Medellin Reports

[NamasteParis]

Sorry to ask, but I can't find any direct link to the Mansion hotel website. Can you please provide?

[Knowledge]

In Medellin hamburgers took off as a food trend about five years ago. I would rate it the #2 biggest fad after Peruvian food. There were not nearly as many burger centric restaurants. They really took off in Laureles.

Hamburgers are not really a Colombian staple but they are catching on with the locals. In the last couple of years in Laureles I've seen half a dozen new places open up, just in the areas I frequent.

Are any of them good? I'm a vegetarian so I can't opine. But I've heard from some of my cronies that Chef Burger is very good quality and at a moderate price.

[Nounce]

I would agree that I've never had any straight up rude behaviour myself either. It's body language and typically their friends or other co-workers you can see out of the corner of your eye acknowledging the situation and giggling or laughing. ...

I forgot to mention that I went to a private Spanish language school the first time I visited Colombia but it wasn't in Medellin. One should be able to find a school here and get one on one lesson if the class schedule does not match.

I posted this before. I had problem ordering food from the street vendor because they have many options from that one small cart, basically salad, bean, lentil, soup of some kind, pork knuckle, fish steak, roasted meat, BBQ, chicken, juice, and I just nodded my head or si to everything. LOL. I paid a street girl to go with me for dinner and told her to remember the conversation to explain to me later. After we bought our food, she flipped thru every item on my plate with her fingers to tell me the name of each item.

To put things in context, I stayed around different areas to learn about Medellin and to find out where I want to stay in the future. As a result, I often stay in local areas that have no gringo, but not by choice. The mom and pop shops are almost always very welcoming. They always greet me with a smile or with some personal touch when it's older woman. Sometimes the whole place giggle at my presence simply because they have seen me many times and I don't know Spanish that well. I usually go at off peak time. BTW, I am just saying the reaction can go both ways. I think people are more humble in the average lower cost areas.

One visit I moved to Laureles after I stayed in El Centro for a month, the hot dog street vendor on La 70 took advantage of me on the first night I was there. I gave her a 20, but she was fumbling for changes and dealing with other customers. I found some smaller bills on me so I gave it to her to solve her problem not having enough changes to give me back. Not only she held on to all the money but she also proceeded to put all the money into her pocket even after I tried to tell her not to do that. The result was obvious. I told her I knew what she was doing, They just all smiled back at me. I don't think they would do this to a fluent Spanish speaker or a local.

I think it's not difficult to talk to SG if you want to. You can offer them food or drink at any time even with limited Spanish. You basically can interact with them like it is in a club but it's outdoor.

[TheProcess]

Thanks for taking the time to write the report. I think one should come, don't wait, you probably will never be ready if you wait.

The discussion goes in cycle. Spanish knowledge is one of them. For credit card purchase, I think quotas/installments will be most confusing to new visitors because it is a concept that does not exist in US for most.

I rarely encounter rude behavior, none I can remember. On multiple occasions the waiter just brought out all the drink types they have on the table to explain to me. When I ordered picada, I just put my palm on my jaw or point to my ear and they know what I want. LOL.

One time I was standing some distance away from a street vendor that I know in El Centro. She saw me and made a WTF or what do you want gesture with her palms facing the sky. So I went and got my dinner.

I would agree that I've never had any straight up rude behaviour myself either. It's body language and typically their friends or other co-workers you can see out of the corner of your eye acknowledging the situation and giggling or laughing. I still think I would encourage people to at least learn a little bit of Spanish before they come. It's a matter of respect for their culture and the people working trying to service you. The respect I feel now is much different than when I barely knew anything. Maybe don't wait. But if you are sitting on the plane watching Shrek for the third time instead of learning Spanish? That is just sad to me.

I'll add that I'm not here just for the sex which that is what this forum is obviously dedicated to. Sex is definitely on the menu but it is just one of the things. I plan to live here and ever day I wish I could hear and understand better than I do. And dealing with the street women. I just can't imagine you would have the same experience if you literally knew no spanish as if you were reasonably well versed. I've had too many instances where it just really destroys the mood. Perhaps because I'm used to talking women before, during and after sex. The inability to communicate well with them for me is why I don't do a lot of the $10-20 street action that is so plentiful.

[TheProcess]

Man I'd avoid the physical confrontation like this, martial arts won't help you much against knife in the back or gun in your face and you were wise not to come back there otherwise the guy might want to settle the score of this "disrespect". Though MA might help in back against the wall situation but guy putting a hand on you on busy street doesn't qualify for that in my mind. Just throw it away and move on. It doesn't mean much it's illegal to carry a knife, a lot of street guys are carrying them. Pepper gas might be handy I guess.

Sometimes 'no gracias' is too much of acknowledgment. I often just ignore them totally as if they don't exist or make a quick decisive hand gesture signifying "no / go away" while not even looking or changing my pace.

Anyway, great report.

Yes I agree 100% with what you are saying. I do believe in this case I had real good element of surprise and I was certainly taking that into account when I did what I did. I immediately regretted it and in my report said it was not my best moment. De-escalation is always the better path. Like you said, you want to know some basic self defense for when you need it. Not just to get someone to take their hands off you.

I had to deal tonight with some guy shaking a bottle of piss in my face asking for money. He had just been harassing the woman at the cafe. He wanted to use the bathroom and she wasn't letting him. It's not so much they are aggressive but insistent and incapable of taking a simple no for an answer. Nobody was intervening on her behalf and it was all I could do to stay out of that. But once he approached me I was in no mood to put up with him. After throwing a few phrases at him in Spanish and another in English he was gone. Nothing physical but I was really done with him at that point. The locals at the tables around me I could tell were completely satisfied that I got him out of there and how I handled it. I think a lot of people here just don't want the confrontation at all and would prefer to ignore them. But they have no respect for these guys either from what I can tell.

So it is these kinds of guys I'm talking about. They are very poor. You never see the extremely poor women behaving in such an harassing manner. Their thing is to just sit on the sidewalk with their kid (s) and quietly just ask for money. I often drop them a little just because it is all they know to do. But when it comes to those that will cross a street to approach you, get in your face, and are insistent, it is always 100% of the time men. They are always very dirty and seem to intentionally be that way as to solicit sympathy. I'm trying hard to be empathetic as they are poor and they are desperate. But they literally harass people as a way to get money out of them and for me that is a hard no.

One trick I'm using is if I'm sitting outside I'll never sit at the edge seats on the sidewalk. I'll sit a few rows in. If someone ignores everyone else to ask me for money I say "por que yo? Crees que soy especial? Alegjate de mi. " Which means "why me? You think I'm special? Get away from me. " If they are asking everyone and come to me I have no problem with that and I will be very polite. I'll even give them a few coins if I they have treated others and myself well.

I simply don't like being targeted. Full stop. If I'm singled out because I'm a gringo they are always going to get a hard no. I know there will be many on here that will object to my approach. I know I'm a gringo and I can expect to be targeted. But it doesn't mean that I will encourage them or reward them for doing so. I'm still adjusting to the fact that there is just so many people selling useless crap I don't want to literally everyone. It isn't just because we are gringos. It is part of the culture here for people to come through the bars and restaurants pushing wears to get by. So I'm trying to be more giving and will take coins out with me to give to some and change my attitude. So I'm working on softening up and being more tolerant and empathetic.

[SmilyD69]

When you find a girl you want at these bars and you chat with them, do they typically come right out and tell you what they want for $ or is there more of a game to it? In the end is there a typical amount that should get the job done at Gustos or Leiras Park? Hoping to find some "angels" to bring back to the Mansion myself LOL!

I fucking LOVE Lleras Park bar. We all have varying opinions, but that's my favorite bar on planet Earth and I've been all over the world. The 2 girls I took back to the Mansion from there were Angels sent straight from Heaven for me.

[Anthony2023]

Anthony, you wrote my favorite post of the week so far. LOL!

Well it's true haha I want to see plenty of hoodrats walking thru energy living when I arrive. I want to see hoodrats up on the rooftop pool too. The way people are describing energy living is kind of like a Vegas hotel casino atmosphere. I understand there is a nice restaurant on the first floor too.

I'm staying with one of my girls from Mexico so I'm sure she will feel more comfortable walking around in heels if she sees hood rats everywhere LOL.

[Recondite]

What I'm hoping with this post is someone could help with perhaps starting to put together a Medellin spanish sex reference for requesting specific acts and sexual kinks. I judge nobody so whatever floats your boat I just want to know as much Spanish as I can with regards to sexual kinks and fantasies if for no other reason to practice and have conversations with women to ask them what they like or don't .

The basics have been written about multiple times on here if you do a search with the search thread feature. Colombian slang is fun to learn with different sex terms like Leche, polvo, chimba, chimbo, etc.

[JjBee62]

He seems to have found one..

There are 2 versions of El Corral. Most of them are fairly typical fast food burger places. The other type is a sit down restaurant with a more upscale and expensive menu. I believe there's one in Oviedo Mall.

There is a place in Santa Fe Mall, I think called Garage Burger, that was pretty good too.

[JjBee62]

Hamburgers are not really a Colombian staple but they are catching on with the locals. In the last couple of years in Laureles I've seen half a dozen new places open up, just in the areas I frequent.

Are any of them good? I'm a vegetarian so I can't opine. But I've heard from some of my cronies that Chef Burger is very good quality and at a moderate price.

My old roommate loves burgers, so we spent a lot of time checking out burger joints. Chef Burger is good, but I like the menu at Barbacoa, Burgers and Beer better. If I remember correctly they have a vegetarian burger on the menu.

There are a few good places in Laureles I've visited too.

[Knowledge]

Anthony, you wrote my favorite post of the week so far. LOL!

I love it. I hope to see lots of hoodrats on my next stay there.

[Knowledge]

Yes, exactly, I don't see anything upscale about it either. For Centro it is too upscale however. I don't think there are enough customers to support one in Centro. I haven't eaten a burger in decades so I can't evaluate their product. I think Premium Plaza is a little closer to San Antonio than Unicentro. He could grab a bus or uber for a quick run to get that burger.

He seems to have found one..

[PoonyD]

Thanks for taking the time to write the report. I think one should come, don't wait, you probably will never be ready if you wait.

I agree don't wait. My trips are probably my favorite thing in life. My first trip was solo because my friend backed out. I decided I was going no matter what. Linked up with a few guys off of a different forum and had a blast. If you don't have a friend to travel with then check out travel announcements. Most guys who post their dates there are friendly enough to at the very least meet for a drink and point you in the right direction. Or just hit up a few well known gringo spots and see if you can find someone like minded. Some of the guys I have met on various trips to different destinations have become very close friends of mine over the years. Feel free to pm me for any help or advice.

[PigSavinBoy]

With that I grabbed the top of his hand and quickly just flipped it over and put him on his knees with a wrist lock.

Man I'd avoid the physical confrontation like this, martial arts won't help you much against knife in the back or gun in your face and you were wise not to come back there otherwise the guy might want to settle the score of this "disrespect". Though MA might help in back against the wall situation but guy putting a hand on you on busy street doesn't qualify for that in my mind. Just throw it away and move on. It doesn't mean much it's illegal to carry a knife, a lot of street guys are carrying them. Pepper gas might be handy I guess.

Sometimes 'no gracias' is too much of acknowledgment. I often just ignore them totally as if they don't exist or make a quick decisive hand gesture signifying "no / go away" while not even looking or changing my pace.

Anyway, great report.

[Nounce]

...Spanish. I can't say enough how much better your experience will be if you are comfortable with basic conversational Spanish. If you don't know Spanish very well, wait 6 months to come and spend an hour or two each day working up your Spanish skills. ....

Thanks for taking the time to write the report. I think one should come, don't wait, you probably will never be ready if you wait.

The discussion goes in cycle. Spanish knowledge is one of them. For credit card purchase, I think quotas/installments will be most confusing to new visitors because it is a concept that does not exist in US for most.

I rarely encounter rude behavior, none I can remember. On multiple occasions the waiter just brought out all the drink types they have on the table to explain to me. When I ordered picada, I just put my palm on my jaw or point to my ear and they know what I want. LOL.

One time I was standing some distance away from a street vendor that I know in El Centro. She saw me and made a WTF or what do you want gesture with her palms facing the sky. So I went and got my dinner.