Paisa country- Big City Medellin

Sea-Santa rolls into the Poblado, Medellin

Another week in Colombia and there is plenty on the go!  We spent 4 busy days in Medellin, the second biggest Colombian city after Bogota. Made more famous these days with Narcos and the infamous "P.E." (he who shall not be named!)- we quickly learned there is so much more to this place than it's dark past.

We rolled in after a long overnight bus from San Gil, and needed a power-nap at our Art City Hostel before we could carry on our wanderings. We planted ourselves just outside the Poblado, which was a busy hub of restaurants, bars, and people everywhere. Although we relish the local food when traveling, there comes a point when rice, arepa, beans, and plantain just don't cut it. And so the falafel, veggie burger, and bibimbap we found in this neighbourhood were sooo welcomed! (Only sad part was the tragedy of the missing Korean leftovers- talk about heartbreak come lunch time the next day).

Watching the world go by in Bolivar Park

Crazy busy shopping street

We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Real City, and our guide Carolina had plenty of insights into her city.  We learned that the people from this region are called "Paisas"- and are known amongst Colombians to be a proud, sometimes stubborn, hardworking bunch. We meandered past the old rail station, through one of the busiest crammed little shopping streets we may have ever seen, Botello square, art sculptures, all ending at the oldest bar in the city.  There were plenty of examples of how the city has rebuilt areas that had more of a darker past- squares that were once known for crime, prostitution and drugs have now been reclaimed with art projects, markets, and support centres in needy areas.  One big source of pride in this city is it's metro train. Only 20 years old, the train looks pristine- and the locals take great pride in it. (Enough that I was told by one woman to put my popcorn away that I was snacking on- quite a dichotomy as we rode past the river full of trash).

Comuna 13 Escalateras

Anywho- in addition to the train, were the Metrocables, or gondolas that connected some of the poorer mountain-side barrios with the rest of the city. One in particular, Comuna 13, was once one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods here, and the site of a civil war between P.E.'s gangs and the government. The recent completion outdoor escalators have done wonders to improve the mobility of people in and out of the area, and gang violence has plummeted. Added to this are other gentrification projects, with wide walkways, beautiful graffiti and playgrounds that are helping to transform this place for the better.

Botero art at it's finest! 

Riding the Metrocable over the barrios

A few days at our other hostel and we got the boot (all booked up!)- so we found Bambu hostel, where we had our own "glamping" tent to ourselves in the courtyard. It was only blocks from the busy Poblato bar and restaurant district and was such a treat! 

Our last few days we made it out to Parque Arvi, where we rode the metro farther south and then took 2 metrocables up over the barrios, high onto the mountain into a forested oasis that felt worlds away from busy Medellin. Our gondola-mates had jackets and were ready for the chilly mountain air, but really the 20 degree weather felt just fine in our shorts and t-shirts! It was hard for them to fathom the -15 degree weather we shared was happening back home. 

Hiking at Parque Arvi

At the top of the gondola we were treated to an open-air market, with vendors selling cakes, coffee, fresh fruit and souvenirs. To our dismay this park wasn't your typical one where you're handed a map of nature trails and away you go. Most of them were only open to paid guided tours (only in Spanish). We opted to head down the road to the free trail, and although we didn't make it to the one we planned on, it was a great tree-hugging hike.

We had a fun night out in the Poblato that night- maybe a little too much fun for Amanda... but who doesn't mind a bit of extra sleep-in!

Church at P.E.'s 'prison'. No nails
or cross to remind him he could
always leave when he chose.

Last day before departure and Brian being the big Narcos fan he is, we couldn't miss out on the P.E. tour.  Lucky for us it was on a Sunday, so we had less traffic to contend with as we drove to different parts of the city with our guide. First stop was his house, which sits empty and abandoned but still has the faded outline of Escobar running vertically down the side. Then it was up into the mountains to his former "prison", which has since been converted into an old-age home. It was surreal to see, complete with chess board outside where he would play with his son, church, helicopter pad, football field, and other dark and scary scenes. Our guide was school-mates with many of the Escobar crew, and he had some incredible insights into those times. For the record? He says the Hollywood version of the story is only about 40% true- although he's never seen it.  Seems the jury is out on whether he was a good-guy or bad- really depends who you ask. Considering the danger of those times- that the city's murder rate was around 60 people per day- or 380 per 100,000 people, 6349 killings in 1991.... it's clear to see why overall, people here chose not to remember his name, and to distance themselves from the horrors of those days.

There is really so much to tell about this city- go peruse the interwebs for more info! Thanks for the fun Medellin, but we must seek some clean air and small town living.
A la prochaine!