Medellín

Highlights: meeting new family, state of the art public transportation, hillside neighborhoods, botanical gardens.  

Reasons to return to the countryside: air pollution, traffic, trendy shopping malls. 

Spending most of our time in pueblos has spoiled us. 

For many, Medellín is magical. Most visitors seem to stay in the more prominent neighborhoods, such as Poblado, that are sleek and polished with lots to offer. Poblano is  where fashion and fine dining go hand in hand, the Beverly Hills of Medellín. We fit right in....

Downtown, where we stayed, tells a different story.  The human condition story. It's rough around the edges, as one would expect, but it's easy enough to avoid those edges. The silver lining? Our hotel 61 Prada (recommended by Lonely Planet ). Once inside you are transported to another world: decorative stone walls, modern art, winding metal staircases, high ceilings, rooftop patio. All within our budget ($25/night). 

Another plus staying downtown: walking distance to the botanical gardens. 

To get a bird's eye view of the city, we jumped on one of the many public trams that takes you straight up the mountain, connecting neighborhoods in a matter of minutes instead of hours by bus. 

It was hard for me to shake the shadow of Pablo while there. Brian's sister-in-law's brother (brother-in-law by marriage?) has lived in Medellín most of his life. We asked him what his life was like during the Pablo days. His face grew somber and he shook his head back and forth as he reflected. 

"You couldn't go anywhere. You couldn't help but see the violence. It was everywhere." 

He compared it to the days of Al Capone. How quickly we forget that the US had its own version of mafia madness. Our country persevered. Colombia will too. Vestiges of the drug trade violence may remain in the hearts and minds of those who experienced it, but what is more evident to us, the outsiders, is a progressive energy that permeates the major cities (that we've seen) today: construction and development, social programs, countrywide hydroelectric projects. Momentum. There's always rough edges, but as a whole, there's a vibe, a citywide vibe that feels like optimism. 

Brian and I head to the small village of Jardin next. It's located south of Medellín in the heart of the coffee region. Estamos listos!