Medellín - the city where everything blooms?

And here comes my journey to Colombia in a brief overview. Paula and I are flying to Medellín in the second Tec week to visit Charlotte. Marlene is also joining us from Chile, a real reunion, how wonderful! 

On the first day, Lotte is still out and about with her brother, who has come to visit her. So, the three of us girls head to the city center first. 

This was probably quite naive, as we just start walking. The city is greener than Mexico City but also much more dangerous and dirtier. 

So many homeless people come here to live because it is warm all year round. And apparently, there isn’t a proper waste collection or proper police here, as little bags and even syringes are lying around everywhere! So we don't feel very good just walking through here, and many corners really feel unsafe. Here are some photos for comparison; there are nice, pretty areas but also many ugly, impoverished neighborhoods:

The food here is not as diverse as in Mexico, but I quite like it since the main dish is rice with beans, egg, avocado, and plantains. Sounds wild, but it’s mainly vegetarian and really tasty. The fruit is also different; some fruits I do not know at all. That is always my highlight in a new country.

On the first evening, when Lotte is back, we go to the stadium and watch football. It’s huge and very exciting. We learn the football songs and secretly drink Aguardiente (basically bad Colombian ouzo) with the locals. 

We also go "hiking"; we climb a rock two hours outside the city. Gorgeous view - I would look for a holiday home here.

Afterwards, we drive to a nearby town that is cute and colorful. But also quite touristy; a little fake. 

Lotte’s campus is very green as well. And friendlier to vegetarians than mine.

We also visit an interesting museum of memory that deals with violence in the city. In 1992, Medellin was still the most dangerous city in the world, but the situation has improved so much since then.

There are also some very cute cafés here.

We also go out a lot, for example, salsa dancing and playing cards in bars. The city can really do this well, it gets one into a festive mood. What it’s also known for, however, is drug tourism and the prostitution of minors!! It’s horrible. Luckily, it doesn’t seem to be American vacation season right now, and we mostly meet Colombians while partying.

One of my favorite evenings is Halloween, our last night in the city. We pre-party at Lotte’s French classmates’ place and then go to a neighborhood where only the “Paisas” (residents of Medellín) go to celebrate. It’s going to be a crazy, fun night. 

But my highlight is our four-hour tour through Comuna 13. This neighborhood was inaccessible to outsiders for decades, and even locals had to stay in their blocks because the gang war (guerrillas in drug trafficking, including the most famous of all, Pablo Escobar) was so deadly. Corrupt presidents eventually ensured that the gangs disappeared, but thousands of innocent civilians, especially young men, were executed. 

A young man from the neighborhood shows us around and tells us the grim story of this place. Today, it is so peaceful here that I feel the safest on the whole trip. 

The community here has actually managed to create a predominantly non-violent and drug-free place with art, culture, and its own identity. For example, the guide shows us breakdancers, artworks, culinary highlights, and great views. Later, I look it up and indeed: Medellin is about the same size as Dresden and has six times as many inhabitants!! Can you believe that??

And that's it from the trip. In summary, I had a great time. It was nice to be with Charlotte, even though the dynamics had to settle again since Paula and I are now closer. It was also nice to get to know Lotte's brother Moritz and her best friend Victor a bit. I think we were a super group.

Moreover, I am already relieved that I decided to go to Mexico City. Especially the crime, poverty, and the intrusive men in this city frighten me. But Lotte feels comfortable, which makes me very happy. I really enjoyed my first trip to South America, and I wish I could just travel from here to Peru, Chile, Argentina, etc... everything here feels quite different, somehow less Western than Mexico.

Now I am definitely looking forward to my Mexico again and then to seeing my girls again in a few months. I will miss them!