Just got back from a week in MDE stayed a private apartment and wasnt really looking for hard-core pros, I arrived in MDE on the 22nd of march, Initially had planned to meet a non-pro i had been talking to for about 5 months on cybercupido, but things fell through and i dumped her 2 days before i came because I was sick of her going out and not letting me know. But that was not going to deter me from my trip. Got an emergency guide through some other friends who have been there many time before me.

I arrived in MDE after a non eventful flight from MIA, first thing you notice is how MDE is about 20 degrees colder than MIA or CALI, the ride to MDE is about 45 minutes and very nice trek through the mountains, you kind of feel like you are in ATL instead of MDE on your ride back due to all the Pine-trees. Finally we get to to the apartment in poblado, VERY NICE, almost nicer than mine hate to say. lol

DID ALL THE TOURIST THINGS so i wont bore you with those details. cable car, metro-rail, museums, malls etc etc.

Went to SAN DIEGO and Fase II on two consecutve days mon and tues and all i can say is that it wasnt good at all and i was not impressed by either the club or the talent. 5k cover and 10k beers for either PILSEN OR CORONA, of course im gonna let them take less of a profit and get a corona. I swear i saw like two tables of Germans with Brickenstocks w/socks, is MDE gonna quickly become another DR?

I stayed out of places like the MANSION, VIP. because I dont like infllated gringo prices and I go away to be away from gringos, not to be lumped together in a group with them. I just wasnt looking for artificial expensive love this time. I wanted the non-pro challenge to see if i could do it.

Mangos is a "tourist trap novelty" and very expensive! (in Colombian terms) 15k cover and 120k for a bottle of rum you could by for 18k in Carulla and 4k 8oz cokes. For sure you should bring dates to impress them and they will be eager to go there to be seen and people watch. Total night 400k.

The "nice" lounge area is Parque LLeras, this area is like COCOWALK in Coconut Grove, here in Miami, for those who know the area. BUT this was almost a turn-off for me becuase i was expecting more traditional COLOMBIAN music but was overwhelmed with trance/lounge music, which is why i got out of Miami for in the first place. A plus, tons of hotties around in groups of 5 or more, but only thurs-sat.

Now if you think you can just be a gringo and expect these girls to grovel at your feet, you can forget it, Everywhere you look there are good looking people both male and female who seem to have money. These girls seem to not need your money for nothing. Gringos are becoing less and less of a novelty there by the second. Went to the malls, tesoro, molinos, olviedo, saw some amazing hotties, but in other areas where i usually get a second glance, i was getting no vibes. I dress very-nicely and these people dress just as or nicer than me, so you need to dress to impress, even in the day-time, The paisas are impressed by well dressed nice looking men and not the contrary. If you think you can go around with a dirty gap t-shirt and holey levi jeans and reebok sneakers, i dont think you will have much luck, i dont care how charming you think you are.

Thank-god I met the cutest of cuties who worked in a market, she literally saved the trip for me. She gave me a second glance with a smile so i new i could talk to and charm her for a date. She is such a hottie and good girl that after 3 good dates we are just up to some hand holding and kiss good night, which usually i would never wait that long without some progression but she is well worth it. Thank-god also for my guide who goes to one of the local universities and introduced me to some of his friends who were hot and good make-out buddies, again these girls are non-pros and would take a little of working on, but much less work than my present paisa.

Weather was consistently bad with long cold rain showers, but then again i didnt need any A/C, people are telling me its the rainy season, bring a jacket!

Amazing city night light views and very romantic with the right person.

Would i return? Yes but really only for this girl, The place is becoming a gringo haven with even the metro introducing the stops in ENGLISH. I can easily see it becoming a CR,DR in the very near present future, every post here says how much the prices are going up and up. Peace Mongers "Chino"

Hey Sobe.

I am curious that if you had "3 good dates we are just up to some hand holding", then that means you really only had 4 other days to explore the scene.

I never been to Medellin, but it sounds like a relatively cheap place to monger and only a good non-pro scene if there for an extended period. I don't know if you walking around these areas alone -- but almost all girls no matter what culture find a guy by himself a bit creepy so maybe that is why you weren't getting a good vibe from the girls.

Also, what is up with that "dressing to impress"? I could be wrong, but maybe dressing so nicely could have also been a deterent as well. Perhaps the girls were saying "damn, what I wouldn't give for a good-looking american guy in ripped levi's with a plain white t-shirt, instead of some guy looking to rescue me"

I guess I've spent way too much time in Rio, I'm used to wearing only my gringo sandals with a bathrobe on and telling a girl I'll buy your "artificial love" tonight for 200 Reais. Those chic $50 Teva sandals I bought sure has gotten me lots of good loving. (Dressing-to-impress ... LMAO)

Sobe, it is hard to nail down a "good girl" in any country so quick. One week just isnt enough time to really get much going on. I would bet that now that you know where to go if your next trip was for 3 to 4 weeks you would do fine. I do agree MDE has a good chance to get run over by gingos fast. Was Victor your guide? AZ

Hi AZ, This girl is gonna run me about a good month or two, too get in those pants, and thats if i were down there the whole time not just 1 or 2 week spans. Oh well, I hope the reward is worth the effort. MDE is being run over by Gringos, NOT GONNA be run over by gringos im affraid. Compaired to other flights to other areas of COLOMBIA i would say 50% of the flight was Gringo.

CINCO: 3 good dates but she would be home by 12 and that left the evening for mongering and plans and phone#s i made in the am. Medellin is the most expensive city i have visited in Colombia by far. Prices in the mall for clothes and articles are 3 times more as expensive than here in the states. Drinks in Parque LLeras slightly less that here in the US. I never walked around by myself, I had my guide around with me or a chica friend of his.
As far as dress to impress? I dont really care if you walk around in a potato sack, or in your "ripped levis, tevas, or t-shirt" Too each his own. These people are very shallow and superficial and EVERYTHING is "LABELS" AND "STYLE" to them, but i didnt see anybody dressed like that around there in the evening. I live in South Beach so I am used to going out dressed up. If you think you have the confidence and people skills to dress as you please? go for it. Be yourself, thats the best policy. But make sure you have a giant pocket of pesos with you. I doubt the girls at MANGOS are saying "Boy I wish i was with a gringo with a gap t-shirt, ripped levis and tevas on" but hey maybe im wrong? You never know. You sound like a RIO, CR, DR, CTG dude walking around the beach in your teva sandals w/socks, university t, fanny pack and black shorts. LMAO!

(Message edited by sobe9ball on March 30, 2007)

Hey Sobe, the intention of my post wasn't to be against your own personal style, but I suppose I fail to see a city so large could have so many people "dressing up" and appear to have money.
Like I said before, I never been to Medellin but there have got to be plenty of simple, yet beautiful girls strolling the streets and malls.

Where exactly does a 21 yo girl get really nice clothes unless she is whoring herself or has a rich family/sugar daddy supplying the cash?

Again, I am interested in Medellin and hearing what you have to offer.

Yeah, I am a RIO-dude. I wear my teva-sandals just about everywhere I go, shorts and a tank-top everyday too....prety much like everyone else there because it is 90-100 degrees. Dressing-up is just stupid as it just labels you an easy target. In fact, I believe fanny-packs started in Brasil and you see lots of plenty brasilians w/chics at the beach with them on.

I guess you make Medellin sound like some other secondary South Beach scene. But even the cool locals I know in Miami hate SoBe -- so apparently, there are plenty of hotties to be in other parts of Miami. I would think the same has to exist in Medellin.

Sobe,

What is the point? You could stay home and date local chicks and get laid in less than a month dude.

Amazing...

Cinco & AZ... keep dressing for comfort guys.

I know, too each his own porter! Thats all! No more,no less

Hi guys,

I agree with some of the comments.

People are def getting used to seeing gringos more, but only in the poblado area on the whole.

There are around 150 gringos living in the city.

A couple of years ago there were very few gringos going there, but more are there now.

The non pro action is really good, if you speak spanish.

There are many Colombians that are wealthy, even by our standards. However a doctor etc would earn about $10 - $15 k a year and the average worker $3000 a year.

You have more luck with non pros if you are not in the poblado area and go slightly further afield.

For dressing up i wouldn't wear a suit. A nice clean shirt and jeans is fine with trainers but clean ones. Some night clubs insist on wearing shoes not flip flops.

Dress to impress like in America and the UK is not needed. They do expect you to have good clean teeth though and not be too overweight.

Hope that helps

Hugh_grant, there are probably a few thousand foreigners living in Medellin.

Registered at the British Consulate are 190 (the same as it was 2 years ago), although some of them are going to be originally from Colombia and dual passport holders, I am not registerd, I know another British guy living here who is also not registered.

There are over 500 foreign teachers in Medellin.

Where I live out in the middle of no where, compared with El Poblado, there are a dozen or so foreigners living.

Hunter