Medellin Reports

[QUOTE=LifeIsABeach;1648224]Raju1, seems like you stayed and did your mongering in the Centro. I would like to hear about your experience in the Centro, day and night and also which hotel you stayed at. There are varying reports on Centro and look forward to your experience, walking the streets, hitting the bars, casas, fls etc. Thanks.[/QUOTE]I would like to give my own view. I have been to Medellin a few times over the past couple of years. In my case, I can pass for a Colombian, and my Spanish is barely passable. During the day, I never had any problem and I always felt safe an comfortable, often alone. I've ridden the metro, walked all over Centro. No issue whatsoever. At night, I've been to the strip clubs in Centro at various times of the night, but with a wingman. The taxi drivers rarely venture into that Calle 53 (?), they usually drop us somewhere else and we had to walk. We are more careful, but there was never an issue.

[QUOTE=Lefeu;1648231]I would like to give my own view. I have been to Medellin a few times over the past couple of years. In my case, I can pass for a Colombian, and my Spanish is barely passable. During the day, I never had any problem and I always felt safe an comfortable, often alone. I've ridden the metro, walked all over Centro. No issue whatsoever. At night, I've been to the strip clubs in Centro at various times of the night, but with a wingman. The taxi drivers rarely venture into that Calle 53 (?), they usually drop us somewhere else and we had to walk. We are more careful, but there was never an issue.[/QUOTE]That coincides with my experience. Daytime, el Centro seems reasonably safe, though not very lively or comfortable. At night different story. The area peps up a lot and feels like a war-zone in some areas.

I can't imagine staying in Centro for more than a couple days. It just doesn't feel very welcoming.

[QUOTE=Combo;1648253]That coincides with my experience. Daytime, el Centro seems reasonably safe, though not very lively or comfortable. At night different story. The area peps up a lot and feels like a war-zone in some areas.

I can't imagine staying in Centro for more than a couple days. It just doesn't feel very welcoming.[/QUOTE]Went last year around April. Had gone to one of the clubs in Centro called Maracaibo around 1 am on a Saturday. I asked one of the bouncers where a bank was and he offered to accompany me to pull out some cash, that it wasn't safe alone. Ended up not going, though, but I guess that's something you can do. Seemed too risky. I stayed in a motel called Conquistadores that had good reviews on [URL]booking.com[/URL]. It was terrible. Rock hard bed felt like sleeping on wood. Roaches, tiny little TV, and the sound from the streets won't let you sleep. Also it was a popular love motel apparently and the walls are really thin. You get the idea. Definitely don't recommend staying in El Centro. Had to leave after the second night. Walking around daytime seemed safe though unless you stick out like a sore thumb. Going back end of January next year, staying in an apartment in Laureles.

[QUOTE=JohnLaser925;1648260]Went last year around April. Had gone to one of the clubs in Centro called Maracaibo around 1 am on a Saturday. I asked one of the bouncers where a bank was and he offered to accompany me to pull out some cash, that it wasn't safe alone. Ended up not going, though, but I guess that's something you can do. Seemed too risky. I stayed in a motel called Conquistadores that had good reviews on [URL]booking.com[/URL]. It was terrible. Rock hard bed felt like sleeping on wood. Roaches, tiny little TV, and the sound from the streets won't let you sleep. Also it was a popular love motel apparently and the walls are really thin. You get the idea. Definitely don't recommend staying in El Centro. Had to leave after the second night. Walking around daytime seemed safe though unless you stick out like a sore thumb. Going back end of January next year, staying in an apartment in Laureles.[/QUOTE]So they have not bot new beds yet!. I stayed there 5 years ago for one night, luckily I had only booked one night, I thought the beds were maybe horsehair mattresses about 3 inches thick. Lots better hotels in el centro between plaza botero and avenida oriental. The maracaibo club bouncer would have taken you only about 30 metres of less to Banco de Bogota from his club to an ATM, the problem is the ATM is faces directly onto the street without an enclosure booth and people pass right beside you when using the ATM. He was correct in telling you it was not safe at 1300.

[QUOTE=LifeIsABeach;1648224]Raju1, seems like you stayed and did your mongering in the Centro. I would like to hear about your experience in the Centro, day and night and also which hotel you stayed at. There are varying reports on Centro and look forward to your experience, walking the streets, hitting the bars, casas, fls etc. Thanks.[/QUOTE]Just wanted to add some of my experience from my trip last month and observations. I only visited the centro area during the day. I took the metro from Laureles / Stadio to Parque Berrio stop and from there I walked around looking for the Centro casas. The centro area is pretty safe during the day because of so many people walking everywhere and so many businesses and also Police presence and tactics. It is like a big street market, it is very noisy, stores, vendors everywhere, food, music, noise cars, jammed trafict, clothing stores, places to eat, food smell, dirt smell, busting with energy, dirty streets, bad smell, decadent look, people walking from place to place. For hitting the casas on your own it takes some time to figure the streets mapping of Carreras and calles and also some courage to walk inside the casas, specially alone. Sometimes I found the places with no signs at all just the addresses listed outside and I would ponder and hesitate and walk around several times before going in thinking if this place is safe to go in and observing who is going in and out to get clues? What if get kidnapped, robbed, drugged? Most of the casas from the outside seemed intimidating. Once inside is more inviting and relaxing. I spent a lot of time walking around very fast, getting lost and sometimes ended up in shady areas, but for the most part found my way out and back to the places and addresses. I felt pretty safe while walking and I love walking. In my case, most people thought I was Colombian (even the girls I fucked at the Casas thought I was Colombian just from another town) and also I speak Spanish fluently. A Colombian friend from the USA who was born in Medellin told me to stay away from el centro because of the crime history there. He thought I was crazy after I told him that I went there almost daily casa hunting. Prior to my hunt, I spent some time at Parque Berrio eating fruits (Sandias / watermelon is good for the kidney and good prior to sex) from a vendor (el senor de las frutas). He also prepares an afrodisiac shake (milk, chontanduro, borojo, higo, and aguacate). Great for energy and prior to fucking. I asked el senor de las frutas why people say the centro was dangerous when it did not appear as such during the day. He said that the centro was safer now but it was not very dangerous before. He said that even two years earlier there was lot of crime (mainly thieves and some would rob you at gun point) even during the day, but that there has been some serious martial cleansing and many of the criminals and kidnappers have disappeared because of the cleansing by the police. He said that the Police has been doing some systematic attack on the criminals and whenever one of them committed a crime, if they found the perpetrator, robber, kidnapper, etc, they would take them away and made the person disappear or simply put the person is probably killed, a practice supported by many. He said that the Police is still doing this and this is how el senor de las frutas attributes the crime reduction in the Centro area. He said many of the criminals just stop their activities, some got killed or some got really scared of the new tactics of how the police now deals with crime. I don't know if this is true or not but seemed both barbaric and effective. The latest time I left the Centro area was about 8 pm, but I noticed a big change in the area by that time, many business were already closed, El senor de las frutas was already gone from the park (why did he leave if it is so safe? As most of the vendors, there were less and less people and another type of night people were coming in. You could start seeing hookers (worst looking than the casa girls and some trannies at the park) congregating on some of the street corners and also transgenders and less and less Police presence. That was time for me to get away in a hurry from that area. No way, I would stay in that area at night time or even in a Hotel. I liked going in during the day / afternoon just for the casas and to eat my fruits and special drink with el senor de las frutas.

El Centro at night is dangerous near bars. Got robbed twice in 10 minutes. Especially if you look gringo with money. Yes, I wander around when and where I shouldn't. I did walk through two more quiet streets as well. I turned from the bars and walked down from the bars onto the small street that lead to the park. Lesson learned. My fault, just a warning for those of who might be more adventurous. I stashed my cellphone at home luckily as a precaution and only lost 10 k luckily (my guess). The first group were kids who looked 13-15 years old. Second were a pack of young adults on my way back to my hotel. They just want your money so don't resist and give and hopefully you should be fine. It could happen during day walking on casa run but I can't say. Always good idea to go out with minimum cash and not of any value like your phone.

Thank you gentlemen, the information shared gives a 'good' insight into Centro and I sure will visit but only during the day. Thanks.

[QUOTE=SuperGen5;1649032]El Centro at night is dangerous near bars. Got robbed twice in 10 minutes. Especially if you look gringo with money. Yes, I wander around when and where I shouldn't. I did walk through two more quiet streets as well. I turned from the bars and walked down from the bars onto the small street that lead to the park. Lesson learned. My fault, just a warning for those of who might be more adventurous. I stashed my cellphone at home luckily as a precaution and only lost 10 k luckily (my guess). The first group were kids who looked 13-15 years old. Second were a pack of young adults on my way back to my hotel. They just want your money so don't resist and give and hopefully you should be fine. It could happen during day walking on casa run but I can't say. Always good idea to go out with minimum cash and not of any value like your phone.[/QUOTE]Wow robbed twice in 10 minutes! I've been here 5 years and never been robbed. Toured yesterday to New Life had 8 girls same middle of the road but the place is always clean and friendly. Over to Coffee Shop had 7 with a couple lookers followed by Paris which has 3 hot girls. 38000 for a half hour worth ever penny!

[QUOTE=ColombiaJake;1649300]Wow robbed twice in 10 minutes! I've been here 5 years and never been robbed. Toured yesterday to New Life had 8 girls same middle of the road but the place is always clean and friendly. Over to Coffee Shop had 7 with a couple lookers followed by Paris which has 3 hot girls. 38000 for a half hour worth ever penny![/QUOTE]I simply don't believe it's possible to live in Medellin for 5 years and not get robbed. I was there for most of 2013 and both my flat mates got robbed, one twice in two weeks! I was lucky and nothing happened to me (touch a lot of wood). Most people you meet, both gringos and Colombians will have some pretty scary stories to share. I would take 'ColombiaJake' advice with a pretty big pinch of salt as his business is entirely reliant on gringos visiting Medellin. Obviously they are not going to do so if they feel it is too dangerous.

Having said all of the above I love Medellin and it's people but anyone who tries to convince themselves or anyone else it is a safe city is just plain wrong.

Anyone knows what happened to this place? Used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Walked over to San Fernanda Plaza and saw that the entire restaurant had been cleared out except the murals on the walls.

[QUOTE=SuperGen5;1649032]El Centro at night is dangerous near bars. Got robbed twice in 10 minutes. Especially if you look gringo with money. Yes, I wander around when and where I shouldn't. I did walk through two more quiet streets as well. I turned from the bars and walked down from the bars onto the small street that lead to the park. Lesson learned. My fault, just a warning for those of who might be more adventurous. I stashed my cellphone at home luckily as a precaution and only lost 10 k luckily (my guess). The first group were kids who looked 13-15 years old. Second were a pack of young adults on my way back to my hotel. They just want your money so don't resist and give and hopefully you should be fine. It could happen during day walking on casa run but I can't say. Always good idea to go out with minimum cash and not of any value like your phone.[/QUOTE]I do not go the minimum cash route that so many talk about. I always carry 100 k in my wallet in a front pocket, and 200 k in a thin pouch that is inside my pants and attached to my belt. The last few years I also carry one debit card in the pouch. 2 other debit cards and credit cards are left in hotel safe. My reason lately for the debit card is what is my life worth? Surely 600 k at a debit machine if the bad guys were not happy with just a hit and run for the 100 k and the other 200 k in the pouch if they searched me. I spend 4 to 6 months of the year in MDE and always in el centro. I travel alone and have never been robbed even in the so called no go zones of el centro you read about on this site since 2010.

I am not really folowing your debit card logics. Thieves in centro would be content if they steal 10 k from you. Your debit card is likely to reduce, rather than increase, your security.

[QUOTE=Bart1;1649390]I do not go the minimum cash route that so many talk about. I always carry 100 k in my wallet in a front pocket, and 200 k in a thin pouch that is inside my pants and attached to my belt. The last few years I also carry one debit card in the pouch. 2 other debit cards and credit cards are left in hotel safe. My reason lately for the debit card is what is my life worth? Surely 600 k at a debit machine if the bad guys were not happy with just a hit and run for the 100 k and the other 200 k in the pouch if they searched me. I spend 4 to 6 months of the year in MDE and always in el centro. I travel alone and have never been robbed even in the so called no go zones of el centro you read about on this site since 2010.[/QUOTE].

[QUOTE=MattPsyche;1649415]I am not really folowing your debit card logics. Thieves in centro would be content if they steal 10 k from you. Your debit card is likely to reduce, rather than increase, your security.

.[/QUOTE]I would agree. For a quick hit, they'll likely be content with 50 k or less. That's not a trivial sum of money for a poor Paisa.

Keep in mind that we're talking about Centro here. Most guys stay in Poblado, which is much safer (though shit occasionally happens there also).

AA) Is mid December- mid January a good time to be in Medellin considering that most of mongering in Latin America is dead during this time.

BB) Is it worth taking a subscription on Colombia cupid? Are girls real there?

CC) How to meet Medellin girls (pros or non pros) on facebook?

Thanks in advance.

[QUOTE=SamxMan;1649323]I simply don't believe it's possible to live in Medellin for 5 years and not get robbed. I was there for most of 2013 and both my flat mates got robbed, one twice in two weeks! I was lucky and nothing happened to me (touch a lot of wood). Most people you meet, both gringos and Colombians will have some pretty scary stories to share. I would take 'ColombiaJake' advice with a pretty big pinch of salt as his business is entirely reliant on gringos visiting Medellin. Obviously they are not going to do so if they feel it is too dangerous.

Having said all of the above I love Medellin and it's people but anyone who tries to convince themselves or anyone else it is a safe city is just plain wrong.[/QUOTE]I have been traveling to Colombia for over 20 years and spent well over 5 years in Colombia and I have never been robbed but it could happen tomorrow you never know. I have had plenty of friends that have gotten robbed. All where walking around at night or got in a bad cab. I never do either.

Before I got my own car I used to have a list of cabbies that I knew and trusted to pick me up at a moments notice. Now that the EASY TAXI app is available to anyone with a smart phone there is no excuse to hale a cab off the street.

I always take my cash out in the day at either a mall or inside of a bank never ever on the street.

I only carry cash at night and no debit cards to avoid the possibility of "paseo millionario". That is where you get in a cab and they the cab stops and lets someone in to rob you. If you have debit cars they will take you at gun point to ATMs until you can't take anymore money out. If it is close to midnight they will sometimes hold you until the next day to see if they can get more money out of you. I have had this happen to three friends of mine over the years. All of them in Cali. Doesn't seem to be as popular in Medellin.

I have been to el centro couple of times during the day and walked with guys that knew where they were going so no problem. And I have gone a couple of times to Mayorista at night in my friends car. No random walking around and in a group of friends.

I would never go there alone walking around trying to hale a taxi at night. Just plan on getting robbed at some point if that is your MO.

Almost all robbers will get shot and killed by someone they are robbing well before they are ever caught by the police. So these guys are nervous as hell and being with just one other person that doesn't look like a push over is a good deterrent to crime.

Bottom line is. If you stay in a nice building with armed guards. Take private transportation. And go to nice places in nice areas your chances of getting in trouble are pretty slim.