Medellín is a city, located between two cordilleras at the elevation of 1500 m. With its surroundings it has almost 4 million inhabitants and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Colombia. Due to its constant and mild climate, it is nicknamed La cuidad de la eterna primavera or »The city of the eternal spring«. The capital city of Antioquia had a turbulent history and has transformed itself immensely in the last decades, being one of the biggest success stories of South America. In 2013 Medellín has been named the world's most innovative city, mostly thanks to its modern infrastructure.
The tourists visit Medellín for various reasons. Firstly, there are many museums and other cultural events in the city. The main square, named after the painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, famous for his depictions of overweight objects, is home to a gorgeous palace of culture, surrounded by several Botero's sculptures. Moreover, the walls and facades all over the city are covered in beautiful and impressive graffitis. On the other hand, the city attracts younger generations with a wild nightlife in numerous nightclubs with electronic music and a liberal approach to the consumption of drugs, without discrimination towards different people. The last type of tourist arrives to see the remainings of the violent past, especially during the reign of the drug lord Pablo Escobar, who are also called narcotourists. Nevertheless, the citizens are desperate to put behind this period of history that brought so much violence to the residents of the city and to the whole Colombia.
My short visit was a mixture of everything and on my first day I visited the museum of Pablo Escobar with a guided tour in one of the buildings that he used for storing drugs. The objects from his life are being displayed around the property. From bulletproof vehicles, race cars to airplanes. One of the most interesting things was the jet ski that Roger Moore drove in the Spy Who Loved Me. Escobar had bought every single prototype from Hollywood and was even using them. The most interesting fact came at the end when the guide explained that he was actually betrayed by his best bodyguard and committed suicide in the end, and didn't die like it is shown in the show Narcos. The tour costs 20 € which is a lot of money for Colombian standards, but I guess that this museum mostly attracts tourists who can afford this prize.
On the next day, I used the city metro that was built in 1995. One way ticket costs 0.80€ and the money is easily put on the card at the counter or at many machines. Part of the metro system is also the cable car (like at ski resorts) that is able to transport citizens to the highest hills of the city. The citizens of Medellín are extremely proud of their metro and I have to say that it runs perfectly and the stations are spotless. The city is covered in graffitis, but ob the metro you'll look for one in vain. A couple of years ago, a guy was caught drawing a graffiti at one of the metro stations. People started sending him death threats and he had to delete his social media and hide. That serious are citizens of Medellín at protecting their gem. However, metro was built in order to transform the city, because many people had moved to Medellín in the past to improve their quality of life and they inhabited the steep hills of the city. Their conglomerates of basic houses on the left and right slopes of the city are called comunas. Residents of comunas had to travel a long way to get to the city center and were practically not part of the city, even though they lived in the near proximity. Some older people have never been to the city center in their lives, until the metro has been built. It has connected every citizen of the city and gave better possibilities to the people living in comunas.
I arrived at the San Javier metro station and found myself in a big crowd of street vendors at Plaza Botero. To my surprise their simple bracelets, earrings and necklaces were being exhibited on the pedestal of Botero sculptures. Several homeless people approached me, asking for change, and others were laying and sitting on the grass in the nearby park. Others were selling all the usual stuff one can find in every Colombian city, like fruits, juices, arepas and ice cream. I walked between Botero's overweight sculptures and tourists. My idea was to circle around an impressive and well-preserved (enclosed) palace of culture. Not only half way around, a young man stepped up to me and invited me to the nearby barber shop. I was actually thinking of getting a haircut anyway and I was taken to the second floor of the crowded barber shop. The barber Yoji, the person with the biggest nose I've ever seen, took his time to do my hair. He started with the electric shaver, continued with scissors and eventually sprayed my hair with water to use different scissors. At the end, he grabbed one of the old style razors and corrected every millimeter that he didn't like. I thought he is done, but once again made some final adjustments. I'm not sure that he would make such an effort, if he knew I am wearing a helmet for five hours a day. I was wondering about the price, but it was less than 5€, so I wasn't involved in any kind of scam. Freshly cut my sightseeing day continued in the centre of Medellín and I took a completely wrong turn and ended up in a street, where I felt in danger for the first time in Colombia. There were even more people than on the main Plaza. The place stank like garbage, homeless people were laying on the sidewalk under the sun and people lived beneath the metro on the floor. I didn't dare to take out my phone and almost got a heart attack when a young homeless junkie touched me from behind begging for money. I turned around and walked through the labyrinth of textile stands, observing a group of policemen interrogating one of the sellers. After a few minutes, I was back at the main Plaza.
My afternoon was reserved for the walking tour through the famous comuna 13. The number one reason for Medellín to have the highest homicide rate in the world in the 90s. I took the metro to the San Javier station where various guides were waiting for the tourists. The metro doesn't reach the comuna itself and a 10-minute bus ride later our group has entered the infamous neighborhood. The guide who was originally meant to walk us through the area got injured, and a 22-year old local stepped in for him. In the beginning he explained us some history of the comuna 13. In the 80s and 90s, it was unofficially run by three guerilla groups. Their methods were cruel and involved extortion and violence. Almost every private business was charged with monthly security fees. If the money couldn't be paid, a family member was kidnapped or even killed. The place was so dangerous that not a single police officer had dared to enter the comuna 13 until 2002. That year the government executed an attack on the neighborhood with tanks and helicopters. It was partially successful because only one guerilla group remained in the community, but for the cost of hundreds of civilian lives. What is more is that the government put together an paramilitar group, called Los Paracos (Los paramilitares colombianos), whose job was to kill guerilla fighters. They received extra money for every dead guerilla fighter. They paraphrased the order in their own way and started to pick up homeless and disabled people from the streets. They were executed and put into guerilla fighter clothes, and in order to make them unrecognizable to the family members, they cut off their faces. One of the most tragic stories in Colombian history was the lowest point in the story of Comuna 13. Everyone had enough of the violence and the government had come up with an innovative solution with the emphasis on the infrastructure. The sewer system and electricity had been built. Moreover, the recently built metro and cable cars connected the people with the city centre. The elderly people got solar powered escalators on the steep streets, a bizarre sight among the favela like neighborhood. People sought their escape in art and music. Walls of the comuna 13 are covered in graffitis and music and rap shows can be seen on every corner. Artist have art stores and their works express their liberal way of thinking. They have a special bond with nature and the cutting of trees is strictly forbidden as their roots serve like a natural protection against landslides. The mixture of everything attracts a lot of tourists and the visit of the comuna also offers an amazing view of the countless brick roofs. I have to say that the tour was one of the greatest thing I did in Colombia.
I have spent my last day outside the crowded city. Guatapé is the most popular daily trip from Medellín, basically famous for the massive rock in the middle of several tiny green round islands. The lake was caused by the construction of the dam in the 70s. It takes around an hour with the bus to reach Peñol on the road that winds up and down in the hilly Antioquia. Fifteen kilometers further lies the biggest attraction and the main reason for tourists to visit this area. The La Piedra del Peñol or The Rock of Peñol is a great magnet that attracts even – for South America rare – Asian tourists. To reach the top one has to overcome 659 steep stairs and avoid many people trying to find the best spot for selfies on the way. The view gets better with every step and on the top there are several little stands with food, drinks and souvenirs. The view is breathtaking and people driving jet skis between little islands can be seen. In the skies vultures graciously fly between one or two helicopters carrying tourists on an unforgettable ride. It is arguably an unique site and definitely worth visiting. Four kilometers away is located the cute little town of Guatapé with narrow streets, hotels and souvenir shops. The houses are painted from the bottom to the window level with different patterns and look charmingly beautiful.
My four-day stay in Medellín was coming to an end and I felt that I have to continue cycling otherwise I could get used to do classical tourism.
