Using a credit card in Colombia

Many places in Colombia accept credit cards for purchases, meals, groceries and many other things.  Several places will only accept Visa or Master Card and many times, they will add on 3-4% for using the card (even though it is against Visa and MC rules)

 

Many places will only accept a Ban Colombia Visa or Debit card.

 

One thing that is consistent with credit cards.  They will always ask you, “cuantas cuotas”.  They are asking you how many payments you want to make.  Most visitors do not understand this phenomenon so merely respond, “una”. then pay your credit card company as you normally do each month

You can probably leave your AMEX at home unless you want to pay your hotel bill or purchase airline tickets.  Many places will not accept AMEX.

Travel safe and only carry one credit card and one debit card.  Use ATM’s for what cash you will need on a daily basis (much cheaper than changing money at cambios).

 

Never let your credit card out of your site.  They will bring a machine to your table for purchasing your meals.

 

MTG

Halloween in Medellin-Mangos

In Spain and Mexico, October 31st is regarded as Day of the Dead.  In Colombia, Day of the Dead is celebrated on Nov. 30th.  On October 31st, the Paisas turn out in their finest (and sometimes very elaborate) costumes and party the night away….well, actually, they start partying on October 30th and usually don’t stop until the AM of Nov. 1st.

“So, what do you want to do for Halloween?” I asked my lovely wife!  “Let’s go toMangos”, was her reply!

Now, I am not a big Mangos fan.  I believe it is a place for everyone to experience at least once when they visit Medellin just to say they have been there.  The locals love the place and some save for months to go there or will willingly accept an invitation if offered.  In my opinion, it is way over rated and wayyyyyy overpriced…but a fun experience none the less!

 

OK, so we need to find costumes.  We try several costume stores and although many were very original, nothing was suiting her tastes or budget.  So, off to El Centro with another couple and some pesos in our pockets.  After the first hour, my buddy and I decided to just let them shop and we would find a place to have coffee for an hour or so.

 

We parked our behinds at the Cafe Botero adjacent to the Museo de Antioquia and observed the throngs of people parading around in costumes and the costume contests taking place.  Some of these Paisas probably spent weeks custom making some of the costumes for themselves and their kids. Many were quite impresive.

We probably should have stayed home because it was 6 hours later before the girls showed up with their coveted costumes….which we could not see until that evening….LOL

 

We were supposed to meet friends outside at 9:30 so we could get inside early and reserve a table.  Not going to happen this evening.  It was more like 11 PM when we finally left.  We took a taxi because we knew we were going to be drinking and didn’t want to drive.

 

We were greeted by a line about 50 yards long and it took almost 1/2  hour to get through security and pay our 35,000 cover charge.

 

The place was packed and were we ever glad our friend had managed to get a couple of tables.  Costumes like you can not imagine and as usual, the Paisa ladies were happily showing off their god given (and many times enhanced) assets.

 

The place rocked all night and everyone was partying hearty.  At 4:00AM I went outside for a smoke break and noticed a lot of people beginning to leave.  I thought this might be a good time to call it a night but that was not going to happen.

 

At 7AM, we finally coaxed the girls into leaving but not before one last beer outside after a 1.75ML (carafe) of Auguardiente inside. (it is a local  favorite drink similar to Sambuca in taste also referrrd to as Guaro).

 

The night:

 

170,000 COP for costume and accessories (not bad)

70,000COP cover

240,000 COP for a bottle of Guaro

Taxis to and from Mangos 25,000

A Halloween memory from Mangos…priceless

 

We managed a few photos for your viewing pleasure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojBiNRF_Ais

 

MTG

 

Colombian Money

The official Colombian money is the Colombian Peso.

Notes come in Denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 20,000 and 50,000;

Coins come in 20, 50,100, 200 and 500 peso denominations;

If you would like to view the obverse and reverse of the current Colombian Peso notes and coins and learn about the people whose faces grace the currency go to:

 www.medellintravelguide.com/medellin_money.html

 

There is also a link to a currency converter with current exchange rates.

 

Using Medellin ATM’s

Planning to use your ATM card when you visit Medellin? You will get better exchange rates than changing cash or travelers checks at a cambio!

There are convenient ATM’s (called ATH’s in Medellin) all over Medellin. In Banks, Malls, Grocery Stores, Casinos, Restaurants and more. Most of them support the more popular networks like Cirrus, Plus, Maestro, MasterCard and many others. Most also have an English and Spanish language option.

Different ATMs have different per transaction limits of usually 400,000-500,000 COP. You can do multiple transactions up to the daily limit allowed by your bank.

A few hints on using ATM’s in Medellin;

Only withdraw what you will need on a daily basis;

Only carry 1 or 2 ATM/Debit/Credit Cards

Only make withdrawls from ATM’s in well lighted areas and preferably places with on site security;

Keep your paper receipt;

Count your money; Check your balance on line to make sure only one transaction occurred.

Make sure that your transaction has ended and the machine is ready for the next customer….not asking you if you want another transaction!

What should you pack for your visit to Medellin?

We get asked this question  lot.  Casual (not shorts) is our standard pat answer but here we go into a little more detail!

 

What should you pack for your visit to Medellin?

 

Attire is very casual in Medellin. It ranges from dressed down casual to fashionably casual in the more upscale neighborhoods like Poblado and Tessoro but casual none the less.

For men:

Jeans, Dockers, T shirt, polo shirt, casual cotton short or long sleeve shirt;

Tennis shoes, loafers or regular street shoes.

Baseball caps are worn by many.

The only ties or coats and ties you see are worn by office, casino and some mall workers.

Rarely do you see shorts, sandals or flip flops.

These guidelines pretty much apply to daytime or nighttime activities for guys.

For the ladies:

You probably do not have to buy anything special (too bad).

Jeans, pants, cotton tops (many times layered but accentuating cleavage), light sweater tops, fashionable belts and accessories;

Shoes range from tennis shoes to fashionable boots.(this is also a good place to buy shoes as many are manufactured locally. (Good news.)

You do not see many skirts or dresses except on office, casino and some mall workers although short skirts are worn by younger adults.

At night, the ladies are more inclined to dress up especially if they are going clubbing or to discos. Again, there is a major emphasis on plunging necklines and displays of cleavage. (don’t mean to be sexest here, just letting you know how the local ladies dress). You will not see a lot of sweat pants, baggy sweat shirts, ruffled hair or ladies without makeup. Usually, nails are well manicured.

Although Medellin is considered a conservative town, the Paisa women are proud of their god given assets. Many of them have been enhanced and are proud to show off their results.

 

Medellin clothing sizes tend to follow the international sizing conventions. In this chart it would be the continental sizes. http://www.onlineconversion.com/clothing.htm 

 

 

Tiger Paw Hostel in Medellin-A better idea?

These guys get it!

A hostel, is a hostel is a hostel until you start adding location, location, location and amenities, a full service restaurant and Medellin sports bar where you can watch your favorite College or NFL game while you are traveling in Medellin Colombia.

Brian, the owner and an avid Clemson Tiger fan, has pulled out all the stops to make this the ultimate hostel to stay at when you visit Medellin Colombia.

 

Location? Many Medellin Hostels advertise “Within walking distance or a short cab ride from Parque Lleras” At the Tiger Paw when you step foot outside the front door, you are “in Parque Lleras”

Many Medellin Hostels advertise full service amenities but few offer a full service restaurant or an on site sports bar. 

Two eggs, ham and cheese beeakfast with toast maybe, but not many will offer Fettucini Alfredo, chicken wings, black bean nachos or “my favorite” chicken salad sandwiches”!

Great lounge and sports bar area with multiple LCD TV’s playing a host of local Futball and American footlball games; Cheap, cold beer at $1.00 or less; Full service restaurant featuring American cuisine and snacks; pool table, outdoor tiki torches and music genre from the 80’s 90’s and beyond…. Sign me up!

The Tiger Paw Hostel had their “soft opening” of their restaurant and sports bar last Thursday.  There were maybe 25-40 people mingling about, watching the first football game of the season, chatting, munching on their “to die for” bruschetta made by their on site chef Richard, followed by a medley of local veggies and seasoned meats.  Tiki torches outside to signal the grand opening of the Lions Den Restaurant and Tiger Paw Sports Bar…..It just could not have been more tranquil.

Side note:  A friend called me from Parque Lleras tonight.  He said had had a group of friends that wanted to watch Sunday Night Football but did not want to go all the way out to Calle Ochenta to watch it.  I suggested the Tiger Paw. They called me with a toast for my recommendation. Unfortunately, I am working/writing and can’t enjoy the game with them.  Such is the life!

Medellin Travel Guide Portal

The original design concept for Medellin Travel Guide was to make it into a portal, a gateway if you will, to finding information about visiting or traveling to Medellin Colombia.  Inclusive of our rental apartments, penthouses and realestate for sale listings we have with our clients, the portal is now well over 180 pages in length.  Too big and too cumbersome for many surfers although our unique visitors continues to grow at a 20% month over month rate.

We tracked some data points, for the past 4 months, of which topics were of the greatest interest to our site visitors and decided to publish an easier to navigate more user friendly website with short snippets of information and links back to individual pages on MTG is there was interest in more detail on a particular subject.

 

It had a natural selection of about 5 main topics;

Accommodations;

Getting Here;

Realestate;

Things to do;

and, Services

 

From those broad categories, we took the top 33 most frequently visited pages/topics and created www.medellinvisitorsguide.com  In some cases, you will be taken to a specific page on Medellin Travel Guide but will never leave the Medellin Visitors Guide Site.  We used the KISS approach in determining if less intensive information would meet your needs for Medellin Information and just created new pages or whether the information on MTG was succint enough to just link you to that specific topic.

A splash or landing page was created about a month ago and we have been periodically working to complete the site.

 

Today, we have re-launched www.medellinvisitorsguide for your perusal.  We hope it meets your needs for information about traveling to or visiting Medellin Colombia.  You can always find more detail on many more topics on Medellin Travel Guide but you may just find what you need on Medellin Visitors Guide as well.

 

Thanks for visiting and helping to make Medellin Travel Guide the #1 English web site about Medellin Colombia on the internet.

 

Regards,

 

MTG

MOON Parque Lleras, Medellin Colombia Clubs and Discos

M

OON in Parque Lleras, Medellin Colombia is one of the more popular Zona Rosa Disco/Clubs. It is small by Medellin standards. In fact, you could probably put 10-15 Moons in Mangos, Palmahias or Universal but do not let it’s size dissuade you from considering a visit.It was a special promo night and a friend managed to get us passes and management approval to take videos. We are finding that the Medellin Clubs are actually quite video/photo friendly as are the patrons.

Moon could best be described as a shotgun architecture 3 times as long as it is wide. The front part of the disco/club has leather sofas lining the entry for patrons to sit, relax and enjoy the “blaring music” that eminates from the rear of the club. It is the same music that you hear in many other discos and clubs in Medellin, the dancing is the same, the patrons dress the same, the cost of drinks on par with other Medellin Discos and Clubs, dark, loud music, flashy light shows yadda, yadda, yadda!

So, what was different about MOON? It was the young upscale Parque Lleras crowd, much like Cienaga was the young Envigado/Sabaneta Crowd. Many seemed to know each other, danced with many partners, hung out in small groups and partied big time together. Is this a pattern? Possibly.

At Mangos, Palmahias, Universal, Circus, Carnival and the other larger clubs, there seems to be a cross section of people from all over Medellin. At the smaller clubs there seems to be more of a neighborhood, High School, College grouping effect in place; and, They move from club to club, week to week depending on who has some kind of special or promotion.

Well, never let it be said that young people are not resourceful! Young Paisas are down right crafty in how to stretch their party pesos!

Crowded would be an understatement. Any self deserving Fire Marshall in the US would have fainted at the sight. If there had been a fire the chaos and pandemonium would have left hundreds dead. As it was, they seemed to be in their element and did not mind the closeness of being with their friends. It was impossible to move amongst the crowd without becoming “very familiar” with the people you were trying to get past. Very few girls breasts went unscathed by elbows, chests or shoulders but they really did not seem to be bothered by the fact. They were partying, dancing, drinking and enjoying a night out with their friends.

Even though it was crowded and filming was difficult, MTG still gives this very upscale, popular Parque Lleras Club a resounding two thums up as a place to visit while you are in Medellin.

 

 

 

Medellin Travel Guide Launches Affiliate Web Sites

At a 180+ pages and growing, the Medellin Travel Guide portal has become somewhat daunting for many that are not skilled browsers on the internet.

 

In an effort to make finding information about Medellin Colombia a little easier, we have launched several new web sites specifically focused on topics people are interested in finding about Medellin.

 

www.medellinpenthouses.com is dedicated to furnished Penthouses and apartments for sale and short or long term rentals;

www.medellinrealestatguide.com is dedicated to Medellin Property, sales of homes, condos, apartments, penthouses and fincas

www.medellinfincas.com is dedicated to finca sales and rentals as well as finca hotels for visits;

www.medellinadventuretours.com is dedicated to providing you with information about things to see and do in Medellin ranging from museum and finca tours to paragliding and whitewater rafting.

www.medellinvisitorsguide.com is a scaled down version of the Medellin Travel Guide with quick links to many favorite topics like Medellin Accommodations, Medellin Restaurants, Medellin Attractions and of course, Parque Lleras

 

www.medellinhealthtourism.com is dedicated to helping people find Medellin Doctors, Medellin Dentists and Medellin Hospitals that need health related assistance.

 

There are about 8 other web sites related to Medellin Realestate, Medellin Apartments and visiting Medellin that we have also launched.  Hopefully, you will discover that finding information on specific topics about Medellin Colombia a little easier to find now.

 

Regards,

 

Medellin Travel Guide

Visiting Colombia or Brazil

Since I lived in Brazil (actually, the correct spelling is Brasil) for almost 2 years and have now lived in Medellin for over a year, I get a lot of inquiries about which place is better to visit.

 

Well, from a pure vacation standpoint, it is probably Brasil and Rio in particular.  It has beaches, tourist attractions, fantastic nightlife, gorgeous sensuous women, great restaurants and food and decent shopping. On the other hand, the likelihood of being mugged or robbed is about 5-10 times a greater possibility in Rio than it is in Medellin.  People that visit or live in Rio comically say that, “you haven’t visited Rio until you have a good robbery or mugging story to tell.  To make matters worse, the Rio police are perhaps amongst the most corrupt in the world and many times are in on the scams. The other downside is the language barrier.  Many Western people speak a little Spanish or had some in school somewhere along the way.  In Brasil it is 100% Portuguese and although there are some similarities, they will not understand your broken Spanish nor will you understand their Carioca Portuguese. You also have to get a rather expensive visa for Brasil and you don’t for Colombia

You are not going to find a lot of tourists traps in Medellin Colombia simply for the reason that Medellin doesn’t have many tourists (although that is changing rapidly now that the security has been improved).   The small towns in and around Medellin, like Santa Fe De Antioquia, El Penol, La Pintada, Copacabana (in Antioquia Colombia not Rio) are great places to visit and get a real sense for Colombian life and it’s culture.  Personally, I prefer doing that kind of traveling as opposed to touristy things anyway. Another way of putting it;  You won’t find Medellin Colombia T Shirt shops all over town like you will find Brasil and Rio T-shirt shops in Rio!!

 

Once you have seen Botero Plaza in Medellin, perhaps visit a few of it famous parks (Barefoot Park, Park of Dreams etc), maybe see one or two of the old churches, ride the cable metro up the mountainside and shopped in either the upscale malls of Oviedo, Tesoro and Premium Plaza or the catacombed El Centro shops of Hueco and Palacial National, you will have done and seen just about all there is to do here.  Of course, if you enjoy discos, dancing and partying, make sure your visit includes a Thursday-Sunday stay as this is a party town every week on those days.  You will also see more than your fair share of beautiful Paisa girls at these venues that will leave your chin on your chest gawking at them!  The next one prettier than the last one!!

 

Of course, no visit to Medellin would be complete without an evening in Parque Lleras.  It is in the upscale area of El Poblado and is the in place for the well to do upper class Paisas to eat, drink and party although you will see Paisas from all walks of life while you are there.

 

Maybe it is my age or the fact I have traveled to 74 countries but let me put it this way.  My Brasilian visa has expired and I have no plans of renewing it anytime soon.  I just renewed my visa for the second year to remain in Colombia.  I guees it really depends on what type of vacation you are looking for but be informed before you decide.

 

Medellin Travel Guide