Medellin Reports

I normally just go to whatever closest available to me, a lot of time Bancolombia. What are the best ATM to use for the best conversion rate?

[QUOTE=Beobeo;2614257]I normally just go to whatever closest available to me, a lot of time Bancolombia. What are the best ATM to use for the best conversion rate?[/QUOTE]Best ATM to use is Davivienda. They allow 2,000,000 each hit (most machines), no withdrawal fees rfom the Colombian bank. That also saves on fees at your end too. Just decline the conversion bcos no doubt your bank will give you a better rate when they get the transaction posted.

[QUOTE=JjBee62;2614253]One thing about checking cedulas everyone should be aware of. There are fake cedulas out there. Some girls use stolen cedulas[/QUOTE]I know its not smthg that will come in to the corrupt Colombia police behaviour, but I am curious what the actual law would be when someone uses a fake cedula. Given that you're a tourist and not familiar with what a real cedula looks like, surely equity would dictate that you could not be found guilty under these circumstances? . Hypothetically.

[QUOTE=Beobeo;2614257]I normally just go to whatever closest available to me, a lot of time Bancolombia. What are the best ATM to use for the best conversion rate?[/QUOTE]My experience is that Bancolombia gives the full XE rate if you find their machines that don't ask you to accept a conversion rate (which will rip you off). Looking at my last statement I made many pulls of 600 mil pesos (the ATM max) the last week of September and paid as low as $156.05 and as high as $156.42. So the conversion rate ranged from 3845 at best to 3836 at worst which is right at where [URL]XE.com[/URL] showed the official rate those days. I should mention my bank pays all ATM fees so maybe that's why I'm able to get the full exchange rate from Bancolombia's ATMs.

[QUOTE=JustTK;2614263]Best ATM to use is Davivienda. They allow 2,000,000 each hit (most machines), no withdrawal fees rfom the Colombian bank. That also saves on fees at your end too. Just decline the conversion bcos no doubt your bank will give you a better rate when they get the transaction posted.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=LuckyNuts;2614268]My experience is that Bancolombia gives the full XE rate if you find their machines that don't ask you to accept a conversion rate (which will rip you off). Looking at my last statement I made many pulls of 600 mil pesos (the ATM max) the last week of September and paid as low as $156.05 and as high as $156.42. So the conversion rate ranged from 3845 at best to 3836 at worst which is right at where [URL]XE.com[/URL] showed the official rate those days. I should mention my bank pays all ATM fees so maybe that's why I'm able to get the full exchange rate from Bancolombia's ATMs.[/QUOTE]I'm in the same boat as Lucky Nuts, my bank will refund all the fees. So, I always withdraw whatever I need. I only care about the best XE rate.

[QUOTE=Osteoknot;2614070]... There were four cops in my hotel room pointing their guns at me initially while telling me that I would be going away to prison for a long time, for infantile porn in my phone and for having an underage girl in my room, who they dragged back in as part of the act, even though none of it was true. They are using a 19 year old girl for the sting and all the photos in my phone are of adults.

I managed to flush all my Tussy after they found it and while the cops were still in the room at the same time. If I do say so myself that took some steel Kahuna's but they were more interested in extorting several million pesos from me than anything else. More to come but hopefully that's enough to convince you to stay away from her....[/QUOTE]Osteo, your posts are inspirational and educative and you are a guide for many old and new mongers: please stay free & healthy and -keep publishing!

[QUOTE=LuckyNuts;2614268]My experience is that Bancolombia gives the full XE rate if you find their machines that don't ask you to accept a conversion rate (which will rip you off). Looking at my last statement I made many pulls of 600 mil pesos (the ATM max) the last week of September and paid as low as $156.05 and as high as $156.42. So the conversion rate ranged from 3845 at best to 3836 at worst which is right at where [URL]XE.com[/URL] showed the official rate those days. I should mention my bank pays all ATM fees so maybe that's why I'm able to get the full exchange rate from Bancolombia's ATMs.[/QUOTE]All the banks I know do the exchange at your home bank. So the exchange rate does not depend on which bank you withdraw money from. That is true for Canadian banks, the big 5. Not sure about US banks. Some of the Canadian banks charge 2. 5%, others 3. 5%. So for me it doesn't matter which Colombian bank I withdraw from. I try to get one with no ATM fee (Scotia / Colpatria) and one that will give me the greatest amount to minimize the impact of the $5 foreign cash withdrawal fee (again, all the Canadian banks have at least a $5 fee for this).

[QUOTE=Beobeo;2614301]I'm in the same boat as Lucky Nuts, my bank will refund all the fees. So, I always withdraw whatever I need. I only care about the best XE rate.[/QUOTE]I've written about this before. You will not be getting the XE rate. That just isn't how it works. The XE rate is a market transaction rate. It is going up and down throughout the day. What you get (assuming you decline the Bank's Conversion rate. Which is a total rip off) is the Visa interbank rate. This rate is set every night at about midnight EST. It reflects what is happening in the currency exchange markets (I. E. The XE rate).

So if you se the XE rate climbing during the day. Wait and get your money tomorrow because Visa will likely raise their inter-bank rate. If you see the XE rate declining during the day and you need money, get it today because most likely the Visa rate that you get from your Colombian bank will be less tomorrow.

On Friday night the rate is set for the weekend (meaning Saturday, Sunday and Monday). Why Monday? Because Sunday at midnight there were no transactions on Sunday with which Visa would modify their rate.

You can search for Visa Exchange Rate. Put in any amount (it really doesn't matter) and put in a 0% bank fee. Then put in United States as the card issuing country (unless your bank is from another country) and put in Colombia and you will get the Visa Rate for the day. Compare that to how much it cost you when you do a withdrawal and you will find that it matches exactly.

Where can I get an actual real massage (no sex) for a decent price in Medellíand? My back been hurting me lately.

Thanks in advance.

Gabacho.

[QUOTE=Zeos1;2614332]All the banks I know do the exchange at your home bank. So the exchange rate does not depend on which bank you withdraw money from. That is true for Canadian banks, the big 5. Not sure about US banks. [/QUOTE]I don't know anything about the Canadian banking system, but I doubt it is different from almost every other country. If the ATM has a Visa or Mastercard emblem on it, the transaction goes through a clearing house which determines the exchange rate. If you look at the Visa foreign exchange rate, that will be real close to the exchange rate you will get at Visa affiliated ATM's. Some banks charge a clearing house fee, which will cause your rate to be a little lower. You will not get the XE rate. The visa rate lags the XE rate by two days. That works well for users of ATM's because you can foresee fluctuations. If the dollar has a big fall in value, you have two days to get the higher rate at an ATM. For example, today's XE rate for COP/USD is 3740/1 and the Visa rate is 3765/1. The XE rate during the day Monday was 3767. If you withdrew money today, you should have gotten close to 3765. Of course, if your bank charges a fee, the final rate you receive will be less. The OP is correct that the exchange rate is not determined by the ATM bank.

After 3 weeks in Cucuta I decided to fly to Punta Cana DR with "Wingo" from Medellin so to get to Medellin I took a direct flight with Viva AIR. At Medellin airport, The 13 k BUS took me to centro and from there I took a UBER to [URL]https://goo.gl/maps/fZv5BkfQ9qfGuRmZ9[/URL] but this area is not for me and all hotels there are look like a dog houses to me.

So after the first night I took a UBER to [URL]https://g.page/hotelsanpedrodelfuerte?share[/URL] and book a suit with Agoda, its a 3 room apartment for 140 K. I like the apartment but wrote a negative review on google map because the reception girl told me I need to pay 50 K for a visitor. After 2 hours the owner came to me crying that I hurt the hotel reputation so I told him why you want money for a visitor? Sory I need to pay tax for each of them he keep crying the hotel is for your service please delete this negative review. OK I felt sorry and delete it.

Now what? Mongering time I went to [URL]https://goo.gl/maps/6NPR9sLxcLNtDBHt9[/URL] which is next to my hotel and stop to eat a fish around the corner for 15 k [URL]https://goo.gl/maps/Yw5D3AmURwX6eFQF6[/URL] then went to the casa which is extremely east to find. During the presentation the reception girl told me that the price vary according to time from 60 K to 100 K. Anyway I saw a sex bomb and took her immodestly the room was real room with big bed not what you find in Bogota. Everything super clean and nice. Girls perform 10/10 but no photo allows. I will submit a bad report on google map LOL So gave her 20 K tip and really enjoy this Venezuelan porn star.

Now what? I decide to move again and booked 40 used Airbnb in "Parque de El Poblado" but not before I email the owner which promise me that his apartment is 100% visitor free fee.

Lets see.

[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2614355]I don't know anything about the Canadian banking system, but I doubt it is different from almost every other country. If the ATM has a Visa or Mastercard emblem on it, the transaction goes through a clearing house which determines the exchange rate. If you look at the Visa foreign exchange rate, that will be real close to the exchange rate you will get at Visa affiliated ATM's. Some banks charge a clearing house fee, which will cause your rate to be a little lower. You will not get the XE rate. The visa rate lags the XE rate by two days. That works well for users of ATM's because you can foresee fluctuations. If the dollar has a big fall in value, you have two days to get the higher rate at an ATM. For example, today's XE rate for COP/USD is 3740/1 and the Visa rate is 3765/1. The XE rate during the day Monday was 3767. If you withdrew money today, you should have gotten close to 3765. Of course, if your bank charges a fee, the final rate you receive will be less. The OP is correct that the exchange rate is not determined by the ATM bank.[/QUOTE]I'll have to check all that out. It makes sense. Part of the difference is that Canada had it's own debit card system. Interac - that may have handled clearing a bit differently, but most banks now are going to visa or mastercard for international transactions. I think it claims to be 2. 5% for transactions to Canadian dollar accounts. And either way there was a lag. Good to know about the 2 days. I'll watch for that.

When I checked the cost of taking out Colombian currency at home it worked out to around 5 or 6% cost, so I still think ATM withdrawals are the way to go. And taking Canadian dollars almost anywhere (except Cuba) is not an option as even banks will balk at exchanging it. And taking American dollars means a double hit on exchange fees. So that's not an option.

[QUOTE=JustTK;2614264]I know its not smthg that will come in to the corrupt Colombia police behaviour, but I am curious what the actual law would be when someone uses a fake cedula. Given that you're a tourist and not familiar with what a real cedula looks like, surely equity would dictate that you could not be found guilty under these circumstances? . Hypothetically.[/QUOTE]In an ideal world that would be correct. Unfortunately, because of the way the Colombian legal system works none of that matters.

If the police decide to arrest you, a determination is made on whether they have sufficient cause to charge you. If they decide the answer is yes you go to prison. You stay in prison until they decide they are ready to send you to trial. There is no time limit. You could be there for years before they make a decision.

That's what happened to the last high profile gringo to get arrested for that crime. He was never tried. After less than a year in prison he committed suicide.

You can retire in Medellin just stay away from the Botero area. Medellin and some of the surrounding areas are relatively safe. If you hang out in el centro which is the arm pit of Medellin what do you expect?

[QUOTE=LoveItHere69;2614136]Monday night there were many people out until 10:00 pm. Tuesday night the amount of people were half the night before. About 9:30 I went to the side of the church headed to the bar area behind the church to where there normally is an empanda stand but not tonight. At the corner where the yellow restaurant is I stopped to chat a girl I had been with a few times. Three guys were standing together nearby but as soon as I got there they separated and spaced themselves out around the corner and thus around me and surely looking down the street for police. So I quickly crossed the street. Soon a motorcycle cop turned to go down the walkway leading to the church so I followed him back. Pretty damn positive something was about to happen. Things are changing again in Botero. Be careful. When the police leave you leave.

One my walk back to my hotel I watched a guy pull out a knife on another guy under the metro. Nothing happened but still messes with ones peace of mind. I like how cheap it is here but could never retire here. Can never let your guard down. That sucks! NO peace of mind.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Zeos1;2614371]I'll have to check all that out. It makes sense. Part of the difference is that Canada had it's own debit card system. Interac - that may have handled clearing a bit differently, but most banks now are going to visa or mastercard for international transactions. I think it claims to be 2. 5% for transactions to Canadian dollar accounts. And either way there was a lag. Good to know about the 2 days. I'll watch for that.

When I checked the cost of taking out Colombian currency at home it worked out to around 5 or 6% cost, so I still think ATM withdrawals are the way to go. And taking Canadian dollars almost anywhere (except Cuba) is not an option as even banks will balk at exchanging it. And taking American dollars means a double hit on exchange fees. So that's not an option.[/QUOTE]I'm travelling soon to Medellin from Canada. I have signed up for a Stack debit card. No foreign exchange or transaction fees. There is also Koho but you need to pay a monthly fee to get no foreign fees (but there is a one month free trial). I'm yet to use the Stack card so can't comment on it's conversion rate or ease of use. But the customer service has so far been quick to answer any queries.