Radioman's Guide to Colombia

It was a decision that changed my life. After 17 trips to Costa Rica in two years, I had become somewhat disenchanted with a place that first had rocked my world. In the beginning, I fell in love with Costa Rica and those beautiful senioritas. But in time...too much of a good thing can wear on a man...and I was getting antsy for greener pastures. I began to think about Colombia.

Colombia...even saying the word made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I knew Colombia solely based on the horrible news reports of drug dealing, kidnappings, and guerilla warfare. I also knew Colombia based on the incredible ravishing beauties I ran into in the Hotel Del Rey in San Jose Costa Rica. No doubt about it, the Colombianas at the Blue Marlin Bar were the most exotic and beautiful women I had ever seen...and the top shelf Colombianas all seemed to be from Medellin.

I had to go there. I knew that the Colombianas that worked the clubs in Costa Rica seemed to be businesslike and hard core. I wanted to go to the source...tap the root...like Lewis and Clark make my way up the tributary and find what I envisioned to be a land of enchantment. Maybe the real Colombianas were still sweet and innocent, and yet also ravishingly beautiful like their working cousins in Costa Rica. Guess what....they are all that and more! My friend and I decided to make a trip to Medellin. This was in July of 2005 and we planned our trip right in the middle of the Festival of Flowers. What luck.

Unfortunately after I got the air fare I tried to find the hotel and all the hotels I had read about on the boards were booked up (damn festival). I did find a room for $200 a night at the Intercontinental. Boy am I glad I did not stay there. Somebody recommended the Medellin Mansion. I found the website and called the US number and talked to Robert. What a nice guy...very helpful...and got me a room for about $50 bucks a night. It was a stroke of luck that probably saved the trip. Robert and I have since become good friends. He is a lucky man, living in paradise, and seems to really enjoy helping mongers like me discover it as well.

Once I found the Mansion, I found a home base for my operation with international phone lines to the U-S, and internet access. Not only that, at the Mansion, the babes come to YOU. In fact this is a glorified Bed and Breakfast, where they serve BJ's as well as breakfast. Robert and his partner Greg the Aussie now own TWO fine establishments. The Mansion has a luxury feel to the place, while El Castillo where Robert hangs out is a bit more laid back. I have stayed at both and like them both. I would highly recommend them, especially to the first time Medellin traveler who is looking for love in all the wrong places! In fact I have liked this place so much all 10 of my trips have found me on my back in their rooms...and I am going down soon for trip #11, once again at the Mansion.

www.medellinmansion.com.

The Mansion is perfect for the mongering tourist. They know how we think, and what we like. If you want a chica to pick you up at the airport...they know who to call. Why stop there....get two. In all my trips down there, their driver has never been late and never failed to find me. Hector is one of the best...and they have several more. Rooms are nice...beds are nice...and chicas roam about in the place, especially on Sunday afternoons when some things slow down in Medellin and they throw one of their legendary pool parties. You have heard of take out chinese. How about take UP Colombian. Yes they go up...and then the fun really begins.

Radioman

Photo: Mansion Babes 01

Now that I have made so many trips down there, I really don't need the kind of TLC they provide...so some have asked me why I continue to stay there. It is for the comraderie really. Not only have I made good friends with the owners Greg and Robert, but I also enjoy making new friends with the guys who stay there who enjoy the same hobby as me. I have become a bit of an expert on the Medellin scene, and I enjoy helping a brother out. So it makes sense for me.

When I made that first trip down there in July of 2005, I had no idea how easily I would become addicted to Medellin. I did not really plan to keep going down 10 more times in a year...it just happened. It seems every time I came back I was depressed until I bought that new air plane ticket back down and could start to think about it again. Looking back, I have had some of the most incredible experiences of my life down there in Medellin. It has been so amazing I have found little need or interest in expanding my horizons which I admit are a bit limited. While I have made lots of trips to Costa Rica, I have never been to Rio or Thailand. I know I would potentially become addicted to those places as well. Perhaps that is why I keep going back to Medellin. (Since writing this I have now discovered the Philippines, and I think I may have to go back there again)

Safety. First on everybodys mind when they think about Colombia is safety. Let's be honest, the place was a mess, like the wild wild west must have been in our country years ago. Lawlessness ruled. Durg lords and gang warfare permeated the countryside and into some of the cities. Medellin was at one time one of the most dangerous places on earth. In fact so many young Colombian men were killed in these battles that there is a ratio of 3 girls to every guy in the country. It actually can work to your favor, if you know what I mean. It also tought young men a brutal way of life, that they carried over to their women. Most Colombian men (not all) do not know how to treat a woman the way a gringo does. Plus the fact that there are so many more women than men makes most of the guys "perros" or dogs. That means there is a huge assortment of available hot young babes, looking for gringos. I hate to say it like this, but gringos are like rock stars down there. We are a hot commodity. (even though we also are perros)

In 2002 this guy Uribe comes along and gets himself elected President with the promise of cleaning up the violence and crime. Nobody thought he would or could do it...but using billions of U-S dollars, he turned the timid military into a force to be reckoned with. They beefed up police and military security all across the country...especially in Uribe's hometown of Medellin.

When I got there in the summer of 2005, I admit I was scared shitless. I remember arriving at the airport (a dark and unfriendly place) at about 10pm at night. I did not know what to expect and I remember my heart beating faster until my driver found me and we took off. I had never seen so much police presence as I did in the airport...and then more when I got into Medellin.

There were police roadblocks all over...bomb sniffing dogs...road side checks for drugs and terrorists...you name it...I saw it. At first I was worried about even stopping at an ATM. Then I saw the guards. Every ATM has it's own guard. Some have several. The Banco Occidente, right down the block from the Mansion, has it's own police force. I counted 5 armed COPS inside with automatic rifles. Outside I spotted two morotcycle cops on a high speed bike. The front guy was the driver...the back guy was the gunman, with an assault rifle. Both wore flack jackets. Nobody was going to mess with this freakin bank. I felt very safe. The cops were friendly and let me take their picture.

Don't get me wrong...there is still danger in Medellin. Just think of it as you would any third world large city. There are bad guys everywhere, even New York City. I am very careful in El Centro or any areas where I sense danger. I will get into that more later.

It is hard for me to look back on all these trips and remember the sequence of events. I have not updated a new trip report in the last 3 trips...and they all start to run together. So I decided I would categorize them into 10 experiences. The 10 most memorable experiences I have had in Medellin.

Stay tuned, I will post a new one everyday.

There is one thing I have found at the Mansion. Aussie Greg knows how to attract top talent. You can find babes like these all the time at the Mansion, especially Sunday afternoons when he throws some steaks on the barbie...and invites the hotties to come over. If you find one you like, take her upstairs....and have some fun.

Photos: Mansion Babes 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Radioman,
Nice reporting & pics. Let see?? I was in Medellin around July 2005 as well or was it 2006. Like you stated they do start to run together after awhile.

While there is a heavier police / army presence then other countries I have never felt threatened in Colombia. I would feel comfortale travelling to any of the cities there. I have added theareas around Pieria & Armenia (spelled incorrectly) to my list of to do's

Some cute gorditas in the bunch. I would love to see the girl in the red top in the group photo...she's smoking hot, as is the girl in your first photo. I think some of the guys on the board are going to view this as spam but it sounds like you are just enthusiastic about a great service and have found home.

A fun read Radioman. I like the cuties in the green tops, and have to admit Ms Red Top piqued my interest too. As for spam - what's not to like about a $50/night hotel where they bring the girls to you?

Me...like red top too...more...

TY for the report!

is it just me or do some of them girls look really young. Not to say their not legal

how /what are the rates for the ladies there?? you pay them or the mansion?? and if you want a lady to met you at the airport how much thanks FUNTIME!!

Nah! The best one is the one in the white top (3rd picture), with the kind of skulky look. She looks knowledgable.....

Blazers...I guess I did go over the top in praising the Mansion. I was just giving my honest opinion. They never asked me to say or do a thing but I try to be honest. I know not everybody feels the same way I do. I know there are other places to stay, but I just have never tried them.

The babes at the Mansion will run you anywhere from 100K to 200K so that is $50 to $100 bucks. Depends on your negotiating skills, and whether or not it is a buyers market.

Yoosin, I have been to Pereira, and Cali, (and Medellin many times) and never had a sense I was in a lawless country. They have done a great job cleaning up their act from a personal security standpoint.

Blazers says: "she's smoking hot, as is the girl in your first photo."

That;s Daniella...and she is a real cutie. She got fake books about 6 months ago. I am not a fake boob man, but I have to admit they did a nice job on these...and more importantly it lifted her self confidence. She is a real cutie...so here are some more of her.

Photos: Daniella 12 13

Cali is still a little wild and woolly mostly because of a high unemployment rate. I did not feel comfortable in Cali and neither did my Paisa novia.

And there are many places in MDE where you would get your nuts handed to you. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security. I do feel comfortable in the greater Laureles-Belen area where I live as well as Poblado, Envigado, Sabaneta, Itagui, and some parts of Bello. Even Centro along the pedestrian mall between Parque Bolivar and Exito is relatively safe. I am always careful hailing taxis.

TomTom...of course that is good advice and I do not mean to sugar coat it. There have been lots of discussions here about the safety precautions you should take in Medellin, or many other third world cities. There are places you should not go late at night. There are scary barrios where the site of a gringo is so unusual that everybody knows "you ain't from these parts" and somebody might find out that would like to rob you.

I had a nice time in Cali and never felt threatened. I stayed at a nice apartment, went to some local homes...visited the local casas and hung out at the cool outdoor mall Chippi Chappi. But I have no doubt there were bad parts of town I never did see.

rm

Radioman:

Do you have any close ups of the mansion babe in the red top? She looks really hot, but it is impossible to tell in the shrunk standard photos.

jj

Radioman,
I agree Cali is comfortable as long as you stay to the correct areas. The are areas in plenty of american cities that I don't go to as well.

Chippi Chappi is a great place to hangout and meet chicas. There are even a couple of casa's within walking distance in case you don't find what you want at the mall.

Yoosin says: "There are even a couple of casa's within walking distance in case you don't find what you want at the mall"

Yes indeed and I will tell you all about them in a coming installment in this massive trip report (that is taking me forever to complete) LOL

Radioman your report couldn't be more timely. I'll be in Mde and Cali (virgin trip to Colombia)in late July. I'm staying at the Mansion also. Thanks again for the great read and pics. I'm really getting anxious. :-)

Tbirdjoy I am planning a trip to Mde for the first time I plan on staying at the Mansion perhaps we can hang out. Let me know what dates you will be there.

I'll email you Royal

I read all of the installments of your report so far and it is OUTSTANDING! Thanks for sharing.

Radioman do you know how to speak spanish? How important is that in Colombia?Thanks!

DrBrew...yes I speak conversational spanish. I am not fluent. I taught myself using Pimsleur Spanish CD's. It took me about 2 years to do it, but I was able to start communicating almost immediately.

I can now have almost any conversation I want with any chica, and she can understand me and vice versa.

It is really helpful if you want the GFE or if you want to go into the local places where no gringos go. If you are a love em and leave em guy...and the GFE experience is not that important, you will get by fine. You might need somebody to help you get started, but there are people for that.

rm

(Message edited by radioman on June 18, 2007)