Medellin, Colombia, April 9/17 2022

[macdaddi]

3 hours ago, KeepItReal said:

We stand ready to FedEx overnight you some premium lube!!! 😆

You should also know that you can get it delivered through Rappi, along with poppers and viagra. Seriously.

[Latbear4blk]

Today is my first day of getting up feeling rested and reenergized. Two nights in a raw sleeping more than 7 hours have made their work. I just finished reading the news and drinking my home made coffee before sitting down to write my daily entry to this travel log.

Before saying anything else, I want to report that I bought lube. This is one of the particularities here that I forgot to report. Full size pharmacies in Medellin are a rare species. What you have is many small stores, as little and as abundant as “kioskos” in Buenos Aires. The one around my corner did not have a full bottle (good! I do not think I could pass one through the airport security check), so I bought a bunch of little packets. 

Another reason feel rested today is that yesterday I stayed in my base the whole day, doing some online work and just chilling. Therefore, I do not really have much to report today. One thing that I did and allowed me to take a breath was shutting down Grindr and Scruff in the evening.

At noon I met Randy Junior, I guess you have already read my report in the blog. We tried to fuck but my boner was slacking. I shared before that I am in a transition in my aging process, where I may need to re examine my sexual habits. I do not have the same stamina I used to. Just a beautiful man is not anymore the only condition to function, now the connection is more important than the looks. This is not something I am finding out now in Medellin, but something that has been going on for about one year now. I also noticed it in my last trip to Argentina. Randy is beautiful, but our connection was not enough motivation.

My review is honest, so I will not repeat myself here. Once we finished the interview and he left, I kept working for a while before lighting up an apanado and relaxing. I talked to Max Avila, who confirmed me he is not escorting, but who is a much more interesting character than Randy. You will see when I publish it that Randy’s answers to my questions are quite conventional and safe, I could tell he was delivering talking points. I expect more from Max, who strikes me as smarter and more idiosyncratic. He is organizing sex parties and is taking a leadership position in the local adult entertainment industry. I am meeting him this afternoon, and have a lot of expectations on what my network could gain if we click and I can develop a partnership with him in Medellin, similar to the partnership I developed with Rhyheim in the USA and Brazil markets.

I also talked to Fercho. I have an appointment for this evening, with a guy called “Mafioso” in his Bilatinmen scenes. I also asked Fercho whether he was interested in an interview and being featured in the blog, he responded that we would talk this evening at Bliss. I could have ordered Mafioso to be delivered at my nest, but wanted to check the hotel to report how the service is over there.

I also contacted the owner of El Sillon Rojo. Sex parties have never been my thing, and that is not going to change now. However, I understand the guy has an extensive network amongst local porn creators and sex workers, and would also love to cultivate a partnership with him. They modified their themed parties agenda because of Semana Santa, and tonight is the Bears event, which is the best fit for me. However, I do not think I will be in the mood to attend the event after fucking at the Bliss Hotel.

Last evening, before I turned them off, the hook up apps were driving me crazy, out of temptation. It is amazing the number of attractive young men into older guys, without any transactions. Unfortunately, I have been studying the series of homicides of gay men in the city (6 so far, the last one about 2 weeks ago), and the modus operandi is concerning. For instance, one of the things that usually would make me feel safe is when the guys are not insistent. Well, apparently the 6 cases looked like regular hook ups, the killer/s did not harass their victims at all. The victims were all single men living alone or who met in an hotel, and they all were tortured and murdered before being robbed. I learned a Spanish word that I had never seen before: sevicia. You can look for it. Initially, the killers’ cruelty (so far there are two suspects detained, but 4 murderers are still unresolved) made the police detectives think of homophobic serial killers, but now they think they are dealing with homosexual homicides who know when the victim is in his most vulnerable moment to kill him. 

So I am not at ease with online hookups, and I will focus on the contacts I had made a long time ago, and kept during the preparations. Guys like the montanero, the costeño, and a guy I am meeting tomorrow. Hooks ups like the Venezuelan bakers are not going to happen again (I think, I am a slut with a very weak self control), at least my focus will not be that kind of hook up. If I had a room mate with me, it would be completely different. In that case, it would be safe to bring guys to my place, at least I would feel safer than even going to an hotel with them. Several victims were murdered in hotels. 

I do not like Viagra because I get red like a tomato, but I guess I will take one to go to the Bliss today. I can waste a meeting for free, but I would hate to pay and not being able to perform as I like to.

And now, I go for one of my walks before coming back to wait for Max. Today I want to take a closer look to “la 70”. Hugs.

[12is12]

Latbear,

In order to get the full picture, do I need to read your blog?

Could you please post a link?

[Latbear4blk]

 

48 minutes ago, 12is12 said:

Latbear,

In order to get the full picture, do I need to read your blog?

Could you please post a link?

Right now I am posting mostly here, it is easier than creating a post in the blog. The only additional thing I am posting there and not here is escorts reviews. Only one so far, I was not expecting so much sex for free. 
The blog is ilikepinga.com.
 

[Lonnie]

3 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

I do not like Viagra because I get red like a tomato

Have you tried tadalafil (generic Cialis)...effective without the red face?

[Latbear4blk]

47 minutes ago, Lonnie said:

Have you tried tadalafil (generic Cialis)...effective without the red face?

I have tried it, but it does not work for me as effectively as Viagra. Anyways, thanks for the tip!

I returned from my walk, and before doing some work I want to update this log. 

When I walked out this morning, I felt a wave of happiness. Temperature was nice, and even with a little bit of sun, I was comfortable walking around. It would not last, by 11 it was not nice anymore. It is not the heat, the thermometer rarely goes above 27C, it is the humidity.

Anyways, I enjoyed walking around Carrera 70 and the less gentrified areas of Laureles. Bars, discotecas, and restaurants still have a very strong local flavor that  I am afraid will be lost if the city keeps growing for foreigners.  

Hopefully, Colombia (or at least Medellin) will find inspiration in countries like Mexico, rather than Argentina, and cultivate a strong national culture and identity. I would be sad if all this beauty is lost, as it is already vanishing closer to Parque Laureles. 

Everything looked much quieter than my previous visit right before a soccer game. Many of the businesses probably open after noon and they were closed. There were plenty of room in all restaurants to sit and eat, unlike last Sunday.

By 11 am I started to head back home as it was getting too hot for me. In my way back, I found what I was looking for, a few blocks away from my home. I will not need to walk further to eat in places like this:

They offer a traditional dish no one mentioned before: arroz paisa. I had actually discovered the dish in La 70, but the restaurant above is just two blocks away from my nest. 

Even better, I checked the bakery where my Venezuelan hook up works. I misunderstood when he told me he works midnight to 8. I assumed it was a bakery like the ones I know from Argentina. It is not. Besides bread and pastries, it is also a fast food restaurant open 24 hours, every day. He must work behind the counter and take breaks when there are not many customers. The place is perfect for my quest for local comfort food. Instead of Rappi, I will start going there to treat my munchies attacks. And perhaps kidnapping a server.

I love how all the boys call me “mi rey”. 

When strolling, I noticed a difference between street vendors here and in other places I visited. My experience has most times been one of harassment and tireless insistence despite my rejection. Here they only make an offer once and if you say no, they quickly move on.

Only once I lived an uncomfortable moment, not with a street vendor but with a beggar, that I forgot to report.

Last Sunday, when we were eating our bandejas paisas with the costeño, a man started to knee to beg for money to everyone eating in a table. When he got to ours, he even grabbed my arm and rested his head on my shoulder while begging for money. It was sad and heartbreaking. 

Sunday was also the day when I had a closer look to local poverty. When in the Metro that runs parallel to the Medellin River, I saw whole neighborhoods built by piles of trash and litter. Even the birds in that area seemed sick and dirty. The Municipality needs to work harder on decontaminating that river and cleaning up trash and littering.

When we passed over the popular comunas in Metro Cable, the work on infrastructure was noticeable. You cannot see the same closer to the river.

And bye, I have to get ready for Max.
 

 

[macdaddi]

La Setenta!! Now I am really missing Medalló. BTW it is a very Colombian thing -- the correct way to say no is a single "Gracias" and the vendor moves on. Simple and civilized.

[Latbear4blk]

Max Avila stormed into my place and captivated me with his passion and promise. Yes, I think he headed on me. I was expecting a 20/25’  minutes interview. He gave me 1h15´. The same passion you see in his porn performances, he displays it in every single aspect of his life. You will see it when I publish it, how the most harmless questions trigger passionate pledges. In a moment, during the interview (it is documented!) he started to talk about how attracted he was at guys like me, but how hard it was to get us because we are insecure. My heart was dancing reggaeton. Besides the 75’ of interview. We smoked an apanado and chatted for about 90’. He closed with an emphatic and passionate invitation to join him on Thursday. He was leaving to meet Oraculo’s owner to plan the logistics of a big party. I will call him later, although he is correct. I am insecure and intimidated at hanging out with guys so hot. 

Max left at 5:30. I had an appointment at Fercho’s Bliss hotel at 7 with one of my favorite Bilatinmen performers, Mafioso. Once I got ready, I took a Viagra and grabbed my phone to text them that I was about to roll. As I had been filming the interview, I had cancelled notifications. When at 6:25 I opened my whatsapp to tell them I was coming, I found a message he sent at 4 asking me for confirmation. At 4 I was filming Max, and missed the message.

Fercho seems to work pretty much as the friends going to Santo Domingo describe Manny does. He is an intermediary between you and a catalogue of boys. They can send them to you for 180K the hour plus the cost of transportation, or they can provide you with a room at the Bliss and the hour full service at 150K. As I did not confirm at 4, it was assumed I was canceling the appointment. I explained the confusion and Fercho started to text Mafioso. He would not respond.

Fercho offered me a plan B. He sent me again a +100 pictures catalogue. I picked an alternative and, as it was getting late, made arrangements to have him in my place. I am simplifying a process that was much more complicated. I was very frustrated for not meeting Mafioso, and the re-arrangement was taking too long. Part of the frustration was that he wanted me to make a money transfer and I wanted to pay cash. We finally agreed that I would give the money to the car drive who would bring me the boy, who works for him.

Close to 9pm (the original appointment was at 7), he texted me that the bill would be 180 +60 transportatioon.

So my original plan was paying 150 to meet a porn performer I love. Now, I was going to pay 240 for a Plan B. I said no. Everything was very friendly and civil, but I will not call them again in this trip. I do not need a Manny in Medellin.

Here is where I want to express my gratitud, again, to @macdaddi. I was frustrated, but I mostly was horny after feeling Max Avila was heading on me, and afterwards forseeing myself fucking Mafioso in an hotel in Centro, Medellin. I had taken one Viagra when getting ready to go to the Bliss. I needed a good Plan B quickly.

I called Leonardo. I had already made contact with him and made a deal in one second. 150K, he was coming to my place. The only bad thing about Leonardo is that he does not have an escort ad and so I will not publish a full review.

He looks gorgeous in the pictures, yet in person is not only breathtaking but also adorable. Venezuelan, Black, 28 years old, with a bachelor degree on fashion design, professor in a local Fashion Institute, he has his own onlyfans and is open about it in his more conventional career. However, escorting is clandestine, and to contact him you have to go through his Grindr, his Scruff, or his Twitter.

His service was excellent. Engaged, passionate, demanding, fucking this tall, muscular beauty, watching at him sucking my dick with voracity, cumming with my dick inside, will be indeed amongst my many cherished  Medellin memories. Amazing recommendation, @macdaddi, gracias de nuevo! About midnight, I was sleeping like a happy angel.

Yesterday I met the last of the contacts I had made during my prepping weeks. This is a native Paisa, mixed of Black and Indio, 20 years old, plays in the Antioquia sub-23 voleyball team, champions in the last national tourment. I will call him the Baller. Meeting him in person was great, he looks better than his pictures. We went to have breakfast to Primer Parque Laureles and then headed to Prado Centro.

Beautiful old houses and buildings, poorly maintained. The Baller tells me that it is not safe to walk alone at night, as he says the hood is taken by street living people. The Costeño thinks it is not safe not even with daylight, as he was robbed at gun point last February in a corner there.

After appreciating beautiful but poorly aging architecture, we headed to Plaza Botero. I was specially curious to walk the park in front of the Cathedral and the church sides, to check the reports about hustlers and insecurity. I do not think I can contribute about safety, we were there at noon, there were many police officers visible, and I felt perfectly safe. I am sure it is different at night.

The hustlers were obvious. I would say that although I found them overwhelmingly unattractive for me, there were quite a few that more than match my standards. Anyways, this is a pool where I will not fish and where I do not recommend any foreigners to fish. I think only locals have the ability to navigate this market reasonably safe.

Not only did I see guys hustling, but also travs and women, and everyone was smoking weed or doing something else, despite a generous number of police walking around. There was also gay cruising, all people I saw interacting seemed to belong to below middle class extraction. 

Plaza Botero, with the Cathedral Building, is beautiful, but I am not a big fan of the sculptures. I love Botero’s paintings. We got into the Museo de Antioquia and had a banquet of some of his best works. I wish I could share my favorite pieces, but taking pictures is not allowed in the rooms devoted to Botero. The collection is massive, beautiful, and impressive.

Besides Botero, we also appreciated some other Colombian artists’ works.

 

There are several permanent and seasonal thematic showings. I specially liked a wing devoted to religious dogmas, with a section inspired on Heaven, and a section on Hell. From Hell:

 

We spent a couple of hours inside the museum, dodging the heaviest heat, and about 2 walked back into Centro. I wanted to check the places where the lower middle class or more popular layers do their shopping. We walk on the streets bellow Metro and around, walking in and out several stores. I was looking for a guayabera I never found.

After a while, I tried to call Uber. There were none available. This has been frustrating, as unlike several friends report, I do not think Uber provides a good service in Medellin. Several times I had to wait long minutes to find a ride, several times the rides were canceled and the waiting prolonged. I am thinking if reinstalling Didi in my phone. This time, we ended hopping  into a yellow cab.

The Baller had to be at training in the Laureles Stadio by 5, so he came over to hang out at my nest. As you know, I do not comment much on unpaid sex. I will just say that he ended canceling his training, and this time I did have lube. I had to call the Costeño, we were going to hang out at 5, when I expected to be free when I made my plans, we rescheduled for 7.

At 7 I took my two friends to dinner. They could have chosen any place, they chose Frisby, a local fried chicken chain. I was happy to see that the two boys were clicking fine, although later on the Baller showed some concerning signs of jealousy. We had fun, the Costeño is definitely an entertainer.

Frisby provides gloves to eat your chicken. Both boys told me that gloves are an extended practice in Colombia when you use your hands to eat.

After eating, we walked around the Segundo Parque de Laureles, sat at the park to smoke a joint, checked an Argentine restaurant (La Pampa) we found there, and finally headed to La Setenta.

So much noise! Bars and discos door by door, each with speakers at top volume. Chivas passing in rolling loud parties. Walking music bands offering serenatas. Jammed traffic. Loud. This video was recorded a few meters away from the loudest area:

 

I recorded the video from a table where the three of us sat and stayed for a couple of hours, drinking and having fun.

This is the monstruosity ordered by the Costeño. Yes, there is candy floating and sunk in that fish ball full of maracañá and several liquors, besides beer. Truly disgusting. However, it was an endless source of fun trying to fish the candy using only the straws.

Close to midnight, we walked back home. We smoked an apanado and hang out until 2 pm. I think I could have pushed them to have a threesome, but I think they would have made it only to please me, and did not want to put a spot in these two new and promising human connections. After smoking the joint we just laid down in bed chatting, each grabbing my hand or hugging me from each side. At 2 I called an Uber for the Costeño, we made up all the trip down to the gates. Once he was dropped, I called an Uber for the Baller, and we almost fuck again while waiting. At 3 I went to sleep.

Today I got up at 9:30. The Costeño called me to check if I had rested. The Baller called me to tell me that wanted to see me tonight. My plan is to rest, I want to be in the mood for finally exploring Medellin gays bars and Poblado. Everything seems to indicate we will be heading to Oraculo. Later, I will call Max.

Tomorrow will be the second day hanging out with el Montañero. We are planning to go to Comuna 13. Max, the Costeño, and the Baller, all told me that he scammed me asking me for 10K for each apanado. They all say you can get them between 3.5 and 4.5K. Max insisted that double pricing is an extended practice. He is confident that there are not visitors who are not being overcharged for everything in the city. I am understanding, and find it to be an act of justice. I will be alert, but I keep no grudge against the Montañero.

 

[Latbear4blk]

1 hour ago, Latbear4blk said:

g out until 2 pm.

2 am. 

[macdaddi]

Delicioso todo! Frisby reminds of me of the original Popeye's Chicken back in the 80's when they made amazing fried chicken. At my age I can manage a once-a-year cheat meal, but I promise it is worth it Me encanta como los chichos cuidan de tí. Leonardo is a must-see in Medellín for me -- a Top 10 attraction and a charming young man.

[scott456]

On 4/13/2022 at 1:52 AM, Lonnie said:

Have you tried tadalafil (generic Cialis)...effective without the red face?

 

Cialis gives me different kind of side effect.  No red face, but a respiratory problem similiar to asthma that lasts for a week.

[12is12]

Is it worth it... ?     (-:

[Lonnie]

15 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

exploring Medellin gays bars and Poblado.

Seems like you hit the JACKPOT my friend...good sex, good company and wonderful museums. I'm so happy for you and on my next trip to Brazil I will be include a stopover in Colombia.

[floridarob]

6 hours ago, Lonnie said:

Seems like you hit the JACKPOT my friend...good sex, good company and wonderful museums. I'm so happy for you and on my next trip to Brazil I will be include a stopover in Colombia.

Make sure you do it in that order, because coming from Brasil, I think Colombia requires yellow fever vaccine...

[Lonnie]

2 hours ago, floridarob said:

Colombia requires yellow fever vaccine

Thanks floridarob for the tip...I have the yellow fever vaccine for a trip a few years ago in Africa...I believe you don't need a booster but I'll have to check.

As an experienced hand in travel to Brazil isn't there an airline from NY that has a stop in Colombia? I mostly use Delta either getting or using my miles.

[macdaddi]

Just an FYI - Air Canada and other Star Alliance airlines are using Bogotá as their South American hub. My last flight to Bogotá was probably 25% full of passengers continuing on to Sao Paulo. You could look into that, the Air Canada flight from Montreal to Bogotá is daily...but the arrival time at 3:30am is a killer. Even with the late arrival, customs took 45 minutes and I arrived at my hotel at 5:00am. Something to consider if you are looking at options.

[tassojunior]

5 hours ago, Lonnie said:

Thanks floridarob for the tip...I have the yellow fever vaccine for a trip a few years ago in Africa...I believe you don't need a booster but I'll have to check.

As an experienced hand in travel to Brazil isn't there an airline from NY that has a stop in Colombia? I mostly use Delta either getting or using my miles.

Avianca, the Columbian airline,  is outstanding and one of the first commercial airlines. It serves several US cities. United is it's Star Alliance partner.I've flown it's nonstop from DC and it's nicer than United. Even Spirit flies nonstop from Ft Lauderdale. Medellin has nonstops to the US also. All very cheap, it's a short flight.  

[Lonnie]

9 hours ago, tassojunior said:

Avianca, the Columbian airline

Thanks tassojunior and macdaddi for the advice. Delta has a code share with Latam which opens another avenue.

[Latbear4blk]

On Thursday, both the Costeño and the Baller arrived punctually at 8pm. We called an Uber (again, lots of patience until we got one), and headed to my first expedition of El Poblado. I do not have a solid opinion about the neighborhood, but the few blocks I walked at night seemed the least interesting and Colombian I have seen so far. A regular middle class/upper middle class neighborhood as in most cities I have been in the Americas and Western Europe. I am talking about the looks, because you realize you are in Colombia as soon as you look at the people and listen to the noise.

It was the first day of the local Semana Santa, and all places were packed. There are countless bars and restaurants and casinos and sex shops and stores. A fancier La Setenta, with a level of noise considerable lower than in my neighborhood. Parque Lleras is under construction, so several streets are blocked and the whole parque is closed and fenced. 

We started the night dining in a popular fast food place. Max Avila has recommended me Burdo, but my two local friends chose another place, Big Chiquita. We ordered a “picada” for 4 people, $45K, That plus our beverages, the check was 9 bucks. I thought a picada would be a cheese and cold meats table as in Argentina, I was wrong. We got this:

A mountain of trash food, not very different to what it is called here “salchipapas”. It tasted better than it looks. From there, we went to Donde Aquellos, where we ordered a pinch of sangria and a hooka. The bill was 47 bucks. I liked this place, with tables arranged in a way that is like being sitting in a terrace watching the pedestrians passing by.

We hang out there for about one hour. One of the many things I liked is that there were at least other three tables with an older guy escorted by much younger men. During that hour, I was hit in Grindr by three beautiful boys asking me to invite them (they all at less than 50 meters distance) and by two hot escorts.

I have been developing a special fondness by the Costeño. Everywhere we go, he is the talles guy in attendance, and with his beautiful face and strange, clumsy movements (do you not think all very tall people moves like character cartoons?) he was getting a lot of attention. I mean, we were, which benefited as in many ways, like being served first, and never being forgotten by servers. Additionally, this was his first time in a gay place. He is bisexual and fond of mixed locations, but the boy was obviously happy and enjoying the attention. He was not the prettiest of my escorts, the Baller is hot, however he ended gaining my favor after this night together.

The Baller made a few comments that turned me off towards him, like questioning the Costeño’s honesty (because of his claimed bisexuality) or criticizing other boys who were with older gays because they were trying to take advantage of his money. Duh, exactly what he was doing. I would grow further and further from the Baller and closer and closer to the Costeño throughout this night.

From Donde Aquellos we went to Bar Chiquitas.

The place is a conventional gay bar with a Colombian touch and First World prices. Drinks are 10 dollars and above. They had a drag contest with three competitors. We watched the drags perform and move to our next destination, te famous Club Oraculo.

Before reporting on that disco, I wanted to highlight a local cultural feature. Singing in community is an atavic human behavior. We do it in all cultures. However, I have never been in one like here in Medellin, where they are singing all the time. Everyone knows the lyrics of the songs they play in bars, and they all sing the songs in chorus. In a development of karaoke that I had not seen before, it is very common to see in bars big screens where they project the songs and the attendants all sing them in chorus. I love this.

We arrived to Club Oraculo about midnight, and the place was full beyond their legal limits. In order to get in, the Costeño had to use all his street smart skills (he is very skilled, I will share more information later on). They were blocking our entrance because my two boys did not have a paper vaccination card (by the way, Chiquitas y Oraculo were the only two places during this trip where I was asked to flash my card) but only virtual ones. However, we could see how the bouncers would let other people get in without any issues. We got in, paying 15K each, which is the regular ticket (4 bucks). But then, we were not able to walk into the tecno disco (there are other 2 rooms we never got in) underground dance floor. The Costeño negotiated again, and we were allowed in with the condition I had to buy a full bottle of liquor. I chose a tequila, paid the 125 bucks it costed, and we were in. 

We stayed almost 5 hours, and it was fun. I had not dance that much in many years, but the reggaeton booming in the speakers would force you to dance. The place was full of hot boys, I am confident I would have taken at least one should I were alone. Before arriving they had a stripper show. Based on the pictures I saw, I do not think we missed anything. During our visit, we saw several good drag shows, the same drags we had seen at Chiquitas. I understand the two placed have the same owner and work in tandem.

The Costeño was again a sensation. He started to “perrear” and everyone wanted to have some of him. Here you can see a little bit of him in action.

 

The boy was enjoying himself. Several times made out with me and dared to pull out my hard dick to play with it. Several times brought the Baller and the three of us would make out. Not only the tall boy was a sensation, the three of us were. We remained in that dance floor until about 5, when they turned on the lights to start closing.

When we walked out, I realized I was almost deaf. I would hear a strong continuous buzz, and would need to be repeated several times the things I was told. That is the one bad thing from that night. I am writing this report 48 hours after, my ears are still buzzing and cannot hear normally. I just hope I did not hurt my eardrums. 

Everyone was living and we were trying to get a car. A taxi driver asked for 50K to take us to Laureles. So I decided to try Uber. After 15 minutes of looking for a driver and 2 trips canceled, we got a car for less than half the money the taxi driver was asking for. 

We arrived home. I had the feeling the boys were aiming to a threesome. However, while the Costeño was showering, I called an Uber for the Baller. He is hot, but I wanted to be alone with my favorite boy. When he came from the shower, he went straight to untie the Baller’s shoes and I had to take my phone from his hands, otherwise he would have cancel the Uber trip. 

Once the Baller was out, we jumped to bed, fucked, and fell slept. It was almost 6:30. At 7 I woke up needing to take a shit. That picada was mortal. I took a shower after shitting and returned to bed. At about 9:30 we fucked again and, when we were about to try to stay sleeping, were woke up by a Semana Santa procession. 

 

Most of the noise, chanting, and loud music took place before I put myself together to record that clip. We prepared breakfast and stayed home to wait for the Montañero to arrive, and then go all together to Comuna 13. We had a few hours to chat and rest. The boy took a shower, and clean up the whole bedroom without me asking him to do it. He also fixed us a Paisa breakfast and we just hang out and chat until 2pm, when out third partner arrived.

I learned some interesting information during this long chat. Until March, he was a pimp. He showed me his social media advertising the half dozen girls he was managing, in a house he was renting in Laureles. Unfortunately, his best friend and whore betrayed him in complicity with the other girls, stole all of the money he had hidden in the house, and ran away. It was probably an act of justice, although my boy thinks he was very generous. Instead of taking 50% of their income, he was taking only 15K per client. The regular fee for a female escort, he told me, would be around 60K, considerably lower than males, with a range between 120K and 200K. Learning this side of the Costeño made him even more interesting, and helped me to understand how he was so street smart and useful to navigate the city.

One additional source of fondness for the Costeño: he is half Venezuelan. All the many Venezuelans I have met in these three last years have brought happiness to my life.

At 2pm, the Montañero arrived and we started our field trip to Comuna 13. He was not happy at seeing I was not alone. I think he probably wanted to make me purchase again over priced stuff, which may be his business hanging out with foreigners. He stayed the whole time with us, but almost did not speak and left 3 hours earlier then in our first encounter. I do not remember whether I share that he sold me marihuana at a price more than 50% higher. I gave him 10K per each apanado, when they cost between 3.5 and 4K, according to Max Avila en the Costeño.

Comuna 13 is amazing. If you have any kind of mobility challenge, perhaps you should skip this field trip. You have to walk about three  blocks in a very steep slope (very) in order to reach the first set of escalators. The whole place is a fun/shopping open mall. I apologize if any information shared here is inaccurate. I am repeating what the boys told me, I did not verify this information. 

The government has purchased houses to build the escalators and the high promenade that tops the circuit. You can actually keep going higher climbing regular steps, but my vertigo would allow me to climb but not to come down. We did not climb to the highest miradores on top of the hill. Houses around the escalator and the promenade have been reconverted in shops, bars, and restaurants. There all kind of them, some very Colombian traditional looking, some others very modern and European style.

 

 

We chose a traditional looking place to have lunch. The restaurant was actually a woman cooking from her kitchen, tables served by her daughter, and a menu with only three choices: beef, chicken, or fish (talapia). 

The yucas is a replacement I order instead of the soup. They only had fish food, which I do not like. I had tried the yucas as a side in another plate, and found them delicious. I will try to replicate her recipe, out of guessing as I did not ask her. The check for that food, two bottles of water, and a big cup of natural just squeezed juice, was 78K (21 bucks). Although the service had been horrible (the server forgot and mixed our orders), the food was delicious.

The promenade had sections thar were crowded beyond imagination. Walking through some sections was nearly impossible and very slow. If you add motorcycles trying to go through pedestrians, you can imagine. Not recommendable on weekends if you are phobic to crowds. This was Jueves Santo, that is why was so crowded. I would love to try this field trip again my next time, but on a regular week day.

 

 

The crowd was friendly, diverse, and festive, though. In the sections where you had air to breath, the views were amazing.

 

The place is rich enough to deserve several cities. I would love to go once again and focus on the murals, and some other time on the street food offered along the circuit.

Shortly after 5 we were walking out of Comuna 13, heading to a nearby university campus to smoke the last apanado I had left. After doing it, we called an Uber. After the regular wait to be connected, and one trip canceled, we got a car. This was the first time I rated negatively an Uber driver.

When we walked into the car, he seemed scared and tried to stop us, asking me if we three were together. Believe me, my two companions do not look scaring at all. He finally let us in. Once in, the Montañero told me that he wanted to go back home. So I used the app to add Terminal Norte as the final destination, and told the driver what I just had done. He got upset, saying that we could not do that. When the three of us jumped to ask why, he changed his tone and apologized saying that Uber was not able to go to the Terminal. He was lying.

We walked out of his car by my place. I googled his explanation, I did not find anything confirming it, and called another Uber. This driver had no problems going to the Terminal. I canceled my tip and gave 2 stars to the first driver. Bitch.

We stayed kissing, hugging, and saying goodbye with my favorite pimp boy, this time we were too tire to have sex again. About 7:30 I called an Uber for him. For the first time, he asked me for money: 15K to order salchipapas. I gave him 50K, and his face shone out of happiness. He was very insistent on expressing his appreciation for all the money I had spent on him the days we hang out together.

I was exhaust, deaf and with almost no sleeping in 48 hours, so I decided to stay home. At 8:30, Max Avila calls me to invite me for drinks. Believe it or not, I excused myself and promised him I would accept the invitation in November, when I will probably have my next trip to Medellin. He promised the invitation would be still up. I am sufre I confirmed all his views about the insecurity of non hot guys like me compared to the confidence of sex gods like him. However, I was not in shape to perform socially or sexually. I hate the bad timing, but I do not regret my decision.

After talking to him, I fell asleep in the couch. I woke up at 10:30, moved to bed, and slept without stopping until 7am today. At 8:30 the nurse that was supposed to be arriving at 9 was ringing my door. She did to me the same test that I do every week for my job. Negative. I already have the email I need to board my plane tonight. I paid 125 for this service. Considering is Semana Santa, it is the safest thing to do, so I am happy with the over price. 

I am about to go out to do some last minute shopping of little things to bring to my students and friends, and then will chill at home until 9, when I will be calling my Uber. This is probably my last travel log entry in this thread.

[12is12]

Latbear, although u weren't explicit, it seems u r mostly satisfied with ur visit. I m glad for u.    (-:

My travel preferences r very different from urs, but ur style of writing made everything very relatable. I was routing for u the whole time.   (-:

It seems u both enjoy writing these reports and want to enlighten us, which is GREAT for everyone. Thank u VERY much!

question: if I want to visit Medellin at the least rainy non-winter (dec-feb) month, would that b August?

 

 

 

[Latbear4blk]

50 minutes ago, 12is12 said:

Latbear, although u weren't explicit, it seems u r mostly satisfied with ur visit. I m glad for u.    (-:

My travel preferences r very different from urs, but ur style of writing made everything very relatable. I was routing for u the whole time.   (-:

It seems u both enjoy writing these reports and want to enlighten us, which is GREAT for everyone. Thank u VERY much!

question: if I want to visit Medellin at the least rainy non-winter (dec-feb) month, would that b August?

 

 

 

Leave your question for the connoisseurs, this was my first time here and Instill have much to learn. 
But I am puzzled by your comment about my lack of explicitness. Let me be clear. I am absolutely in love with Medellin, its culture, and its inhabitants. I plan to continue visiting as often as possible, and will be making plans to settle down here for part of the year after retirement. This place has totally displaced Brazil from my top interests.
I hope that is explicit enough.

[12is12]

Of course you wrote that; I only meant it wasn't mentioned in the 'final' segment.

I stand corrected.

Apologies if I had offended.

 

I feel the same about the comparison with Brazil; in both our cases it probably has to do also with the language.

I wish u much joy there in the future, before and after retirement.  (-:

 

[xpaulo]

Thank you. What a beautiful write-up, and it sounds like a wonderful time. It brought back memories for me, a young Colombian standing up in the stands at a World Cup game in Brazil to sing a folk song and all the Colombians in that part of the stadium going silent to listen to him. And climbing a Mayan pyramid in Palenque and then unable to take the first step back down because of vertigo. ( I had to sit down and then shift my bum down step by step). I have to go to Colombia within a year or two because soon age and health will prevent me from ever going.

[Latbear4blk]

42 minutes ago, 12is12 said:

Of course you wrote that; I only meant it wasn't mentioned in the 'final' segment.

I stand corrected.

Apologies if I had offended.

Noooo, you did not offend me. I was honestly puzzled because I thought my posts were quite clear about my enthusiasm for the city, even if I was honest also with the downs. YOU DID NOT OFFEND ME AT ALL. Actually, I am very grateful for you reading and complimenting my posts. Gracias!

 

44 minutes ago, 12is12 said:

I feel the same about the comparison with Brazil; in both our cases it probably has to do also with the language.

I am confident you are correct. The way I bonded with these guys and with the local culture was possible because of the shared language. 

[Latbear4blk]

Despite the Baller and the Costeño offering me to hang out these last hours, despite grindr and scruff still tempting me, I decided to stay alone. It is the best way to cope with my traveling anxiety. As I have nothing else to do, I wanted to summarize a few tips, based in this only one experience I had. So daring and pretentious of me, but I do think these are some useful insights.

• Pack light. I made the mistake to plan for a week wearing two layers (underwear t-shirt and shirt), but it is just too hot for that. No top underwear is needed. Short pants are fine. I had read that the locals are not fond of casual, comfy clothing, but it is not true. Like Buenos Aires, this is probably changing. Casual wear is appropriate everywhere I went to. Temperature is very pleasant between 5pm and 11 am. Between 11 am and 5 pm, it was unpleasant to me. 
• About rain, it was forecasted every single day I was here. However, it did not rain every day and when it rained it was just for as few minutes. Raining was not an obstacle for my plans, bur rather a very much welcomed refreshing event.
• Look for open, shady spaces. Even in the hottest hours (the issue is not really temperature but humidity) there is almost always a very nice and refreshing breeze. 
• Be aware that if you are a foreigner, you are a target. Not necessarily of a crime, but many people will try to take advantage from you. If you are wealthy and your bank account is generous, you should not worry. Even the over prices are pretty affordable. I am probably the poorest contributor in these forums, and I found everything cheap. The most noticeable over price I suffered were the apanados. I paid 10K for each, when they cost 3.5 to 4K. Yet, when I saw what I got for 60K (16 bucks), I could not refrain a smile of happiness. The guy scamming mr noticed it and laugh with me. Max Avila told me that his current boyfriend lived in Medellin for two years without realizing he was paying twice the local prices. When they started dating, he learned about it.
• There are huge differences on pricing in different areas. El Poblado’s prices were considerable high than Laureles’. Even inside Laureles, you can notice the difference between the most gentrified areas around both Parque Laureles, and the least gentrified area around Avda San Juan (Calle 44) and La Setenta (Carrera 70). 
• Bisexual friends, women are available for 60K, and straight prostitution is much more extended.
• There seem to be two “classic” gay concentrations. You have fancy bars and one discoteca at El Poblado, and you have a few bars and sex clubs in Centro (I have not yet explore the latter). Then you have a more contemporaneous and mixed gay places in Laureles, with a flagship in the dance club Industry. I have not been there, and will probably not be, considering my ears are still bussing after Club Oraculo.
• They will probably ask you, but make sure you provide the name of your building when you schedule a delivery or a guy. Something is wrong with the city’s nomenclatura, the boys tell me, and you may be sending someone to the wrong place.
• None of the guys I hang out with knew how to speak in English. There are guys who know, but I am sure it is a commodity that comes with a price.
• Older, hairy, overweighted men, the typical bear type, is a popular fetiche amongst young and hot men. I got a lot of sex for free, I mean very good sex with mostly very hot guys, but all above average guys, all younger than 25, without paying a dime. Even the boys that hang out with me for long hours and even stayed overnight, only expected me to pay all the bills while together. Indeed, it is transactional. However, my one grindr hook up, a fuck and leave, was zero transactional. The boy was a hot webcam boy, and he liked me. He kept contacting me at 2 am, when I was sleeping or out.
• Try to bond or deal with at least one guy you trust, and stick with him. He will play the role of the “espantamoros” i Morocco, and help you with good tips and recommendations, keeping you safe and from over paying. My boys did an amazing job at protecting and taking care of me. The Costeño has already checked me three times today, and there is nothing he can get from it. 
• If you happen to be with two boys, and they are not clicking, ask them for their favorite songs. Immediately, they will start singing together, and bonding, and the ice will be broken.
• Respectfully, I think the reports about insecurity are overblown. Like in any big city, you should not walk alone at night. Comuna 13 is 100% safe. Centro insecurity at night is true. The killings targeting lonely gay guys are just a temporary issue, and the whole community is working hard to get the killers. Paisas are learning that tourism is a source of endless money, and are really focus on making their city more welcoming and safe for foreigners.
• If you are looking for an airbnb, anything in El Poblado, Laureles, Provenza, and the South is safe. Make sure you rent above the 5th floor, as you will have more breeze. Try to rent above 10th and with a balcony or terrace. You will have a better view (the valley is beautiful specially at night), and you will be sure there is a working elevator. I have seen 6th floors buildings without an elevator. 
• Street food is delicious and very cheap. Just avoid beef, usually the cuts are very poor quality, hard to chew and even cut. Chicken, beef in small pieces, and (I guess, because I do not eat it) fish are good. 
• Uber sucks. Download an alternative application. I will download again Didi for the next trip, I am told it works better. 

Those are the lessons I learned in one week. Feel free to correct any misinformation, if you think I am generalizing too much from my one little experience, or that I am repeating bulls shit the boys told me.

I will be back.