Ahhhh, Medellin, How We Hated To Leave!

It was a beautiful drive to the airport this morning. As the sun came up our taxi seemed to drive up to the sky pass manicured fields and grand estates that fill the mountainsides and valleys surround Medellin.



Yesterday we took one last trip on the Metro to the center of this huge, but lovely city, to see the large dove sculptures created by Botero in Plaza San Antonio. In 1995, during Medellin's very tragic violent drug wars, a bomb went off in the square killing thirty people of all ages. One of the birds still on display was severely damaged in that blast, the names of the fallen are printed on its base as a memorial of times past. Botero donated a replacement bird which stands next to the injured statue, a stark reminder of then and now. It seems truly amazing the change that this city, the center of the Medellin Drug Cartel, could undergo such a dramatic change in such as short time. It is safe, clean, art-filled working community that is quickly becoming the tourist destination it should be!



Our last activity in our neighborhood was a visit to GozArte, an art studio that offers painting, dancing, spanish and literature classes. Marleny had invited us for coffee and so we stopped by to see her. Luckily Carmen was also there teaching a young Paisa to paint. Carmen called her twin sister, Lina, and soon the whole family made the 20 minute taxi ride to meet us. The girls' parents and brother were as welcoming as their aunt, Marleny, and the twins themselves. We had a nice chat and Marleny even insisted I try to dance with her dancing student, also a Colombian from the coast. It was a great way to end such a delightful time in Antioquia meeting more new friends.




After two quick plane rides, first to Bogota and then on to Cartagena, we find ourselves in much warmer climate. But after checking the temperature at home and in Randolph, where the high today was expected to be 12 below zero with wind chill factor of much colder, we are tickled pink to be on the Caribbean coastline of Colombia for a while! Much sunscreen will be required to keep the pink/red skin tones temporary!

Our initial tour around town was disappointing at first, though looking back at the photos we took I can see it is very charming and interesting. The street vendors are pretty intense here, we need to constantly remind ourselves that they are just earning their living, and what a tough way to do it! As the sun went down the colors intensified. Having forgotten my regular glasses and because we were carry some cash, we headed in for the night early. But tomorrow night we will definitely stay out after dark when the lights shine on the colonial treasures in the old town surround by a wall made in part by coral remains.