Tantric

That is great news. So I should not expect to hear elite rates from Grindr profiles that are obviously commercial. I agree. Without meaning to stereotype, judge or disparage the “elites” (some—or perhaps many—of whom can at least partially justify higher rates because of business expenses for steroids, supplements, implants, fillers, makeup, wardrobe, international travel, etc, despite being subsidized by regular clientele), I personally am more attracted to guys who are unassuming and unpretentious.

Thanks @floridarob for sharing your first-hand knowledge. Now I’m cautiously optimistic (or at least not as pessimistic) about the possibility to occasionally play in the hotel.

Thanks @macaroni21! The bar would be even higher if I didn’t mess up the numbering of the questions. Mea culpa 🙊

Thanks @macdaddi! I genuinely appreciate your comprehensive message and helpful answers (as well as your many threads offering insights on Medellin).

Happy New Year, gents. I’m planning a trip to Medellin in a few weeks. Although I’ve already been to Colombia a few times, this will be my first time in Medellin. Some insight from the sages on this board would be appreciated! GRINDR Thanks to Grindr, I’ve become pretty lazy and now typically order in for dates (both fun and commercial). Question 1: Approximately what percentage of Grindr ads in Poblado are commercial? Or perhaps an easier question (if you have the frame of reference): is the ratio similar to the ratio in Chapinero (Bogota)? SAUNAS Assuming my Medellin hotel will forbid visitors, I’m prepared to venture out to play while in Medellin. The info in @macdaddi’s 2024 Sauna report is very helpful. But as I write this, in some parts of the world it is already 2026. Question 2: Is the info in that 2024 Sauna report still mostly valid? SAFETY I enjoy walking around cities but take precautions when traveling in South America. For example, whenever possible, I only walk with a small amount of cash and leave my credit cards, passport and mobile phone in the AirBnB/hotel. And I never wear jewelry or flashy, expensive-looking clothing. At night, though, I often take my phone (for Uber) and might also take my passport (if required for entering a club). For this trip to Medellin I’ll be staying at the Hampton by Hilton, which seems to be walking distance from the Poblado hot spots. I did a virtual walk using Google Street View and the routes seem well developed. If I meet interesting guys online I assume I’ll play with them in love motels. In Google Maps I found some of the motels but none (or maybe one) in Poblado. For safety reasons, I would prefer to pick the motel myself, rather than depend on my date’s suggestion (since he could then also tip off accomplices and arrange for them to meet us there). From this thread, I learned of an app called Motel Now. However, I did not find that app in the App Store. Question 3: Is the area between the Hampton and the Poblado hot spots generally safe for walking during daytime and early evening? Or would you recommend using Uber? Question 4: Do all businesses (bars, clubs, saunas, motels, etc.) accept cash? Or have some switched to exclusively using cashless payment systems? Question 5: Is ID required to enter bars, clubs, saunas, motels, etc.? If so, for those without local ID, is only a passport accepted? Question 6: Is “moteles” the correct term? How safe are they? More specifically, is it likely that unregistered guests (read: criminals) could enter the motel room, or would they be stopped by the front desk staff? Or can the rooms be accessed without passing through a central reception area? And are certain motels preferred (or avoided) by same sex couples? Question 7: Is there a new app for finding motels? PRICES I read macdaddi’s helpful post about elite prices in Medellin and the local scort mafia. I understand that those elevated prices are only relevant for a certain segment of Medellin escorts and that more reasonable prices are available from other escorts. Question 7: Approximately what percentage of the Medellin escorts are in the elevated price segment (400k)? Around 10% Question 8: Outside of that elevated price segment, if you have the frame of reference, is the more typical rate in Medellin comparable to that in Bogota? Am looking forward to your feedback!

If asked directly I would have hopefully remembered, repeated and explained the quote about the freedom of one person ending where the freedom of another person begins. If not asked directly I would’ve kept my advice to myself.

My profile is never blank. When visiting new countries, I adjust my profile to align with local norms. When I arrive I turn on Grindr and see if a lot of the profiles have face pics. If they do, I use my face pics. If they don’t, I use torso pics. But even my torso pics show half of my face. If I recall correctly (and I’m not certain that I do), in Tbilisi I used torso pics on Day 1, then switched to face pics for the rest of the trip.

During my first (and only) trip to Tbilisi in 2024 I had a great time. I used Grindr and met a few hot guys (all non-paying hookups; all bottom) during my 4-day stay. AirBnB, so no logistical issues. Two of the guys that I met were Russian; two were Georgian. My only advice is that you shouldn’t expect a huge supply. (If you have a very narrow filter you’ll end up seeing profiles from neighboring countries.) I don’t recall seeing profiles that were obviously for escorts, but I might simply have forgotten them since that wasn’t my focus during that trip. Somebody mentioned power outages in another thread on here (regarding Moldova). Note that while I was in Tbilisi there was one blackout that affected the entire city center for a few hours. No big deal. It wasn’t the first blackout that I experienced while traveling in Eastern Europe. Just be sure you have a local SIM card (so you’re not dependent on WiFi while on Grindr) and keep devices fully charged while at home. And if in an AirBnB, know where the candles are, so you can enjoy a date over candlelight.

+1

Don‘t believe the hype. Yes, immigration and the economy were often cited as the reason for electing a 🤡/felon. In reality, the underlying reason was often related to preservation of a perceived national identity, racism and misogyny.

Agreed That statement can be expanded to state that Americans are not who we once thought they were. Although that should’ve been clear in 2016.

Thanks for the comprehensive advice, @bkkmfj2648! It’s very helpful since I‘m considering Pattaya and Bangkok as possible destinations to spend two months every year. I did a Google search for “View Talay“ and found some sites with rental listings, but assume those sites are for long-term rentals (since there was no option for checking date availability). Do you (or does anyone else reading this) know of good local (but English language) websites with listings for furnished medium-term real estate rentals? Are are the global sites (eg, AirBnB and VRBO) the most popular sites in Thailand for medium-term property rentals?

Who are you calling a moron?! 🤪

Interesting idea, @Olddaddy! In March I‘ll be making my first trip to Pattaya, so take these suggestions with a fist full of salt: Don‘t let naysayers who point out obvious language (and other) barriers discourage you. Only invest after you have created a strong, comprehensive business plan. Hire (a) an American (with experience and training) for your marketing, and (b) a local for your general management. Generate online revenue streams from offline activities (eg, PPV or recurring fees for access to recorded shows). Poach talent from BKK venues. Use approximately 70% Asian talent, with a range of body types. Use approximately 30% non-Asian talent (with athletic or muscular body types). Disregard advice from anonymous posters on a message forum 😉 Good luck!

That sucks. It might not have been a keyword issue. A few years ago my Grindr account was banned although I didn’t breach any Grindr Terms/Conditions. Back then I was only using Grindr for free dates. I suspect someone whom I rejected made a revenge report to Grindr. Now whenever I go on trips and anticipate using Grindr extensively I bring a second device as backup. And if the date will be commercial I move the conversation to WhatsApp almost immediately. Ironically, one day after I returned home from my last trip to Brazil (last month) my WhatsApp Business account (which is what I used for my paid dates) was banned. It looks like (and I hope) the WhatsApp Business ban is only specific to the phone number used and I can register a new number on the same app and same device.