macdaddi

I would agree. This part of town (La Candelaria) can be very rough and navigating this alone without a deep understanding of the city layout and where you are headed could be catastrophic. This area sits next to the largest prostitution zone in Medellin. The girls (and their managers) are aggressive and intimidating if you are not versed in the zone and its rules. You may want to watch a few YouTube videos to get a sense of what it looks like. Pickpockets are common in this zone of Centro. The park directly in front of the cathedral -- Parque Bolivar -- is an open-use zone (yes, they have those in Colombia) and is a meeting point for drug dealers and addicts. There are also many homeless who congregate here for the food and care they receive at the cathedral each day. If you stand out as a gringo, you are going to get a LOT of unwanted attention just being there after the sun sets. That being said, I have been to Machete and Leo's and walked over to La Cantina de Javi from this area, all after 10pm. However, I know the city pretty well and knew enough to enter from Avenida Oriental and stay exclusively on that side of the barrio. I am also 100% comfortable speaking Spanish with the locals who are going to have MANY questions about what you are doing there in the first place. As others have pointed out, the "working boys" you will see here are not exactly model material. Many are homeless and working as prostitutes for survival. This is a gritty but real side of Medellin. If that works for you, then proceed with great caution and stay to the east side of the barrio. If you can see even see cathedral, you taking an unnecessary risk. Please be safe. People are regularly assaulted here with little to no police presence. Now you know.

Hotel Mansion suites is still there. however the street is mostly closed down, a victim of the pandemic. Of the many bars along this tiny street, only Machete Club and Moe's are still open. The Game bar on the corner is gone and bricked up entirely. Not sure about the future of the Calle de los Pecados in Medellin.

Yeah, I can only laugh at this one. Literally the places named (Domino's pizza, Paradise Lleras hotel, etc.) are steps from my old place in Medellin, so I know this neighbourhood intimately. This poster made a few obvious mistakes about Colombian culture that I am not going to name here, but I will be much more careful about engaging going forward.

Support this 100%. Colombians are working through a collective trauma and are looking to change the trajectory of the country. This weekend's presidential election result is the effect of Colombians looking optimistically forward and breaking free of the the eight families that have controlled the country's politics for the past 50 years. Colombians are not interested in discussing stereotypes nor a painful history of existing under a narco state. Skip the Pablo tours entirely and get to know the story of Colombia's recent conflicts as the Museo casa de la memoria instead.

#6 - Absolutely the #1 taxi issue with foreigners is slamming the car door. I like to remind new visitors to Medellin of the rules: its ColOmbia, not ColUmbia; always acknowledge others with food by saying "Buen provecho"'; learn to use "Buenos días", "buenas tardes", y "buenas noches" at the appropriate time of day; never slam the car door when exiting; and you certainly do NOT talk about Bruno.

Bien, me alegra! Que pases un excelente ratico en Argentina con los amigos y los famliares.

Another option that was shared via a Medellín co-working space newsletter this morning... There are dozens of events in an around Medellín if you are interested in meeting others to socialize in Spanish and learn more about the local variations. I would also suggest doing additional searches specifically based in Envigado, the largest barrio to the south of Medellín, as it his home to a very large ex-pat community. Good luck.

Yes, but you forgot to mention the Chilean accent....

@Latbear4blk I agree - the local spanish spoken in Medellín is super colorful and uses a lot of expressions and word-use exclusive to the region. I too am continually asking people to repeat words and sayings and am still learning to speak like a Paisa (even after 6 years of regular trips). Regarding the MeetUps, others may be interested in these resources Colombia language exchange nights. https://www.meetup.com/online-english-spanish-language-exchange-co/events/286395737/ Medellin Gringo Tuesday (El Poblado) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gringo-tuesdays-language-exchange-tickets-304935037907 The grand daddy of them all, Bogotá's Gringo Tuesday -- this is the best attended and most fun -- everyone is welcome. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g294074-d8592083-Reviews-Gringo_Tuesdays-Bogota.html https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/news/a60672/gringo-tuesdays-colombia-tiffany-kohl/

Great to hear your trip is back on. I just returned from Colombia and Gigolos still going in full force Thursday to Saturday. That weekend when you arrive is a holiday weekend in Colombia as the Assumption of Mary holiday falls on Monday, so it will be a "long weekend" in the capitol and Gigolos should be open on Sunday night. Have a great trip.

There are several Facebook groups for exactly this purpose: to organize meetups between Spanish and English speakers looking to practice their learning in the other's language. This can be managed online through video to practice before you arrive, and to also become acquainted with the local accent. I find it easy to follow, and I recognize that I spend a lot of time there, however I do not recall finding the accent challenging. In Colombia specifically you will find regular Meetups (as in the website) for foreigners to practice their Spanish. I have been to events in Bogota (with a Brazilian friend - he has a blast) and Medellin. It's a nice way to connect with both locals and meet other ex-pats and digital nomads, of which there are many in Colombia. I would also suggest looking at the many language schools locally that offer classes for every level and at a cost that is very reasonable by North American standards (about $10 per class).

I would not let that stop you from getting acquainted with the fun-loving caleños. The warning about Cali applies to the regions surrounding Valle de Cauca which are major producers, and the nearby city of Buenaventura is a major export centre, meaning that there a many unsavoury characters running around who have no patience for a clueless foreigner. The entire area from Valle de Cauca to Riseralda (Pereira) is very safe now. The city of Cali is a different Colombian experience to be certain, but the culture is highly social, famous for salsa, lively music and boisterous gatherings where all are welcome. The caleños love a good time and enjoying life. It is certainly one of the cities not to be missed in Colombia.

There is, sort of, a similar service. The owner of El Sillón Rojo has opened up a "massage" studio one block west of the club. You need to book an appointment but there are several masajistas to choose from once you arrive. Massage plus "services" cost 100-180K COP so it is easy to do the math. I will grab the details and add to the Medellín listings later this week. They have been actively posting to Grindr during this trip.

Was at Teatrón club last night with friends. As noted by other members, the rooftop bar Lotus club is once again men-only on Saturdays and the fully nude and erect strippers have returned to the stage.

Fercho's Masajes has had at least 3 locations (that I know of) over the years in and around this area of Medellín. The move to Bliss Suites (a love motel) happened in December 2020 if I recall correctly. The address to search on Google Maps is the Bliss Suites hotel for the correct, current location https://www.google.com/maps/place/hotel+bliss+suite/@6.2485042,-75.5626587,19.78z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8e4428f76fce8cc7:0x5598b6f866d3728b!8m2!3d6.25152!4d-75.5617654

Thanks for this update. It seems that Fercho (the manager) is no longer hosting onsite and, as pointed out by more recent reviews, the services are only delivered at the hotel. The days of enjoying a beer with the boys before choosing are no more. Need to update the listing here -- it has been more than a year since I last visited. That street is relatively safe and quiet at night as it is a business/school zone. There are always taxis running along Calle 51 (Santa Elena) is it is a major street running East to West in the city.

Greetings from Bogota. There are no Covid travel restrictions currently. All travelers must show proof of a completed vaccination cycle with the vaccine name when entering Colombia. If you are not vaccinated, you must show a negative test from either an Antigen test (48 hours) or a PCR test (72 hours) prior to the arrival time in Colombia. There is a noticeable increase in the presence of foreigners in Bogota currently. I will be visiting some of the tourist zones (La Candelaria y Monserrate) later today, but the airport was much busier than it has been over the past 2 years when I arrived.

Re-reading this thread and following all of yesterday's drama.... For the naysayers, the location of this encounter is very questionable. This street is pedestrian-only and has a heavy police presence. Not a good encounter spot in El Poblado if you do not want to attract attention (Angelo is much taller than your average Colombian). Angelo is a known escort that does the circuit, I have seen his ad in Bogotá, Medellín and Calí and he does the Mexican circuit as well (plenty of Colombian escorts do stints in Mexico City). So that made sense to me until... The hotel named is not a "love motel" but rather a low-cost hotel that caters to backpackers and budget-travellers (including families). So that is questionable, when there is a love motel located in nearby Castropol, so I appreciate @Slvkguy detective work here. Angelo would have known the difference. For the record, I do not offer contact numbers or details about my encounters. So do not waste your time with DM's folks. Going forward I going to ignore these types of requests.

Going to add here that I cancelled my trip to Havana specifically because the problems related to the pandemic (food shortages, unemployment, etc.) continue to plague Cuba. I understand that it is a Catch-22: without tourists, the economy cannot recover. But after speaking with my friends I decided to postpone until things improve. For the member asking about hustlers and guys for hire. Las Vegas showbar (drag) is a known spot, you will see guys by the pool table who are looking for foreigners. Avenida 23 is the centre of young Cubans meeting to socialize and there are plenty of groups of young gay men that congregate along the Malecon on weekends. The ice cream parlour Bim Bom is known for the gay hustlers that congregate outside its patio (and I have seen some spectacular specimens there). You will also find men for hire in the Parque Central situated along the Prado de Marti across the street from the Grand Hotel. Here in the benches of the gardens you will find many young men (many are boxers from the two clubs nearby) offering their wares for sale. Others have described clearly the issue with internet access in Cuba, but I will add that those that can secure a SIM card do have access to WhatsApp. My Canadian phone is able to "roam" when in Cuba (this is just in the past 3 years) so it is easy to contact people once you have a phone number. But cruising apps like Grindr et al. is largely a waste of time in Cuba.

Aparamente se desapareció. Qué raro.

jejeje ¡Que vengas pues parcero!

So this being 2022 and life being crazy, I find myself returning to Medellin next week to cover off some business. Have a couple of days in Bogotá for a procedure but should be in Medellin on Friday for business. Any members around that want to meet up? I will buy the first round at Donde Aquellos.

Hmmmm, having transferred USD to Colombia on Friday, I think the exchange rate (current) would make this closer to $54 USD plus $13 for the room. Just to give you a sense of the current rates. Colombians are seriously pissed that their currency has lost huge value since the pandemic and this is just one example.

Angelo is a sweetheart and one of the nicest scort I know in Medellin. He knows that what he has on offer is valuable and makes his money accordingly. His service is first-rate and worth every penny. He is not playing games. but rather has developed a system to weed out the many that are fascinated by the size of his dick. Dude he has a real 25cm dick that is thick and gets rock hard -- that is not common. This is not a game to him, but rather a business and he handles himself as a pro. Glad you enjoyed his services.