Bogota & Medellin

Bogota

The capital city of Colombia.

Medellin

We experienced a bit more on our trip here in Medellin. Here is a small glimpse of the three most important:

Escobar

Since we watched the Narcos series about the drug lord Pablo Escobar on Netflix, we naturally booked a tour. In the morning, a guide for a private tour came to pick us up, and from the very beginning, this guy was a bit suspicious. It turned out that he knew a lot about the drug mafia in Medellin. His cousin worked for 'el Patron' (as Pablo Escobar is called here). He even met Escobar a few times and did several small tasks for his cousin (driving a car filled with cocaine, weapons, or money around the city).

I thought it was all made up to make the tour more interesting...

...Until we met a colleague of his who used to be one of the drivers for el Patron. He showed us his photo album with pictures of him and Escobar in front of Hacienda Napolitana, which is known as the largest drug distribution center in South America.

Then it continued, with current photos and videos of both of them with Popeye. Popeye was Escobar's right-hand man and hitman, and he was released from prison after 23 years. He killed around 300 people himself and was responsible for about 3000 murders... Shocking, incomprehensible, and frightening.

Next to that, we also visited 'La Monaco' - Escobar's residence, 'La Cathedral' - his prison, and the place where he was eventually shot.

The whole day was quite surreal for us, not knowing how much of it was true or not. Both of us could hardly sleep the next night because of fear...

Guatape

Still unsettled and unsure, we took the next trip. We went to Guatape by bus and enjoyed this small, colorful town. After the previous day, it was like stepping into a postcard. Another beautiful setting and a stunning town for us.

Comuna 13

I won't write too much about what I've read and heard about it... Until a few years ago, it was the most dangerous neighborhood in the world, with various militant groups fighting anything that wasn't in line with their beliefs. After Escobar and the paramilitary forces, the guerrillas took control of that area, even managing to bring it under their rule. The Colombian military fought for days until the people from the neighborhood waved white flags and cloths for peace... One of the important landmarks in the history of Medellin. Today, colorful graffiti in Comuna 13 remind us of these events.

Medellin is a city with many contradictions, and its emotions make it a remarkable city. However, the taste of the past with the drug cartel still lingers somewhere.