Touring In and Around Medellin

Keith & I have enjoyed two half days of buzzing around this big city using public transport of all types. Taking a cab is out-of-the-ordinary for us and yesterday we hailed them like pros. For less that $2.00 US you can be delivered right to the door of previously unknown location, fabulous! Especially handy when you are on a specific mission and not just sightseeing.
Yesterday, Wednesday, we had two specific tasks to complete: #1- replace the towel (see previous post) & #2- inquire about changing our airline tickets now that Shana Jan is unfortunately unable to join us in Cartagena. After that we were free to wander.



After finding the towel we asked the checkout bagger at the department store how to walk to the nearest metro station. Rather than giving us verbal instructions he proceeded to walk us out the store, across the street, down and around the corner. I asked him if this was part of his job or if he was just enjoying a little outdoors time, he responded "It's not my job, but it's part of being a Paisa!" Paisas, again, are the name for the special, kind people in Antioquia, of which Medellin is the largest city. We have been treated like important guests here, being thanked countless times for coming to visit Colombia. These people are very proud of their country, one young girl described her home in the country just over the mountaintop "pure paradise". They wouldn't live anywhere else.

Seeing these displays of genuine patriotism did influence my perspective on the State of Nation speech which we watched with four other Americans here at the Art House on Tuesday night. I was disgusted by the competitive nature of most of the President's remarks ~"Win the Future". While he reminded us that "we do good things" and certainly encouraged all Americans to reach for their personal best, I resent the "we're #1" mentality. While I am proud to be an American, I have seen other countries succeed in areas beyond what I have experienced in my own backyard and wish that the United States would adopt a more cooperative, rather than competitive agenda. Well, enough of this soap box ranting, and back to travel blogging!


Our travel day yesterday was cut short by a serious thunderstorm with hailstones which we just barely missed. It started raining really hard the minute we reached the metro station after a short walk and had finished by the time we took the bus to the park and walked the rest of the way home, starting again in our neighborhood once we walked inside!



Today we started our tour by taking the bus to the metro to another tram that took us up & down hills filled with an interesting statum of housing. The tram line seems to drape from hilltop to hilltop. Children run playing in and around all the homes; it's an interesting vantage point riding just over the top of the homes looking in from above.
Some of the homes are very nice with garages, wrought iron fences and window guards, and gardens within their terraces. Other homes are shacks built on stilts with curtains in the open spaces that serve as windows, and no concrete or flooring leading to and into their ramshackled shelter. I have noticed that homes on the valley floor seem to be of higher quality than those built into the side of the hills.




One thing I noticed was the care that was taken when the tram poles were placed 10 years ago when the metro line opened. At the bottom of each is a gathering place with trees, benches and, in some cases, sculpture or murals, a thoughtful touch and nice addition to each neighborhood.



All in all we spent 100 minutes riding the metro and train before setting out on foot today, I figure it cost less than one cent per minute, an inexpensive and very interesting way to tour the city!



We walked through the municipal buildings and Plaza Major today passing many libraries, churches and restored buildings from the turn of the 19th century. As we stopped for lunch in the 'barefoot park' we started pointing out 'beautiful people' to each other. Paisa women are a pretty species, many with some help from plastic surgery on their chests, but today the number of super, thin, fashion conscious women and men was uncanny. After we ate we discovered that there is a big fashion industry convention in town meeting in the same area, so it all made sense!



When the dark clouds began to build and we saw raindrops in yesterday's puddles, we headed for the metro. After getting off the bus, we stopped in the commercial area of Envigado to buy some fruit and veggies from a stand purchasing two small watermelons, a red pineapple and bunch of celery for $1.50 US in all! What a life!!
Tonight we are hosting the Spanish teacher of one of our house mates for a simple supper. I'd better go finish my black beans.

As you can see from the photo above, yesterday started with some excitement, and thanks to my guardian angel, no disaster!
I went downstairs to start breakfast and Keith showered and joined me. As Nubia, the cleaning lady who comes in once a week, started for upstairs with sheets it occurred to me that I wanted to make sure that our sheets were also washed as we had been at the Art House nearly one week. I followed her up and asked her, she responded that certainly she would put the sheets in the washing machine and came into the room with me. We were taking the sheets off the beds and I remarked that there must be a fire nearby, it smelled like smoke in our room. Nubia opened the window and peered out over the neighborhood, no fire outside. I returned to my bed to get the sheets and looked up over the divider which separates the bedroom from the bathroom. Steamy smoke was visible. I grabbed the towel that Keith had draped over the room divider to dry after he showered. It had just started to burn because it was directly in contact with a hot lightbulb, easy bake oven style!
Once the towel was in the sink, the problem was solved. Nubia cut up the towel for rags and I retained a piece today we will search for a matching towel to replace what was destroyed.
The cleaning lady and I couldn’t believe our luck! I hate to imagine the possibilities if I hadn’t followed my instinct to go into the room when I did. The roof is paneled with varnished wood strips and was only twelve inches above the top of the dividing wall! Whew!!

After all the excitement Carla, Keith & I headed out for the day. We took a bus to the metro back to the tram that took us to the top of Santa Domingo where we had spent time on Saturday. This time we took one more tram from there to a large National Park at the end of the tram line. We had no idea the scope of the park we were headed to or we would have started out much earlier in the day! Parque Arvi was huge with a lake, butterfly sanctuary, various trails, camping areas, horseback riding, you could spend many days exploring there. We only had a couple of hours to take a hike.

On the tram ride up Keith befriended a handsome young Guatemalan, Roberto. He waited for us to have lunch and then walked with us through the beautiful wooded area. We sat on wooden benches for lunch out in the wild, our meat, beans, and rice cooked over a wood stove. It was a filling meal with a fried plantain for dessert.

When we arrived home we met our new 'flat mates', Becca and Charlie. Guess where they have been living? St. George, Utah!
It's incredible that we that we traveled nearly three months without talking with other Americans & now, presto, a house filled with people from our own backyard!

Just What We Hoped For!

Spending time yesterday with Luis Fernando Lopez will stand out as one of our all-time favorite traveling memories. He very graciously picked us up in his comfy Land Rover and gave us an interesting tour of the areas of Poblado & Medellin. We were able to discuss in Spanish all sorts of historical and political topics pertaining to this modern, beautiful city of which Fernando is very proud.


On the way to El Tesoro, a giant shopping/entertainment center in an upper-class neighborhood of Medellin, he pointed out the church where he and his wife were married 32 years ago. The mall was very interesting filled with open air areas for dining and recreating. I’m not sure I have ever seen such place before even in the states!


As we walked through the supermarket, always a favorite excursion of mine in foreign lands, our personal guide, Fernando, pointed out many of Colombia’s special foods, especially the fruits. He chose two types of avejas for us to sample, they are like a tortilla but are thicker and made from a variety of grains and roots, some have cheese in the mix and others not. He picked out the right kind of cheese to place atop the grilled aveja which we tried for breakfast. Delicious!!
We stopped for a frozen coffee before heading to his sister and brother-in-law’s lovely home for a visit. We had mentioned in the Miami airport where we first met Fernando that we enjoy homestays. He called his sister about our need and she was willing to meet with us and consider having us in her home. I bought a pretty bouquet of flowers to present to her upon our arrival.


I think we passed the ‘inspection’ but I don’t think their home is designed to entertain travelers. It is elegant but each room is obviously in use and I wouldn’t want to intrude on their peaceful lifestyle. That said I think we will be spending time with Luz Mariela touring the area. She is very nice and would like to improve her English as we pick up some Spanish practice! Her daughter lives in Minneapolis and Luzma has probably traveled by car further than Keith and I around the states on various trips.


Fernando was so generous with his time yesterday. He had various cell calls while we were with him. He is so well connected in the community that we encountered several groups of people he know during our walk around the mall!
It was a great opportunity to get to know some real Paisas and be invited to their home. We are very appreciative of the time we spent together!

Thanks to Tour Guide/Chef Mike!!

Saturday, January 22nd, we were treated to another sensational day of touring Medellin by the #1 guide, Mike Manning. Along with his father, Randy, and a new traveling buddy, Carla, Keith & I visited several stops of interest in central Medellin before taking a tram to the top of Santo Domingo for an amazing mountaintop view of the huge city below.



We started the day by bus to metro getting off in the center of town to see a mural of the area's history. The city is easily accessed by the elevated train which makes convenient stops at the major tourist points.




Plaza Botero is filled with 23 bronze sculptures by Fernando Botero, Colombia's leading contemporary artist born in Medellin is 1932. He has donated countless other of his paintings & sculptures to the Museo de Antioquia which also included paintings by other Colombian artists and famous international artists as well. Keith purchased a hat outside the museum which helps him fit right in, he looks a lot like Juan Valdez of coffee fame!



A short metro ride further north took us to the Botanical Garden which was a lush green spot which proved to be a perfect refuge from the afternoon sunshine. Keith played in the jumping fountain and walked through a misted trellis there before we headed in to the garden proper for lunch, a tour inside a butterfly sanctuary and a walk through the park.



Our next metro stop was to a tram ride, which was part of the metro system, to the neighborhood of Santo Domingo near the top of a steep mountain. Here in the northern part of the city of Medellin built one on top of another are the residences of paisas with lesser means. Their homes appear to be built as money is earned from red cinder blocks filled with mortar. Windows are left open and roofs are constructed from corrugated metal held in place by rocks or red tile bricks.




The neighborhoods were packed with people outside, children playing, music blaring, cars, buses and motorcycles darting around kids on bikes... wild and crazy, but fun to experience. It isn't a place to visit after dark, but we had a nice time looking at the city below and tasting sweet treats such as crushed ice covered with heavy fruit syrup and condensed milk.



We chatted, in spanish of course, with a woman working a piece of taffy like candy on a tree limb and sampled a small piece. It was pure honey cooked with vanilla & gelatin; she had to keep it moving or it would harden up. I couldn't help but wonder what she does when her nose itches or she needs a potty break, her hands were a sticky mess. And no, I didn't ask.



The city of Medellin is very socially progressive. This tram, which I was shocked to find was included in the price of the metro ticket ($.75US) was built to include the poorer population living on the mountainside into the greater metropolitan population. By provided easy access to transport to more working opportunities the community is thriving. The black boxy structure is a library built to inspire educational pursuits. Impressive city planning!



After taking the tram to the train to a bus back to our Envigado neighborhood south of the city center we stopped at the grocery store for foodstuffs. On our arrival back to the Art House, tour guide Mike became the BBQ king.




We had yummy shish kabobs cooked on the grill outside our terrace penthouse room. Many friends of Mike and Todd, both paisas and travelers, arrived throughout the evening to eat and drink, it was a lively party until the party moved to two of the guests' parents' home where live music was part of a big birthday celebration. Keith & I missed out on this part of the evening, we were pretty tuckered from the full day's activities.



Mike & his dad Randy leave today for trips to a nearby lake and the Amazon Basin for more adventurous activity. We will miss them, but will try to carry on the fun!


Today is Sunday, a day of rest, well timed & deserved!

Santa Fe de Antioquia...HOT & Very Cool at the Same Time!

We had a great time at an Intercambio on Thursday night in the Poblado neighborhood of Medellin. The group was organized through 'Couch Surfing' and was made up of mostly young people from Colombia and beyond. I purposely sat apart from Keith and the other men from the Art House we came with so that I would be forced to interact and I did! I spoke in Spanish with a Paisa (the name for people from area of Antioquia where Medellin is located), a young male Paisa, a swiss man, a French Canadian man, and a handsome man from Paris, quite a night! It was actually our first night out on the town on this adventure, we tend to stay in after dark, but we really had a nice time.


We were invited by Michael & his father, Randy, to take a day trip to Santa Fe today. It was a long day which started with a bus ride to the Metro (an aboveground train) to another bus through the mountains. As we descended into the valley about 30 miles from Medellin the temperature began to rise. I'm sure it was at least 90 degrees, very hot & a bit humid. The colonial town was certainly worth the journey, we walked for hours taking pictures of the various doorways along the cobblestoned streets. It is a smaller town with many resorts outside the old center.





We had a nice lunch, menu of the day for $3.00 US and then we practically forced by a street vendor to sample an unusual fruit, it was yucky, much like slimy stinky feet cheese inside a rind. I barely tasted it, Keith wouldn't even try after smelling & looking at it.

By 'tuk-tuk' we rode out to a 115 year old suspension bridge which spans a large muddy river. We walked one way across and then rode back on the little two seater converted motorcycle.


The ride to & from the bridge took us through cooler, green forested woods, which helped revive us for the bus ride home. Keith & I both fell asleep, traveling latino style, on the bus until we came to a very lengthy tunnel through the mountain which was filled with exhaust fumes. We arrived back in Medellin after the sun had retreated and the springtime temperature felt great. Back on the Metro to a taxi which brought us home again and hungry for carne asada grilled on our terrace and a big green salad. A great day with a perfect ending!

A Mere 12 Hours of Travel to Springtime in Medellin

We left SLC at 6:05 am, a big thanks to Victor for driving us there at such an early hour! All three flights were on-time and fairly easy, around three hours each.
Waiting in Miami I was approached by a friendly man who inquired about my Nook, he had just purchased one and wanted to know how to set it up. I gave him a bit of information before Keith came up to speak with him as well. Fernando had just finished a cruise in the Caribbean with his family (wife and two beautiful children in their 20's). He was so friendly and offered to help us in any way we may need in his home city of Medellin. As chance would have it Keith was seated right next to him on the totally full plane and they chatted, mostly in Spanish, the whole way to Colombia! I'm sure we will be seeing him here again during our stay, a very nice person who has traveled extensively in the states and abroad.




Today we slept late before venturing out around The Art House where we have taken residency for at least one week. We found out about this place from one of the young owners while waiting for our luggage in Buenos Aires. He purchased this house in an town on the outskirts of the second largest city in Colombia and has done a nice job fixing it up 'western style' into a guest house. Named after an art center on the same street, it is filled with interesting paintings. It's comfortable, especially in and around our private room on the roof terrace. The view is wonderful of the lush, green mountains nearby.
Temperature here is perfect, around 80 degrees with a slight wind, it is a little humid which will be good for my skin after the freezing dry air in SLC these past three weeks!
We did wander around the area this morning securing some provisions for breakfasts & other meals in the coming days. The streets are still full of holiday decorations which hang from one side to the other. One street had giant fruit with neon lights and the next street birds, butterflies and flying insects. In the center of the town square was a tree shaped structure with a happy moon face on top, all very colorful and creative.



Our only disappointment today was the cup of coffee we stopped to have to start our day. As you can see from this picture it was nearly pure milk with a little coffee flavor. You will also note how exhausted I look, a true representation. I initiated the first, rather long, nap of this second part of our trip. We are just getting back up and around now!


The fruit here is a huge treat, so varied, cheap and delicious! The supermarkets seemed to carry more choices than in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay as well. We were very happy to see a selection of tortillas, though here they are thicker corn types.

Tonight we will join a couple of people here at the Art House at an intercambio experience where we will speak English with native Spanish speakers in exchange for some English speaking practice for them. Afterwards it's off to dance the salsa at a club with a live band! Good thing we had a good nap!