Medellin Chit Chat Thread

[Septimius]

I bought my pharmacy meds in Poblado and was wondering if the pharmacies overcharge since they know the tourists are abundant in the area. Everything from Ibuprofen to Pepto Bismol was overpriced. I also bought some generic Cialis and some Colombian Modafinil. I can say that the Modafinil was either fake or seriously under dosed because I did not feel a thing from it. I cannot recall the price on them but the name on the box was Vigia 200 MG. I only bought them because when I asked for Adderall they said that in Colombia they don't sell that kind of stuff. The generic Cialis seemed to work. I usually bring along my OTC drugs with me but on this trip I ran out! Where do you seasoned vets buy your meds in Medellin? I usually don't care if prices are a little higher than normal but as an example I was sold 600 MG tabs of Ibuprofen at about 2 k a piece. Outrageous but I was desperate and did not care at the time.

[Septimius]

I have no idea about the skull. But speaking of tattoos has anyone on here gotten a tattoo in Medellin? I am wondering who some of the best artists in the area are and pricing.

[GBN94]

Just curious but what is with the numerous Colombian escorts with the large tattoo of a skull on their thigh?

[Vern2020]

Here are some of my chit chat thoughts from my recent trip. A lot of this will sound obvious to the regulars, but this is geared more for newbies since I was just a newbie myself.

- Learn spanish. If you are planning to come to Medellin. I would plan the trip at least 6 months from now and spend the time learning spanish if you don't know any. It's also a good investment in time and effort if you ever plan to go to other spanish-speaking counties in the future. I have only basic spanish, but it really helped. I can only imagine how difficult it would be here to have no spanish.

- ATMs. My card didn't work at Banco de Bogota ATMs, but it worked at others. If your transaction doesn't go through, don't panic. Try some other banks. Also, I found that the transactions went through easier if I just pressed one of the pre-selected amounts. When I tried to do a custom amount, it would often not go through. Although I wanted to take out more money at a time, the most I could take out at once was 780,000. Most ATMs the limit was 600,000.

- Know the precise location if you are going to visit a casa. They do not have signs out front. You need to know ahead of time the exact building you are going to. If you think you can just go the the approximate location and find it by walking around, you are mistaken.

- Credit cards. At some places they will try to charge you in US dollars on the credit card machine, when they do this they use a slightly worse rate than the going rate. This actually only amounts to pennies when paying for a meal at a restaurant, so no big deal. But at my hotel, when paying for 9 nights I saved some decent money by having him re-do the transaction in pesos instead of dollars.

- Cabs. Cabs are super cheap and plentiful all over town. I was surprised how many cab drivers didn't really know where they were going though. I had to pull up directions on my phone and help them get there quite a few times. The subway is cheap, and I found it to be a fun way to kind of tour the city and interact with the people. But for practical purposes as far as getting anywhere, I would just cab or uber. I just rode the subway and metro cable as a tourist thing to do.

[Mr Enternational]

I'm less than a week away from coming to Medellin for the first time. This might sound like a stupid question but, I was told exchanging money in the airport is a ripoff. There is an ATM right next to my hotel, and I plan to use my bank card in the ATMs for the best rate. My question is how do I pay for my taxi from the airport? Do they take credit cards? And if I remember correctly, I think I read it is not customary to tip taxi drivers in Colombia. Is that right? What about tipping in restaurants now that I think about it? Thanks.

Use the ATM in the airport and get that tipping stuff out of your head.

[Vern2020]

I'm less than a week away from coming to Medellin for the first time. This might sound like a stupid question but, I was told exchanging money in the airport is a ripoff. There is an ATM right next to my hotel, and I plan to use my bank card in the ATMs for the best rate. My question is how do I pay for my taxi from the airport? Do they take credit cards? And if I remember correctly, I think I read it is not customary to tip taxi drivers in Colombia. Is that right? What about tipping in restaurants now that I think about it? Thanks.

[Mr Enternational]

I found this to be damm funny to be not sharing here with punters.

http://noticias.chistescol.com/agent..._X95f-1zd-yLHM

A lot of those jokers are only gay for pay.

[Mush Elvii]

I found this to be damm funny to be not sharing here with punters.

http://noticias.chistescol.com/agent..._X95f-1zd-yLHM

[Fun Luvr]

When there's bad news, especially bad news worldwide, people buy dollars (as well as Swiss franc and Japanese Yen). So it's common to have a sell-off in stocks and a strengthening in the USD (against most currencies) on the same day.

Thanks for the info, Combo. That makes sense.

[Combo]

I have noticed recently that the US stock market has an inverse effect on the dollar / COP exchange rate. Last week, when the stock market was in freefall, the exchange rate was more than 3500 to $1 for a few hours. This week, when the market is going up, the exchange rate is going down. I think the dollar should be stronger when the market is up. Any economics experts out there care to enlighten me?

When there's bad news, especially bad news worldwide, people buy dollars (as well as Swiss franc and Japanese Yen). So it's common to have a sell-off in stocks and a strengthening in the USD (against most currencies) on the same day.

I've traded FX and interest rates most of my life, though I'm still not sure I'd call myself an expert!

BTW -- USD, SF, and JPY are the "safe-haven" currencies.

[GeneHickman]

I have noticed recently that the US stock market has an inverse effect on the dollar / COP exchange rate. Last week, when the stock market was in freefall, the exchange rate was more than 3500 to $1 for a few hours. This week, when the market is going up, the exchange rate is going down. I think the dollar should be stronger when the market is up. Any economics experts out there care to enlighten me?

Prob. More to do with China trade issues than US stock market, though the latter would also be affected by China trade to some extent. If China trade goes south then the peso goes with the other emerging markets lower. Arguably due to more China trade, Colombian peso affected more. The other issue driving peso to keep an eye on is oil price.

[Mr Enternational]

I have noticed recently that the US stock market has an inverse effect on the dollar / COP exchange rate. Last week, when the stock market was in freefall, the exchange rate was more than 3500 to $1 for a few hours. This week, when the market is going up, the exchange rate is going down. I think the dollar should be stronger when the market is up. Any economics experts out there care to enlighten me?

Has nothing to do with nothing. Only coincidence, not correlation.

[Fun Luvr]

I have noticed recently that the US stock market has an inverse effect on the dollar / COP exchange rate. Last week, when the stock market was in freefall, the exchange rate was more than 3500 to $1 for a few hours. This week, when the market is going up, the exchange rate is going down. I think the dollar should be stronger when the market is up. Any economics experts out there care to enlighten me?

[Husker Dude]

I believe most of the girls at the Mansion ask for 200 k for an hour. Some can be talked down to 150 k. Just to be clear, the Mansion isn't a casa. It's a hotel. There are girls who hang out at the pool during the day and in the bar at night.

Like said current Mansion price is 200 k, includes "taxi", although some may take 150. Heard currently no Chicas at pool during day Unless invited in by guest due to recent crackdown of some kind. Plenty at night in the downstairs bar. Only hotel guests allowed. Occasionally they will let outsider in for a fee.

[SosuaPlaya]

My Chigga, I am on your same boat. Relax, we stick out no matter what but you can always do the following:

1. Hire a guide. They act like pimps most of the time too with their own pool of hoes.

2. Take Ubers or find a recommended car service on social media.

3. Its not hard to write down a few things in Spanish and learn to say them. Things like "yo quiero chicas" (joe-key-ro-chi-cas) at the casa I'd imagine leads to a parade of hoes right there.

4. Check out Catador Colombia forums for local online prepago reviews. Turn the google translate on on your Chrome browser.

5. From the above site, I have learned that Mansion hoes are basically the Facebook hoes, also same price range as online prepagos 100 Mil and Above experiences, Median going for 150-200 Mil, 45-60 USD. The price of a toothless BJ in the Big-Apple.

6. As far as being Asian, I've been told that they will call us Chinos but not mean anything malicious, there are just too few of us there to have formed any stereotypes, just that they know who Jackie Chan is. I wouldn't walk around too afraid and paranoid, that's why a bilingual guide is worth a 100 hoes in this situation. Can also double as a security guide of sorts. Better to get robbed with someone right?

7. If this is your first rodeo, I suggest moving in the shadows.

Another Asian brother? I thought I was the only one. Good advice on the guide and the Catador site is cash. Thanks, my bro.