Medellin Reports

[QUOTE=JustTK;2665747]You do not need to show proof of a vax. All you need is to show a completed vax card. I am not sure what access Col Immg has to various online QR linked databases, but the reality is that many countries do not issue such QR cards and Col accepts all types of cards. So a handwritten card is just as valid as a QR card. They chk your card at the airline chk in desk, and again in the queue as you approach the immigration desk on entry. The immigration official at the desk did not look at mine.

You do not need to upload or send your vax card in advance when you do the Check Mig registration.[/QUOTE]No one said anything about check MIG last two flights I had to Colombia. Vaccine info is checked by airlines only. It is some minimum wage type employee looking for a few things. You can have the card or even a photo of the card on your phone. It is super easy to fake if you want to go that way.

[QUOTE=Knowledge;2665709]Surfer and others who need to access contacts associated with a certain number, US or otherwise, can pull a contact file and set up an account on the domain (msn, gmail, yahoo, etc) of your choice. Once that account is linked any of the smartphones you own you can access them from any of those smartphones. So Surfer you have the spare SIM, that is by far the most important piece. You can recover your service independently of a phone that might get lost, stolen, or damaged. By the way, you aren't really an old fart Luddite until you resort to buying minutes from the cigarette / tinto / candy vendors instead of carrying the burner phone. You are the ultimate Centro rat because your dates have better phones than you. LOL![/QUOTE]You can get a good idea of how bad the neighborhood is by how cheap they're selling minutes.

That is not correct. Any SIM card will work in any network unlocked phone. The phone has to be compatible with the Colombia networks. Among the few exceptions are older 3 G phones that will provide limited coverage and no coverage at all within a few months.

[QUOTE=Surfer500;2665725]Yep, I'm old school and technically challenged, but had heard that USA phones don't work with SIM cards from south of the border.

Is that correct?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Surfer500;2665725]Yep, I'm old school and technically challenged, but had heard that USA phones don't work with SIM cards from south of the border.

Is that correct?[/QUOTE]If the phone is unlocked it will work with a sim card from anywhere. It doesn't matter that the phone is from the USA Or the sim card is from elsewhere, all that matters is that the phone is unlocked.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2665730]Is there weeks long enough ... I want to be there long enough to have a decent understanding of what it's like..[/QUOTE]3 weeks is enough.

[QUOTE=DirtyDJ;2665688]Anyone know of a good cigar spot? I found one in Parque Lleras with no selection and what they did have, they were charging 80 mil a stick for![/QUOTE]I also went to that place in Parque Lleras and thought it was a ripoff. Then I found La Cava Puro and I have been very satisfied. The prices are fair, the selection is decent (by Medellin standards) and they have staff that speak English. They have a house brand cigar which is delightful. I prefer the blue label which is a lighter cigar. There is also a red label which is darker. This place will be one of my first stops on every trip unless I find something better.

Hi,

I'm heading back down to Medellin in a couple weeks and was wondering if strip clubs like La Isla or Fase Dos are still open? I've not heard much talk of them recently but keen to go if they are back open as I liked the selection pre covid times.

Also when looking for FB girls how do you even begin searching for them? I'm at a loss but would like to see if there is something that takes my fancy.

I'm hoping that I can use Tinder mainly or worst case maybe even join up to SA, I'm going to try and avoid the street walkers.

[QUOTE=Knowledge;2665258]What do you want to know?[/QUOTE]It appears that mongers who use social platforms to meet sex workers are being.

Lured by women and gangs that have bad intentions. These criminals have figured out.

How to lure their victims and they're fishing where there victims fish. Are there more details or background info.

On what happened to the Aussie and the other victim? What were the circumstances of these incidents?

There was a ton of time and effort spent on a rating system and was hoping BMs would jump all over this topic.

To discuss what happened and how it can be avoided. I believe most people here use FB, SA, or some other social network.

Platform to meet women and therefore there would be more chatter regarding this serious matter.

[QUOTE=Knowledge;2665844]That is not correct. Any SIM card will work in any network unlocked phone. The phone has to be compatible with the Colombia networks. Among the few exceptions are older 3 G phones that will provide limited coverage and no coverage at all within a few months.[/QUOTE]So one last question regarding phones. Would an "I" phone, which I purchased from Verizon in the USA be compatible with Colombia networks. I had heard that USA phones were not compatible with the phone system in Colombia, hence I have two phones and extra Verizon SIM cards with me as you previously suggested. Again my apologies for not being technically savvy on all this, but I recall a while back another poster explained that the system or network in Colombia was not compatible with the USA system, or perhaps that has changed?

[QUOTE=Surfer500;2665946]So one last question regarding phones. Would an "I" phone, which I purchased from Verizon in the USA be compatible with Colombia networks.[/QUOTE]If it is unlocked and uses a SIM then it will work. It was the old days when Sprint had that CDMA network that those were not compatible on GPRS and GSM networks. I think most of the world is standardized on at least LTE these days as those older 2G networks have become obsolete and 3G is right behind it.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2665730]Is there weeks long enough for a newbie to get his bearings in Medellin for a first trip? I speak no Spanish. I want to be there long enough to have a decent understanding of what it's like. Thanks for any help.[/QUOTE]I was there 1 week and was ready to go. Save your 3 week trips for Brazil. Much more to do there. Medellin is pretty boring to be honest and the strip club scene and bars has declined a lot.

[QUOTE=Surfer500;2665946]So one last question regarding phones. Would an "I" phone, which I purchased from Verizon in the USA be compatible with Colombia networks. I had heard that USA phones were not compatible with the phone system in Colombia, hence I have two phones and extra Verizon SIM cards with me as you previously suggested. Again my apologies for not being technically savvy on all this, but I recall a while back another poster explained that the system or network in Colombia was not compatible with the USA system, or perhaps that has changed?[/QUOTE]Everything has been essentially covered by what MR E said. As long as your "I" phone is not really old it should work. As long as it is unlocked and has a recepticle for a SIM, it should work. Cell phones work on radio waves and Versizon LTE for example uses the frequencies 1900,1700 f, 700 see. Movistar (Colombia) also uses 1700 so the towers are set up to recieve this frequency. These websites cover the frequencies used by carriers in the USA and Colombia

[URL]https://ipsnews.net/business/2020/06/30/cheat-sheet-which-4g-lte-bands-do-att-verizon-t-mobile-and-sprint-use-in-the-usa/[/URL]

[URL]https://www.frequencycheck.com/carriers/movistar-colombia[/URL]

I have been with Verizon for years so my history visiting Colombia is checkered because when Verizon origianally used the CDMA technology you simply could not use Verizon there, then I would have to just use a flip phone I bought in Colombia with a SIM I would buy there. Then when Smart phones seemed like a necessity I bought a "global" phone off Amazon that was multibanded for frequencies around the world, and set up for two SIM cards so I could use a USA number and a Colombia number (or what ever country I was traveling to).

How to know if the phoneis unlocked? Verizon says on their website that phones you buy from them or their "retail partners" (meaning if you bought the phone and the retailer said its a Verizon dealer, Walmart, Bestbuy etc) are locked for the first 60 days then they are automatically unlocked but it also recommends you check the phone to see if they unlocked it. Unfortunately the Verizon website the only way it says you can tell is of you insert a SIM from another carrier and get an error message. Which is bullshit.
https://www.verizon.com/support/device-locking-faqs/#locking-policy

This website tells you how to look in settings to see if there are SIM restrictions but not sure every IOS version has this in the settings.

[URL]https://www.iphonelife.com/content/how-to-know-if-your-iphone-unlocked-what-means[/URL]

This website gives the customer service number to call and ask if your phone is unlocked.

[URL]https://clark.com/technology/is-my-phone-unlocked/[/URL]

These days I use my Google Pixel. If I was running around Centro like you guys I would probably just carry a local drop phone also but I'm usually in the apartment, in a restaurant, or in a taxi. My Google Pixel is a multiband phone. It allows two SIM cards also but one is electronic. I bought my phone from Google and then had them install the physical Verizon SIM at Verizon outlet. (I purposely did so to avoid this 60 day bullshit because I was going to Colombia within 60 days) Then I dowloaded a Google Fi SIM electronically to use outside the USA (Google Fi is a lot cheaper than Verizon international and has the advantage of having service when I hit the ground instead of waiting to buy a local SIM. Once I hit the ATM at the airport and it flagged and caneled my only ATM card! I had not ATM card and no phone! So now I carry a spare ATM and I hit the ground with cell service LOL) Techincally with my setup I could switch back and forth between the SIMs.

[QUOTE=Knowledge;2665844]That is not correct. Any SIM card will work in any network unlocked phone. The phone has to be compatible with the Colombia networks. Among the few exceptions are older 3 G phones that will provide limited coverage and no coverage at all within a few months.[/QUOTE]For awhile I used a dual SIM Huawei I bought in Colombia. It was comparable to the Samsung Galaxy I had broken. My T-Mobile SIM in one slot and a Claro SIM in the other let me use Claro for high speed data and T-Mobile for calls to and from the US. WhatsApp worked regardless of which SIM was active.

It wasn't the cheapest, but about 1 third the price of a comparable Samsung or iPhone. I felt it was an acceptable compromise.

[QUOTE=JohnHancock11;2665866]I also went to that place in Parque Lleras and thought it was a ripoff. Then I found La Cava Puro and I have been very satisfied. The prices are fair, the selection is decent (by Medellin standards) and they have staff that speak English. They have a house brand cigar which is delightful. I prefer the blue label which is a lighter cigar. There is also a red label which is darker. This place will be one of my first stops on every trip unless I find something better.[/QUOTE]I went to La Cava Puro a few times with expats who are aficionados. I don't smoke, but it was a nice place to hang out and they recommended it.

[QUOTE=PepolesBuddy;2663963]Happy Wednesday all,

With the pandemic I don't know what's open or closed anymore. Which swinger club is your favorite and why? Do you all know the cover charges to these places?

Club Swinger.

[URL]https://www.theclubswinger.com/[/URL]

This was my go to spot. Cover used to be free before 10 pm.

La piscina? Aka laureles.

CL. 52 ##73-46, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.

Sweet dreams? Aka ubp.

Av. 33 #75 see 66 Segundo Piso, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.

Sentir club swinger? Aka belen.

Calle 30#80-56, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.

Club swinger open minded?

This one is all the way out in san jeronimo.[/QUOTE]Any update on this? I want to try out the swinger club, but I want to hear if anyone has any experience with it before I go.