Week 4


Last week, I decided to start some daily Spanish lessons. The guy comes to my apartment daily for an hour and we spend most of our time learning every day Spanish conversation. How to give directions in a taxi, how to order in a restaurant, how to read a menu in a food court. By the third day, he has assessed my level of
Spanish comprehension and set upon a course of action for my continued education. Every day I learn something new that I can practice when he is not around. We have planned a few hours outside together roaming the malls and supermarkets. He is also quickly picking up on the fact that I want to chat up chicks. He has been invaluable in giving me lines and phrases that are culturally acceptable locally. He even likes some of the approaches I have learned from other sources and agrees they will work like a charm in Mde. He costs less than $5.00 per day and he is a good diversion for what to do at 10:00AM every day. PM me if you want his contact information as he is anxious to meet gringos wanting to learn Spanish. You will also quickly become comfortable with some basics for your stay. Spanish is very easy compared to Portuguese and you can quickly find yourself comfortable in encounters with the local gentry.


Other observations: I have felt as safe in Mde. as I have in any major L.A. city. Much safer than Rio or SP, that is for sure. There are lots of beautiful women here. The sex trade is not as in your face as say Rio, Thailand or Angeles City but it definitely exists…everywhere. Mde. is a much more conservative city than say Cartagena and the people are much more proper. Everyone knows it exists and just accepts it as a way of life. It is surprising to find that many taxi drivers have no idea where the casas are located, which leads me to believe there is no commission being paid to anybody. It is best to have the address written on a piece of paper for them. They do know where the discos and strip clubs are but they generally drive off after depositing their passengers, so, again, I don’t believe there is any kind of commission incentive to bring guys to these places.
Mde. has all the earmarks of being a prosperous city. The commercial buildings are modern and well maintained. There are lots of manufacturing operations which helps with the local employment. The high rise apartments are well constructed, well maintained and landscaped, security (both police, army and private armed security guards) are everywhere. Upscale restaurants abound and the establishments in and around Parke Lleras are always full.
You may consider this observation silly but it is a direct reflection of the pride the locals have in their city. They literally sweep the sidewalks and gutters on a daily basis. Trash receptacles are located about every 100 meters and people USE them! This city is very clean. I could use a comparison of Singapore’s cleanliness to explain just how clean this place is.
Taxis are dirt cheap, readily available 24 hours per day and they do not drive like maniacs. You can get to almost anywhere in the city for a couple of bucks. Tips are not expected and you should wait for your change unless it is only a few pesos. IE: if the fare is $2,950, give them 3K. If it is $3,400, wait for your change from (2) 2k notes. The locals never tip a taxi.
Restaurant prices are very reasonable and the quality of food quite acceptable. Tipping is not expected although some of the higher end places add a service charge. The locals only tip if service is excellent or they are trying to impress a girl.
There are not a lot of street touts, homeless people in the streets or people begging in Medellin. You will see a few kids and women selling gum, kids doing some juggling and the ever present windshield washers. There will be a few selling fruit, cell phone cards and other miscellaneous items but they are only at major intersections and are not obtrusive. In the centro area, there are a few women with their kids begging for coins but again, it seems to be centered at major intersections and not on every block like some other S.A. cities. After the hordes of beggars in Cartagena, and Rio, this was a welcome relief.

Even though I had a brief altercation on the street near Show San Diego, I still have felt safer in Medellin than any day in Rio.


The days begin to run together and I have lost a day or two in the following weeks. It happens when you are on permanent vacation. Saturdays are no different than a Tuesday. You try to maintain some semblance of a schedule but you only use your watch to keep appointments. You learn to eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired, drink when you feel like (and don’t give a shit if it is 5:00PM anywhere in the world or not). Some discipline makes the days seem productive. Responding to e-mails, checking on old friends, checking on investments and catching up on world news…(what a hurricane season it has been). You see, this Saturday morning started at 6:00AM. I took a 4 hour nap this afternoon and am writing this report at 12:05 AM on Sunday morning. It is of no consequence to my schedule or lack thereof. It is a quiet time to write and I felt like doing it. If I wake up at 6:00AM or sleep until 9:00 or 10:00 it has little or no meaning. Life is good! I think I’ll get laid tomorrow because today was a busy day and I happen to be horny as hell. Night fellow mongers!


Sandman