Medellin Reports

[Nounce]

.... Because I didn't know any better, I had booked a hotel in centro, because it seemed to be close to all the low priced casa action, but from what I'm reading in some pages in this forum, it doesn't seem to be a smart place for me to stay for my very first visit. ...

It's not that bad. You just have to get familiar with and remember the streets during daytime so you don't get lost or have to stop looking at map at night time. Think about it. If you want to rob someone, where would you go? El Centro or El Poblado?

You can look up Osteoknot's posts. He has mentioned some hotels in Laureles.

...jajajaja. Keep On Keepin' On!

[Fun Luvr]

... I will arrive at about 8 pm in MDE, so when I take the bus I will be at San Diego Mall at about 9 pm (and then need to take a taxi from there to my Hotel in Poblado.

Is this doable and safe to go out from the Bus at this time and at this place with my Luggage and take a taxi from there? Are there Taxis already waiting?

It is doable and safe. When you get to San Diego, there will be a group of young ladies and men to help you with your luggage and hail a taxi for you. They are completely safe and help you for a tip, one or two mil is sufficient. Sometimes taxis are waiting and sometimes not, but at that time of night they should be waiting. You have to walk a short distance from where the bus drops you off to where the taxis pick you up. The helpers will take your luggage and lead the way.

[JjBee62]

Hi everyone,

About to make my first trip to Medellin in November and trying to do a lot of research, but I am stuck on something. Because I didn't know any better, I had booked a hotel in centro, because it seemed to be close to all the low priced casa action, but from what I'm reading in some pages in this forum, it doesn't seem to be a smart place for me to stay for my very first visit. Maybe later, but not right now, when I don't even know any Spanish. My issue is that no matter where I travel, I try to avoid taxis as much as possible and I like to either take a train, bus or walk. Taxis of course are always the more expensive transportation option which I try to avoid by trying to position myself in hotels to where I would not need a taxi.

Anyway, I'm now thinking that I still want easy access to the El centro area, but won't want to get a hotel there, due to what I mentioned above. Did research tonight and it seems that areas I should stay as a first timer is the El Poblado area or the Laureles area. I saw tonight that a metro train (Linea A) can take me from El Poblado to El Centro (Parque Berrio, Prado stops), so that looked promising. No idea at the moment if Laureles area offers something similar, but for right now, I need to know if anyone can recommend a low priced hotel (less than 50 a night. Don't want an airbnb) that is within a short WALKING DISTANCE of El Poblado station. Hopefully it's guest friendly as well, but I'll email your recommended hotel to confirm.

San Peter Apartments in Laureles. You can find it on booking for com. About $30 per night. There is a second metro train line that goes from Laureles to El Centro. It's a short walk, from San Peter apartments to the Estadio metro station. More importantly it's nice and flat. The Poblado station sits at the bottom of a steep hill.

[Fun Luvr]

... Anyway, I'm now thinking that I still want easy access to the El centro area, but won't want to get a hotel there, due to what I mentioned above. Did research tonight and it seems that areas I should stay as a first timer is the El Poblado area or the Laureles area. I saw tonight that a metro train (Linea A) can take me from El Poblado to El Centro (Parque Berrio, Prado stops), so that looked promising. No idea at the moment if Laureles area offers something similar, but for right now, I need to know if anyone can recommend a low priced hotel (less than 50 a night. Don't want an airbnb) that is within a short WALKING DISTANCE of El Poblado station. Hopefully it's guest friendly as well, but I'll email your recommended hotel to confirm. ...

The Metro trains go from Laureles to the San Antonio station. You should venture out around the San Antonio and Parque Berrio stations, and not the Prado station. There are many hotels on and near LA 70 in Laureles Estadio. I have read many are guest friendly. The rooms facing LA 70 will be noisy during the weekends. I don't stay in hotels, so I can't provide personal information. The hotels in Laureles are quite a bit cheaper than in Poblado.

[The Windex Man]

Hi everyone,

About to make my first trip to Medellin in November and trying to do a lot of research, but I am stuck on something. Because I didn't know any better, I had booked a hotel in centro, because it seemed to be close to all the low priced casa action, but from what I'm reading in some pages in this forum, it doesn't seem to be a smart place for me to stay for my very first visit. Maybe later, but not right now, when I don't even know any Spanish. My issue is that no matter where I travel, I try to avoid taxis as much as possible and I like to either take a train, bus or walk. Taxis of course are always the more expensive transportation option which I try to avoid by trying to position myself in hotels to where I would not need a taxi.

Anyway, I'm now thinking that I still want easy access to the El centro area, but won't want to get a hotel there, due to what I mentioned above. Did research tonight and it seems that areas I should stay as a first timer is the El Poblado area or the Laureles area. I saw tonight that a metro train (Linea A) can take me from El Poblado to El Centro (Parque Berrio, Prado stops), so that looked promising. No idea at the moment if Laureles area offers something similar, but for right now, I need to know if anyone can recommend a low priced hotel (less than 50 a night. Don't want an airbnb) that is within a short WALKING DISTANCE of El Poblado station. Hopefully it's guest friendly as well, but I'll email your recommended hotel to confirm.

If I am again on the wrong track (like I was when I originally booked a hotel in centro), just let me know a better suggestion for what I am looking for. Reading here about the low casa prices is what drove me to say screw Thailand and purchase this Medellin airline ticket.

Will appreciate any help. I promise a very good first timer trip report when I return back home!

[ColombiaLover]

Technically true. But when one uses the word Paisa, even among the many, many Colombians I know, it is equate to a chica from Medellin. So let me re-phrase if it makes all happy "a Medellin Paisa. " I don't believe I said it was hard to meet any chica in Colombia. Rather, I was responding to the IPs statement that he thought chicas from Medellin were more about the money. And I personally find it so easy to meet them given their nature. Obviously one could go to another city and meet women. But I would not go to most other cities in Colombia for P4P alone.

Years ago when marriage agencies were strong in Colombia, I asked a gringo I met (who used one and married a girl from the agency) why there were agencies in so may cities, but not in Medellin. And the response was that agencies had tried, but there were not enough sincere girls signing up. Most were just looking for money. Whether for sex or for nothing. I stand by my statement that Medellin Paisas are a different breed of woman.

But people from Armenia are Paisa too. You lost me with that one. I have met plenty of chicks from Armenia and B'manga. What is so hard about it?

[BlackThought]

Damn, I mean, I'm not here to get soaked, but 50 dollar a day variance in my budget isn't going to kill me. I just follow the "If it fits your macros" approach. My spend is still in line with my total budget allocated for this trip. If I were living here long term, I'd micromanage my money. But I'm on vacation. My limited time is my priority here. There's no point in me wasting it scrutinizing the minutiae of my financial transactions to save a grand over the course of a month. Now if I woke up and found out I'd spend 5 k over the course of a week, I'd obviously recalibrate. But as is, I'm just trying to enjoy my vacation and not get ripped off or robbed.

You're on vacation, time money. It's your money, spend it however you want it.

[Osteoknot]

A couple of face-fucking fotos of Soft Swirl. She likes it rough, I would never intentionally leave a mark but she was an hour late for our tryst at the Love Motel in Bello and I made her pay a price but don't worry she loved it. She's up against the headboard in the one photo but I think I found a soft spot in my heart and put a pillow behind her head jajaja.

Most of the rest of the photos are Super Groovy and she is just that, depends on your personal taste but I don't think the female form gets much better than that. Plus she is a top performer except she is not into anal which is fine by me but she'll bend the rules for me, as she put it, "Even if I don't get pleasure from it, I will do it because I know you like it. "Got to love that attitude.

There is sort of an optical illusion photo of of downtown Medellin from near Ground Zero that you don't see everyday, that's not two separate photo spliced together, that's just the angle and the setup my eye caught.

[Lefeu]

I think not. I have met four that speak English, two are fluent. All are from high price range. Unlike some of the girls I met at Medellin clubs who would make an effort using translator from their phone, the Brazilian I have met don't.

Yeah, I have not found many girls who spoke decent English in either Medellin or Sao Paulo / Rio, except maybe some of the servers at expensive restaurants. But those are not easy to pick up and I have never tried to.

My Portuguese is not that good, so I tend to communicate mostly in Spanish when I am in Brazil. The girls don't seem to have a problem understanding what I am saying. However, they invariably respond in Portuguese, which I understand if spoken slowly.

[GeneHickman]

Damn, I mean, I'm not here to get soaked, but 50 dollar a day variance in my budget isn't going to kill me. I just follow the "If it fits your macros" approach. My spend is still in line with my total budget allocated for this trip. If I were living here long term, I'd micromanage my money. But I'm on vacation. My limited time is my priority here. There's no point in me wasting it scrutinizing the minutiae of my financial transactions to save a grand over the course of a month. Now if I woke up and found out I'd spend 5 k over the course of a week, I'd obviously recalibrate. But as is, I'm just trying to enjoy my vacation and not get ripped off or robbed.

Dude for whatever reasons, that logic does not apply so well in Colombia and a lot of people learn it the hard way. Ever heard "no dar pappaya". Well wearing the papaya I. E. Gold chains and Rolex watches and designer clothes etc is only one way. Spending aggressively is also giving Papayya, word gets around pretty quickly and you make yourself a target unwittingly. Many of us have the coin to do what you are doing, but still stick with the program because it keeps you safe. But hey it's your vacation and your money, so knock yourself out.

[JjBee62]

I will be in Cali at the end of the month, I don't know what's going to happen.

I will tell you.

I know what will happen, but I don't want to spoil the surprise.

[Nounce]

I was watching this video of a youtuber walking around El Centro and around 7:05 there is some footage of the infamous Carrera 53 Calle 52 intersection from a great vantage point which I'm am deducing is the Grill Venecia (see attached photo).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0c_...scpYVz&index=4

Anyone ever eat here before- is it as promising as it looks as an observation deck of the action?

Next to it or maybe the same location on the second floor is a short time hotel with the same name. The outside did not look like the picture the last time I was there. LoveitHere probably could tell you more.

[Member #4729]

I was watching this video of a youtuber walking around El Centro and around 7:05 there is some footage of the infamous Carrera 53 Calle 52 intersection from a great vantage point which I'm am deducing is the Grill Venecia (see attached photo).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0c_...scpYVz&index=4

Anyone ever eat here before- is it as promising as it looks as an observation deck of the action?

[Mr Enternational]

I want to ask for advice about using the Airport Bus from Rio Negro to Medellin.

I will arrive at about 8 pm in MDE, so when I take the bus I will be at San Diego Mall at about 9 pm (and then need to take a taxi from there to my Hotel in Poblado.

Taxis will be at San Diego waiting for people that get off the bus.

[Lois Sanborn]

Eheheh big spender and careless with his money.

Damn, I mean, I'm not here to get soaked, but 50 dollar a day variance in my budget isn't going to kill me. I just follow the "If it fits your macros" approach. My spend is still in line with my total budget allocated for this trip. If I were living here long term, I'd micromanage my money. But I'm on vacation. My limited time is my priority here. There's no point in me wasting it scrutinizing the minutiae of my financial transactions to save a grand over the course of a month. Now if I woke up and found out I'd spend 5 k over the course of a week, I'd obviously recalibrate. But as is, I'm just trying to enjoy my vacation and not get ripped off or robbed.