The absolute best way to see a country is with someone who lives there. When Colleen and I were in India, we met 2 Colombian guys that we joked were our “Colombian Body Guards.” I was fortunate enough to get to visit them in Medellin. It was by far, one of the most fun times of my trip.
First of all, it was amazing to not have to make decisions. Anyone who knows me knows how bad I am at making decisions, so it was great to have Pablo and Santi there to make all my decisions for me. It was just nice to feel taken care of for once too after constantly battling to travel alone.
They picked me up from the bus station and took me to “my house.” They live a good life in a high income bracket for sure. They had a housekeeper that cooked all our meals for us and we even had snack time. She did my laundry every 3 days. It was nice to have a place that felt like home too after staying in so many hostels.
The boys took me on a food tour of Colombia, which is, of course, the best kind of tour. At restaurants they would even order for me. Every meal was a different typical dish in Colombia. One day, Pablo and I went to the supermarket and bought every single fruit that I had never seen before, there were almost 20, and I got to try them all. Colombia is famous for its fruit and I can see why.
Pablo was incredible, teaching me all about Medellin’s history and the region and all about Colombia. The boys patiently helped me with my Spanish and taught me Colombian slang. They took me out with their friends and took me to their FInca, sort of a country house, which most upper class Colombians in Medellin have. I even met the whole family. They answered all my questions about the FARC and politics and what life was like for them growing up (and believe me it was scary, something I could never imagine) and they helped translate interviews for me.
Medellin has some of the most amazing nightlife that I have ever seen too. And the women are by far the most beautiful in the world, talk about intimidating. Days were spent working, going about life with the boys and getting to see the city. One night Pablo and I were extras in a Colombian movie. Random; yes. Fun; definitely.
Medellin has truly transformed as a city. It was once considered the most dangerous city in the world and now I felt completely safe. It seems more like a city in California than in Colombia. It is surrounded by mountains with huge buildings sprawling through the whole valley and climbing up the mountains themselves. Most people live in apartment buildings, not in houses so that makes for a lot of tall buildings. It also has the only cable car used for public transportation in the world. Having the cable car really cleaned up some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city.
Medellin also has a program that has created these, “Parque Bibliotecas” which they built in formerly dangerous areas. These are libraries with free internet, free classes and places for kids to play. Medellin has transformed itself from Pablo Escobar’s drug filled city to a thriving metropolis that is striving to be a bilingual and the “most educated” city in South America. It is well on its way if it is not already there.
To me, Medellin represents hope. I look at the changes that took place there in the last few years and it is absolutely an inspiration for the world. It’s not perfect, but it is getting closer every day. And the hospitality that the boys showed me was unbeatable. It made all the difference to have friends to take me around. I love Colombia!
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