Medellin Reports

I visited Jake's place back in November of 15. I went there because it was my first time in Medellin and it was cheap and seemed safe. I met some girls, of course. Nothing going on there like drugs or girls of dubious age as far as I could see. But what I learned was that you don't really need a guy like him to get with the exact same girls he sets you up with. They are everywhere. You see all those little brick houses up the side of the mountain? Duh! So, do yourself a favor. Go to Medellin. Stay the hell away from Lleras. Hell, stay away from Poblado. Walk up to any girl you want and spit out a few lines of memorized Spanish. If you are looking for a hooker. Just go to the casas. They are a great deal and have some really hot girls. It's super easy to get a girl to be your guide for all the other activities. The girls there are just very open to the possibility of having sex with you. They aren't stigmatized by age difference or how you look so much. And if you are planning a trip in advance, I would recommend striking up a relationship with some girls in advance. You will have a much better time while you are there. I can also help out if anyone needs advice. I have made connections with some apartment owners and can hook you up with a much better place than Jake could offer for far less. Hell, I will offer consulting services if you want. I have really dug into this city and made some great relationships with all kinds of people. I don't mind helping out. It's really very easy to do this on your own. You can really make some sweet girl very happy, if even for a short time. Seems like a real gray area in Medellin between going there to meet girls and sex tourism. I really can't tell the difference, because meeting girls here is pretty much like finding sex. In my personal experience. So, just go there to meet girls. The sex will come. Feel free to PM me if you need some help.

[QUOTE=Surfer500;1907908]Signs saying no to sex tourism, when I arrive tomorrow I'll see if any are posted at the Airport.[/QUOTE]The signs have been there forever, but they mean none with people under 18, not consenting adults.

P.S. The ones that TroyBoy posted after this are not the signs that I was referring to. But it begs the question, who is the sign geared towards and how are they supposed to determine whether a person is a sex tourist, and even then what are they supposed to be saying no about?

[QUOTE=JjBee62;1907951]Because he provided lodging for his customers, according to his website. I'm pretty sure the law requires a copy of either a local ID or a passport.[/QUOTE]Law shmaw. According to the news reports, he was not exactly operating within the bounds of the law now was he?

[QUOTE=Turgid;1907855]Have any of you guys noticed the "Say No To Sex Tourism" posters at various tourist sites in Medellin?[/QUOTE]On my very recent trip to Medellin I also had noted a number of trendy Parque Lleras restaurants displaying signage: "No To Sex Tourists".

In the past I have felt comfortable dining in Lleras with my date. I would never kiss, grope or act inappropriately. I now feel just the sight of a 60 yr gringo with a 20 yr chica screams "ST" I have now made a decision --no more date nights out. Why ruffle feathers if it can be avoided.

I am also convinced now that if 3 or more gringos dine out together; one will be clueless and obnoxious. No more group dining for me.

My Advice:

1) Do not even pack a pair of shorts or flip-flops for Medellin trips. Save those for the playa trips.

2) If you are eating out with friends and English will be spoken, chose a table away from public so they will not overhear the crap that comes out of our Gringo mouths. (Always assume people in proximity can understand English)

3) For god's sake chose carefully who you smile at, wink at or hit upon. That waitress or gal walking with her mother most likely is NOT interested.

4) If you must take your date out in public make sure you and her are dressed appropriately. If she only has her **** clothes with her- order in.

[QUOTE=JjBee62;1907951]Because he provided lodging for his customers, according to his website. I'm pretty sure the law requires a copy of either a local ID or a passport.[/QUOTE]Just because something is a law doesn't mean that everybody is within compliance. He probably at some point had to ask for some form of ID to confirm who he was dealing with, but I don't see how somebody can be "pretty sure" he made copies because the law requires it LOL! Furthermore, although I've had to show my passport many a time when checking into a hotel, reception has never made an actual copy of if. They took some information, but no actual copies were made.

I don't know about renting rooms to anyone but I do know I would never consider showing my passport to anyone engaged in what this recently busted guy and the others like him who advertise on the Internet. It's a personal policy of mine that's worked well enough so far. Recent events don't give me cause to reconsider it.

[QUOTE=Surfer500;1907890]If you were renting rooms wouldn't you want to have copies of your renters identification in case there was a problem, I would.[/QUOTE]

Seems like a good idea to me.

[QUOTE=GoneFishin;1908027]Since he never really used his own thread, suggestion, can we all use it now for all things related to his case, warnings and such?

GF.[/QUOTE]

Love motels exist exactly for the purpose of non documented use.

The recently busted guy was not operating a hotel. Like anyone who has stayed at hotels in Latin America, I'm familiar with the ID rules. In fact, the same rule applies to checking into a Hyatt in Chicago or London. This guy was not operating a Hyatt or anything close to one. That is why I question why his customers would interact with him as if he were. It's about me, I don't get why anyone messed with him at all.

[QUOTE=BlackPage;1908043]This is so obvious. I have been astonished to see so many asking "did he get the passports?" Or even worse things like "I doubt one was so fool to give him the real name!", etc.

By law in Colombia, any establishment providing lodging must take note of the passport ID and data OF ALL GUESTS. When you go to a hotel, they make a copy of your passport. When you bring a guest to your room, the doorman records the data of the cedula of your guest. If he does not, he is closing his eyes.

By the way, I find this so annoying. If I rent an apartment, it should be my business who I take to my apartment as my guest! I don't really like to see the doorman to question my girls and ask them the cedula in the middle of the night, at least if they are my friends and I have no doubts about them.

I had more than one argument with some members of ISG about this, who jumped on me just because I wrote that I don't understand why in Colombia they are so strict in registering all guests. Those Americans found suspicious that I did not like the doorman register the guests of my apartment in CTG, but they are the same Americans who find natural that they can bring anyone, at any time, without any control to a room at Hilton in Dallas, not to mention crappy motels, without the security even raising the eyebrows. (For those who are curious: if I bring a married woman to my apartment, as I did once, allow me the prefer she's not registered on the guest book with her real name and cedula number).
By the way, in Colombia I was not asked to provide my cedula only in crappy hotels in the centro of Medellin or in some, but not all, love motels.[/QUOTE]

A couple of other tips: remember to zip up your fly, don't fart in people's faces, try not to [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord140][CodeWord140][/url] on the legs of passersby when you relieve yourself outside bars. Sorry for that, I couldn't stop myself. I just want to be able to pretend TroyBoy's helpful hints aren't necessary to post even though I know they are.

[QUOTE=TroyBoy;1908132]On my very recent trip to Medellin I also had noted a number of trendy Parque Lleras restaurants displaying signage: "No To Sex Tourists".

In the past I have felt comfortable dining in Lleras with my date. I would never kiss, grope or act inappropriately. I now feel just the sight of a 60 yr gringo with a 20 yr chica screams "ST" I have now made a decision --no more date nights out. Why ruffle feathers if it can be avoided.

I am also convinced now that if 3 or more gringos dine out together; one will be clueless and obnoxious. No more group dining for me.

My Advice:.[/QUOTE]

I was beginning to think I was the only one who considered that.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1908128]Law shmaw. According to the news reports, he was not exactly operating within the bounds of the law now was he?[/QUOTE]

The signs are not new, especially the airport signs. The signs at bars and restaurants, in my opinion, are aimed at local clientele who would otherwise avoid the establishment for fear of exposing their families and friends to apparent sex tourism.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1908126]The signs have been there forever, but they mean none with people under 18, not consenting adults.

P.S. The ones that TroyBoy posted after this are not the signs that I was referring to. But it begs the question, who is the sign geared towards and how are they supposed to determine whether a person is a sex tourist, and even then what are they supposed to be saying no about?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=GringoLoco66;1908066]I visited Jake's place back in November of 15. I went there because it was my first time in Medellin and it was cheap and seemed safe. I met some girls, of course. Nothing going on there like drugs or girls of dubious age as far as I could see. But what I learned was that you don't really need a guy like him to get with the exact same girls he sets you up with. They are everywhere. You see all those little brick houses up the side of the mountain? Duh! So, do yourself a favor. Go to Medellin. Stay the hell away from Lleras. Hell, stay away from Poblado. Walk up to any girl you want and spit out a few lines of memorized Spanish. If you are looking for a hooker. Just go to the casas. They are a great deal and have some really hot girls. It's super easy to get a girl to be your guide for all the other activities. The girls there are just very open to the possibility of having sex with you. They aren't stigmatized by age difference or how you look so much. And if you are planning a trip in advance, I would recommend striking up a relationship with some girls in advance. You will have a much better time while you are there. I can also help out if anyone needs advice. I have made connections with some apartment owners and can hook you up with a much better place than Jake could offer for far less. Hell, I will offer consulting services if you want. I have really dug into this city and made some great relationships with all kinds of people. I don't mind helping out. It's really very easy to do this on your own. You can really make some sweet girl very happy, if even for a short time. Seems like a real gray area in Medellin between going there to meet girls and sex tourism. I really can't tell the difference, because meeting girls here is pretty much like finding sex. In my personal experience. So, just go there to meet girls. The sex will come. Feel free to PM me if you need some help.[/QUOTE]You went to Medellin one time and are offering consulting services?

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1908128]Law shmaw. According to the news reports, he was not exactly operating within the bounds of the law now was he?[/QUOTE]Did you ever consider, it may have been some much simpler laws that brought him down? Was he paying the appropriate lodging taxes? Local governments tend to be blind as long as they are getting their piece of the action.

[QUOTE=TheCane;1908136]Just because something is a law doesn't mean that everybody is within compliance. He probably at some point had to ask for some form of ID to confirm who he was dealing with, but I don't see how somebody can be "pretty sure" he made copies because the law requires it LOL! Furthermore, although I've had to show my passport many a time when checking into a hotel, reception has never made an actual copy of if. They took some information, but no actual copies were made.[/QUOTE]My experience has been, with one exception, that a copy was made of my passport and I seem to recall reading it is a legal requirement. Which is why I stated:

[QUOTE=JjBee62;1907951]I'm pretty sure the law requires a copy of either a local ID or a passport.[/QUOTE]Now if you read it again you'll see that I never said "I'm pretty sure he made copies. " Hell, you quoted it and still can't understand. Someone asked why he might have copies of passports and I answered. I said nothing about whether he diligently followed the law. Do I need to write 6,000 words explaining everything else I didn't say, or do you think you can make it through a 2 sentence post without getting lost?

[QUOTE=JjBee62;1908220]Did you ever consider, it may have been some much simpler laws that brought him down? Was he paying the appropriate lodging taxes? Local governments tend to be blind as long as they are getting their piece of the action.[/QUOTE]You can't be serious, this was a coordinated effort bt two governments, and Jake was being observed for a year, bc he didn't pay his lodging tax? Why do you think Colombians are ok with their 13 yr old girls being sold as long as they can make taxes off a three bedroom apartment? Its this attitude which Colombians are fed up with, Colombia is a very family oriented, Catholic country, so they typically don't appreciate insinuations like yours.