Medellin Reports

[Iguana Six]

Hi fellow mongers,

I have a question regarding carrying an ID in Colombia. Do you carry your passport with you when you go out or is a copy enough. For example in Kiev it is impossible to leave without your ID or you will get problems with the cops. In Thailand and Germany I always carry only a copy of my passport. It is totally enough to have a copy (if you look legitimate and not like a junky).

How do you handle this matter?

Thank you,

Easyease

In eight years, and 25 plus trips, I have never been stopped by cops. However, I don't dress in a way that would make me stand out. How would a middle class person of my age dress? Japan has the concept of the "salaryman," and there is a local equivalent.

Even in the casas, you see them, leather shoes, dress slacks, dress shirt with no tie, open collared, sleeves folded up just once, small messanger bag. I would think that would be good camouflage for mongers of a certain age.

I carry my Global Entry card. It looks like a cedula. Or sometimes I carry a copy of my passport ID page and entry visa stamp. When I stayed in a hotel in SJO, they took my passport ID page, made a copy the size of a business card, put their hotel business card on the back and laminated it. Very cool!

[Iguana Six]

There's buses just outside the Poblado metro station that will take you up heart attack hill and leave you off 1 block from Parque Poblado. Cost is a few cents mas or menos.

This interssts me. Thank you for the information. Sometimes I want the exercise of walking, sometimes the speed / convenience of a cab, and sometimes I'd like to this.

How is this bus marked? Does it also go down the hill back to the station along 10 a? Where would I catch it on the way down?

[Member #4398]

Hi fellow mongers,

I have a question regarding carrying an ID in Colombia. Do you carry your passport with you when you go out or is a copy enough. For example in Kiev it is impossible to leave without your ID or you will get problems with the cops. In Thailand and Germany I always carry only a copy of my passport. It is totally enough to have a copy (if you look legitimate and not like a junky).

How do you handle this matter?

Thank you,

Easyease

It is the law to have ID with you in Colombia. It's a serious law. You could get arrested for not having an ID. A copy of passport and drivers license is acceptable by police. Make sure you copy the page with your entrance stamp if you carry a copy. I tend to carry the original with me, but some don't recommend this because if someone robs you, you will be stuck in Colombia until you resolve the problem with your embassy. Some recommend to leave your passport in the safe of your hotel. But I'm paranoiac and I take it with me because I feel that the chances of someone stealing my passport from a hotel safe are the same as me getting robbed on the street.

The police don't bother tourist in Medellin unless you are drunk acting disorderly or breaking the law. I only have gotten stopped by police in Santa Fe red-light district in Bogota as they check peple there often. I have never been stopped by police in Medellin. In Santa Fe Bogotá as soon as the police saw my American passport they let me go and just joked with me, exclaiming ah American and when I replied that I American but born in the Dominican Republic, they got a big smile and repeated the names of Dominican baseball player Samy Sosa and Bachata singers Juan Luis Guerra and Romeo.

Mile.

[Member #4398]

Walking from Poblado to NL is not recommended. Too far to walk there unless you enjoy walking 3 or 4 hours and is not safe to walk from poblado there with all the traffic and non pedestrian roads. A 2 k (70 cents) buseta from poblado to centro, parque barrio or to parque Bolivar is the best way or a metro train from Poblado station to Parque berrio or Prado stop and to walk from there, 10-15 min walk. The area is sketchy as you mentioned but for me the area its sort of entertaining and I tend to enjoy my walk there with my eyes wide open, like a child going to a zoo or jungle for the first time. If you are less adventurous or lazy or scare, a taxi is best. I t.

Spanish or non Spanish speaking is okay to wonder and explore during light hours. I don't recommend anyone to be there when is dark or night time.

The heart attack hill from Poblado metro station can be avoided with the 2 k busetas outside the station that go up the hill through calle 10 and pass Poblado park and keep going up that hill towards Parque lleras.

Anes, I want my vacation to start immediately, and I'm not going waste time waiting for and changing buses to get Poblado.
Also, I wasn't going to walk from NL to Poblado. Not for me. I have taken the metro to Poblado station and walked heart attack hill, pausing to get a nice ice cream cone for 1,000 cop before reaching Parque Poblado. Nice, on a hot day.
The Metro also has two stops in the Prado area that are a kilometer away from a cluster of day time, local-oriented casas. The neighborhood is kinda sketchy, so I would not recommed it, to non Spanish speakers.

[Knowledge]

Carry a copy if it makes you feel better. I never recommend running around with your passport in your pocket. Secure it in your room. A driver's license or other picture ID is sufficient for banking or credit card transactions, or if you find yourself in a law enforcement checkpoint. It's inconvenient and expensive to replace a lost or stolen passport. You probably already know that last bit.

Hi fellow mongers,

I have a question regarding carrying an ID in Colombia. Do you carry your passport with you when you go out or is a copy enough. For example in Kiev it is impossible to leave without your ID or you will get problems with the cops. In Thailand and Germany I always carry only a copy of my passport. It is totally enough to have a copy (if you look legitimate and not like a junky).

How do you handle this matter?

Thank you,

Easyease

[Knowledge]

I will play devil's advocate. For some, I suppose soaking in local color whilst waiting for the airport bus to depart and make its way down from Rionegro, then making your way from the bus stop in Centro to your hotel. Cash and luggage on board. Is part of the vacation. Personally, I don't get it. For an extra US $15 to US $20, I say fuck that noise. But it's just me.

I took the bus from the airport to central on my last trip, and it was very convenient as it left me right behind my hotel, the Nutibara. But after commuting to airport parking, taking the shuttle to the gate, TSA (which should stand for Too Stupid to work for Arby's - "I caught a terrorist!" said no TSA worker ever.), a 3. 5 hour flight, and then the maddening slow pace people disembark from pl.

Anes, I want my vacation to start immediately, and I'm not going waste time waiting for and changing buses to get Poblado.

Also, I wasn't going to walk from NL to Poblado. Not for me. I have taken the metro to Poblado station and walked heart attack hill, pausing to get a nice ice cream cone for 1,000 cop before reaching Parque Poblado. Nice, on a hot day..

[Surfer500]

I took the bus from the airport to central on my last trip, and it was very convenient as it left me right behind my hotel, the Nutibara. But after commuting to airport parking, taking the shuttle to the gate, TSA (which should stand for Too Stupid to work for Arby's - "I caught a terrorist!" said no TSA worker ever.), a 3. 5 hour flight, and then the maddening slow pace people disembark from pl.

Anes, I want my vacation to start immediately, and I'm not going waste time waiting for and changing buses to get Poblado.

Also, I wasn't going to walk from NL to Poblado. Not for me. I have taken the metro to Poblado station and walked heart attack hill, pausing to get a nice ice cream cone for 1,000 cop before reaching Parque Poblado. Nice, on a hot day.

The Metro also has two stops in the Prado area that are a kilometer away from a cluster of day time, local-oriented casas. The neighborhood is kinda sketchy, so I would not recommed it, to non Spanish speakers.

The idea of picking up talent off the street seems dicey. You have no recourse if she goes rogue on you, and she has no incentive. If she doesn't think she will ever see you again. To behave. Even established providers, like the famous Kelly, reacted to a provocation by a client with an attack to his eye with a cologne bottle, and all she lost was her Mansion priviledges,; not a real deterrent because she has been so independent for so long.

I would like to know more about the Premium Hotel, however.

This hotel is a hooker hotel with short time rooms on the lower floor and longer time rooms on the upper floors. On one trip I rented a room for a month. The pricing is around 30 K per day and they have rooms with single and double beds. The women that run the place are very helpful, check ID's of girls they suspect might be to young. Nobody speaks English so you shouldn't even consider staying there if you have no Spanish speaking skills. The place also serves as an "unofficial" police substation at night as the cops use the Internet and have coffee there.

As far as talent off the street, I have had good luck but you have to be careful and again need some Spanish speaking skills and have your guard up at all times!.

[BayBoy]

I have taken the metro to Poblado station and walked heart attack hill, pausing to get a nice ice cream cone for 1,000 cop before reaching Parque Poblado. Nice, on a hot day.

.

There's buses just outside the Poblado metro station that will take you up heart attack hill and leave you off 1 block from Parque Poblado. Cost is a few cents mas or menos.

[EasyEase]

Hi fellow mongers,

I have a question regarding carrying an ID in Colombia. Do you carry your passport with you when you go out or is a copy enough. For example in Kiev it is impossible to leave without your ID or you will get problems with the cops. In Thailand and Germany I always carry only a copy of my passport. It is totally enough to have a copy (if you look legitimate and not like a junky).

How do you handle this matter?

Thank you,

Easyease

[Iguana Six]

I took the bus from the airport to central on my last trip, and it was very convenient as it left me right behind my hotel, the Nutibara. But after commuting to airport parking, taking the shuttle to the gate, TSA (which should stand for Too Stupid to work for Arby's - "I caught a terrorist!" said no TSA worker ever.), a 3. 5 hour flight, and then the maddening slow pace people disembark from pl.

Anes, I want my vacation to start immediately, and I'm not going waste time waiting for and changing buses to get Poblado.

Also, I wasn't going to walk from NL to Poblado. Not for me. I have taken the metro to Poblado station and walked heart attack hill, pausing to get a nice ice cream cone for 1,000 cop before reaching Parque Poblado. Nice, on a hot day.

The Metro also has two stops in the Prado area that are a kilometer away from a cluster of day time, local-oriented casas. The neighborhood is kinda sketchy, so I would not recommed it, to non Spanish speakers.

The idea of picking up talent off the street seems dicey. You have no recourse if she goes rogue on you, and she has no incentive. If she doesn't think she will ever see you again. To behave. Even established providers, like the famous Kelly, reacted to a provocation by a client with an attack to his eye with a cologne bottle, and all she lost was her Mansion priviledges,; not a real deterrent because she has been so independent for so long.

I would like to know more about the Premium Hotel, however.

[EasyEase]

Hi fellow mongers,

I was going through the last +50 posts regarding carrying an ID in Medellin. For example in Kiev, if you go on the streets without ID you are screwed by the police. In Thailand and Germany I carry only a copy of my Passport.

I hate to carry my Passport with me because of loosing it. How do you handle this?

Regards,

Easyease

[GunShot69]

Sounds good. I'm going to do 4 nights in Cartagena, and then 7 nights in Medellin!

Hands down, Medellin because of the year round mild weather. When we were in Cartagena, I was so sweaty and sticky day and night that I didn't want anyone to touch me, so when a girl tried to show some affection by caressing my arm or neck, I made her stop, at least until I could take a shower in an air conditioned bathroom and bedroom.

As for 'ease of use' Cartagena is smaller with fewer choices so it makes it easy to monger there, just head off to Clock Tower after 11 or 12 and you will see lots of options by just sitting in the open area and sidewalk cafes.

[Oliversax]

Nice post bro. In your opinion. Which did you prefer Medellin or Cartagena?

Hands down, Medellin because of the year round mild weather. When we were in Cartagena, I was so sweaty and sticky day and night that I didn't want anyone to touch me, so when a girl tried to show some affection by caressing my arm or neck, I made her stop, at least until I could take a shower in an air conditioned bathroom and bedroom.

As for 'ease of use' Cartagena is smaller with fewer choices so it makes it easy to monger there, just head off to Clock Tower after 11 or 12 and you will see lots of options by just sitting in the open area and sidewalk cafes.

[GunShot69]

Nice post bro. In your opinion. Which did you prefer Medellin or Cartagena?

The next day, we rented a van to show us some sights. We visited:

- Botero Gardens downtown.

- Took a Metrocable ride.

- Stopped in Pueblito Paisa for late lunch.

That night, we had dinner at Bar Triada, best food we had the whole time. Steaks, grilled chicken, sauteed sea bass, apps, dessert, 3 bottles of Johnny Walker Black, beers, for 7 came out to US $230. Afterwards, we went upstairs to the open air lounge, Woka. What a cool place. Music not too loud that we could not hear ourselves talk. There was a table of 'pros' that were giving us the side eye, but in the end, we left after finishing our 4th bottle of JW Black.

I went home with a paisa I met, Catalina, girl next door type. She appreciated my Spanish, which is not great, but understandable. As the night went on, she became more and more carinoso -- caressing my arms, hands, running her fingers through my hair...

[Surfer500]

Nice job Iguanasix,

This would I be how I would I have spent the 300 k being the cheap guy that I am:

8 k on white bus at airport instead of 40 k taxi for more pussy later.

2 k bus to Parque Lleras instead of taxi.

77 k for soda and 1 hour at new life, we are even here.

10 k for the food we are even again.

0 k waking and burn some calories to that hotel uphill and save 7 k on taxi.

0 k on manicure and pedicure. I cut my nails for free and save 25 k more pussy later.

2 k back to NL in public buseta from Parque Poblado to centro instead of 8 k taxi...

Your not really a cheap guy at all!

I would take all the public transportation options you listed but would rent a room at the Premier Plaza Hotel adjacent to Botero Plaza for 30 K for the day and pull four girls from the surrounding streets at an average of 35 K each for an expenditure of 170 K not including meals / drinks at say 10 K from local places and another 10 K for transport. For a total of 190 K.

There are so many options available in Medellin from the street scene, to the casa's, to the upper end places and all with great value however you do it. That's what so nice about Medellin compared to other places in the world. However Spanish speaking skills are a must to go the lower budget route in Medellin.