Touring Medellín

To get the most out of our week in the city, we decided to do a walking tour of downtown and a second tour of important places around the city relating to Pablo Escobar. The walking tour was the longest we have ever been on (4 hours) but it was well worth it. Our guide, Hernan, was extremely knowledgeable and remembered each person's name after hearing it only once. We started out close to the government offices and walked through all of the famous plazas and marketplaces. In the mid 1990s, the government started transforming these drug-ridden areas into parks and monuments to show residents that progress was being made and that the cartels were losing their grip on the city. Today, Medellín has a look and feel of a bustling American or European city.

The second tour dove into the rise and fall of one of world's most infamous criminals, Pablo Escobar. While Pablo owned hundreds of properties in Medellín, we only visited a handful. Most of them have been repossessed by the government but you can still see the amount of influence that he weilded in the city. At the height of his power, most cops and government officials in Medellín were either under his authority or killed off. Since he spent generously on public projects for the poor, there were many that became sympathetic towards him. However, by the time he was killed, it was impossible to ignore the physical and emotional damage attributed to his reign of terror. We would recommend reading Killing Pablo if you're interested in learning more.

Starting the tour with Hernan

Looking up from the Plaza of Lights

Our bingo friends 

Local mall in a building from the 1920s

The mall's skylight

Dutch architecture near downtown

Walking along one of the main avenues

One of Pablo's primary residences

Young Pablo's ID card

The house where he was shot 

Admirers still leave flowers at his grave

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.

Typical restaurant near our hostel, The Wandering Paisa

David's first night

(Baby)sitting in line to Park Arví

Cable car system

On the way up

Drained the hot sauce supply

Conquering the park

The best coffee at Cafe Pergamino

Shanta taking in every last drop

Shanta's latte

With our new friend Aliyya

David and I excited about the cheap prices

The myth, the legend, Bazil

Palomino

Leaving the high altitude behind, we traveled once again to beaches farther up the Colombian coast. Most travelers make their way into Tyrona National Park, however, a friend we met in Minca told us that Palomino, a small coastal town near the Venezuelan border, is less crowded and cheaper. We took off after a quick pit stop in Santa Marta, and two hours later we arrived in the laid back beach town of Palomino. We still had a 30 minute walk ahead of us, but on our way to the Tiki Hut we met a Colombian who was driving to the beach to watch the sunset. Since our hostel was on the way, he offered us a ride. And given the fact that we were still a bit sore from our last hike with the packs, we gladly accepted the offer! He told us that he lives in Santa Marta but often takes weekend trips to Palomino to enjoy the beautiful beaches and sunsets. After our quick chat with him, we were eager to check in and get to the beach as well. Unfortunately, the waves are so high and dangerous that it is highly advised not to swim too far out. After soaking up some sun at the beach the next day, we decided to go tubing. I was excited to see how tubing the Palomino River in Colombia compared to the Russian River in California or the San Marcos River in Texas. There was one HUGE difference: we were the only ones on the river! Well, not the only ones, but the only tourists. We met some local kids along the way who were more than happy to see us. Not too long after, we noticed that Phill's tube was deflating quickly. Needless to say, Phill had to walk the remaining mile down the river. That setback aside, it was still a relaxing day on the river. When it was time to leave the Tiki Hut, we ran into the owner drinking with his buddies by the bus stop. He insisted we have a beer with him, which then turned into hours of drinking and learning local Spanish lingo. That was by far the highlight of the trip. 

Before hitchhiking to Tiki Hut

The hut

Two minutes from the hostel

The tide had its way with this tree

Phill loves taking pictures

Ridin' dirty

Before we knew the fate of Phill's tube

Palms for days

One of the last pictures of Phill's hat 

Some of the happiest kids we've met

More locals at play

Enjoying the river walk

Tubing ended at the beach

The impromptu bus stop

If you make your way to Palomino, the Tiki Hut is a must!

Minca

After several days in Santa Marta, it was time to explore the largest coastal mountain range in the world, the Sierra Nevada De Santa Marta. We took a jeep from Santa Marta with two other travelers and traversed the winding mountain road for an hour until we arrived in the small village of Minca. Good thing I didn't forget my dramamine! We were greeted almost immediately by dirt bikers begging to take us the final 40 minutes up the mountain. We began negotiating prices and quickly realized that they would not budge, and we knew our alternative was to hike two hours uphill. Since nightfall was close, we paid our drivers and set out on our way. Phill's reluctance to hold his driver around the waist meant that he had to bear the weight of his pack while trying to balance on the back of the bike. Perched at the crest of the mountain range on a coffee farm lies the small hostel, Casa Elemento. We set our bags down and couldn't believe the breathtaking views. Soon after, the entire hostel sat down for the nightly "family dinner." We spent the next two days reading, hiking, drinking the local coffee, and enjoying the campfire in the cool evenings. It was nice to get a break from technology since the hostel had a strict no WiFi policy. When it was time to leave, we opted to hike down to Minca instead of taking the motortaxis. Since it was all downhill, how bad could it be? Let's just say after two and a half hours of hiking with the packs, my body wasn't too happy with me for the next few days. Despite the post-Minca pain, it was nice to break away from the city and enjoy what the mountain had to offer. 

First sunset

The hammock

All to myself

Pool with a view

We were told to come back in 3 mo for the "BBQ"

Our trusty map

Owner's dog decided to join us for the hike

How I really felt after the night hike

Smiling for the camera

Santa Marta city lights

Leaving Casa Elemento

The bamboo towers over Phill

Trekking along