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[QUOTE=Kavin76;2275180]I arrive in Medellin in a few weeks. I have never been there before and wanted to get a few thoughts from everyone. BTW, my Spanish is limited to last minute flash cards for 30 days. Not the best.
((I recommend that you get the DVD collection of the telenovela "La Munecas de La Mafia," the one with subtitles. The actresses are gorgeous, a lot of it was filmed in Medellin and Bogota, the storyline is good, the production values are excellent. You will learn the local dialect and idioms. Oh, did I mention the actresses are gorgeous?))
- What is the best way to grab a cab to get to the El Poblado area from the airport without getting ripped? What is the average rate in pesos?. Also, if I am stuck on the street waiting to meet someone to get into the apartment I rented, am I going to be a bulls eye target rolling luggage and a bag around on the street in the afternoon? Haha.
((At any given time, there are a few people rolling luggage, or worse, walking around in sandals and with one back pack on their back, and the other on their chest. Afternoon is fine. That neighborhood is fine. Just limit your exposure and get that loot into the apartment, pronto. That is when you are most vulnerable. Have the company know you are coming. Heck , they might be even waiting for you, as they might wait until the last minute to clean out the apartment from the previous tenant.))
- I am staying right around the Carrera 43 A & Calle 10 crossing in a apartment. Is the walk from there to the Parque Lleras area safe at late night / early hours for a solo American?. It seems like such an easy distance, but if I am dressed up, is a cab best?
((It's a safe neighborhood. I've stayed in apartments there.
Be observant. If the streets are crowded with regular people, local people, walking the same streets, and you do not stick out by being dressed differently, wearing jewelry/watches/etc., flashing your cash and expensive cell phone, you will be OK. If you the streets are deserted, take a cab. Sure, it is a short distance, and you will pay the cabbie the minimum even if you did not reach it, but it might be worth it. Heck, sometimes you don't need the exercise and you don't want to walk the hill. Sometimes, that $2 cabfare is what saves you from being victimized.
Don't carry anything you are not willing to give up at gun point. Get a second passport that is limited to travel to only 2-3 of your top mongering destinations. Yes, a 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th passport that is good for a designated country or two are available. Bring two passports, hide one, put the other in the safe. You do NOT want to lose your passport and have to go to the embassy in Bogota to get a replacement.
After a couple of times of drinking or dining in LLeras, you will realize that does not have anything to offer you. The chicas working the park have crazy price expectations, and some of them are age traps. Besides, if they get back to the room and they rip you off, what recourse do you have? FaceBook, casa girls, club girls, even the online ad girls, you have some feedback and a way to keep them honest.))
- Are there any rooms "by the hour" or for $10-20 if I need to make a detour in this area? Seems I may not want to bring everyone back to my apartment for safety. If there are Street girls in the area, I'the assume they have to go somewhere.
((Just two metro stops away, or a 5-10 minute cab ride, are the short term hotels around the Mayorista. Clean, comfortable, not too expensive.))
I have 11 days in Medellin and then I return to Bogota for 6 days and then head home. I am excited to see what happens.[/QUOTE]