Medellin Reports

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2534325]Did you tell them they should stop wearing shorts and flip-flops?

It does not matter. Blending in is a fantasy. Nobody is robbing on the basis that the person is not fitting in. Locals get robbed too. Robbers would starve to death if they were just depending on unsuspecting tourists. What did it matter if the tourists that were robbed inside of their hotel rooms recently were wearing karate uniforms or kilts?[/QUOTE]Cmon Mr. E, you don't think a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes doesn't make a difference. And contrary to what you think, some foreigners can blend in, making them less of a target, versus an obvious foreigner, like a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes. And the robbers know which are better targets, and yes the locals do get robbed, I agree.

I agree with you.

Has much as I love Medellin, one must always play it safe. Doesn't matter how you dress or look.

You should always be cautious. Although I do feel the hotel security really sucks.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2534325]Did you tell them they should stop wearing shorts and flip-flops?

It does not matter. Blending in is a fantasy. Nobody is robbing on the basis that the person is not fitting in. Locals get robbed too. Robbers would starve to death if they were just depending on unsuspecting tourists. What did it matter if the tourists that were robbed inside of their hotel rooms recently were wearing karate uniforms or kilts?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Surfer500;2534337]Cmon Mr. E, you don't think a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes doesn't make a difference. And contrary to what you think, some foreigners can blend in, making them less of a target, versus an obvious foreigner, like a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes.[/QUOTE]Not at all. I think it is a total fallacy. I have never considered myself as blending in anywhere and I have never been a target that I know of. Robbers are not ridding around saying let's get the guy that is different.

Whenever I meet guys from ISG in Santa Fe or downtown Medellin, nobody would mistake any of us for being locals, not even at first glance. And still we are having no problems in these places. Just like RR in Bello. He is of Asian decent and most certainly not blending in there, but nobody is fucking with him. How many locals have been robbed in Bello?

It's easy, look at any youtube video for Medellin neighborhoods and compare what the people are wearing with what you plan to bring.

[QUOTE=EducationFund;2534313]Newbie here, preparing for my first trip.

Does anyone have a packing list for what to pack and wear to fit in with locals during the day (jeans, Nikes, and t-shirts or polo shirts?) and for going out at night for dinner and dancing? Dressing to not attract the thieves or repel the ladies..[/QUOTE]

Tourist getting robbed in broad daylight shows that these guys are getting desperate. Coronavirus + desperate, hungry people makes me feel that skipping Colombia in 2021 is the smart move.

We will be arriving from 2/25-3/5. Thank you everyone for all your info and input. We will be staying at M1 any advice or input is greatly appreciated. We have all been to Costa Rica and Sosua in the past but needed a change of scenery.

[QUOTE=VsebudetNY;2534175]That's disturbing. Here is the actual link:
[URL]https://fb.watch/3QgPDjph2G/[/URL][/QUOTE]Energy's security reviewing the recording from another camera showing motorcycle's license plate:

[URL]https://www.facebook.com/553689208334234/videos/514560689510080[/URL]

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2534277]Man if you are feeling like that in front of San Peter, then you better not go anywhere near Santa Fe.[/QUOTE]Mr E, as I mentioned in my post I was moving out of San Peter to the other place with direct street access and he did not show up. I was not waiting outside San P feeling unsafe but the place I was moving to. As per my previous reports I have been all over Centro at all times day and night including Raudaul. At the time I was waiting on the street I felt unsafe because I had everything including passport, all my cards and main phone etc which I would never normally carry out with me.

Anyway I do plan to visit Santa Fe and reckon it will be fun.

For the record I feel slightly safer due to the fact that I feel I blend in. Most countries I go to they think I'm actually a local due to my darker skin complexion, Mexico, Morocco and someone even said I could pass for been Colombian. This does not mean I let my guard down though.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2534347]Not at all. I think it is a total fallacy. I have never considered myself as blending in anywhere and I have never been a target that I know of. Robbers are not ridding around saying let's get the guy that is different.

Whenever I meet guys from ISG in Santa Fe or downtown Medellin, nobody would mistake any of us for being locals, not even at first glance. And still we are having no problems in these places. Just like RR in Bello. He is of Asian decent and most certainly not blending in there, but nobody is fucking with him. How many locals have been robbed in Bello?[/QUOTE]I'm in disbelief from where your coming from, and foreigners that stick out like a sore thumb and venture off where they shouldn't be, and even in heavy travelled / tourist locations are prime targets.

I've been told by Colombians that I can pass as a Colombian, and I know there are others on this board as well who can blend when our mouths are shut. Case in point, early last year I was walking behind the Veracruz Church where all the bars are, and an obvious gringo was walking about twenty feet in front of me, and lots of people looked at him, and some of the girls came up to him, tried to talk him up, yet when I went by nobody gave me a second look.

So it's not really a fallacy, some guys can blend in, and I honestly consider myself very lucky being able to stay under the radar when walking around El Centro.

[QUOTE=RudeBwoy100;2534359]Tourist getting robbed in broad daylight shows that these guys are getting desperate. Coronavirus + desperate, hungry people makes me feel that skipping Colombia in 2021 is the smart move.[/QUOTE]The truth of the matter is that tourists and locals have been getting robbed since the beginning of time, and skipping Medellin expecting not to be robbed in a tourist area during daylight will still be happening once COVID is in the rear mirror.

If that is your criteria for visiting or not then you should have skipped the past 10 years. If you search vimeo and youtube you will find hundreds of hours of similar videos. This is nothing new. Anyone who imagines it is new will be at greater risk of being victimized. You've been to Colombia so you know what precautions to take. Take it from me, it's not substantially more risky than it was pre coronavirus. I will say this, the volume and intensity of panhandling shot up noticeably since last March. Obviously there is a big difference between panhandling and stick ups.

[QUOTE=RudeBwoy100;2534359]Tourist getting robbed in broad daylight shows that these guys are getting desperate. Coronavirus + desperate, hungry people makes me feel that skipping Colombia in 2021 is the smart move.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Surfer500;2534337]Cmon Mr. E, you don't think a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes doesn't make a difference. And contrary to what you think, some foreigners can blend in, making them less of a target, versus an obvious foreigner, like a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes. And the robbers know which are better targets, and yes the locals do get robbed, I agree.[/QUOTE]What makes a difference is if he has a chain, watch, expensive phone, or in this case luggage. You don't necessarily need to blend in, but you don't want to appear to be a juicy target. Unfortunately, these guys with their luggage were a juicy target. I don't know the solution other than to not be on the street with luggage, though that's not always easy.

[QUOTE=RudeBwoy100;2534359]Tourist getting robbed in broad daylight shows that these guys are getting desperate. Coronavirus + desperate, hungry people makes me feel that skipping Colombia in 2021 is the smart move.[/QUOTE]Yup. Very desperate situation in Colombia and all over the World. Crime is way up against locals just as much as against tourists.

[QUOTE=Combo;2534426]What makes a difference is if he has a chain, watch, expensive phone, or in this case luggage. You don't necessarily need to blend in, but you don't want to appear to be a juicy target. Unfortunately, these guys with their luggage were a juicy target. I don't know the solution other than to not be on the street with luggage, though that's not always easy.

Yup. Very desperate situation in Colombia and all over the World. Crime is way up against locals just as much as against tourists.[/QUOTE]It has been reported several times on FB group that people were robbed while waiting outside for Uber or just getting out of Uber in El Poblado, mainly in quite street. El Poblado seems to have a higher probability to be robbed at gun point compared to elsewhere whether you have luggage or not. Wait for your taxi or Uber inside until the car comes.

If you are the robber, where would you go to find bigger and better target? Bello or El Poblado?

That there is a bias here toward the fashionista flacca chica. And I also like Big Butts. I like 'them all, tall, short, fat, skinny, dark, light. Not so old, though, jaja. When these two flacca fashionistas showed up, Flame and Vicki Secret, a good time was had by all. I would not be surprised if there were not at least 20 mongers here who recognize both of these busy working girls, who are are pure professionals, in the best sense. Standard rates. I never met a hot chica here yet who was not obsessed with taking selfies. ChocoThick is the super camera-shy chica in the one foto. They are all bisexual. Actually, I believe they are all lesbians but do it with guys like me strictly for the caja.

[QUOTE=Nounce;2534239]It depends. It that were The Tall Man, the guy with gun would not be "safe". The moment he touched The Tall Man, he would be sent flying to squash the guy on the motorcycle.[/QUOTE]Yes I would, actually that punk would not bother me as in this culture Size Matters and they know from their early school days that you just don't fuck with big dudes, News Flash!

They instinctively know that guys like me would get medieval on their ass so what do they do? Well they look for 2 idiots like these guys in the video, shorts with fucking white socks and wearing plastic clock slippers, prancing around like they are 2 maricon looking to for their next butt buddies, wearing jewelry and not having an ounce of self-awareness, 2 scrawny looking millenniums completely out of their element.

Just saying it like it is.

The Tall Man.