out

[Dealdo]

Hello,

I am 23 from Australia. I am going to Medellin and bogata for the first time. Thanks to WT69 I have the list. I do not speak spanish. How badly is this going to affect my trip, and also I am looking for friendly english speaking drivers for both cities. If someone could shed a bit of light on this it would be appreciated.

Dude, you will be fine, But you will miss the best of all. Speaking the language opens a wide door into the local party action and interactive relation. You will be able to go to the "prives" they will try to communicate to make business some of then are Bilingual check on the LIST, you can go aesy to restaurants also speak to the bar tenders at the clubs, and probably pick a girl up who speaks English, there are some just like anywhere else but most of them don't want to learn it or they consider it a very hard language to learn. Since Medellin is not a very tourist spot until lately, People still rooted to their provincial life, They have a beautiful language, plenty of good music, literature etc in their own language, So this will take time for them to feel they need bad to learn English, girls kind of force the gringos to learn their language if they want a piece of that nooky.

I can't recommend any English speaker driver because all I know can say a word, but the list is full of them.

So good luck and if you have time to learn something start practicing.

[Manizales911]

Hello,

I am 23 from Australia. I am going to Medellin and bogata for the first time. Thanks to WT69 I have the list. I do not speak spanish. How badly is this going to affect my trip, and also I am looking for friendly english speaking drivers for both cities. If someone could shed a bit of light on this it would be appreciated.

Because it is your first trip and can't compare it to another trip in which you COULD speak spanish it will appear to you that it didn't affect it much as you will still have a blast as long as you RTFF and follow the advise given. That said, knowing spanish will enhance your mongering game tenfold at least. I first went to Colombia without any spanish skills and when I got back I studied spanish pretty much every day since and still do as I am a slow learner when it comes to language. I am at probably intermediate level now and it makes a HUGE difference. I would strongly recommend that you hire a guide or stay at the Medellin Mansion or Parcero's place and the Bogota VIP Hotel for your first trip. Have fun.

[Davekphp]

Hello,

I am 23 from Australia. I am going to Medellin and bogata for the first time. Thanks to WT69 i have the list. I do not speak spanish. How badly is this going to affect my trip, and also i am looking for friendly english speaking drivers for both cities. If someone could shed a bit of light on this it would be appreciated.

[Legal Tender]

Where do you think you are.?

Come on put your feet on the ground you visited Colombia learn some spanish ohhh. And this is not thoughtful.

Mayority of gringos showing up in Medellin they think they're visiting an american city everyone is going to be with open arms speaking your native tongue wrong wrong by the way Cali is worse don't even come here to many walmart gringos hanging in the wrong spots or sicarios would be looking for the gringo that cannot speak a word in spanish to get some cash. People like you should stay away from Colombia you give us a bad rap. And also colombianas don't wanna talk to you they just see dollar signs on your forehead. If your honestly wanna monger in Colombia or any other south american country you should put an effort to lear the country's native tongue if you wanna get laid the real way learn the native tongue. Mongers like you just show up in Colombia and paid most of the girl higher prices you are killing us man get some common sense instead of complaining about nobody speaks english in Medellin you should learn the native tongue you're not in USA my brother different rules applied to inmigrants from the north in Colombia. Hopefully you take this as a learning advised

Love paisas to the end

The logic is a little contorted, but I get the point: gringos that don't speak Spanish pay more, and that is adversely affecting those who do speak Spanish. We still go by the rule of supply and demand, regardless of the language or country. Those who don't know the language pay more. More importantly, if you don't speak the language you can watch the party. If you speak the language, you can be in the party.

Medellin is beautiful in so many respects. Go there, and if you at least attempt to learn and speak a little Spanish you will be rewarded. In any event, only good energy!

[Rainman3]

Thank you so much guys!

Have always been very impressed with the thoughtful and well described adventures on this board

Would you mind comparing Medellin Mansion vs. Cali Castle for me and others?

I've been to the mansion, but not to Cali, but was somewhat disappointed that no one in Medellin spoke any english, at all.

At the mansion, bc the girls spoke so little english, the conversations even among the mongers were mostly in Spanish...

Is Cali any better?

Thanks so much!

Chris,

Colombia is not Costa Rica!

If you are going to travel here and have any real chance of connecting with the locals you are going to have to do your homework and put in the time and effort to learn Spanish. Once you do you will have much more fun on your trips anywhere in Latin America and be able to get around with much more independence.
Learning Spanish is a gift that you give to yourself and it is one that you will never regret. It is also a show of respect to the locals that you took the time and effort to learn some of their language.

If I had it my way every gringo whose Spanish was limited to ; hola, cerveza, bano and cuanto cuesta would be forbid entrance.

Either get to studying or resign yourself to trips to CR and Cozumel.

I have just never understood the guys who felt that they could travel to places like Colombia without having a basic grasp of the language.

And this is coming from a "good ole southern boy" who is still working on his English. LOL!

Not flaming you hermano but Colombia is Colombia !

[Daves Pison]

Where do you think you are.?

Come on put your feet on the ground you visited Colombia learn some spanish ohhh. And this is not thoughtful.

Mayority of gringos showing up in Medellin they think they're visiting an american city everyone is going to be with open arms speaking your native tongue wrong wrong by the way Cali is worse don't even come here to many walmart gringos hanging in the wrong spots or sicarios would be looking for the gringo that cannot speak a word in spanish to get some cash. People like you should stay away from Colombia you give us a bad rap. And also colombianas don't wanna talk to you they just see dollar signs on your forehead. If your honestly wanna monger in Colombia or any other south american country you should put an effort to lear the country's native tongue if you wanna get laid the real way learn the native tongue. Mongers like you just show up in Colombia and paid most of the girl higher prices you are killing us man get some common sense instead of complaining about nobody speaks english in Medellin you should learn the native tongue you're not in USA my brother different rules applied to inmigrants from the north in Colombia. Hopefully you take this as a learning advised

Love paisas to the end

Thank you so much guys!

Have always been very impressed with the thoughtful and well described adventures on this board

Would you mind comparing Medellin Mansion vs. Cali Castle for me and others?

I've been to the mansion, but not to Cali, but was somewhat disappointed that no one in Medellin spoke any english, at all.

At the mansion, bc the girls spoke so little english, the conversations even among the mongers were mostly in Spanish.

Is Cali any better?

Thanks so much!

[Chris Bigdog]

Thank you so much guys!

Have always been very impressed with the thoughtful and well described adventures on this board

Would you mind comparing Medellin Mansion vs. Cali Castle for me and others?

I've been to the mansion, but not to Cali, but was somewhat disappointed that no one in Medellin spoke any english, at all.

At the mansion, bc the girls spoke so little english, the conversations even among the mongers were mostly in Spanish...

Is Cali any better?

Thanks so much!

[Daves Pison]

Let's no tend to believe the press man they're just relly on trash reports just to have negative vibe o control on the public

I wouldn't go through those places either. What's your point?

The facts are published in multiple press sources.

[Member #3435]

Check the Chicago times the city's has gone a 75% murder rate increase in the last 4 years drugs crimes we have it in USA so don't be a fool and get the facts straight we have as much in our cities komo to overtown in miami and see how long you last.

I wouldn't go through those places either. What's your point?

The facts are published in multiple press sources.

[Daves Pison]

Check the Chicago times the city's has gone a 75% murder rate increase in the last 4 years drugs crimes we have it in USA so don't be a fool and get the facts straight we have as much in our cities komo to overtown in miami and see how long you last.

The below article relates to a discussion a few posts back of overland security in some places of Colombia, particularly the southwest. It is pasted form the Latin America Herald Tribune. It was all over the Colombian news reports on Fri & Saturday.

I post it just to illustrate the type of attack that can happen in some parts of the country that, IMO, would be foolish or at least not worth the risk to travel overland. This is just one example. I't not an isolated incident.

[Member #3435]

The below article relates to a discussion a few posts back of overland security in some places of Colombia, particularly the southwest. It is pasted form the Latin America Herald Tribune. It was all over the Colombian news reports on Fri & Saturday.

I post it just to illustrate the type of attack that can happen in some parts of the country that, IMO, would be foolish or at least not worth the risk to travel overland. This is just one example. I't not an isolated incident.

Six Die as Colombian Rebels Set Bus on Fire

BOGOTA – Six people were killed Friday when leftist FARC rebels waylaid and burned a bus in the southwestern Colombian province of Nariño, a regional official told Efe.

“We know about four adults and two children who burned to death,” provincial government secretary Fabio Trujillo said, adding that the death toll could turn out to be higher.

The incident took place on the road linking Pasto, the provincial capital, and the Pacific port of Tumaco.

Citing witness accounts, Trujillo said the driver of the first bus to pass the spot where the rebels were laying in wait sped past despite the shots fired by the guerrillas.

When the driver of the next bus to come along did pull over, the rebels set the vehicle ablaze without first ensuring that all of the passengers were safely out, witnesses told authorities.

Trujillo said the attack was mounted by “guerrillas from the Mariscal Sucre column of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known as the FARC) that operate in that region.”

Police and soldiers subsequently engaged the rebels who took part in Friday’s assault, Trujillo told Efe by telephone from Pasto.

Nariño, which borders Ecuador, is plagued by strife involving the FARC, Colombian security forces, right-wing militias and common criminals engaged in smuggling.

The FARC has battled a succession of Colombian governments since 1964. Once numbering as many as 20,000, the FARC is now thought to have around 9,000 combatants. EFE

[AddictedToWomen]

I'd rather my passport wasn't stamped with CTG airport entry and exit stamps.... you know for, ahem, personal reasons.

Is this possible?

Enter through another port and fly internally.