31.05.-04.06. - Medellin, Colombia

On May 31st, we flew from Havana to Medellin in Colombia. The flight was more or less smooth. It was about 15 °C at the airport, which is quite chilly for shorts and a t-shirt. The flight was about 1.5 hours delayed, but everything else was fine. The immigration process in Colombia was also smooth. Although we had obtained a 'fake onward flight ticket' beforehand, it was not necessary. Apparently, people with German passports have little concern about wanting to work illegally in the country.

Medellin is a beautiful city with a population of nearly 2.6 million in the urban area. Until the late 90s, the city was particularly affected by the drug war involving Pablo Escobar, with several deaths in the city every day. Nowadays, it's not as bad anymore. The drug war no longer affects the general population, but only those involved in it. On our first day in Medellin, we took a free walking tour. Free walking tours are generally free, and the guides are funded through tips. Everyone can give what they personally feel the tour was worth. We visited the main attractions of the city and learned about the different neighborhoods and barrios.
The metro and commuter train network in Medellin is very good. A ride costs about 3000 COP (about €0.65) and you can ride as much as you want (unless you exit through the gate). We visited some (poorer) neighborhoods and also took the cable car (which is included in the price). The cable car connects the higher neighborhoods of Medellin with the neighborhoods in the valley, as the city is located between two mountains (or on their slopes).

On the next day, June 2nd, we booked a Pablo Escobar tour. The tour focuses on the person Pablo Escobar and some places where he operated (his house, the neighborhood he built, the place where he is buried, etc.). Our guide worked as a police officer during Escobar's time and was involved in the fight against him. Escobar even put a bounty of $1000 (enough to buy a nice car back then) on him or any police officer's head. We gained good insights and learned a lot about Escobar, the city of Medellin, and the drug war.
In the evening of June 2nd, we booked a free walking tour through Comuna 13. Comuna 13 was once considered the most dangerous neighborhood in Medellin. Many people died here daily as the different (drug) cartels fought each other. Nowadays, Comuna 13 is known for its street art. (Renowned) graffiti artists come and beautify the neighborhood. Each graffiti tells a part of the neighborhood's history. There are many sellers, restaurants, and bars. There is still a lot of cannabis (among other drugs), but it is supposed to be legalized soon. Our guide was a university-trained English teacher, whose English was incredibly bad. It was really difficult to understand what he was trying to convey.

On June 3rd, we booked a tour to Guatape near Medellin. The tour took us to the Peñol del Guatape, a large monolith near the city. We also visited the old town of Guatape, some other (old) towns, and took a boat ride on the nearby lake, where Colombian footballer James Rodríguez, among others, has/had a villa. The tour itself was really nice, but also incredibly touristy. For meals (breakfast and lunch for everyone, also included in the price of €20), we were taken to 'restaurants' right by the road, which are only designed to serve tourist buses. Both meals were quite meager, but at least they didn't upset our stomachs. There is a staircase of over 700 steps leading to the Peñol del Guatape, which caused visible difficulties for many of the 'aspiring climbers'.

On June 4th, we continued by bus from Medellin to Bogota. Bogota is the capital of Colombia and much larger with over 7 million inhabitants. Fortunately, we were advised from several sides in Medellin not to travel there. The city is supposedly more dangerous, colder, and generally not as beautiful as Medellin. Be that as it may... We arrived at the Terminal del Norte in Medellin without a bus ticket. The bus terminal is almost as big as an airport, with counters for every bus company, and it is relatively easy to get tickets. Of course, the tickets do not indicate where the bus departs from. But somehow we found the right spot (not so easy with ~50 buses...). The bus ride was exhausting and took about 11 hours. There are no highways (?) and we drove through mountains, valleys, and unpaved roads the whole time. It was nearly impossible to go to the toilet without walking as if you were completely drunk and holding onto everything. Not to mention going to the toilet... There was even smoking (of cannabis) on the bus toilet (which affected the entire bus), although smoking on the bus was prohibited everywhere...