El Centro Mongering comments- Work on your Spanish
[QUOTE=CharmCityDave;1888464]I've been in Medellin for a week earlier this year and split my time between the Mansion and Jake (did a report). Getting ready to go back for a month or longer and looking forward to your experience. My Spanish (though working on it) is basic at best. In terms of appearance I'm about as Gringo as you can get and no matter how I dress, they are going to see a Gringo coming from a mile away. Still have (what some here would call here a fantasy) of hooking up with non-pros and having someone to hang and do activities with. Don't want to spend all my time in Casa's or Strip Clubs. Very interested in your advise on safe affordable accommodations.[/QUOTE]I don't do the clubs or casa's and am an El Centro guy as well when I'm in Medellin. Being a gringo or at least looking like an obvious gringo in El Centro is a double edged sword. The thieves and pickpockets will see you as a potential target on one hand, and in the other hand people will be curious about you. If you can converse in Spanish most people and the women will talk with you if your respectable in appearance. There's tons of women walking the streets willing to make some extra money but you need to be able to communicate in Spanish and have some game, etc.
It's so cheap in Medellin it's hard to fathom at times. There are girls that will go with you for as low as 20,000 Pesos and may spend a couple of hours with you if they like you and you can communicate with them. I believe the minimum monthly wage in Medellin is something around 600,000 Pesos a month so 20,000 Pesos is a lot of money to be made in an hour for people there. Again the key is being able to communicate in Spanish and having some game.
A bad apartment building, IMO
A few weeks ago, I wrote that I did not know of any apartment building that had security who checked ID's of the chicas. Well I found one, unfortunately. It is in Laureles-Estadio at Calle 41 A #70-42. It is an almost new building, all apartments. The building does not have a name. There is a group of people working a reception desk who think they are working at a hotel. They made a scanned copy of the ID of every visitor. I had a visitor arrive Friday evening. She had her ID, and the desk person called me to tell me she was there. The same chica returned Monday evening, but did not have her ID. They would not allow her to go to my apartment. I tried to argue my case with them, telling them that she was there Friday and they should have a copy of her ID and a record of her being there, to no avail. On two other occasions, they allowed chicas to go to my apartment without calling to inform me, and I had not told them that I expected a visitor.
The front door can be locked, but there was no uniformity of when it was locked. I arrived close to midnight a few nights and the door was unlocked. One night, when it was raining very hard, I arrived in a taxi a few minutes after 11, and the door was locked. There is no shelter at the door, so I had to wait in the rain while the desk person came to the door and unlocked it. I doubt that the desk people have any means to resist anyone who may arrive to create mischief.
The apartment I rented was very nice, but I will not return to that building as long as they have the same front desk policy. Unlike some people, I do not need anyone to know what I am doing and control what I do. I would stay in a hotel if I wanted that.
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Medellin long term Spanish-speaking monger report (acquiring lng trm apt)
How to secure a safe apt:
In the past I stayed in one of those ocasional hotels (avg cost 30 lucas / noche) which I highly recommend as a first step for those who are contemplating finding a reasonable apartment to settle for long term. You can bring girls with no problems but some will charge you an overnight guest stay if she spends6 the night.
I then went to an Exito supermarket (there are others you can also go to) and searched the public announcement boards where Everyday People post their rooms or apartments to rent. They usually ask for average of 300 lucas per month and most will include the cleaning. So I got me one of those rooms on La Oriental (El centro main road) I had my own room and private bath. The owner is a single mother who is an economist working for the city and very pleasant and your typical middle-class person. I paid 250 Lucas and got my keyes to the room and apt door. While there I started to look for my long term apt by: foot, word of mouth, asking porteros, and OLX app! OLX is a great app to find anything you need in medelli including reasonably priced Apartments.
I found an apt through OLX but it didn't have a great view so as I was leaving the building I asked the security or portero guy if he knew of any apts on a higher level like above the 14th floor. He gave me a couple of numbers but they were agencies! I knew I'd rather deal with the owner directly and eventually found a perfect small one bedroom apt for 550 and told the owner I'll pre pay 3 months at a time at 500 she agreed! Great landlord, honest and responsive. Her sons live in the USA. From a pueblo I know very well in antioquia. We completely forgone the typical process "confiador" and references. In my opinion it's a renters market and besides she is renting directly to me and pays no real state agency! Win-win for both and that's really how you want to go.
I live in a strato 3 building with two modern elevators. Never had problem with anyone in the building. In fact I realized I'm not the only foreigner living there!
I pay the Utilities and got me a 10 mbps wifi service with une.
The apt bldg has security guards and camaras all the time. And noone can just walk past security.
NEVER LIVE IN A BUILDING WITH NO 24 HR SECURITY GUARDS.
These apts don't come furnished so I did go and shop around and got it nicely furnished and setup to live comfortably and to receive the ladies. BTW, If you need electronics or furniture or even appliances I got some great recommendations to get you great stuff for lowest price in town. Been all over town and know exactly where to find them at lowest cost same warranties.
Of course I'm in the centro, about a 2 block walk to oriental the main buseling road of downtown. EVERYTHING is within a walking distance. Fresh fuits and veggies everywhere, EXITO supermarket. 5 minutos walk, pharmacies, clinics, bakeries, restaurants, oooh and lets not forget the casas. But for me, the most important part: women everywhere!
I'll include some photos of the apt. .
