So guys I am planning on moving to Colombia for 6-9 months and study Spanish towards the end of the year.

I travelled 6 months through South America a couple of years ago (Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Brazil) and did 2 weeks of Spanish lessons in Bolivia. I would say my Spanish is quite basic.

Now I know some cool young local girls in Bogota from when I visited last time, they are law students and I am thinking this might give me an instant social circle if I was to go there. If I go to Medellin I start from scratch as I know nobody, but I think it would be a more preferable city to base myself in.

With my Spanish as poor as it is I have started to consider hitting up Ecuador for 3 months pre Colombia to study my ass off, the schools seem to be better and cheaper but from all accounts the women are much worse..

So fellow forum-goers:

- Should I move to Bogota or Medellin?
- Should I have a decent level of Spanish before going to Colombia and if so:
- Should I just go straight to Colombia or study somewhere else beforehand?

A penny for your thoughts.

Quote: (02-22-2014 10:35 AM)Juicy Wrote:  

So guys I am planning on moving to Colombia for 6-9 months and study Spanish towards the end of the year.

I travelled 6 months through South America a couple of years ago (Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Brazil) and did 2 weeks of Spanish lessons in Bolivia. I would say my Spanish is quite basic.

Now I know some cool young local girls in Bogota from when I visited last time, they are law students and I am thinking this might give me an instant social circle if I was to go there. If I go to Medellin I start from scratch as I know nobody, but I think it would be a more preferable city to base myself in.

With my Spanish as poor as it is I have started to consider hitting up Ecuador for 3 months pre Colombia to study my ass off, the schools seem to be better and cheaper but from all accounts the women are much worse..

So fellow forum-goers:

- Should I move to Bogota or Medellin?
- Should I have a decent level of Spanish before going to Colombia and if so:
- Should I just go straight to Colombia or study somewhere else beforehand?

A penny for your thoughts.

Most people seem to prefer Medellin to Bogota- better weather, hotter wimmin, less traffic. I lived in Medellin for about 18 months, and that would be my choice. There are plenty of places to learn Spanish in Medellin, so it shouldn't be an issue. I've spent only two weeks in Ecuador, but it's enough time to learn one truth: if women are a priority at all, go to Colombia instead. There's no comparison in quality.

I'll probably be in the minority on this, but I don't think that you need to be more than high-beginner to survive in Colombia at first; I showed up knowing about 30 words and learned Spanish mostly by talking to girls and store clerks. It will be frustrating at first and you will obviously not game as well, but nothing is going to make you learn a language faster than trying to get laid. If you are taking classes and gaming, you should be able to hold simple conversations within 3 months or so. Bilingual girls can help you but they can also be a crutch, so balance accordingly. Obviously learn as much Spanish as you can beforehand; I used livemocha and it was alright, but I could have worked a lot harder at it.

I don't know what your weight limits are for traveling, but I would bring as much of the following to Colombia as I could:

-Stainless steel/nonstick cookware, if you're going to cook. Most of the cookware in Colombia is aluminum, which I find sketchy, and you pay through the nose for anything better. At least one big stainless steel pan with lid would be advisable.

-A small crockpot. The beef in Colombia is grass-fed, which makes for leaner but really tough, sinewy cuts of meat. Slow-cooking will help a lot with that, or you can just give up beef like I did and eat lentils. It's not a bad idea to bring down some powdered curry, sriracha or whatever you like to flavor food, as Paisa cuisine is notoriously bland. You can find sriracha in Medellin, but it's like $12 a bottle.

-Sunscreen, contact lens cleaner, vitamins/supplements, notebooks and electronics are all relatively expensive in Colombia, so bring as much of those as you can/need down. If you choose to live in Medellin, don't bring many warm clothes; you don't need a jacket there, even at night (but do bring a hooded raincoat/slicker).

I think the most convenient place to live in Medellin is below Parque Poblado. If you are walking up Calle 10 from the Poblado metro station, Patio Bonito is everything to your right and Manila is everything to your left until you hit the park. From that area you should always be about a 5 minute walk or less to the metro, the Exito grocery store, and no more than a 10 minute walk to Parque Lleras. The main thing is that if you are close to the metro, the whole city is easily accessible. The weather is nicer and cooler up the mountain, but unless you have a car it will be a pain in the ass.

Finally, bring shoes with good traction. Add traction soles to the base of your nice shoes, because Medellin is shaped like a V, it rains a good bit, and the city is full of slick surfaces. You literally need to watch your step in Medellin, really in all of Colombia aside from the coast.

I lived in Bogota for a year. Medellín undoubtedly has better weather. The transport in Bogotá is notoriously terrible, and the weather as well. For half of the year there will be the risk of real heavy rainfall at any given moment, you basically need to walk around in waterproof boots and with an umbrella at all times during "invierno". This applies to Bogotá and Medellín but having warmer weather makes the rain a bit less terrible.

I see no reason to go to Ecuador before Colombia if you dont actually want to be in Ecuador. Maybe you should travel around Colombia a little first and take week-long courses in different cities. I would highly recommend Cali for its perfect warm dry weather and better cuisine. I couldnt stand colombian food in medellín and bogota. By the sea the food gets more flavorful.

1. BOG vs MED: Really depends on what you like man. You should try both for a short visits and see what suits your needs better. Weather in BOG definitely gets old but the variety the city offers is refreshing.

2. Decent level of Spanish: Yeah, you should. But if you don't, fucking go anyway man. If you don't know anything, practice basic conversation stuff and this:
A. "A la orden, a la orden, a la orden" = "How may I help you?" or "At
your service..."
B. "mangos, mangos, mangos" = "Mangos, mangos, mangos"
C. "paraguas, paraguas, paraguas" = "Umbrellas, umbrellas, umbrellas"

Now if anyone asks you "?Que haces agui?" or "?En que trabajas?" or any phrase regarding your profession or why you may be in Colombia, tell them you sell mangos ("Vendo mangos.") or that you sell umbrellas ("Vendo paraguas.") and then start repeating either mangos or paraguas (whichever one you said) and throw in some "A la orden, a la orden" too. The umbrellas one works great in BOG b/c it is always raining.

They will love this shit b/c it shows you are paying attention to the culture and that you have a sense of humor. In their minds you're culturally invested even though you really might not be. I feel like I'm giving away state secrets that one but whatevs. You could also say "Minutos, minutos, minutos" which is what those people who rent the minutes on their cell phones do as well.

3. COL vs anywhere else: Man, that just depends on you. Colombian Spanish is a great one to learn as it is pretty neutral, especially in BOG. It is a very clean accent. But going to Colombia may help you learn Spanish better just b/c the hot girls are a great motivation whereas in Peru or Nicaragua or wherever, this may not be the case.
_______________________

Definitely have some footwear with traction like mentioned before. Don't even bother bringing shoes that have leather soles. The rain+hills+stone street combo is comical.

I had a friend bring down these for me and this is the type of sole that helps combat the slipperiness:

http://www.shoemall.com/not-available/p/...-available

Not sure if they can still be bought, but something like that is perfect. Those are some bad ass casual boots if you can find any available.

Have fun man.

My advice make a list what do you want.....you can learn Spanish in much cheaper places.....if you want other things, other cities might do the trick.... Don't think that coming here you are gods gift to women and you will get all these hotties...it won't happen. That takes a lot if time and a little skill and luck.

Check out 2nd or 3rd tier cities as well if your budget is not so tight. The schools will also be cheaper but quality will more or less be the same. To learn Spanish there are a lot of other places, but only one medellin... I live here and I love it!

Spanish is MANDATORY to have a good time in Colombia. I'd recommend doing the Pimsleur language program before you get here. You can BitTorrent it pretty easily. Do all 3 levels.

@Corroncho... that's a great nuts and bolts answer to his question. Kudos and +1

Thanks all for the suggestions.

I'm quite aware my dick isn't just going to fall into the first girl I see, I have been to South America and Colombia previously. Never Medellin though.

I think I will hit up Medellin first and if I don't like it I will head back to Bogota where I know people. I do NOT want to live in Poblado and once I am off the plane I will refuse to speak any English, I don't want any interaction with gringos I want to perfect my Spanish as my top priority and hit up some girls as my second.

I am looking to budget around $2k a month, including gym membership and spanish lessons. Ideally I would like my own place, not to sure where I will live maybe Belen or Laureles? not sure how realistic this budget is especially living by myself. If anyone has done similar I would be curious to know how much it cost you.

Quote: (02-22-2014 06:30 PM)JJJames Wrote:  

I'd recommend doing the Pimsleur language program before you get here.

I second that. There's a fourth level too.

Quote: (02-23-2014 01:58 AM)buja Wrote:  

Quote: (02-22-2014 06:30 PM)JJJames Wrote:  

I'd recommend doing the Pimsleur language program before you get here.

I second that. There's a fourth level too.

Not really :/ the fourth level doesn't really teach anything new, it's more like the third with more practice. One to three covers a lot of ground, but the fourth, called Spanish Plus (as opposed to Level 4) doesn't cover much new stuff at all. I'd say take the first 3 then take private lessons in Colombia.

Yadi at the Black Sheep Hostel is an amazing teacher. Don't study at EAFIT, the classes are really slow. (That said, girls there are hot. But you can just join the gym to access the campus instead of paying for the classes.)

Quote: (02-23-2014 02:06 AM)JJJames Wrote:  

Quote: (02-23-2014 01:58 AM)buja Wrote:  

Quote: (02-22-2014 06:30 PM)JJJames Wrote:  

I'd recommend doing the Pimsleur language program before you get here.

I second that. There's a fourth level too.

Not really :/ the fourth level doesn't really teach anything new, it's more like the third with more practice. One to three covers a lot of ground, but the fourth, called Spanish Plus (as opposed to Level 4) doesn't cover much new stuff at all. I'd say take the first 3 then take private lessons in Colombia.

Yadi at the Black Sheep Hostel is an amazing teacher. Don't study at EAFIT, the classes are really slow. (That said, girls there are hot. But you can just join the gym to access the campus instead of paying for the classes.)

Yup Blacksheep was looking like my choice as well. Do they come to you if you don't live nearby or would I have to go to Pablado for every lesson?

I will be doing all the language courses I can do. Pimsluer, Michel Thomas, DuoLingo etc, but I dont think any really prepare you for speaking and listening.

Quote:Quote:

but I dont think any really prepare you for speaking and listening.

yeah, nothing beats the real thing...Pimsleur has been the closest thing that I found that approximates reality (I've used DuoLingo, Rosetta Stone, etc.)

It's really helped me in Asia.

On budgeting, 2000 USD a month is very easy to do, you basically just have to make sure you dont blow it all on pricey restaurants in expensive areas. If you spent 500 a month on rent, you could get a nice 1br in Chapinero or something, modest near good restaurants, bars and universities. Then you have your remainder to spend as you see fit. Groceries are really cheap, esp. fresh produce and meat. More expensive to buy shitty packaged food.

Check out http://www.compartoapto.com For apt. Prices.

Is that 500 for a 1bdr place or 500 for a room in a shared house/apartment?

Quote: (02-23-2014 01:33 AM)Juicy Wrote:  

Thanks all for the suggestions.

I'm quite aware my dick isn't just going to fall into the first girl I see, I have been to South America and Colombia previously. Never Medellin though.

I think I will hit up Medellin first and if I don't like it I will head back to Bogota where I know people. I do NOT want to live in Poblado and once I am off the plane I will refuse to speak any English, I don't want any interaction with gringos I want to perfect my Spanish as my top priority and hit up some girls as my second.

I am looking to budget around $2k a month, including gym membership and spanish lessons. Ideally I would like my own place, not to sure where I will live maybe Belen or Laureles? not sure how realistic this budget is especially living by myself. If anyone has done similar I would be curious to know how much it cost you.

Captain Danger: Muchas gracias, happy to help when I can.

Juicy: It sounds like learning Spanish is your #1 priority, so I agree with you that getting out of Poblado is the way to go. Laureles and Belen both have good areas (just make sure that it's Belen and not Belen-Rincon) as does Envigado, Sabaneta, and neighborhoods near the Estadio and Floresta metro stations. $2k will be plenty of money if you don't let the chicas bleed you dry; if you take women out of the equation and get a reasonable apartment it's pretty easy to live on $1k a month in Medellin, and you can hire a part-time maid to shop, cook and clean for you for $15 a day. The difficult part will be finding an apartment- so many people there will require you to have a Colombian who owns land as a co-signer. Both times I looked for a place it took me like two weeks to get a good deal, the best thing you can do is just walk the streets in barrios that you like and look for the se arrienda signs.
Also, I wouldn't give up and go to Bogota too soon if you meet initial resistance. Paisas are difficult to ONS but they want boyfriends, and a local short-term gf would be the best thing for your Spanish. You'll see very quickly that Medellin is just like the rest of Colombia- mostly pretty girls and busted, broke dudes. Medellin is a great walking city, it's only overcast when it rains and then five minutes later it's clear blue skies again. If you walk around, learn the city and the bus routes, talk to people, you'll probably have a great experience. Just always be where there are lots of people and safety shouldn't be a concern.

Another vote for beginning Spanish studies before you travel. You said that you'll do one-on-one classes. No need to wait until you get to Latin America. You can sign up a private tutor over Skype - choose any country you wish, including Ecuador. There should be plenty of teaching materials that are downloadable. If you're serious about learning, start now.

$2k a month is achievable in Colombia.

Choosing a city can even wait until a few weeks before you arrive. Flights within Colombia are cheap. So you can just book your inbound ticket to Bogota for the moment. Later you can add a separate flight to connect to Medellin, if you prefer.

You could also pipeline some girls on Colombian Cupid before your arrival. If you're getting good vibes from girls in one particular city, that could even influence where you decide to live first.

Good info cheers all.