We have arrived in Colombia (not Columbia, that’s an adventure clothing brand)! Medellin is our first stop on our travels in this new country and we could not be more impressed! Medellin has a rough history, and although it has been many years since this city was considered the most dangerous place in the world, this reputation of danger continues to loom in people’s minds. During our visit to the city we wanted to get a feel for the new Medellin while learning about the efforts that have transformed this once-deadly city. If you are headed to Colombia, we highly recommend adding Medellin to your itinerary. This place is epic.
To get a better idea of what Medellin has been through, we started our exploration of the city by joining a free walking tour (we can highly recommend Dio from Real City Tours). We learned about the very distant history of Medellin, and the not-so-distant history. Our tour guide shared with us his own memories of the war zone that was Medellin in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. He recalled his memories of violence and suffering that were created at the hands of drug cartels, corrupt social systems, and one particular man who he referred to as Voldemort so as to not speak his name in public (yes, we are talking about Pablo Escobar). It was hard to believe the streets we were now walking down safely as tourists were the same streets where countless murders had taken place in the name of cocaine just a few decades earlier.
Medellin is the epitome of a city transformed. The feeling we got while walking around the city and interacting with our neighbours was one of unshakeable optimism. There was something about the place and the people that just made us feel hopeful. People seemed to ooze resilience and pride to be Paisa (from Medellin), and the result was an atmosphere of possibility. We quickly learned that the people of Medellin had a lot to be proud of.
After trying some local Colombian food (bandeja paisa and arepa) and exploring the touristy neighbourhood of El Poblado, we joined a group and went to a Medellin futbol game (a soccer game). We discovered an outlet for all that positive energy at that futbol game because WOW are those soccer fans spirited!
Visiting Comuna 13 really helped to put into perspective the transformation that Medellin has undergone. Once the most dangerous neighbourhood in Medellin (which is really saying something), Comuna 13 now has safe schools, a social justice building, parks, and a bustling tourist industry. Everywhere you look there is street art and performers, and the outdoor escalators make it all incredibly accessible. This community built into the hillside with no streets wide enough for vehicles can completely changed in the past twenty years, and learning about the transformation of Comuna 13 was the perfect way to cap off our visit to the unbelievable city of Medellin.
We were so impressed with Medellin and feel so grateful that we get to share the city’s positivity and hopefulness with you. Thanks for joining us 🙂
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== Chapters ==
00:00 We are in Colombia!
00:20 World class walking tours
03:24 The most valued part of the city
04:08 El Poblado
04:30 First Colombian food (bandeja paisa and arepas)
06:14 Medellin futbol game (soccer)!
09:12 Touring Comuna 13
11:28 What to expect in Comuna 13
13:06 Being rapped about
14:23 Bloopers
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