Medellin

Daniel and I embarked on my second (of total 4) overnight busrides in Colombia. Thanks to the carried-over exhaustion from Tayrona and other exploits in Taganga, we slept pretty much the entire time, arriving in the former most murderous city in the world around 9 AM Monday morning. He ended up having forgotten something on the bus, so we cooled our heels in the terminal while waiting for it. By 1030 we were golden and stepping about the city´s Metro system, which I have to say is fantastic- it´s well organized, there are signs in each station to let you know what attractions are nearby, and it runs quickly.

We soon arrived at our stop, Poblado, in the city of Medellin. It´s a beautiful, mostly residential, neighborhood, with a few high-end shops mixed in. We meandered for a bit before happening upon our hostel, the Pit Stop. It´s huge, much more so than any I´d stayed in previously- there are over 100 beds here. After putting our bags down, we took ourselves on a walking tour of the nearby environs. And let me tell you, that´s not much, because, although I think population wise Bogota is still bigger, Medellin is sprawling. It´s situated in a valley, like Bogota (or like Salt Lake City, for example), but the city moves onto the various hills around and winds sinuously with the curves of the Andes. The temperature here is partway between the chill and rain of Bogota and the heat and humidity of the coast- aka perfect. You can wander in jeans and a tank top and it´s perfect. So that´s what we did for a bit, taking time to get a dried fruit snack in the Colombian version of WHole Foods (Pomona stores), and passing through the Zona Rosa. Like in Bogota, it´s the upscale area with lots of great restaurants and nightclubs. It was beautiful. Daniel also told me about about the comunas, which are the Medellin version of the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- the sprawling shantytown communities pushed further up the hills and out of the city proper, where poverty and increased violence tend to be more common.

We needed a bit of a break then, and came back to watch a bit of a movie and shower. After that, we headed to a nearby food stand in a shopping center to grab some Comida Tipica (detailed in 15 Questions). We came back to the hostel and mostly spent time hanging out with others here- it´s a mix of Brits, Aussies, Americans, and Israelis. Some poker, drinking, and movies were involved, and the next thing you know, we were being woken in the TV room at 2 Am by the concierge, telling us to go to bed.

A good night´s sleep helped us to finally kick the last of exhaustion from the Parque Tayrona experience, and this morning we set off raring to explore the city. We stopped for breakfast in a local panaderia, and we both had something along the lines of a cheese croissant, with coffee for Daniel and Milo for me (essentially chocolate milk). This in general represents a pretty typical breakfast here, or you might have cereal and yogurt (yogurt here is a bit more thin and mixes well with cereal). We then hopped on the Metro system and headed for the University stop.

A brief history of Medellin- in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, Medellin had a terrible reputation- it was rife with drugs and gang warfare. Does the name Pablo Escobar ring a bell? Police were major targets, and people didn´t feel safe. However, a major effort was made to change the city, and from everything I saw, this effort was a resounding success. Now there are tons of green spaces, places for people to convene, and huge efforts to bring culture and learning to the city, such as a science museum (much more affordable than in the states for only $7.50 to enter), and a free botanical garden. This was Daniel and my first stop on our self-tour. It was a great way to practice my Spanish vocab concerning fruits, veggies, and spices, too!

Next we meandered up through some random streets, apparently going through a semi-red light district, with lots of "by the hour" motels. Apparently you should never tell someone here that you are staying in a motel- it gives the connotation that you are staying somewhere just to have sex. Good to know...

We next ended up at the city´s cementary. Ranging from standard hole-in-the-wall burial arrangements to grand tombs, this place had it all. It was amazing how much color and expression people put into decorating the tombs of their loved ones, as well- it seemed to be a way of keeping alive their family members.

Some more twists and turns brought us to the Plaza Botero, right outside the cultural palace of the city. The strong lines of the center´s architecture next to the curvy pieces of Fernando Botero made for a beautiful contrast to the eyes. We also decided here to stop into the Museo de Antioquia (Antioch Museum, Antioch is the department (aka state, for Americans) that Medellin is in within the country of Colombia). The museum was full of pieces, both international and Colombian, with an entire gallery devoted to Botero, who was himself from Medellin (he´s the man who paints everything much larger than proportion. Some would describe his subjects as plump or even fat, but according to the artist he ascribes size to the subjects to demonstrate their importance or vitality, to make them momentous within his works).

After lunch, we headed back to the hostel (by this point it was already past 5). We spent some time with others watching a Star Wars movie, then unfortunately Daniel had to leave for Bogota- he works tomorrow at 7 Am and had to take a bus back. This leaves me in Medellin by myself, which (sorry Mom and Dad, I know you won´t be thrilled) is really truly my first time travelling ALONE. My plans at this point are to join some other people at the hostel for a Pablo Escobar tour tomorrow, then to catch an overnight bus to Cartagena, where I will reunite with Teresa, who has been taking diving classes in Taganga this week, and possibly Peter. I feel a mixture of emotions- excitement at trying something new, sadness at missing Daniel, who was a fantastic travel companion, and relief that it will only be for a few days until I´m back with someone I know. It feels strange and almost babyish to admit these feelings, because most of the others who I´ve met are sort of expert backpackers, used to going it alone and not getting caught up in travel companions, but there´s a first for everyone for everything, hey? I´m interested to see how I feel at the other side of this, once I´ve met Teresa and will be heading back to Bogota, which feels a bit like my long lost home at this point.