Medellin Reports

[Kafka]

The article says the 9th. Is it the 9th or 19th?

They just extended the curfew now until the 19th, with outlying cities having an 8 PM to 5 AM curfew, and 6 PM to 5 AM curfew in Medellin.

I went to a laboratory in Aquacatla this morning and arrived at 6:15 AM and walked out less than 45 minutes later with a copy of the Antigen test result (negative), came back to my apartment and booked a flight for tomorrow, registered with Migracion, so am getting out of here for a while. Since last Wednesday evening I've been hitting EL Centro during the days, and then watch everything turn into a ghost town at 5 PM. Although you can get out during the day, and I'm not out much in the evenings, the situation really bothers me personally. And it's downer in the sense that they are needing to do this, not that I disagree, it's just depressing.

The good news is my Tomboy is in route to spend the next 24 hours with me, so I will be leaving tomorrow with my saddlebags empty, and hopefully things will blow over by the end of the month and I'll be back to pillage in El Centro once again!

[Osteoknot]

Is it possible to get around the Pico and Cedula restrictions if your passport ends in an even number, and your driver's license ends in an odd number?

Can you carry the passport on the even days, and just your driver's license on the odd days?

I personally know a very crafty mongerer who uses his passport and his cedula, one is even and one is odd, for every day freedom. You are not supposed to be allowed to use your driver's license but the people checking at the entrances are sometimes one or two French fries Short of a Happy Meal. To wit, I also know of someone who got in using his Visa credit card which ended in the needed par or impar digit, telling the security guard that was his "Visa. " Jajajajajajaa, I wouldn't count on the last manuever although kudos for creativity and thinking outside the box!

Random Gratuitous Foto of the an exhausted Cat Girl after a long day at Hacienda Napoles and the result of my watching her and Jewel parade around in string bikinis all day, jajajaja.

[Osteoknot]

Fly out tomorrow. Last Hurrah, a guided tour to Pablo Escobar's old hacienda that the government took over and turned into the country's largest tourist attracion named Hacienda Napoles. Few hour bus ride one-way from Medellin, not sure exactly how long, bus left at 4:30 AM and returned by 8 PM, slept a lot both ways. The tour bus picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel. Free breakfast. Went with Cat Girl and her prima Jewel. They are the ones in the string bikinis on the yellow steps and under the Felinos sign. The other two chicas joined our small group aafter we got there, they did not know each other or us before that day. I spent the day with 4 really cute chicas, but was only bangin' 2 of them, jeje. I felt a vibe from the tall skinny one, but I was with my novia Cat Girl and she did the expected cock-blocking or I would have been on that new chica like white on rice. Best man-made waterfall I have ever seen at a pool. The only reasons there are hippos in the wild in Colombia is they escaped from here, jaja. The butterfly is about 50 feet across. Great day. Don't want to leave Medellin but have to, will be back ASAP and after the curfew shit eases up. Higly recommend a visit to Hacienda Napoles and suggest a guided tour if it is your first visit there.

[Nil Admirari]

I am also curious. Can you be in a taxi after 5 pm, or is it complete lockdown? Can chicas arrive in taxi at say 8 pm and leave in taxi at 12 pm?

Last week, I had two chicas visit me during evening curfew. In each case, I gave them the option of coming earlier in the day if they felt more comfortable getting home before the 5 pm witching hour.

That said, I don't think you're supposed to be in a taxi unless you have a good reason, so probably some (albeit, quite small) risk of being stopped by a cop and possibly getting a fine. Should that happen, perhaps your WhatsApp exchange, (documenting that she's on her way to your place to provide professional services) would satisfy the policia. (JeJeJe).

[Osteoknot]

I am also curious. Can you be in a taxi after 5 pm, or is it complete lockdown? Can chicas arrive in taxi at say 8 pm and leave in taxi at 12 pm?

Taxis available all hours. Your question is a little open ended because it depends where you are going or coming from that matters, not that you are in a taxi. We unloaded a full taxi from Exito with a ton of groceries after 5 P in front of two Policia standing within 20 feet of us and they did not say a word. Uber is not showing up on my search when I look for one during curfew hours. Chicas coming and going from my hotel at all hours. Domicilio is booming (food delivery to where you are staying, everyone uses the Rappi app).

Cat Girl and I have opposite ID numbers, I am even and she is odd. She told me not to worry both times we went out on her odd days and I was skeptical. After initially refusing my entry, she said a few sentences to the guard at the door in Spanish por supuesto and got me in each time at Exito, Jumbo, and Western Union. She told them we were traveling together and leaving the next day and could not come back on my odd day. The other time I told them (in Spanish) that I needed my money right away and could not wait and they let in Western Union. I am not saying count on it, I am saying it can be done, being polite and respectful surely would not decrease your chances of getting in on an off-day and probably if I was alone without a local girl, it would not work.

Ostee Out.

Random Gratuitious Foto of Cat Girl after her shower today.

[SavePros321]

They just extended the curfew now until the 19th, with outlying cities having an 8 PM to 5 AM curfew, and 6 PM to 5 AM curfew in Medellin.

In reality, what are the odds of that 90% ICU number moving much within that 6-day timeframe of the curfew?

Good chance this will be extended well past the April 5th date.

Thoughts?

I called it first.

It's probably going to continue to get extended until at least mid-May.

But I'm out. Was going down for two and a half weeks, but the 6 pm curfew and the Pico y Cedula is a double-whammy.

[Surfer500]

Curfew extension to April 9.

https://www.elcolombiano.com/antioqu...-19-BK14873651

They just extended the curfew now until the 19th, with outlying cities having an 8 PM to 5 AM curfew, and 6 PM to 5 AM curfew in Medellin.

I went to a laboratory in Aquacatla this morning and arrived at 6:15 AM and walked out less than 45 minutes later with a copy of the Antigen test result (negative), came back to my apartment and booked a flight for tomorrow, registered with Migracion, so am getting out of here for a while. Since last Wednesday evening I've been hitting EL Centro during the days, and then watch everything turn into a ghost town at 5 PM. Although you can get out during the day, and I'm not out much in the evenings, the situation really bothers me personally. And it's downer in the sense that they are needing to do this, not that I disagree, it's just depressing.

The good news is my Tomboy is in route to spend the next 24 hours with me, so I will be leaving tomorrow with my saddlebags empty, and hopefully things will blow over by the end of the month and I'll be back to pillage in El Centro once again!

[Turgid]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll see what happens. The price looks very cheap at around 32 bucks a night. How far is the hotel from the Veracruz church?. I really enjoyed hanging around Botero Park / museum area. One drawback is me trying to figure out what is in walking distance 3 or 4 minutes away in terms of restaurants / food from the hotel at nighttime? I am trying to figure out will I be a prisoner at night in the hotel with absolutely nothing to do as I hear of the dangers of the city at night or is it possible to find a really close restaurant for coffee / drink etc.

It took me about 15 to 20 minutes to walk to Botero Park. I have also stayed at Nutibara which is a little more expensive. The Nutibara's wi fi was better. If both hotel's wifi were similar I would prefer Le Gran.

[Lucky Nuts]

Admin: Move this as needed, not sure if this belongs in this section.

If anybody is looking for an good, cheap, unlocked cell phone, look at the Samsung Galaxy A02. I just bought a new one on Ebay from a US seller for $130. In past trips, I was using a Motorola that I bought in MDE for 300 k which is slow and when scrolling is not very smooth, and this one comes in 2 models (one has 4 GB RAM, and the other 3). I bought the one with 3 GB RAM and it's 10 x better than my Motorola, smooth scrolling, the apps load fast, pics / videos load fast, and it's got a 6.5" screen.

I tested it with a sim to make sure it's unlocked and it seemed to work (unless it's locked to AT&T because that's the SIM that I tried). I will use this on my trip later this month. I can give you a link to the seller that I used. I have no stake in this, just trying to help a brotha out.

Yeah the Samsung A02 is a great "burner phone". I bought one at Ktronix in Poblado a couple months ago. I don't know the specs but price was 370 mil pesos so less than $110. Same size and not a lot different from my Google Pixel 3 home phone. One advantage of buying it in Medellin is the imei number gets registered automatically in Colombia so you don't have to worry about it getting locked out after 60 or 90 days. If you are bringing your own phone to Colombia be sure to get your imei number registered. Don't ask me how.

[Knowledge]

Yes, you can use a driver's license or any other official or official looking government issued ID.

Is it possible to get around the Pico and Cedula restrictions if your passport ends in an even number, and your driver's license ends in an odd number?

Can you carry the passport on the even days, and just your driver's license on the odd days?

[StripperMan]

I am also curious. Can you be in a taxi after 5 pm, or is it complete lockdown? Can chicas arrive in taxi at say 8 pm and leave in taxi at 12 pm?

[Queens35]

Admin: Move this as needed, not sure if this belongs in this section.

If anybody is looking for an good, cheap, unlocked cell phone, look at the Samsung Galaxy A02. I just bought a new one on Ebay from a US seller for $130. In past trips, I was using a Motorola that I bought in MDE for 300 k which is slow and when scrolling is not very smooth, and this one comes in 2 models (one has 4 GB RAM, and the other 3). I bought the one with 3 GB RAM and it's 10 x better than my Motorola, smooth scrolling, the apps load fast, pics / videos load fast, and it's got a 6.5" screen.

I tested it with a sim to make sure it's unlocked and it seemed to work (unless it's locked to AT&T because that's the SIM that I tried). I will use this on my trip later this month. I can give you a link to the seller that I used. I have no stake in this, just trying to help a brotha out.

[Ruddock1]

I stayed at this hotel a few years ago and reported on my stay here back then. I stayed one night in a room I did not like because of traffic noise and moved to a quieter room. The location is great just footsteps away from some great casas. My main reason for not returning was the wi fi which was virtually non existent in the rooms. I had to go down to the lobby for internet. If that situation improves I will stay here again.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll see what happens. The price looks very cheap at around 32 bucks a night. How far is the hotel from the Veracruz church?. I really enjoyed hanging around Botero Park / museum area. One drawback is me trying to figure out what is in walking distance 3 or 4 minutes away in terms of restaurants / food from the hotel at nighttime? I am trying to figure out will I be a prisoner at night in the hotel with absolutely nothing to do as I hear of the dangers of the city at night or is it possible to find a really close restaurant for coffee / drink etc.

[Golfinho]

Is Nutibara really the best in El Centro? I was so disappointed when I stayed there last time. The only thing I would say in it's favor is the patios, which allow killer views of the city- or a place to cash it all in, as there's nothing more than a wall about 18" high around it. It ended up kinda freaking me out.

Freaked you out?

With a criteria of minimal to no street noise (and not windowless), I've found the options in Centro extremely limited to non-existent. At least with the Nuti, you get quiet enough (7th floor) and there's food restaurants and drink onsite. I'd be glad to learn of any better finds.

The Nutibara Annex hotel across the street has gone to monthly only rentals (about $300/ month).

[MiamiSammy]

This Gran is a good hotel. Second best choice in this area after the Nutibara which is not girl friendly. On previous visit, some girls were let in no problem. For others, they made me pay a fee (a small one). The criteria was vague, they make a judgement call based on her attire and who knows what else. One thing is due to covid they may not be fully open: last month I walked in and they said no vacancy. For Centro hotels, do not book in advance: turn up and inspect as you can't hear street noise on a hotel booking website.

Is Nutibara really the best in El Centro? I was so disappointed when I stayed there last time. The only thing I would say in it's favor is the patios, which allow killer views of the city- or a place to cash it all in, as there's nothing more than a wall about 18" high around it. It ended up kinda freaking me out.