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Published: December 10th 2014
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Best city Ive ever been to? Medellin. And its not just me who thinks it. They currently hold the title of the worlds most innovative city thanks to their free sports facilities all across the city, well designed public transport and so much to do that I could barely do half of everything I wanted in five days there. The hostel I stayed in was really good - right across the road from free soccer pitches, running track, basketball courts and outdoor gym but strangely 80% of the people there were Americans and all were either working or studying down in Medellin.
"So anyone up for Botanical Gardens, Parque Arvi, game tonight..? No...?? You've already been since you've been here 4 months?? OK just myself so!"
First things first. I finally made it to a South American football game, one of bucket list things to do. Athletic National are the city's biggest team and the Real Madrid by Colombian standards and were due to play Manizales in a Colombian playoff match to determine who qualifies for the Colombian final. They had also just beaten Sao Paulo of Brazil in the South American intercontinental cup the previous Wednesday
so the bandwagon was out in full force myself included! After the mandatory screening for weapons by the army on the way in, I settled into my seat at the half way line and wondered how much violence they expected.. in a stadium of 40,000 it seemed to the visible eye that all were home support and no away supporters had travelled. (A big tradition in Colombia that away fans do not travel so as not to boost the home teams coffers). The match itself was decent with National nicking a goal in the second half to win one nil with the guy to my left high fiving me and later offering me peanuts such was his happiness ! 😊 The lasting memory was the fans on the terraces. A brass and drum band was perched right in the middle of the ultras and they lead 90 minutes of non stop singing and dancing. I couldn't get over the energy of the ultras as literally there was no let up.. Ive since heard from other fans that a fine white powder is known to be passed around at matches, ha should have known! That said a great night out and
a must for anyone visiting the city.
Parque Explora was really enjoyable aswell. Housing not only South Americas largest freshwater aquarium but also a dinosaur exhibition, vivarium (reptiles), 3D cinema, TV studio, and interactive science and sports area. To give you a flavour I managed to star in my own film, witness a giant ant colony at work, watch a 3D film on how the dinosaurs became extinct, see some of Colombias most poisonous frogs, see how fast I could kick a soccer ball, have sleight of hand magical tricks broken down step by step, visit a sound proof radio studio and listen to audio of Adolf Hitler and Martin Luther King getting their point across. So many things that three days would have been more appropriate instead of one! The same day I sampled the region speciality: Pork chop, blood sausage, fried egg, avocado, rice, salad, chicharron (pig skin) and beans. With my mate Taaffer and his love of culinary photgraphy in mind I have included a pic of this delightful dish!
The Medellin fruit tour was a good way to get in some breakfast and sample a few new foods along the
way! As myself and Vince waited for the tour to start, the irony of ironies happened as a speeding ambulance crashed into a guy crossing the road and thus having to load him into the back. :D The tour consisted of visits to the local vendors. Colombias unique climate means a host of different types fruits are grown and by the time that morning was out Id eaten my way through twelve of various colours, shapes and sizes. My favourite was the guava which has a yellow skin and a red flesh. Its tasty and is full of fibre and vitamins, always a good combo. I combined a trip to the citys cable car on the same day which offers a perfect street view of Medellin particularly over the poorer parts. This is part of a giant social project to make Medellin more inclusive to these people by allowing a quick an easy way to travel around the city. The good public transport system means Medellin is more spread out then your typical city leaving lots of room for parks and sports facilities. And when everyone feels included there is less vandalism or theft, the Paisas are very proud of
their city.
Keen not just to see Medellin but also life in the towns I made a detour to a small place called Guatape two hours outside of Medellin to spend two days there. Its a beautiful part of Colombia with the highlight being the 300m high Piedra de Penol which allows perfect 360 degree views of the countryside. The sun always seems to shine there and when I went for a swim in the lake the water was pleasantly warm! The town itself is also famous for its beauty with each painted a different colour and adorned with tiles of animals, birds, people etc
Without doubt the favourite thing I did in Medellin was the Real City Walking Tour. Our guide Hernan who had degrees in both Chile and the US and who gave up his job as a lecturer to instead educate people about his city and the surrounding region was so insightful and well researched that I thought to myself this guy could be a global CEO instead of giving walking tours! He provided context on how the Colombian people act, what the monuments commemorate, the politics and how the violence
suddenly decreased, the history and even the transport system that provided the best insight into Colombia I've gotten since arriving in the country. In fact we were seated for over an hour at one stop just talking as everyone had so many questions. Amongst many other things we found that people from the Medellin region (known as paisas ) are mainly descended from the basque region in North Spain. Straight up Hernan let us know that Paisas actually consider themselves smarter and better looking than the rest of the country and in fairness I could see his point of view! All sorts of fashion trends were on evidence and he also challenged the group to play the "real or fake" game as Medellin is the plastic surgery capital of South America. He also brought us to see the not so glamorous parts of the city where hard core drug addicts and alcoholics can be found - a nice touch as walking tours often only show the good in their city to tourists and try to hide the other parts. Our last stop was possibly the most poignant.. In Parque San Antonio in 1995 a suspected FARC bomb was detonated at
the back of a statue of a bird killing 12 people and injuring many more. Today the half remains of the statue still remain but alongside it another bird has been built so together they remember the victims. One to represent the old Colombia and one to represent the new.
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