A Year in Colombia

[Retirado]

My story is long. I am non-Latino and on a whim decided to visit Colombia after communicating with several women on the Internet. Firstly, I speak excellent Spanish which was of incredible assistance while there as VERY few people speak English. I had some free time and the money for a long trip as I realized that this venture would not be easy. I was right. I do NOT recommend Colombia for the average layman unless you are very lucky or very young, i.e., 35 & under. I will share with you why.

It is VERY difficult to meet a a relatively attractive woman there WITHOUT children and who is not divorced for a good reason. Sure, most are divorced because their spouses were unfaithful. However, usually infidelity has its reasons and in Colombia that is usually because of what I will term sexual ignorance. Most men were unfaithful because they wanted something in bed that the women refused to give. Forgive me for being frank, but that is what I found in easily over 75% of the divorced women. The Church still has a vast influence in what is taught in the schools pertaining to this topic, hence the ignorance. So, if you are a "passionate" man I highly recommend that you query your potential mate re this subject ASAP as you may find yourself stuck with another man's dirty "diaper" so to speak.

The first woman I met told me after two days that recently she had had an affair with a married man for two years for money. Needless to say I dropped her like a bad habit. It was easy to meet women via the Internet when I told them I was actually in their city. Usually that was within a day or two in a public place. I am 50 but appear much younger and did not have trouble getting dates. However, I was relentless in that I wanted the CORRECT woman for me and that meant NO children. As the Colombian men say "no voy a pagar para la leche de un otro".  I found that the vast majority of the women were very ambitious in that they only wanted money as it is indeed a corrupt Third World hellhole with little opportunities.

I flew to Medellin a few times and was damned near killed when an idiotic taxi driver motored through Zafra on the way to Belen. Luckily and with a quick brain I survived that. The women in Medellin were beautiful, however worse than the Rolas in Bogota in their outright greed. IMO easily 40 to 50% of the women had silicone implants and many had lipo as well. Personally, I found this disgusting as it is clearly a means to merely try & trap a man and usually denotes low self esteem. Avoid the silicone women. I met a few absolutely wonderful women there, however they either had children or no inclination whatsoever to emigrate as they had a great life in Medellin. The women I did meet who had no children and seemed potential candidates were divorced because they were frigid. Again, I cannot overstress this enough that usually the better looking the woman was if she was divorced it was usually because she was frigid & her husband abandoned her. I am still in awe of this as our culture is more open and we discover this BEFORE marriage.

I went back to Bogota and it merely became a repeat of my earlier experiences. I also found that there is a latent fear of foreigners (especially Americans) due to drugs & sex tourism which is rampant in Medellin and the coast. I saw many Gringos & Europeans in Medellin simply visiting to party and nothing more.

Back to Bogota. The traffic is unbelievable as well as the pollution. The infrastructure is truly Third World, but better than Mexico (apart from the roads). It is difficult to find good food as the Colombians have yet to discover spices that we normally use. If you get bad food forget about a refund as there is that Latin mentality that once they have your money....too bad. Especially if you are foreign.

Fortunately, I had made some male friends there who advised me well and helped me considerably. More incredibly they told me NOT to marry a Colombian woman as they think they are all golddiggers!! Hahaha!!

I've gone on long enough. I will merely close by saying that I would NOT recommend Colombia for a man who wants a woman with no children as most seem obssessed with having children and it is difficult to meet a woman between 35 & 50 without "terneros" that is even remotely attractive or who does not have "problems".

[AndyLee]

Thanks for the trip report and your candidness. It is unfortunate that your time in Colombia was not fruitful and I can understand where your negativity towards Colombia and Colombian women is coming from. I'd probably feel the same way if I'd had the experiences you've had.
I do want to offer my story briefly as a counter point to your story, simply because I feel the need for a balance. There are some parts of your story I agree with, but not for the most part.
I've lived in Colombia over a year. I speak Low-Intermediate Spanish. I lived a month in Bogota and three months in Medellin, the two cities you mentioned. I find both cities to be modern and clean compared to every other third world country I've visited, especially when compared to San Jose, Costa Rica as one example.
I cannot speak to the issue of women aged 30 to 50 without children since I like children and have never hesitated to date a woman for that reason. Other than to say I don't know of any country in the world where there will be a large percentage of women, or men, age 30 to 50 that are childless, so please don't hold that against them.
I have bedded my share of Colombian women and have yet to meet a frigid woman. One time in the US I did meet a frigid woman and the experience was not too pleasant so I know how disappointed you must have felt to have it continually happening to you here.
No matter what city in the world you go to you run the risk of being run over by a taxi so please don't hold that against Medellin. In my honest opinion traffic in Colombia is no worse or no better than many cities in US and other countries.
I have not experienced the drug culture that you talk about. I know that it exists but quite frankly I've met very few gringos in this country, so I don't experience the large numbers of tourists engaging in drugs as you have witnessed.
After dating a couple hundred Colombianas who are divorced or single I've not had even one woman tell me her husband left her because she wouldn't perform in bed or she left him because of his demands she did not want to meet. I've heard dozens of stories thought about cheating husbands and husbands that left to find a younger wife.
That's my experience living here for a year, which is pretty much opposite to your experience. The value of sharing both experiences in this thread is to give forum readers a view of what can happen and what does happen and what might happen when they visit this country.

[Researcher]

     It sounds to me like you had a bad year. My experience with Colombia is pretty much opposite of yours. You say Colombianas are frigid but we just had another thread about sleeping with them on the first date? huh? it doesn't add up. I too didn't want a woman with children and that is what I found. She is in her mid 30's and isn't interested in having children unless I want them.While it is possible that your story is true it doesn't characterize women in Colombia at all, IMHO.


     Researcher

[Jeff S]

I get not wanting to raise someone else's gaggle of pre-teen brats, but you'd think women in the higher end of that age range's kids would be out of the house, or at least, near-adults themselves. Enforcing a strict no-kids rule with 40something women seems pretty exclusive of the vast majority, many of them potentially wonderful wives. I'm with Andy Lee. I loved being daddy to my wife's child.

[whitey]

Well, it's a little hard to determine whether you're trolling, or whether this post is a real account of your "adventures".  For the sake of argument, I'll assume for the moment, and for the benefit of other readers who haven't yet been to Colombia, that it's real.

My personal experiences are opposite to most of what you post, as are those of my friends who have much more time and experience "in country" than me, and I suspect most of the regular posters on this board.  

From your disparaging comments about the country and the women, it doesn't seem like you have the disposition to live/travel in an emerging or third world country.  There's nothing wrong with that - it's not for everyone - but it sounds like you would be much happier in the first world.

It is VERY difficult to meet a a relatively attractive woman there WITHOUT children and who is not divorced for a good reason. Sure, most are divorced because their spouses were unfaithful. However, usually infidelity has its reasons and in Colombia that is usually because of what I will term sexual ignorance. Most men were unfaithful because they wanted something in bed that the women refused to give. Forgive me for being frank, but that is what I found in easily over 75% of the divorced women. The Church still has a vast influence in what is taught in the schools pertaining to this topic, hence the ignorance. So, if you are a "passionate" man I highly recommend that you query your potential mate re this subject ASAP as you may find yourself stuck with another man's dirty "diaper" so to speak.

The women I did meet who had no children and seemed potential candidates were divorced because they were frigid. Again, I cannot overstress this enough that usually the better looking the woman was if she was divorced it was usually because she was frigid & her husband abandoned her. I am still in awe of this as our culture is more open and we discover this BEFORE marriage.

Well, that's a new one for me - never heard that before from anyone.  I guess if you look REALLY hard, you could find some frigid women in Colombia.  With the possible exception of Brazil, I'm not sure where you would go in the world and find women more passionate, affectionate, and loving than Colombia.

I'm not sure what kind of "passion" you're in to, but I think I'd be scared to find out.  

I found that the vast majority of the women were very ambitious in that they only wanted money as it is indeed a corrupt Third World hellhole with little opportunities.

Not a fan, I see.  Outside of the First World, virtually every country is corrupt.  That's also true of the First World, they are just more civilized about it, the corruption doesn't run quite as deep, and they do a better job of covering it up.

Colombia is far from paradise, but it is beautiful in many ways, and is better than the First World in many ways - it's sad that's all you came away with.

I flew to Medellin a few times and was damned near killed when an idiotic taxi driver motored through Zafra on the way to Belen. Luckily and with a quick brain I survived that.

Yep, the taxi drivers, regular drivers, and especially the motos can be real a-holes.  They actually make sport of scaring and trying to hit pedestrians crossing the road.  Just one of the annoyances about Colombia, but not a huge deal and easy to adjust.

I also found that there is a latent fear of foreigners (especially Americans) due to drugs & sex tourism which is rampant in Medellin and the coast. I saw many Gringos & Europeans in Medellin simply visiting to party and nothing more.

There is tiny grain of truth to this, but rampant?!  From everything I have read, there are a few miniscule pockets of gringos (including Europeans) doing this is Poblado Medellin, Cartagena, and Taganga (an armpit of hippie backpackers).

I've been to Colombia 10 times and unless I'm in the old city in Cartagena, I can go for days or weeks without spotting any gringos.  If this is your experience, you are hanging out with the wrong crowd, my friend.  In my opinion, these sorts of experiences say much more about the poster than about Colombia.  You don't have to go to Colombia to get drugs and hang out with ho's - that can easily be done back home if that's what you're into.

Back to Bogota. The traffic is unbelievable as well as the pollution. The infrastructure is truly Third World, but better than Mexico (apart from the roads).

Yep, the traffic and pollution are terrible in Bogota.  I wouldn't want to live there, but I have friends that love it there.  Bogota and Medellin are both very modern cities in many ways.  Modern transportation systems, beautiful malls, museums, good hospitals, decent telecommunication systems, etc.  Not sure what you were expecting?

Of course, it's full of contrasts too, and you'll see a lot of poverty next to opulence, burros pulling fruit/vegetable carts down the roads where not too far away is a beautiful metro train system, etc.  With the exception of the burros, you can find some of these contrasts in NYC, LA, and Detroit too.
 

Anyhow, if you post is real, you're certainly entitled to your opinion and experiences - they are just very different from mine.

[Kiltboy1]

I am not sure which Colombia this guy went to, but it's not the same Colombia I know. The only two things I can agree somewhat with him is the polution in Bogota and the Goldiggers in Medellin. This I know to be somewhat true, but the rest, not buying it

KB

[Researcher]

        Maybe he went to Columbia, South Carolina and thought it was Colombia, South America.


         Researcher

[dennislevy]

I m reasonably certain Ive got the creds to speak about this topic

Some of what the original poster wrote is correct.

The air in Bogota is polluted and there is heavy traffic, yes. But some parts in the north compare with any city in the First World.  
That there are siliconas in Medellin, yep, but 40% of women? , no freaking way! Much, much less and I rode the metro every day for close to six months. and watched women every day.
That he almost got killed by a taxi in Bogota, yup........ in Colomiba vehicles have the right of way, not pedestrians. he should have looked before he walked.
That many mature Colombian woman have fears about concrete committments to men, yes.
And some have fear of dating a foreigner...thats true
That its easy to meet a woman if you are in her city.....yes, much more so in smaller cities or on the coast.

What doesnt jibe for me is that if the original poster speaks excellent Spanish, and is a decent guy, women would trust him.

But Colombian women telling men that their husbands divorced then because they woudnt cater to their needs. That is laughable.
NO Colombian woman has ever told me that.....and I ve met and dated about 200 women and bedded my share.,,,and I speak very good to excellent spanish.

The church has some influence in the lives of some women in Colombia...but on their sexual attitudes......NOT HARDLY. I have no idea who this poster was dating, but they don t sound like Colobmian women.

NEVER in three years liiving and traveling in Colombia have I encountered a frigid woman, there have been 1 or 2 without much eperience, or there hasnt been strong sexual chemistry but frigid......NEVER!!!!!

And God almighty, when the chemistry is there with colombianas  in their 30s, 40s with kids or no kids......there is  a drum in my head and my skin is  on fire....and the sweat runs off  me in rivers!!!!!!!! Most Colombian women who I have been intimate with are amorous, loving, adventurous and passionate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe this original poster is a troll..............or he simply cant read Colombian women well.

I don t  recommend Colombia for everybody...but my God, if you speak or you want to learn to speak Spanish and you are willing to change some attitudes and relax and you actually LIKE women........and know how to treat them..... this country is a paradise!!!!!

[dennislevy]

I reasonably certain Ive got the creds to speak aobut this topic

Some of what the original poster wrote is correct.

The air in Bogota is polluted and there is heavy traffic, yes. But some parts in the north compare with any city in the First World. 
That there are siliconas in Medellin, yep, but 40% of women? , no freaking way! Much, much less and I rode the metro every day for close to six months. and watched women every day.
That he almost got killed by a taxi in Bogota, yup........ in Colomiba vehicles have the right of way, not pedestrians. he should have looked before he walked.
That many mature Colombian woman have fears about concrete committments to men, yes.
And some have fear of dating a foreigner...thats true
That its easy to meet a woman if you are in her city.....yes, much more so in smaller cities or on the coast.

What doesnt jibe for me is that if the original poster speaks excellent Spanish, and is a decent guy, women would trust him.

But Colombian women telling men that their husbands divorced then because they woudnt cater to their needs. That is laughable.
NO Colombian woman has ever told me that.....and I ve met and dated about 200 women and bedded my share.,,,and I speak very good to excellent spanish.

The church has some influence in the lives of some women in Colombia...but on their sexsual attitudes......NOT HARDLY. I have no idea who this poster as dating, but they don t sound like Colobmian women.

NEVER in three years liiving and traveling in Colombia have I encountered a frigid woman, there have been 1 or 2 without much eperience, or there hasnt been strong sexual chemistry but frigid......NEVER!!!!!

And God almighty, when the chemistry is there with colombianas  in their 30s, 40s with kids or no kids......there is  a drum in my head and my skin is  on fire....and the sweat runs off  me in rivers!!!!!!!! Most Colombian women who I have been intimate with are amorous, loving, adventurous and passionate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe this original poster is a troll..............or he simply cant read Colombian women well.

I don t  recommend Colombia for everybody...but my God, if you speak or you want to learn to speak Spanish and you are willing to change some attitudes and relax and you actually LIKE women........and know how to treat them..... this country is a paradise!!!!!

[AndyLee]

Maybe this original poster is a troll..............or he simply cant read Colombian women well.

I don t  recommend Colombia for everybody...but my God, if you speak or you want to learn to speak Spanish and you are willing to change some attitudes and relax and you actually LIKE women........and know how to treat them..... this country is a paradise!!!!!

The OP registered on the site at 5 am and posted at 6 am and hasn't been back since so my guess he's a troll.
I'm happy to see the responses are pretty much all in accordance.......to one degree or another we all agree this country is a paradise!!!

[Retirado]

I can assure you that I am not a troll. It's just that I speak fluent Spanish and have lived in Latin American countries before and am more familiar with the culture.

Gringos? I went to Mangos & Parque Lleras several times in Medellin and almost always saw large groups of Gringos or Europeans (mainly Dutch) and they were merely trolling for "deportes extremos."   I saw many foreigners as well in Oviedo with prepagos. Since I have lived abroad before my senses may be more keen than some of you.

I probably had approx. 25 - 30 women come right out and ask me for money on the 2nd or 3rd date. Absolutely incredible. In Medellin I bumped into an English engineer who was a standup fella but who told me that his experiences in Medellin mirrored mine exactly.

A good Colombian friend of mine in Bogota (ex-Special Forces) told me flat out that easily 80% of the women in Colombia are "ambiciosa." This I now wholeheartedly believe.

As far as the topic of "passion" is concerned maybe I am just a little more "needy" than some of you. I can assure you that if you query a woman you are dating there regarding "todo los servicios" that 9 out of 10 times she will tell you "nunca."   My friend, when asked about this, told me "Usted no está en Venezuela, Sr."  

Sure, you can see many beautiful women there but I assure that the best of the best are taken or have lovers. Many foreigners are not too keen on this and cannot discern subtleties in mannerisms nor the language. The problem is that the culture almost outright requires that a beautiful woman use her "assets" not unlike an armament to obtain things in life such as cars, clothing, etc. It's a huge game there. Many women complain that there are no good men but yet they have countless baubles to show from past relationships as they have merely "milked" some poor fool for his money knowing all along that they were waiting for a bigger & better "deal" to come along. The men of course don't care as long as they receive sex in exchange. It's a primitive barter system at its finest IMO. When a woman there tells you that the Colombian men are all "hijue p_ _a perros" then ask yourself with whom these men are being unfaithful. It ain't extraterrestrials.   It's with other Colombian women who damn well know he is married or has a girlfriend. That is the culture.

Yes, you can find a good woman there, but outside of pure luck you are taking a huge risk if you don't speak fluent Spanish or mind paying for her mistakes, i.e., children. Remember also, for those of you that don't mind a woman with kids, there is a saying in Colombia that one need heed: "el hijo de tigre sale pintado."  

[utopiacowboy]

My wife's first husband died leaving her with three children. I don't think I was "paying for her mistakes" when I married her.

As for corruption, sure many Third World countries are notorious for petty corruption, but on a grand scale nothing tops the US for corruption. Our entire political system is bought and paid for by Wall Street and Goldman Sachs. There is nothing that our worthless Congress does which is not the result of a desire for campaign contributions.

[whitey]

Well, other than a few of the broad generalizations you make (such as "easily 80% of the women in Colombia are "ambiciosa""), there's a lot of truth in what you say ...

BUT ...

Like I said before, I think your posts speak way more about yourself, about the type of people (both Colombians and gringos) that are attracted to you, and the type of people that you attract or choose to spend time with.  Your descriptions, while accurate, represent only a small percentage of what Colombia is like.

For example, the couple places in Medellin you mention, Parque Lleras and the Mangos night club, are notorious hang-outs for gringos (the mongering kind) and pre-pagos.  

[dennislevy]

OK...you re back....

Good!

Look there is a lot more to Medellin then Parque LLeras and Oviedo...Yes there are clubs and bars and good restaurants in those ares...and so you will see foreigners and girls who want to cash in on foreigners, including....I assume yourself

When I lived in Medellin, I lived in Barrio Veledromo an estrato 5 nighborhood between Floresta and Estadio on the San Antonio San Javier metro line. And I almost NEVER saw foreigners in my neighborhood I met women for dates at a Chinese restaurant a block away from Floresta or at a hotel restaurant 4 blocks from Obelisko CC or at the sur America Carrerfours CC near Estadio or at restaurants preferrably near Parque LLeras. I ve met 200 women in Colombia and with one exception in Bogota 2008 on a second date, NO WOMAN  HAS LOOKED AT ME IN THE FACE AND ASKED ME FOR MONEY!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, there is a lot of infidelity in Colombia, most men are NOT faithful and some women have relationships outside of their pareja....or marriage not to the extent that men do......

But more telling...if you re asking women for todos los sevicios..you re treating them like PREPAGOS!!!!!! That may be appropriate for a cash for sex transaction...but to try and romance a straight woman...are you f...ing serious? This is what you say to a straight woman??

No wonder you had a bad year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look you may have lived in Latin America, you may even speak Spanish, but if your idea of Colombian culture is just zona rosas in big cites...then ts a limited perspective.....and its obvious to me that athough you may have PHYSICALLY been in Colombia, you havent lived IN the culture, you dont understand jack or how to respect women. So let me ask you a question...during that yearr, how many times were you in a woman s  familly s home to meet the parents, brothers and sisters, neices and newphews and kids?

 And I am wriitng as someone who has lived and traveled in Colombia for three years. In the last 36 months, I ve spent less then 80 days outside of Colombia, I know SOMETHING about Colombia.

Today, I am in Monteria 6 hours west of Baranquilla, Im with a beautiful 41 year old woman...never married, no kids, not only hasnt she asked me for money, but she insisted  on picking up a 40,000 peso dinner tab last night at a nice Italian restaurant.

Your post says everything about your attitudes......................

Dennis

[utopiacowboy]

Monteria! Are you keeping cool?

[Dan Las Vegas]

Colombian women not passionate???  I must have gone to a different colombia!!!!  As for silicone, yes there is some in medellin, but hardly 40 percent of the women, perhaps 10% of the women shopping in Oviedo or Pomona right next to Oviedo.  When I was at my former novias home in Santa Monica, I could go for days without seeing a single gringo, unless I happened across one when I was taking the metro.

Dan LV

[AndyLee]

A troll

[Zon]

I have been in Medellin for a week and a half.  (I have already spent much time in Cail and other locations in Central America). 

The original poster is certainly entitled to his opinions, and his story are other's too.  This is NOT easy.  This is NOT point and click.  This is NOT shopping.  But, then again, should it be?

It is complicated and requires time and a little luck.

The women in Medellin? FORGET IT! Everything you have read or heard is true. The mayor must be hiding all the feas and gordas from me.    But, gringos need to get the hell out of Parque Llares.  That does not bring out the best in women here. And, in truth it is more complicated than one post can express.  There are subtleties at work here.  Sure, I think it is possible to find a WHOLLY GOOD PAISA ... but, I also think one ought be very cautious.  The "love hotels" are busy, and it is not the foreigners who are filling them.  These people are passionate and sexual - things happen all the time.  honesty is a real bitch down here.

Social norms are quite different in neighboring towns. I am attracted to more simple, family based cities.  But, I do appreciate the modern beauty of Medellin (but then again, there is traffic, noise, and everything else that comes with it). 

Meeting women?  Amazingly easy really. And that is with my non fluid espaniol. Sure gringos have crapped up Poblado, but this is a big city with many surrounding pueblos where the rules are different, and more advantageous.

I will be here until middle June.   If I like it as much as it appears, I will be here often.  Thumbs up.   BUT HAVE CORRECT EXPECTATIONS.

BTW,  I have to eat my words about Colombian Cupid.  It works 1000 times better when you say you live 30 minutes away and would like to have a drink, or see a movie.  But, you don't really need it. 

[Researcher]

I can assure you that I am not a troll. It's just that I speak fluent Spanish and have lived in Latin American countries before and am more familiar with the culture.

Gringos? I went to Mangos & Parque Lleras several times in Medellin and almost always saw large groups of Gringos or Europeans (mainly Dutch) and they were merely trolling for "deportes extremos."   I saw many foreigners as well in Oviedo with prepagos. Since I have lived abroad before my senses may be more keen than some of you.

I probably had approx. 25 - 30 women come right out and ask me for money on the 2nd or 3rd date. Absolutely incredible. In Medellin I bumped into an English engineer who was a standup fella but who told me that his experiences in Medellin mirrored mine exactly.

A good Colombian friend of mine in Bogota (ex-Special Forces) told me flat out that easily 80% of the women in Colombia are "ambiciosa." This I now wholeheartedly believe.

As far as the topic of "passion" is concerned maybe I am just a little more "needy" than some of you. I can assure you that if you query a woman you are dating there regarding "todo los servicios" that 9 out of 10 times she will tell you "nunca."   My friend, when asked about this, told me "Usted no está en Venezuela, Sr."  

Sure, you can see many beautiful women there but I assure that the best of the best are taken or have lovers. Many foreigners are not too keen on this and cannot discern subtleties in mannerisms nor the language. The problem is that the culture almost outright requires that a beautiful woman use her "assets" not unlike an armament to obtain things in life such as cars, clothing, etc. It's a huge game there. Many women complain that there are no good men but yet they have countless baubles to show from past relationships as they have merely "milked" some poor fool for his money knowing all along that they were waiting for a bigger & better "deal" to come along. The men of course don't care as long as they receive sex in exchange. It's a primitive barter system at its finest IMO. When a woman there tells you that the Colombian men are all "hijue p_ _a perros" then ask yourself with whom these men are being unfaithful. It ain't extraterrestrials.   It's with other Colombian women who damn well know he is married or has a girlfriend. That is the culture.

Yes, you can find a good woman there, but outside of pure luck you are taking a huge risk if you don't speak fluent Spanish or mind paying for her mistakes, i.e., children. Remember also, for those of you that don't mind a woman with kids, there is a saying in Colombia that one need heed: "el hijo de tigre sale pintado."  

       Sounds like you lived abroad in brothels and crackhouses. If someone came to the US and spent time only in strip joints and drug infested areas I could see where they could come to some of the same conclusions you have about Colombia. As far as corruption in third world countries, no kidding, They pretty much all are.And sure there are bad women in ALL of them but the key is finding a good one. The women in Colombia are very passionate, I don't know about the hookers and drug addicts. Maybe you didn't pay them enough or they did'nt get the good drugs that day.

           Troll!

      Researcher

[dennislevy]

Zon et al

There a re plenty of unattractive women, as well as gordas in Medellin.....They abound on the metro or walk in El Centro or municipalities like Bello or Itagui to see them. Paisas can be heavy, due to poor diet.....rice and beans and chicharones very day are deadly!

I ll agree with the oriignal poster that in Medellin, outside of areas like Poblado and Oviedo and Parque Lleras, and restaurants and food courts in malls.....it isnt easy to find good restaurants. In Medellin, I liked Crepes and waffles, as well as Carbon 100, a chain of parilla style restaurants that offered grilled meats, chicken, some fish and like the killer salad bar for 12,000 pesos. Good food and large portions. The half portion of baby beef at 13,200 with a baked potato and a salad is a deal.

On the corner of 10 and 34th just up from Parque LLeras is a small restaurant named Bistro Gastronomia, its accross the street from Medellin Beer Company. Very good food, very resonably priced..Also down the hill from Parque LLeras about 8 blocs is parilla y Paella, a terriifc Spanish restaurant that televises live bullfights from Mexicoi and Spain. You can get an incredible Paella Valenciana there, enoughto feed two people for 25,000 pesos.

But I ll agree that comida tipica is usually uninspiring and paisa bandeja in Medellin is a short cut to heart disease!

But Bogota is a wonderful city foir restaurants, I ate well for two years. And you simply cannot beat a Bogota bakery brekfast...2 eggs anyway you like them, a fresh bakery roll and a cup of coffee for 3,200 pesos...... about a buck 70.

If the original poster is one of the gringos that lives in Poblado and walks down the hill to parque Lleras every day...and thinks he s in the middle of Colombian culture...then its an attitude typical of the gringos that have a bad reputation in Medellin.

[utopiacowboy]

I think all the gringos should stay in Parque Lleras. I seldom see one in Belen and that's the way I like it.