Hey /trv/ I never thought I'd find myself making a thread like this but I have to put my stupid ego aside.
After about 8 years of talking with a Colombian friend over the internet who lives in Medellin, I have decided to pay her a visit and go to the city (full disclosure, I never met her in person before). I'll do 4-5 Workaway weeks in a hostel to take in the place a little more.
I'm from the UK and speak no Spanish, never been to Latin America before. I am aware of Medellin's past and the progress it has made but understand there are still problems that could bite me in the ass pretty bad in my time there.
I was all set to go and mentioned it to my father who proceeded to tell me about all the kidnappings, murders etc I may fall victim to on the basis of a friend from Medellin he knows. I already knew it's reputation, this just brought it to life.
Basically he got me second guessing my time there and all I can think about is being fucked with scopolamine or being driven from ATM to ATM at knifepoint.
I don't want reassurance, I don't want to be put off, I want to know just how risky it is for a 28 year old English guy to go alone to work in a hostel for a month in Medellin. I'm dark haired and olive skinned but it won't take long to recognise I'm totally not local.
Halp ?
It's pretty simple
>don't go to shitty favelas by yourself, it's pretty easy because there's nothing there but poverty
>don't walk around by yourself at night outside of commercial areas
>get businesses to order taxis for you if unsure
It's not the 80s anymore, plenty of tourists go to Medellin and are fine. Carry around $50 in a pocket in case you get mugged. Westerners don't get kidnapped unless in the countryside by FARC. Attracts way too much police attention for gangs. You don't sound like a chav who passes out at 2am in public, so you'll be ok.
What's up
I'm a European guy who lived in Colombia for a little over a year, visited Medellín a handful of times and I must say it is one of my favourite cities on the continent. The people are awesome, the parties great and the women beautiful. Not to mention the food! If you get the chance (who am I kidding, you will at every corner) definitely try a Bandeja Paisa. Fucking good.
Anyway, the security situation in Medellín has improved immensely in the past 15 or so years. While of course there are still problems of course you will have nothing to worry about as long as you use your head. Don't walk alone at night. Don't get too drunk. Don't get in cabs without a taxi pass. Etc.
A must is the free walking tour. It's four hours long and the best introduction to Colombia and Medellín that you could wish for. I've done the walking tour three times and the guides were excellent every time. If you do it shortly after your arrival you will have a great basis of knowledge about the city, the people and the country which will definitely improve your stay.
>>1125139
if youd gone to germane wouldn't you try the beer?
If he goes to france he should sample the wine
and of course in colombia he must try some cOcA
/trv/ traditionally loves Medellin, probably because it's cheap and always partying.
I've been there for a few days as a single gringo tourist, and although I did enjoy the city, I didn't like the people. They are too serious, and very chauvinistic. A few times I heard unflattering comments about myself, by locals who presumed I wouldn't understand their Spanish (I did), completely unprovoked. (I was just being a quiet gringo, hanging about the town and going to bars and restaurants on my own.)
Anyway, security-wise it's ok, the usual precautions obviously apply.
As is, don't carry more cash and cards than necessary, and at night better don't carry any valuables at all, just some cash and a crappy phone.
pic from medellin
Thanks guys, if anyone else can share their stories I'd be grateful.
>>1125326
what did they say about you?
>>1125139
colombianfag here if intersted
>>1125139
Colombian here if you need
actually in bogotá
And What website or app did you use to contact someone here?
>>1125475
>>1125479
Thanks for your offer of help guys.
She contacted me on Myspace in 2007 I think, we've been chatting since then. I think she did it to practise her English at first, or perhaps she had other intentions that she is still hoping for.
I love the sound of the postive parts of Colombia, but still worried about being a clueless target for criminals. Are thinigs generally fine for sensible tourists in your experience?
>>1125520
if you are still afraid of coming alone you can use the AFS program for free where you will for sure stay away from danger
>since you are coming from a first world country to a third world country you have it easier
>I've met girls aging 15 years old stay for a year coming from all of europe in even more dangerous places than the one you are visiting.
>>1125520
New poster.
Never been to Medellin, but I've spent some time in Colombia as a gringo tourist who has the sort of look that just screams "easy mark, fleece at will."
I have never had significant trouble there -- the thing is to know where the neighborhoods are where you don;t want to go, and don't go there. That, and a little common sense and situational awareness, and you will likely be fine.
I will note that my friends down there are all going on about the political situation deteriorating down there recently -- I have no idea whether this means anything serious, or whatever they just saw their go lose an election, and this is just hand-wringing. Colombianos in this thread can maybe address that?
>>1125520
this is a map of the dangerous places in Colombia
the red dot is where you are going
Totally safe place by far on every graph
>>1125552
COL: Not at all !
>>1125552
Not Colombian but instability in Venezuela could be cause for concern
>>1125549
Thanks, I'll take a look at that. You're right though, despite all my travelling this is the first place with a 'reputation' and I just need to get over it.
>>1125520
I can asure that there are neighborhood far more dangerous in london and paris than in Medellín
>>1125561
Not at All
>>1125561
Lol wut?
Not OP but also traveling to Colombia in a week or two, Cali to be exact. I'm meeting with a friend there but she works on the day, so, what are some fun shit to do during the day in Cali? Where I won't get robbed/etc? I'm speak spanish and I'm from the caribbean so I wouldn't pass like a total foreigner.
Also, how is the underground music scene there? Is there techno/house/electronic scene? I might want to pop some pill.
>>1125647
>Also, how is the underground music scene there? Is there techno/house/electronic scene? I might want to pop some pill.
Seconded. But for Medellin
Coombian from the Bogotá region here. it sounds like pure paranoia, prejudice and ignorance.
I was in the city in january, you see Gringo/European backpackers everywhere. I stayed in an hostel in the Poblado avenue, there were 4 Austrians there, 1 Haitian/Quebecois and one Englishman from Bristol there, they were there for several weeks and they were relaxed, didn't have any problem.
How many foreigners you think have been kidnapped and murdered in Medellin in the past years? Few to none. How many foreigners visit the city every year? hundreds of thousands.
>>1125552
>I have no idea whether this means anything serious, or whatever they just saw their go lose an election, and this is just hand-wringing.
the latter, they are butthurt "Uribistas". they would be the Colombian version of, I don't know, hardcore Republicans; deluded, hysterical people, trying to terrorize people for their personal gain (and they have achieved it to a certain extent). the funny thing is that Uribe, their leader and former president, was the person who started the peace talks with Farc. Their presidential candidate also promised to continue the peace talks, back in 2014, and their party has always showed support for the negotiations. But somehow all of these Uribistas seem to forget about it. Anyway, they usually talk about Santos giving up the country to Farc and other nonsense, the truth is that, in 30 years, we never had a country so peaceful. Homicide rate wasn't so low in 30 years, and armed actions by Farc have decreased 90% since the beggining of the negotiations. And Farc hasn't been conceeded anything really.
>>1125561
not really. Venezuela's situation has affected mainly our economy, slowing it down. There's a lot of trouble at the border with Maburro closing it and making the lifes of Colombians and Venezuelans there difficult in every way possible, but not in places like Bogota or Medellin.
>>1125559
that map is so misleading. Most "paramilitaries" aren't such. And none of these groups have such wide influence. These are the municipalities on which guerrillas and bacrim have some kind of presence/influence, but they only have influence on very small, especific areas of all of these municipalities.
>>1125903
Thirded. Please no more papi chulo
Update:
I got the tickets, arranged my accomodation. You guys helped a lot, thank you.
