Tv stations
TeleMedellin
(http://www.telemedellin.tv/), online at: (http://www.telemedellin.t...). also has an app for the iphone.
Teleantioquia
(http://www.teleantioquia....) has local news and entertainment. the news outlet has hearing impaired caption. it promotes its non-violent programming. the channel is also available online (http://www.teleantioquia....).
Newspapers
El Colombiano
(http://www.elcolombiano.com) is the second largest paper in the country with somewhat conservative views. interestedly it has a few vignettes with the most important news in english - look for 'antioquia bilingue' (http://coloverio.securesi...).
For the country Colombia Reports is a good source of news in English. (http://colombiareports.com)
A good monthly paper about life downtown, with long articles sorry, only for masters of the Spanish language, is Universo Centro. (http://www.universocentro.com)
Consulates
telephone
International country codes: Colombia 57, City code MedellÃn 4. When calling a mobile from outside Colombia dial 57-3 I.E.+57 311 xxx xx xx don't double the 3.
To make an international call from Colombia, dial the access code 005 Orbitel, 007 ETB or 009 Telecom, followed by the country code, area code and party's number.
Many local phones are blocked for direct international calling, but calling through an operator will work many phones: Call 159 for the operator.
For all local phone calls you have to dial only 7 digits.
When calling from a local phone into a cell phone you have to dial '03' then the 10 digit mobile number.
When calling from a Mobile to a local phone: dial 03 + city code + 7 digit phone number.
Emergencies dial 123
Mobile services: There are several cellular phone companies in Colombia Comcel (http://www.comcel.com.co/, Movistar (http://www.movistar.com.co), TIGO (http://www.tigo.com.co/), Uff! (http://www.uffmovil.com), UNE (http://www.une.com.co), ETB (http://www.etb.com.co/vozmovil) and Avantel (http://www.avantel.com.co)). Calling mobile phones is more expensive than calling local numbers but not prohibitive. In crowded places is common to find people selling 'minutes' to make calls from their cell phones, usual range of prices from COP 100 to 200 per minute for domestic calls. All mobile numbers have 10 digits The digit 3 is always first.
Medellin is generally a safe city for tourism, (http://colombiareports.co...) on the part of town you visit and the hours like most other cities and is much safer than in previous years. It was reported than in 2009 the murder rate in Medellin was the lowest in 30 years (http://colombiareports.co...), while murder rates have since doubled in 2010 in a new surge of violence. According to the US State Department, murders have involved tourists and U.S citizens, and there remains a risk of "terrorist" actions in the urban area. (http://travel.state.gov/t...). Much of the violence is concentrated within the city's hillside slums and amongst known drug traffickers, although richer parts of town have also been aflicted by the latest surge in crime. (http://www.newsweek.com/2...) The poorer neighborhoods in the north-east and north-west of the city should be avoided at both day and night to avoid trouble. Most of the inner city is best avoided at night, maybe excluding El Poblado. Most travelers to Medellin will tell you that they never found themselves in any danger while there, as the city center and touristy neighborhoods and attractions are all heavily policed. Thus, the following advice should not deter your plans to travel there, and should be taken as advice. As in most major cities, staying safe comes down to common sense, and even the locals follow the following advice.
Don't travel alone after dark. Almost anyone who knows anyone who has gotten into trouble in Medellin will tell you that they were doing things that you shouldn't do in any city, i.e. walk around after dark alone, especially leaving clubs after having been drinking. If you must, travel with a few friends, and at night call a taxi instead of taking it off the curb.
Avoid straying off of the main areas outside of the Santo Domingo Metrocable station, especially after dark; basically, try to stay within sight of the station and library, and you will be fine. Avoid areas of downtown at night, such as the Parque San Antonio area including outside of the Metro station, Parque Boliviar, and areas directly to the north of Parque Barrio, where there is a lot of prostitution and other shady dealings. During the day, these areas are all perfectly safe with the normal precautions.
As in most large cities, petty crime can be a problem; it is advisable to carry a color copy of your passport rather than the real thing, avoid carrying a wallet and to keep varying amounts of cash in several pockets, socks and bras. Only carry what you will need for the day, and always have enough hidden somewhere to get back to your hotel. However, at most tourist sites, the police have a very heavy presence, so you can feel safe taking pictures and walking around during the day. Avoid parks, muggers with knives wait for tourists in parks near hotels in the affluent areas of the city, such as El Poblado.
Avoid accepting drinks from strangers. One common organized scam reported recently involves girls being overly friendly to gringos at a club, buying them drinks and then asking to go home with them. The drinks end up being drugged, and the girls make off with money, credit cards and other valuables. Note that it is not very common for Medellin locals to go home with other locals to hook up; rather, cheap hotels are used. So one should be suspicious of overly friendly girls asking to come to your hotel or residence from a club.
Many people sometimes feel overwhelmed by all of the small-time vendors selling anything from fruit, ice cream, cigarettes, lottery tickets, cell phone chargers, trinkets, hats, etc. However, a simple "no, gracias" will deter them from bothering you.
As Colombia is still a country with a "macho man" mindset, women might be the subject of lewd comments, cat-calling, or whistling. Women shouldn't take this personally - although women have the same rights as women in the US and elsewhere, it's just the culture.
Do not, under any circumstances, make any jokes about the use of cocaine or bombs. The Colombian police take jokes as threats, and you may find yourself in a police station explaining yourself to unsympathetic police officers. Under normal circumstances, police officers are usually kind and helpful towards tourists.
The age of consent in Colombia is 14. The drinking age is 18. Minors are not allowed to be in possession of alcohol at any time, and they may not enter night clubs of any kind. If a minor is found to be in a night club, the entire club will be immediately closed for violating a national law. Enforced more in nicer neighborhoods
Always change your money at the airport or at a bank. Bancolombia is the largest national bank, is based in MedellÃn and has ATM's almost everywhere. "Street changers" offer tempting rates for your dollar, but be on guard. "Street Changers" palm several of the biggest bills for themselves. Do not flaunt large amounts of money around. ATM machines are your best bet for dealing with the complexities of various money changers.
When using an ATM machine only delivers pesos it is wise to use machines in a mall Spanish: centro comercial, one of the large superstores such as Exito or Carrefour or grocery stores such as Pomona or Carulla, then take your time walking around a bit. Don't rush out the door. If someone is watching people at the ATM, they will wait for you to leave, and possibly rob you on the street down the road. Using ATMs on the street is not advisable in Colombia.
Regular mail in Colombia is quite dismal (http://www.4-72.com.co) as you can not attach the stamps yourself and always have to go to a post office. There are very few offices in each city, usually downtown.With this background, private mail couriers have flourished with better service and more offices. There are close to 10 different companies, among the most popular are Coordinadora (http://www.coordinadora.com.co) and TCC (http://www.tcc.com.co). Both have agreements with international delivery services and cover the world over.
respect
Clothing is usually casual but shorts or bermuda pants are unusual on weekdays. Only young locals will wear them on weekends. Sweaters and jackets are usually not necessary at daytime, occasionally needed at night.
Refrain from joking about drugs, kidnapping or bombings. Many residents of Medellin were personally affected by the violence of the past, and today they consider themselves very modern, forward looking and ready to move on. They do not find these things to be funny. In addition, the police take the security situation very seriously, and you may find yourself detained. Accordingly, there is no official tourism built around the history of Pablo Escobar, and many people do not like to discuss him, although several hostels offer a Pablo Escobar tour. You will receive a lot of puzzled stares if you start asking how to get to the house where he was killed, etc.
When on the Metrocable, remember that it is a functional part of the Metro system, and that many proud residents of the mountainside neighborhoods ride the system to and from work each day. Accordingly, refrain from gawking, commenting on or taking pictures of the neighborhoods below, especially if there are Colombians in your car.
medical services
There are plenty of good hospitals and clinics in Medellin unfortunately English is not widely spoken by doctors and nurses. Most upscale hotels have medical services in house.
Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul
(http://www.elhospital.org.co) covers almost all specialties with emphasis in transplantation, trauma.Clinica Cardiovascular
(http://www.lacardiovascul...) is the local reference for cardiovascular medicine in adults and children.Hospital Pablo Tobon Uribe
(http://www.hptu.org.co) a non for profit with excellent services.Clinica Medellin
(http://www.clinicamedellin.com) with its main building downtown and a smaller branch in neighborhood El Poblado.Clinica el Rosario
(http://www.clinicaelrosar...) has 2 sites, the one in El Poblado is modern, calm and oriented for international patients.Paisa Estereo
Is an online radio station streaming to more than 174 countries from medellin (http://www.paisaestereo.com/)
traditional idioms
The conventional Spanish spoken by people from MedellÃn and its surroundings is closely related to ancient Spanish from the north Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country (http://es.wikipedia.org/w...)
urban modern idioms or parlache
Under-served kids in the city have assembled a wealth of new expressions that have fascinated scholars and artists. Many local movies like La Vendedora de Rosas (http://www.imdb.com/title...) depict this urban language called Parlache (http://es.wikipedia.org/w...) in its own idiom. Dialectologist have gather together a dictionary (http://www.lalibreriadela...).
health
The water in MedellÃn is potable and delicious. However, bottled water is always available everywhere for the extra-cautious.
Colombia does not require foreigners to get extra vaccinations to enter the country.
Altitude is generally not a problem for foreigners since MedellÃn is approximately 1,500 mts 4,921 ft above sea-level about the same as Denver, USA. However, some who reside at or around sea-level may experience some minor effects their first night. If this is the case, it is advisable to drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol on the way there and on the first night.
You are at no risk of many tropical diseases like malaria, cholera, yellow fever, leishmaniasis or Chagas disease because of its altitude.