Medellin Reports

[Knowledge]

I like Miraflores for authentic Peruvian food. There are so many restaurants it's hard to go wrong.

I'm so fucking excited to be going back! I've added about 100 WA contacts from SA in the last 2 months, since leaving. Looking forward to newbies & repeats, alike!

I'm kind of writing-off my first week, as it's just filler until I move into my long-term apartment. I'm considering staying in Envigado, just for a change of pace. Anyone stayed there and have a recommendation as to any smaller pockets that are good areas to be, or any specific apartments? I'd prefer to be by La Calle de la Buena Mesa (CL 30 Sur). Any restaurant or bar recommendations in the immediate area?

[SlapShot10]

No more weekend lockdowns on the horizon, only a curfew midnight to 5 AM according to the news.

Medellin is wide open, and I think people are getting burned out on all the protests.

So with that being said, right now is a good time to be in Medellin.

Just read that Medellin curfew and lockdowns all go away June 8. I'm not certain about pico and cedula for shopping. Midnight curfew will continue this week.

I'm so fucking excited to be going back! I've added about 100 WA contacts from SA in the last 2 months, since leaving. Looking forward to newbies & repeats, alike!

I'm kind of writing-off my first week, as it's just filler until I move into my long-term apartment. I'm considering staying in Envigado, just for a change of pace. Anyone stayed there and have a recommendation as to any smaller pockets that are good areas to be, or any specific apartments? I'd prefer to be by La Calle de la Buena Mesa (CL 30 Sur). Any restaurant or bar recommendations in the immediate area?

[SankarShetty]

No more weekend lockdowns on the horizon, only a curfew midnight to 5 AM according to the news.

Medellin is wide open, and I think people are getting burned out on all the protests.

So with that being said, right now is a good time to be in Medellin.

You guys should not change your Medellin visit outlook at the drop of the hat. Who is going to pay for my non refundable ticket and other costs I sunk in to cancelled trip, you or JohnnyO.

Just kidding! LOL.

[Knowledge]

Slapshot you can likely afford to replace a lost or stolen phone. No amount of money will replace your foreign phone number but a spare SIM card will. My two part advice is back up your phone content and keep it simple by using the same phone you use in Mexico, North America or wherever else; part two is get a spare SIM card so you can activate your phone number on it via the Internet or by calling your provider. It's a personal choice but I decided years ago I would not sweat material things I can easily replace. I'm not completely reckless. I don't carry my life savings in a backpack while I'm crawling around Centro. I used to use a generic phone cover so my fancy phone doesn't stick out. Now that I have one of those multi lens phones I keep that covered with my hand the rare times I use it out in an open public setting in Centro. When it's in your pocket a stick up guy is not going to make a distinction between a cheapo Opera Mall knockoff or a US $1300 Samsung S21. For me the convenience of my phone is worth more to me than $1,300. I know it's counterintuitive coming from a Centro rat who rarely breaks the 50 K COP barrier chica plus room included but it is how I roll.

Well I missed you in Puerto Vallarta and was there about ten days ago. Some things to consider about staying in Medellin longer than 180 days in a year. Technically speaking you become a tax resident after being in Colombia more than 180 days in a year, but I don't know if there is an exception for students.

Perhaps where your getting your student visa can shed some light on this, and something you should check into. The Colombian IRS called DIAN is getting more and more sophisticated, and there are several expat's living in Colombia who don't file Colombian taxes and could be in for quite a shock sometime in the future, so just something to check into.

As far as a burner phone, meaning not a smart phone, if that's what your talking about I recommend a Nokia. Lots of knockoffs but the real ones have a long battery life and are about $ 25 USD. But you can also get a smart phone for as low as 200,000 Pesos and it might be a better route for you as you can get data for like 2,000 Pesos a day. As far as Whatsapp on two different phones with different numbers, I tried that as I have two American cell numbers here, and they wouldn't allow it. My American cells stay inside my place, and I only go out with my burner phone.

[Knowledge]

I haven't noticed pico / cedula enforcement. Maybe I shop at places that are too down market.

Just read that Medellin curfew and lockdowns all go away June 8. I'm not certain about pico and cedula for shopping. Midnight curfew will continue this week.

[Paulie97]

I have been watching the State Departments Travel Alerts for 4 years now and Colombia has been at Level 4 the entire time. I agree, it is very good advice right now due to the protests and the lockdown.

El Mechanico.

I'm sure I've seen it at Level 3 a number of times during that time frame.

[LatinaLover#1]

I have been watching the State Departments Travel Alerts for 4 years now and Colombia has been at Level 4 the entire time. I agree, it is very good advice right now due to the protests and the lockdown.

El Mechanico.

With State dept. Alerts is they always err on the conservative side and are overly cautious. I have been traveling to Colombia for over 10 years, many times a year and have never had a problem. However, I don't go to Buenaventura or the Dariand Gap or El Bronx when it was notorious for drugs and crime. Or the dangerous areas of the south. That being said I would not recommend a rookie to visit Colombia in this time of unrest with another large outbreak of Covid. When these issues subside, go and enjoy.

[El Mechanico]

Travel Advisory 4 = stay away, good advice at this point IMO.

I have been watching the State Departments Travel Alerts for 4 years now and Colombia has been at Level 4 the entire time. I agree, it is very good advice right now due to the protests and the lockdown.

El Mechanico.

[JjBee62]

Well since not being at ground zero since last Wednesday, I decided to make a visit and deposit a load!

I left San Geronimo in the morning and arrived at the Northern Bus Terminal around noon, hopped in a cab to Poblado. Upon entering the on-ramp to the Autopista, it was like a parking lot and the driver said it wasn't good with the protesting wherever the fuck it was so he had to back up off the on ramp and I had him take me to the METRO to travel to Poblado. Finally got home, unpacked, made some calls and left at 3:30 PM for ground zero on the METRO. I got off at the Parque Berrio station and while walking down the stairs at ground level I saw three pretty girls, two of which were chatting, and another one talking with a guy. I walked a bit and turned around to watch them and suspected they were working but didn't want to butt in to their conversations. Anyways, I headed to the Veracruz Church and started making laps around the backide of the Church, the side of the Museum and back to the Church. Lots of girls out all over the place with a sprinkling of some very pretty ones, along with all the dumpy ones. It was impressive as to how many girls were out walking around and working, I think about as good as it gets for a Monday afternoon. While walking along side the Museum to the backstreet behind the Church there was a taller older woman, around thirty that I chatted with. She stuck out wearing a white dress and I had never seen her before so I stopped to chat with her. She said she had only been in Medellin for two weeks and was a bit aggressive, and I was interested, as I like thin taller girls most of the time but just couldn't pull the trigger at that moment. So out of curiosity I asked her how much and she said 30 K and I told her no thanks I was going to walk around some more and then she said how much was I willing to pay her. I told her what she quoted was okay, but that I just wasn't ready. She smiled at my response and was very polite about it all when I left. I went around the corner and thought, maybe I should of pulled her, and if it wasn't a good session, what the fuck, pay her and go pull another one. What struck me about her was how she didn't get pissed off about not being pulled and how polite she was. So after leaving and about ten minutes later I decided to pull her, and of course she was nowhere to be found. Oh well, that's how it goes a lot of times in El Centro..

Just read that Medellin curfew and lockdowns all go away June 8. I'm not certain about pico and cedula for shopping. Midnight curfew will continue this week.

[PVMonger]

You can enter the US with that letter and a positive test (both within the last 90 days), but I don't think that will do you any good trying to enter Colombia. I think you have to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

As for getting the vaccine after you have had Covid, many doctors advise against that. They say the antibodies your body produces are more powerful than the vaccine.

This sounds suspiciously like trump's "many people have told me".

[Surfer500]

No more weekend lockdowns on the horizon, only a curfew midnight to 5 AM according to the news.

Medellin is wide open, and I think people are getting burned out on all the protests.

So with that being said, right now is a good time to be in Medellin.

[Mojo Bandit]

If you watch carefully the store clerk looks to touch the thief on the back with his hand thus alerting him, and before any shots were fired.

I notice this also, and it damn near got him killed, but what we will never know is if he said something as he touched him like "drop your gun I'm armed" or something to that effect because he did not want to shoot the robber in the back, either way I got to say he was a little stupid but he has gonads the size of basketballs. It was only because of the angle as the guy turned around that made him miss that first shot.

[Eldo5]

Unfortunately, you can only use WhatsApp on one phone.

It's better to get a virtual number on your burner phone.

I've been in Mexico for 2 months and will be booking my cheap return flight, soon. I'm reading all the reports of violence, and expect to be on high-alert when out. Thankfully, if there is a lockdown, or severe civil unrest, I will have a penthouse that is built to be enjoyed. I literally would not need to leave. As long as Rappi is functioning, I can hunker down in comfort, and probably invite some friends over for a day or two at a time.

Anyway, Mexico was ok. Puerto Vallarta was much better than Playa del Carmen, as far as expenses, weather, and gringos. I can't wait to get back to Medellin. I was looking at maybe going to CDMX or elsewhere, and continuing to search for apartments in MDE. However, I found the perfect spot, and I'm sick of this heat. It has been really refreshing to not have any restrictions, and only wear a mask for the first two steps into an establishment. I had some great times going out but it can get pricey popping bottles at the high-end places in these tourist spots. Only had a couple 3sums (PV & GDL), but one was a freebie that was fairly memorable. I'm itching to get back to Medellin to return to my jacuzzi party threesome ways! I have used 90 days, thus far, and plan to get a student visa in a couple of months, so I can stay beyond 180 days. Hopefully nothing happens to affect that process, because I am paying up front for my 6.5 month rental that will put me up to right before Christmas.

Anyhow, I'm considering, for the first time, buying a burner phone. I have been lucky enough to never face the headaches that come with getting a phone stolen, or losing it, but I can't even imagine if that were to happen. I don't pay too much attention to the backups, storage, etc. , but I do have to have access to my phone at nearly all times for work purposes. So, I will RTFF, but with all the COVID & politics, who knows how the search will go, and maybe there is updated info available that hasn't been posted.

Info:

I have an iphone with T-Mobile e-SIM from the US & a Colombian physical SIM.

Questions:

1) Which type of burner phone?

2) Is it possible to run the same WhatsApp number on multiple phones?

3) Should I just transfer my Colombian SIM back and forth between the two phones or get a second SIM?

I know all of this information is probably readily available on Google, but I'd rather get a concise response provided by some one that has been in my position or understands it.

[SankarShetty]

It's difficult right now to give advice to others as to what City to visit in Colombia in the weeks to come. For some like myself, and I've been to Cartagena a few times, and it's a beautiful City, but doesn't fit how I roll, yet for others works well.

As far as the roads to and from the Airport being closed, as I recall the tunnel was shutdown earlier for a while at the onset of the protests but was opend a few weeks ago. The thought of access to the airport being blocked and shutting it down is most definitely a scary thought, but I suspect highly unlikely with Medellin being the second largest City in the Country so the Government would never allow this to happen, yet the ouftall of keeping access to the airport open could be very ugly, perhaps like something out of a war zone in the Middle East.

Up until a week ago, it seemed as though the civil unrest was simmering down, at least in Medellin, yet the madness continues.

COVID is one thing, yet the civil unrest adds a whole new dimension to things.

I have been saying "Fuckitall" a lot lately.

I know this civil unrest issue has been simmering a long long time, but the timing / announcent of a very unfair tax scheme by Duque was like dropping a turd in a punchbowl, and the catalyst of the madness. I can't imagine what you witnessed happening in Laureles, but it did, and that means it could happen in a barrio like Provenza in Poblado. So is it really safe anywhere in town?

Anyways, you personally would advise a friend not to come to Medellin now, and I advised a friend of mine not to come down as well, but more in terms of potential weekend lockdowns versus the civil unrest which I think can be avoided if your very careful, but unfortunately besides that, there's the increased danger factor of being mugged and robbed / stabbed that has been occurring as well. So most definitely for a rookie mongerer, a first timer to Medellin, and / or a non Spanish speaker, stay away for while until things simmer down both in terms of the civil unrest and COVID.

It's true demonstrations and riots can pop off at any time at any place. It's also true the daily newspaper publishes a schedule so we can avoid them. Crimes and accidents of course are even more unpredicatable. If it's going to be a scary time it's best to go somewhere with a less frightening reputation.

Thank you very much for this report, this is invaluable information, this is by far more information than I have seen anywhere else, The fact that you say people did not know these riots were going to take place is very important because it means there is no guarantee of avoiding it, I said in my post that Envigado looked like the wisest choice of places to stay right now, but then since there are only essentially two roads to get to the airport, if they shut them off that could be a disaster for anyone looking to get out. I have not heard anything about Cartagena but if I were looking to take a trip I personally would definitely avoid Medellin now and I would be looking hard at Cartagena to see what was happening there.

Honestly I don't feel that it's my call to make but it's clearly evident that ithere major civil unrest here which has been escalating with the potential for it to escalate even further. Coupled with the fact that most embassies are advising against travelling to Colombia and therefore if things go south you're unlikely to get assistance, is that a situation you want to put yourself in? If it was a friend asking me I would advise against it.

One more thing, on the same day as the riots around midday I heard someone screaming, I thought it was just another local looney. The screaming got louder and I heard breaking glass and more commotion. I decided to look out of my balcony and there was a crowd chasing 2, guys on a motorbike, with the guy on the back pointing a pistol at the crowd. Then I saw a girl also running while crying and picking up some belongings off the ground.

A couple of weeks coming back from dinner with Happy shiva I heard another commotion just off la Setenta on 44 a. A car started speeding up the street with yet again a crowd chasing it while there was a girl hanging on to the side of the car getting dragged all the way up the street. It was like something out of a movie.

Welcome to the mad House.

Thanks to the posts and earlier posts discussing civil unrest in the past two weeks, I have decided against visiting Medellin for now. I was to fly out tomorrow. Both the one in San Juan near 70 and the peaceful March yesterday in Poblado suggest that this will be unpredictable and frequent. At the minimum, we need to watch our backs constantly. Although I am familiar with multiple areas of the city. Poor language skills, people accustomed to violence, civil unrest and new covid numbers (30th May) combine to make it a difficult trip to navigate successfully.

I will keep a watch out for a few weeks to see how this plays out.

Thanks to everyone for their input and valuable information. Special call out to JohnnyO.

Thank you for your on-ground reports and analysis.

[Surfer500]

IAnyway, Mexico was ok. Puerto Vallarta was much better than Playa del Carmen, as far as expenses, weather, and gringos. I can't wait to get back to Medellin. I have used 90 days, thus far, and plan to get a student visa in a couple of months, so I can stay beyond 180 days. Hopefully nothing happens to affect that process, because I am paying up front for my 6.5 month rental that will put me up to right before Christmas.

Anyhow, I'm considering, for the first time, buying a burner phone. I have been lucky enough to never face the headaches that come with getting a phone stolen, or losing it, but I can't even imagine if that were to happen. I don't pay too much attention to the backups, storage, etc. , but I do have to have access to my phone at nearly all times for work purposes. So, I will RTFF, but with all the COVID & politics, who knows how the search will go, and maybe there is updated info available that hasn't been posted.

Well I missed you in Puerto Vallarta and was there about ten days ago. Some things to consider about staying in Medellin longer than 180 days in a year. Technically speaking you become a tax resident after being in Colombia more than 180 days in a year, but I don't know if there is an exception for students.

Perhaps where your getting your student visa can shed some light on this, and something you should check into. The Colombian IRS called DIAN is getting more and more sophisticated, and there are several expat's living in Colombia who don't file Colombian taxes and could be in for quite a shock sometime in the future, so just something to check into.

As far as a burner phone, meaning not a smart phone, if that's what your talking about I recommend a Nokia. Lots of knockoffs but the real ones have a long battery life and are about $ 25 USD. But you can also get a smart phone for as low as 200,000 Pesos and it might be a better route for you as you can get data for like 2,000 Pesos a day. As far as Whatsapp on two different phones with different numbers, I tried that as I have two American cell numbers here, and they wouldn't allow it. My American cells stay inside my place, and I only go out with my burner phone.