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I'm Back and Had an INCREDIBLE Time.

My wife and I were in Colombia from October 7 - 23. We stayed in Bogota and then her brother and I spent five days in Medellin.

As always it was an awesome experience. It gets harder and harder to come back every time we go. This was the first time I went to Medellin and I was more than impressed. As much as I enjoy Bogota, Medellin is in a class unto itself. What an incredible city.

There have been various posts made about Colombia and how thing operate over there and what certain places are like. I want to post some objective observations about what I saw and lived to debunk or give credibility to some of the posts that I have read.

The baggers who work at the major supermarkets in Bogota do not get paid a salary. They work for tips. The first time we went shopping the bagger told us as he was bagging our groceries that they don't get paid and I confirmed that was the cashier. We went to three different supermarkets and it was the same story. Whenever we went shopping I tipped the bagger a 1 or 2 thousand pesos.

The population as a whole seems to be getting heavier. I was in a state of disbelief at first, but it's true. There is a much higher consumption of pizza, burgers and soft drinks. I remember that fruit juice with water or milk were quite common, and although this obviously still exists, soft drinks seem to be more popular. Even my wife's family buys pre-sweetened fruit juice concentrate that's mixed with water, where before they were buying the fruit and squeezing it by hand. Many of the women I saw who were overweight were dressed as if they were thin, which is something common in Mexico, but I had rarely seen in Colombia. Squeezing into sexy clothes that don't fit does not do much for the human form.

Kiwi Hostel is worth the money. It's important to point out that Kiwi is a Hostel, not a hotel and it shouldn't be judged as such, which a lot of people seem to do. If you want to stay at a hotel, pay for one, but don't expect a hostel to run the same way. The clientle is generally young; 20's to early 30's. We were probably the oldest guests there. People party and it is loud sometimes, but nothing out of control. I wore ear plugs when I went to sleep. The bathrooms were clean and frequently disinfected. Internet, beer and soft drinks were available for a very reasonable price. Everything is on the honor system. If you drink a beer, you write your name and put a check next to it signifying you had one. The same system works for internet and laundry. Paul, the owner, is very cool. He gave us a tour of the place and gave us maps on how to get around. The have a nice sized plasma T.V. and a pool table. The people we met were very cool. There were people from all over the world. Rooms were cleaned every other day or so. I never worried about anything missing. One time I purposely left money out and when I came back the money was still there. There are always trade offs when you room in a hostel instead of a hotel, but in my opinion it was worth it. If you want cheap digs where it's safe, close to the action, and the people are generally friendly, I would recommend Kiwi as a place to crash on your next trip.

In Medellin, Desayunos 10 on Carrera 10 about a block and a half from Kiwi is a great place to eat. We ate breakfast there just about every day. The food and ambiance is top notch as is the service.

I dressed the same in both Bogota and Medellin; blue jeans, button down shirts and blue tennis shoes. In conversations I had with family, friends and people I met, nobody thought I looked like a gringo. They said I had a "Strata 6 face." I didn't know if that was an insult or a complement, but I was glad that I didn't stick out. I wore a watch and my wedding ring the entire trip. I was cordial and polite with everyone I met and never talked about my life in the U.S. as it related to money. When someone brought that up I just steered the conversation in another direction. I focused mainly on my life growing up, being a teacher and work anecdotes, and my family and friends, areas where I could connect with my hosts.

I felt very safe in Colombia, however, I always took precautions and never took dumb chances. We took taxis everywhere, rode the bus, colectivos and the Metro in Medellin. I never had a problem. Only on one occasion when I was in Medellin did I wave a taxi off. I got an instant bad vibe and wasn't comfortable getting a ride in that particular taxi.

During our first week in Colombia my wife and I took a taxi to Santa Barbara Mall to look around. On the way there I made a comment about a military school that we passed. Two days later we were watching the news and it was announced that that morning someone had driven a car loaded with explosives into the school, left it there and donated it by remote control. Nobody died, but a few people were injured. Reportedly the FARC were involved with the bombing. This was the only instance of violence that I had heard of or experienced.

My wife and her family were adament that tipping was kept under control. They are from a Strata 2 neighborhood, where the majority of the people make 20,000 pesos or less a day and they never tipped. Some restaurants recomend a tip that is typed out on the receipt. I saw this on two occasions, including the cafe at the National Museum. I tipped both times. Other than that I just paid for my tangibles. I never tipped taxi drivers. We had hired a real nice guy to taxi us around in Medellin. I showed him a night on the town and took his family and him out for breakfast as a show of graditude for helping us out, but thought it best to not set any monetary precedents.

Like I do on all my trips I wrote a daily travel log. I hope to get it on our web page in the next month or so, along with some photos. I'm still trying to get acclimated to the States.

I wish I was back in Colombia.

By (Deleted user) on Oct 31, 2006, 13:18 in Friendly Talkzone.

goin_south says on Oct 31, 2006, 13:30:

I wish I was back in Colombia. Me 2.

But, welcome back here, for now, anyway, strobers. You had the same good experience and impression of Medellin as I had myself a month ago, it appears.

But, if you read my post today under the ELN thread, you will see the other side of the story, still in action. (to give Gomezman5 just a little credibility.) Just a little. Not too much.

"No hay tal cosa, como ' español perfecto '."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

arthur brode (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 31, 2006, 13:51:

Welcome back,Strobers iam glad you had a good time.

http://www.calirentals.net/

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njtea5 says on Oct 31, 2006, 13:59:

I cant Wait First cali and then Medellin I am so excited after reading some of the exciting trips gringos have had. I am Colombia- American even though i am taller then you common Colombian and my spanish sucks i will be with my cousin who speaks perfect spanish and I think I will blend it just fine...

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Oct 31, 2006, 14:19:

you will be fine go and enjoy njtea5 :)

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PreciosaPaisita says on Oct 31, 2006, 15:36:

SOON im leaving for Colombia soon! In about a month, for December, and i'll be staying until january. I cannot wait. Im going to Medellin and preparing myself to literally have the best time of my life. Im a native of Colombia, so both my spanish and english are perfect. I'll let you all know how it went!

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famsearch says on Oct 31, 2006, 16:36:

preci when you get to medellin, the one thing you cannot miss are the christmas lights along the rio medellin. they are something else.

strobs, you sound like i did after both trips. glad to hear you had a good time. best thing of all, only 14 days until my wife is with me!
dan

dan

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goin_south says on Oct 31, 2006, 16:53:

Perfect Spanish and English... For sure, a precious and desirable commodity!
Have Fun!

"No hay tal cosa, como ' español perfecto '."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on Oct 31, 2006, 19:25:

All I can say, PreciosaPaisita, is that any paisas that get to hang with you will be having the best time of THEIR lives. Dios mio, que mujer.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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goin_south says on Oct 31, 2006, 21:16:

Utopia... I think you could arrange a contract with royalties to model some of those Blow-Up Dolls after her, eh? "The Paisita Preciosa".

"No hay tal cosa, como ' español perfecto '."

Why Not Colombia?..........Stay Tuned, for more.... utterly worthless, self-indulgent gobbets of nonsense.

0 funny, 0 helpful.