Hind Sight
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I spent just over three weeks in Medellin, Colombia in 2019-2020. I stayed in three different neighborhoods, went on two “touristy” guided tours and took over 450 photos, yet I still find it tough to pin point exactly what it was about her that so enchanted me. Perhaps that’s Her super power, She can leave an everlasting impression without a need for bells and whistles.
I arrived on Christmas day 2019. From the airport, I hopped on a low cost bus that got me to the city in about an hour for less than 15,000 pesos/$4 USD. From the mall bus stop, I called an Uber and presto, I was at the first of three hostels. I dropped off my bags and was off to find food.
After my Christmas burger and beer, I boarded another bus and headed to the city center where I was greeted with the most rare of big city travel experiences, deserted streets. That’s Christmas for ya. I was not disappointed then, nor am I now as I scroll through pictures from that day.
After a few hours of exploring, it was time to head back to my accomodations. This is when I made my introduction to Metro de Medellin, the mode of transportation that made wandering the city so easy and fun. Once you get this key peice, the city seems to open her arms and welcome you to explore. From the Museum of Modern Art to Comuna 13, everyday was normal and yet new.
I would love to write about the loads of lessons I learned, fears I overcame and the wonderful people I met that made Medellin so magical but those were not her gifts to me.
It’s true that I bumped into 4 people that I met in previous countries and I did a few things while feeling my fears incessant warnings but, after some serious consideration, my admiration for my time in the city boils down to, the ease of her flow.
Medellin is a big city with a lot to experience and it didn’t seem to take long to acclimate or go with the bustling flow. In hindsight, Mexico City comes the closest to sharing some of the ease of getting around but doesn’t quite match the flow comfort levels.
In addition to her ease and flow, I was attracted to the flora, fauna, art and architecture. My most favorite place to hang out was the Botanical Garden, which happened to be free, and Cerro El Volador Natural Park which offered amazing views of the city and my first Vermillion Flycatcher.
