Unemployed & Unimpeded: Welcome to Medellín Part I

Set in a deep valley in the heart of Colombia lies the city of eternal spring, Medellín. While many people outside of Colombia still associate Medellín with the drug cartel, Pablo Escobar, and violence, locals know that times have changed. Since the 1990's, the city has done an amazing job minimizing the drug presence and transforming their image into an innovative and exciting hub for Colombians and travelers alike. This dramatic change has not gone unnoticed. In 2012, the Wall Street Journal awarded Medellin City of the Year and they were also garnished for their Sustainable Transportation along with San Francisco. As soon as we stepped foot in the city, it was apparent how much Medellín had set themselves apart from the rest of the country. The locals, or Paisas, have an immense amount of pride and were clearly excited to see travelers experiencing their city and culture. We took the metro to our hostel located in an affluent district called Laureles. Shanta's brother, David, flew in from Houston the following day and we began exploring the city. We took a trip up the wall of the valley in a cable car and arrived at the ceiling of the city, Park Arví. The view of the city was obscured by the dense forest but the food vendors at the top made up for it. With empanadas in our stomachs, we set out hiking with the remaining daylight. To cap off the night, we drank our way through the gringo district, Poblado, which became a nightly routine. It was there that Shanta found her coveted Mexican food and David was mistaken for a Colombian local on multiple occasions. In Poblado we also discovered a coffee shop that Colombians claimed served some of the best coffee in the country. Despite keeping each of us awake until 4am, the locals were right about the quality. We spent the next week taking tours, seeing festivals, and bouncing from bar to bar at night. On David's last night, we went to a crowded local's bar a few blocks from our hostel. After a few drinks, we noticed Colombians crowding around an older man. When I asked the table next to us who he was, I was told that he is a national celebrity, Bazil Alexander, who used to be famous for his salsa songs in the 80s. The Michael Bolton of Colombia got up, grabbed the microphone, and began belting out some of his greatest hits while the bar roared in excitement. Shanta and David squeezed in for a pic, and Bazil managed to give a perfect smile mid-verse. David took off the next day and Shanta and I couldn't manage much more than drinking water and recovering at the hostel. Check back in the next few days for posts on our city tours and the famous Medellín flower festival, Feria De las Flores.