Medellin Colombia

Local Malls and Parks: Talk about eye candy? I almost made a daily ritual of visiting a new mall and repeating where I saw locals of interest. I would start off a conversation asking where I could find something, like a bathroom, key shop, where I could buy flip flops or some other lame excuse. To my surprise and delight, the Paisas were very accommodating and more than willing to jump in and lend a hand They actually wanted to be of help and most of them were very curious having an American in their midst. Remember, this is not a tourist city so you are something of a rarity to them.

El Tesoro, the newest and largest commercial center, sporting walkways with fantastic views overlooking the city, is a high end commercial center where only the most wealthy can afford to shop. People were dressed very fashionably and looked like they had money to be there. Camino Real which is located downtown, is also a very nice mall. Unicentro, my favorite, is more of a mid level center with lots of people shopping in mid priced shops. I also had a higher success rate of meeting girls here than any other mall in town. San Diego, is one of the oldest commercial malls and also a very good place for recruiting and meeting non-pros. Oviedo, a short two block walk from the Medellin Mansion, is a very upscale mall with many recognizable stores like Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Cartier, LaCoste, Polo, Reebock, Liz Calaiborne and others. The food court is the best place to girl watch and perhaps the easiest place to meet them. In the early evenings, there is a restaurant at the main entrance that will afford you a view of some of Medellins fines. Viscaya and Monterey are also worth a visit. If you need something for your electronic equipment, Monterey will probably have it. The entire second floor is dedicated to electronics.
Parks: Parque Lleras is in a very elegant park setting surrounded by shops and restaurants. It is very popular with the young and beautiful set who go there for dinner and drinks after work, listen to free public concerts and watch free films. Parque Poblado is at the main N/S intersection in Poblado. Not a bad place to girl watch during the day. Las Palmas is in a section of the city as you drive up the mountain. There are several restaurants and discos and the views of the city at night are spectacular. Great place to take a date for the evening but it is very busy on Friday and Saturday nights. Also worth a visit is La Sabaneta but go on a Saturday or Sunday and it is a little bit of a hike by taxi.

Restaurants: Medellin is full of them. Everything from fast food and pizza places to elegant, white table cloth, sit down dining. Many fine seafood, steak and local cuisine establishments at very affordable prices. Note: Some high end places include a service charge for the waiters but most do not. Tipping is not expected. It is not culturally ingrained in the mindset of service personnel. Most locals will not tip unless the service is exceptional or they are trying to impress a girl they are with that night. Don't feel obligated to tip and if you don't nobody will think anything about it. Leave a nice tip and they will be falling all over themselves to be your waiter/waitress if you return.

Keeping in touch: For the e-mail junkies or those that have to keep in touch while away, there are many decent internet cafes. Most hotels have internet access and the Mansion has wireless internet to compliment their dedicated access. I picked up a couple of Wi-Fi hot spots quite by accident. Many were security blocked but several were wide open and I just helped myself. Speed was quite surprising too!

Departing: Like most short 7-10 day mongering forays, you will not be ready to leave because you have not had time to experience all that Medellin has to offer, or, you are just beginning to enjoy the company of a GFE you have acquired. Don't be too concerned as it is a short hop from Miami and many cities offer non stop flights on a daily basis, making your return simple and easy to plan....even for a long weekend! You do need to plan for the return trip to the airport and the eventualities of delays on the mountain roads. Leave early and you may spend extra time in the airport. Cut it short and you may find yourself returning to your hotel because of traffic delays. Another alternative is to book at room at the Santiago de Amar motel, five minutes from the airport. It is a La Quinta style of motel but you can spend your final hours with your current squeeze and dash for the airport at the last minute without any worries of traffic delays. One guy even checked in at the airport, checked his luggage, returned to the motel with his GF and spent his last three hours in Mde. in bliss.

At the beginning of this report, I stated that Medellin is not for everybody. It is not "sex in your face" like BKK , Pattaya, AC or even Rio. There are no beaches and with the exception of a few museums, parks (and some very interesting tours) there is not a lot to do during the day. Medellin is a great place to have dental or plastic surgery performed by some very world renowned doctors at incredibly cheap prices. You will have a sore neck from staring at gorgeous women all day. You will love the climate. You can get laid at many casas all day and night. You can pick up girls in bars, strip joints, on the streets and even in discos. Prices range from as little as $8.50 to well over $100. The mentality is mostly ST but you will find an occasional LT GFE. Give it a try. If you don't like it after a couple of days, you can always head over to Cartagena for the remainder of your trip.

Look for a series of reports on individual locations along with photos and videos. It will be a good cross section of what you will see and be able to have in Medellin. You may not see T&A from all the girls (remember, this is a somewhat conservative city) but I got a fair share of them to give me a peek and more. The videos are going to take some editing and will come later. Enjoy and I recommend you put Medellin on your targeted cities to visit.

For photos and videos from our travels, click here.

Tags:

Posted by Mark at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Discussion (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Strip Clubs- Places like Faces Dos, La Isla and Show SanDiego have also been widely reported. You enter, sometimes paying a cover, sometimes not, find a table, watch the strippers (and some do not actually strip), look around and see if you like anything in the place, call them over for a drink and if you like them begin negotiations. Most have on site ST rooms. There is a take out fee as these girls actually work for the clubs. If you mention the Medellin Mansion, you can usually get a substantial discount of 30% or more on the take out fee but you still must negotiate with the girl. Unusual for me, I took out a girl from San Diego one evening that was not really my type. Little older, tits saggy from child rearing but the personality got to me. We went to a very nice Love Motel called Hotel Punto Cero (this place gives any small suite at Vips a run for it money except the view) where for 54K (less than $25 US) we had a room for 8 hours with a comfortable queen sized platform bed, Jacuzzi, steam room, mood lights under the bed, stereo, satellite TV and free coffee in the morning. She was very accommodating with a BBBJ, multiple positions, slept snuggled up next to me all night and initiated the morning session while I was still asleep. Cost was 100K plus 10K for a taxi.

Street Girls They are everywhere in regular hangouts. They are cheap (as low as $8.50), they range in all sizes, shapes, colors and.....AGES! Many old scaggy looking women and "be careful guys" many young, very young girls looking to make money. Funny conundrum! In Colombia, you can't legally work unless you are 18. So if you are 17 years old, have a child to feed or rent to pay, you work the streets. For a Colombian man, the legal age of consent is 12. For a girl 14 (under that she needs her parents consent). Let's see, a 13 year old girl saying, "mom, can I have your permission to have sex with Rodrigo tonight?" www.ageofconsent.com They can be cute, luscious, little hard bodied cuties. They can also spell big trouble if you are caught with them in Colombia and even worse so when you return to the US. They are also very inexperienced and many locals that go with them tell me it is a waste of time. They prefer more experienced older girls...at least 18! Rule of thumb: Ask their age. No matter what they say, ask for a cedula. If they don't have a cedula, they are probably not 18 because every 18 year old in Colombia is required to have one! If they don't, they probably aren't, so tread cautiously or have a wingman with lots of money on him! Some have even been known to turn in a gringo for part of the reward and it will cost you 200 times that much in legal fees defending yourself when you return to America. Calle 33. Calle 53, Majoritas are some major hangouts. Best to go with one or more friends. As a lone wolf, you will probably feel uncomfortable. The areas can be kind of seedy. At night, take a taxi but don't expect the girls to jump in and go with you. You may have to do some convincing on that point.

Other places: some very large, raucous discos that are wall to wall people. Mango's is probably the most famous. Set in an early western theme, they have numerous stages with Mangos dancers in skimpy outfits gyrating and grinding to various types of music. There is a cover of $10K and drinks are not cheap. Target identification is another matter. You would have to spend several nights there and learn to read the room before you could spot who was available and who was not. Many are with dates, others are with groups of friends. For the most part, it is a place to see and be seen for the locals as the prices keep out all but the well to do or those who get lucky to find someone able to pay. Many save their money to be able to go once per month. This is a place to take a date IMHO, at least on your first couple of visits. It is a great place to party with a group of friends. You will see more cleavage and silicon in one place than you have probably ever seen in any one place in your life. They are only open 4 nights per week, Thurs. through Sunday so be advised in your planning.

Universal is another place close to Mangos but most locals call it a copy cat and do not frequent it. Parke Lleras is a great place to girl watch, have a drink, light or heavy supper, after dinner dessert or coffee. Again, packed with girls but hard to say who is with a date, who is with a group of friends or who is available to approach. Good to take a date the first time or two and get the lay of the land. There are frequent fashion shows in P.L. that are teeming with gorgeous beauties. Take your cameras. They are very photo friendly.

Of course, there are other favorite local hangouts but don't be surprised to find yourself in an uncomfortable part of town. Know and trust your date before agreeing to go anywhere.

Racial Bias: Medellin was founded by early Europeans that kept the bloodlines quite pure. There were very few slaves imported to the region, little or no contact with the indigenous people and very few outsiders ever ventured into the mountainous region. As a result, there is a very racially biased element amongst the population. We met a group of girls at a party one day and all said they would not go with a black man (see video). This immediately raised concern on my part as far as reporting on Mde. as a mongering destination for 4WOTW. To the rescue came two brothers from K.C and Tulsa respectively, who arrived at the Mansion. I cornered them with beers in hand one night and explained the situation and asked for their help in confirming or denying the existence of the racism. After two days, they reported, with smiles on their faces, that they had not encountered any problems with the local girls not willing to share their favors for a price. Robert and Greg also confirmed that about 25% of their clients were black and none had ever complained. I won't say you won't ever experience it if you visit here but the odds seem to be in your favor that you won't.

The overall scene: The sex business in Medellin is somewhat more "dust under the rug" than in places like Rio, Thailand or Angeles City. It is everywhere, make no doubt about it, but people do not necessarily promote it, prey on it, talk openly about it or are even fully aware it even exists. They just accept it. Not all taxis will know where the casas are located but if you say a massage parlor, they will merely smile. You admire a beautiful Paisa and they just nod in agreement. Some are opportunistic and know of a girl or two they can introduce you to...(I would pass). Medellin is more reserved and conservative than say Cartagena. They all do it, they just don't want to advertise it.

You can score in clubs, parks, shopping centers, grocery stores or just walking down the street. The girls are very friendly and think nothing of having a conversation with you (especially if you speak some Spanish). They are anxious to hear about America, Disney World, New York, Las Vegas, South Beach, Los Angeles..did I mention Disney World? You may not bed them the first night but by the second or third outing, you can have a non pro between the sheets rocking your world. You can also play at other venues when she is working or with her family. Which reminds me. If she suggests meeting her family, get a very sudden case of Bubonic Plague, Asian Bird Flu, Dengue Fever or West Nile Virus. If you meet the family, you are as good as pre-engaged. For some that may be OK. Just be forewarned of the local cultures and customs. There are also a number of introduction agencies in town that, for a price, will introduce you to any number of gorgeous available ladies. Most are not working girls and it may take a date or two but you will meet girls otherwise unavailable.

Between the Scenes: Unless you are bona fide porno star, you are probably not going to be spending 24 hours per day in the sack. Having said that, many guys do just hang out with their girls all day or go shopping at some of the local upscale malls, visit one of many local casinos, sit in the cafes, restaurants and people watch or look for a little more adventure. The guys at the Mansion have hooked up with a local tour group to provide some rather exciting diversions. Anything from skydiving, parasailing, canopy tours, white water rafting, kayaking, golf, bicycling, rock climbing, paint ball to going to a Colombian Military base and shooting automatic weapons and concussion grenades. And lest you think these are male only diversions, think again. The chicks really dig some of this stuff. One girl we took to the firing range actually out scored the guys and another on a white water rafting trip, after getting bounced out of the boat on a class three rapid, begged to be in the front of the boat for the next set of rapids. The other advantage of some of these side trips and tours is that you get to see some of the incredibly gorgeous countryside of the Colombian interior. The valley of La Pintara could aptly be renamed Shangri-La.

These diversions also can serve as a believable alibi for those that need one to visit Medellin. "Why are you going to Medellin Colombia?" "Well, they have some great class 3 rapids I want to try out" or, "some of the best rock climbing in all of South America" You can even take back photos to prove it, even if you don't participate in a tour.

For Medellin photos and vidoes, click here.

Tags:

Posted by Mark at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Discussion (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now, for the reason we travel to Medellin: The Paisa (pie-sah) Women;

As others before me have posted, Medellin is not for everybody. Even though the US Government lifted it travel warnings for Colombia in May of 2005, this city, infamous as the former home of the notorious Pablo Escobar and the feared Medellin Cartel, is the industrial center of Colombia and yet, still bears a cautious approach.

Medellin is called, "The City of Eternal Spring" because of its pleasant year round climate (an average of 24C). At 1,538 meters above sea level, the city sits in the Aburra Valley surrounded by the mountainous Antioquia terrain. It rains frequently except in January and June, which are considered the dry months, but the showers are usually in the mid afternoons and only last briefly. (still a good idea to bring or buy a travel umbrella). Medellin, is a proud and modern city of almost 2.2 million people, with an area of 362 square kilometers. It is the capital of the Antioquia department and is widely regarded as the industrial center of Colombia and as a clean, well-organized and economically vibrant community. Its people are hard-working and industrious. Major industries include coffee and flower export, textiles, information technology and household appliances. Medellin has more Internet connections than any other Colombian city. It is also the fashion capital of Colombia. Each year the "Feria de Las Flores" (Flower Festival) attracts visitors from all over South America for parades and conventions. The city's fast and efficient "Metro" is the only public transit subway system in Colombia and the "Empresas de Pública de Medellin" is widely viewed as the best public utility operating in the country. In culinary delights, Medellin is said to have created Colombia's ubiquitous "arepa" - a flat bread made from various types of corn. I find it somewhat bland when eaten by itself but when filled with meats, cheeses or eaten with eggs for breakfast, it can be quite tasty (add a little margarine, a little honey and you have a very tasty alternative to toast). Meanwhile, Medellin's historical traditions are evident in Pueblito Viejo in Neitibara, a squared section of town on top of a hill in the middle of the city (look for the microwave towers surrounded by trees) with homes and shops preserved as they were 100 years ago.
Medellin has a cultural focus on education. It is also home of many universities that serve mainly the province of Antioquia. Among the most important are Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad Nacional, Universidad EAFIT, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana and Escuela de Ingenieria de Antioquia.

The Medellin Ladies, affectionately called Paisas (pie-sahs), are seen by many as the most beautiful of the Colombian Latinas. A famous Colombian saying goes: "If you want a pretty mistress, go to Cali, but if you want a beautiful wife, go to Medellin."

Upon arrival, you will be impressed with the modern airport, the quick transit through immigrations and customs, rapid baggage retrieval and availability of transportation to your intended destination. Get ready though, for a 45 minute to 1 hour drive through steep, 2 lane mountain roads that twist and turn in every direction imaginable. If you suffer from motion sickness or do not do well on amusement park rides, you might even want to have some Dramamine on hand as the taxis look upon this trek as an adventure and test of their driving skills, passing other cars on curves with minimal visibility of oncoming traffic. There are also frequent slow moving trucks, busses, rock and mud slides, accidents, cars with mechanical problems, bicyclists, horse drawn carts and any number of other encumbrances to slow your trip. (also, remember this for your departure).

Whether you are staying in a hotel, hostel, apartment or the famous Medellin Mansion run by Aussie Greg and Medellin Bob, you will immediately get the impression that Medellin is a very upscale city, especially the Poblado area. The commercial buildings are very modern and most are less than 10 years old, the residential apartments are very upscale, well landscaped and maintained, the streets are immaculate (they literally sweep the curbs and sidewalks daily), there is an abundance of small and large businesses, restaurants, parks, police are everywhere, people are well dressed, there are almost no touts and very few beggars or homeless people to be seen and everyone seems to have a purpose or destination in mind. There are large manufacturing plants that make everything from textiles to appliances, scores of fresh flower processing plants (70% of the US fresh flower imports come from Colombia), well maintained roads, highways and expressways (autopista).

After you get settled in, you may want to see some of the sights and visit some of the places you have read so much about on various travel sites. You basically have three venues to choose from in meeting Paisas:

Casas-The names have been well reported but on the high end, Loutron, to the low end, New Life, they all offer similar services, just at different prices. There is also very little difference in quality of the line up from place to place and most have similar presentation methods; You enter, sit in a comfortable reviewing area, the girls enter one at a time draped in short smocks, open them to reveal bikinis or lingerie, turn, replace their outer , garment, say their name, ask "com permisso" and leave. It is a great idea to have a pen and paper in hand as there will be 6-15 girls per place depending on the day of the week and time of day. Many times, you have to ask for a second showing or a review of a select few before making your decision. Evenings are best for quantity. Quality is a daily toss-up depending on who is having their period, is sick, has a sick child or is occupied when you arrive. Most of the girls will have had some training in massage therapy but do not expect a 5 star, leave you wobbly kneed with aching muscles massages. Take it as an opportunity to relax and get to know your girl.

On the high end, Loutron, you will find a large facility with multiple indoor and outdoor rooms for reviewing or chatting with your selection. Outdoors in the rear of the building, you will find terraced sitting areas, a pool table, an outdoor thatched roof bar and a sauna. Probably, and this is pure assumption on my part, because it is in the upscale Poblado area of Medellin, you will pay almost double of what you will pay in other casas. Yes, the rooms are nicer, larger, well appointed and clean but the lineup of girls is not that much more spectacular than other casas in the city. My 1 hour and 15 minute session cost me $168,000CP which included two beers and a juice for my selected girl. It was billed on the menu as a very special, deep tissue massage with some oriental name. In reality, the only difference was the type of room we got and the time allotted with the girl. The massage was lame to a fault and the sex was mechanical and uninspiring. No kissing, covered BJ and she was up and dressing after one pop. I looked at my watch and quickly informed her we still had 30 minutes left and she was going nowhere until my time was finished! I am sure there are better girls and experiences to be had at Loutrons but for my money, I wasn't about to go back on another exploratory expedition. YMMV!
Other Note: Do not try to go there on the 1st or 15th of the month. Those are pay days and many girls suddenly get a case of bubonic plague, dengue fever, asian bird flu or some other unexpected malady that keeps them from going to work!

Many of the casas share the same ownership including Abydos, Blue Room, Energy, and others. They are all upscale (almost all have large aquariums filled with fish), have very nice, clean facilities and sessions are less than half the cost of Loutrons (average of $60 k for 40-60 minutes) even if you add in the taxi cost of 3-5K.

On the lower end, New Life, Miel y Canelas and similar, you can get a half hour for 30K, 45 minutes for 40K and an hour for 60K. Facilities are clean but not as upscale. One day at New Life, they paraded out a lineup that put Loutrons to shame. One guy took two and the rest of the 4 of us had no problems making a selection of the remaining girls. We even went back the next day and switched around our selections then had a 3k per person, 4 course meal in the restaurant downstairs and next door before heading out to our next venue. Miel y Canelas (means honey and cinnamon) is a slightly different venue in that the girls are all sitting around in street clothes in a large lounge area. You can sit and chat with them, have the manager send them over to be introduced or enjoy a drink or two before making your selection. The prices are right too at $60K per hour. (as of the time of this writing that is about $27)

For photos and videos from our travels, click here.

Tags:

Posted by Mark at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Discussion (1) | TrackBacks (0)

wotwMedellin Colombia-Shhhh, don't tell anybody!

Medellin Facts: Antioquia department in northwestern Colombia is in the mountainous region between the Cordillera Occidental and the Cordillera Central . (See the map Colombia) Here, the temperate climate gives Medellín, the capital of the Antioquia, the names of "The Land of Eternal Spring" and "Capital of The Flowers". (See the map Medellin)

Medellín is Colombia 's second largest city, a principal manufacturing and industrial area, as well as a commercial flower growing region, particularly orchids, but for years was best known as the center of The Colombian Cartels.
With the death of Pablo Escobar, Medellín has slowly recovered, but is not yet a full-fledged tourist destination.
However, there is plenty to do and see in the city itself and the scenic surroundings.
Medellín is a beautiful city, modern and yet true to its regional characteristics.
It was founded in 1616 in the scenic Aburrá valley, but remained small until the coffee boom in 1675. It later became the center of a textile industry, and today is a modern, vibrant city.

See these Fotos of Medellin

Weather

Getting There
• The international José María Córdoba airport 30 km southeast of the city.
Regional flights use the old Olaya Herrera airport. There are shuttles into the city.
• Bus service to and from major Colombian cities from the Terminal del Norte or the Terminal del Sur.
• Medellín is the first Colombian city to have a metro serving the city in both north-south and to the west.
When to Go
• With a climate of perpetual spring, any time of the year is a good time, but perhaps early August, when the Fería de las Flores is scheduled, is the best time.
• Check today's weather in Medellin .
Things to Do and See
• Fería de las Flores begins with a cabalgata, a horseback parade through the city, either alone or in groups, for almost the entire day.
Music, dances and cultural events celebrate the Antioquiana customs, but the highlight is the Desfile de Silleteros, where campesinos come down from the mountains carrying flowers.
• Basilica de la Candelaria is one of the few colonial buildings left.
• The Basilica Metropolitana in the Parque de Bolivar was completed early in the 20th century and is thought to be the largest brick church in South America .


• Pueblito Paisa is a replica of a typical Antioquiana village, complete with handicraft shops.

• Plaza Botero displays a number of works by Fernando Botero, the internationally known Medellín sculptor who specializes in oversized human figures. More of his works are in the Museo de Antioquia.

• Plaza de Toros la Macarena

• The JardÍn Botánico JoaquÍn Antonio Uribe has an annual orchid exposition in the Orquideorama.

• Festival Internacional de Poesía de Medellín is an annual event which in 2005 will be held between June 14 - 21.

• Medellin la hermosa cuidad de las flores photos

• Things to do and see - in Spanish Shopping, Restaurants and Nightlife

• Mercado de San Alejo, held every month in the Parque de Bolír, is a good place for local produce, handicrafts and local color.
- Medellin is noted for its lovely climate, pleasant people and lively nightlife. Even though it is no longer the center of the cocaine industry, its still a big city and all the usual safety cautions apply:

• Stay out of lower class neighborhoods

• Don't flash money, jewelry, or electronic equipment

• Go out with groups at night, and don't go walking at night

• Don't accept cigarettes or drinks from strangers

For photos and videos from our travels, click here.

Tags:

Posted by Mark at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Discussion (1) | TrackBacks (0)