After spending the best part of a month on the coast we were both excited to be heading inland for a taste of something different. The small matter of an 18 hour bus ride and we discovered Medellin, the former home of Pablo Escobar; the leader of Colombia’s biggest drug cartel and one time FBI’s most wanted criminal. During the cartel wars of the early 90’s this was the most dangerous city on the planet. It’s come a hell of a long way since then.
Having clocked up a large amount of beach time with the odd nature walk thrown in
it was great to get back to exploring a new city and Medellin was a hotbed of action. The surprisingly wealthy inner city area was packed with people sampling the abundance of street markets and shops, while lacking in iconic sites there’s a large amount of street art and atmosphere. Our false sense of security at the wealth and safety was quickly shattered when we strayed 1 block to far from the main drag. As 2 stupid gringo’s walking along with our SLR camera in hand, we were confronted by 3 policeman who after some convoluted discussion ended up giving us a personal escort out of the neighborhood. The following day while on
the Pablo Escobar tour we were informed this was the junkie area of Medellin and it was unsafe to even take your camera out while we were driving in the van!!
The Pablo tour took us to a number of fairly unmemorable sites, one of his many former apartments buildings, the rooftop where he was shot and his eventual burial site. Along the way though you hear some fascinating stories of a guy who was, and still is viewed by many in Medellin as a Robin Hood type.
The city is set in a valley with red brick houses lining the hills all around and we caught the gondola to the top of one of the mountains which provided some spectacular panoramic views of the city. The gondola is a part of the public transport network and takes you over the slums in the hills, a stark contrast to the upmarket area we were staying in and the inner city we’d previously seen. What strikes you is the stark difference between the upper and middle class, who visit shopping malls and ride the metro in a similar lifestyle to their western counterparts, and the lower class who appear to be living in squalor with absolutely nothing.
To take advantage of such spectacular views we decided to try our hand at paragliding, which provided an unmatched opportunity to take in the expanse of the city. More of a tranquil experience than the adrenalin rush I’d expected, this was a lot of a fun and one of the highlights of our adventures so far. We followed up with a picnic and a stroll through the huge botanical gardens, all decked out with Christmas lights and ornaments.
We took a day trip to the nearby Guatape, a huge valley that’s been flooded to make way for a dam that supplies the bulk of Colombia’s electricity. It’s a cute little town that services tourists en route to the nearby El Penol Rock, one of the worlds ugliest natural attractions but worth a visit for the incredible views provided at the top. How in god’s name such a huge rock ended up in the middle of nowhere is anyone’s guess, I’ll leave that one for Mulder and Scully.
Our desire to persevere with the street food continues to throw up some interesting results, this weeks strangest fare being a sandwich of wafers with the filling of caramel, strawberry and lemon sauce mixed with cheese. Tastes as odd as it sounds. Thankfully our hostel was owned by a Kiwi guy who put on the mother of all BBQ’s with all I could eat steak, pork, chicken and sausages, and some salad on the side for the ladies. After the rubbish food we’ve been eating one couldn’t help but overindulge and I slipped quietly into a meat coma on completion. Incidentally just 4 days after we checked out the hostel; and all the backpackers in it, were robbed at gun point and got cleaned out. A lucky escape.
Despite a couple of safety issues both Cush and I were blown away by Medellin. It’s a beautiful city, with a wonderful atmosphere and even better people. In fact it’s one of the few places we’ve visited that make you think ‘I could live here’. We were a bit disappointed when time constraints meant we needed to push on but we’re looking forward to hitting the Colombia’s much famed coffee region.
Nights stayed in Medellin – 5
Stay at – Casa Kiwi or the Black Sheep (assuming increased security)
It’ll cost you – We visited an upmarket shopping mall where prices matched anything you would find in NZ or Australia and if you’re in an upmarket things are pretty expensive. As always though there’s plenty of value and we only paid $40 for a 20 min paragliding session
Quote of the week – “Even I am getting over all this fried chicken” – When these words pass my lips you know the fried food is getting out of hand
Quote of the week 2 – “There are 2
things in this world you can never trust, the love of a prostitute and a Colombian Policeman. Of course this saying isn’t always true because sometimes prostitutes do fall in love.” – A Colombian saying that gives some insight into how they feel about their police force
How much coke – It’s reported at his peak Pablo was spending US$25,000 a month on rubber bands to wrap up his money. They estimate at this time his Cartel was supplying 80% of the United States cocaine. That’s a lot of blow.
How much money – A kilo of coke cost them US$3,000 to produce and they sold it in the states for UD$150,000. They were transporting over a tonne in one go. You do the math
How corrupt are the Colombian police – 6 months ago they seized 2 tonnes of cocaine from a local trafficker. While on lock down inside the police station, the coke ‘mysteriously’ disappeared and turned into 2 tonnes of flour
Safety – While we’ve had a couple of close calls, it’s quickly becoming apparent the the most likely cause of injury or death in this country will come at the hands of a bus driver. They are absolutely insane
Boobs – OK, it needs to be said. For whatever reason in Colombia plastic surgery appears to be very much in fashion. The result, beautiful big chested Colombian women everywhere. See pic of my new love Laura for more details. Cush had better be on her game.
If you’re interested – in what is a truly fascinating story of Pablo Escobar, Colombia and America’s war on drugs I’d highly recommend reading the book Killing Pablo.