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Published: October 1st 2007
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Welcoming
My sister and I seeing each other for the first time in 17 years.(August 13, 2007 through August 22, 2007)
Though when leaving Cancun I was sad, an indescribable feeling came over me. I was now on my way to Medellin, a city that I had not stepped on since I was eight, when my family migrated to the United States. A mixture of happiness, nostalgia, anxiousness, excitement, and concern came over me; something that I had not felt before, and I certainly did not know how to comport myself.
Using my Colombian passport for the first time since I left the country, I was extremely nervous when handing it over to the migration official. Thankfully, with they way Colombians play with the Spanish language, he soon made me at ease. When he asked for a phone number, I told him that I did not know any, but would gladly look for one in my bag. He replied, "tranquilo hermano. No se preocupe" The line through customs was fast, and I soon left the baggage area. By now the family that had come to pick me up from the airport had been waiting for quite a bit now, and were not expecting me when I showed up. Hugs, kisses, screams, laughs, and tears
came from everywhere; the scene to say the least was monumental for my sister. She had in her hand, which she gave to me right after a tremendous hug, a poncho and a shot glass with aguardiente ready to drink. (* if anyone is interested in a rant, for various reasons, scroll to the bottom)
The ride from the airport to Medellin is about an hour, and I had a feeling of nervousness, due to my mother being worried all the time and other factors. But that feeling went away easily, and our first order of business was to eat a "bandeja paisa." This wonderful platter consists of beans, rice, grilled steak or ground beef, sausage, plantains, arepa, rice, an egg, avocado, and chicharron--fried pork skin with fat and meat. Ohh, was this thing delicious, all downed with aguardiente and beer. My welcome night was wonderful, and something that I had not expected.
The rest of the week was spent visiting the city. Mostly traveling by the metro system, and by taxi, I got to see the city of eternal spring once again; remembering and making new memories along the way. The metro system also provides a cable car to
Drinking Aguardiente
My first night in Medellin. Drinking aguardiente before the bandeja paisa. (Marcelo is standing; my sister is sitting next to me.) a neighborhood of Medellin known as Santo Domingo--an area that in the mid-1990s had militia wars with other neighborhoods. Today, it is a very poor area of the city, and many people outside of the neighborhood characterize people living there as bitter towards the rest of the society. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet anyone from here, and speak with them. However, on my walk in this part of the city, I did not get this feeling, and in fact would have loved to walk more around the area, as the feeling I got was a very open place, where everyone is out in the streets talking with one another. The stores had a very lively feel. At the last stop, one can find the "Biblioteca de Espana," which the King and Queen of Spain were part of the inauguration. The architecture of the building is quite different from the other buildings around it, to say the least.
The first week back in Medellin was also spent visiting family that I had not seen in years, or I had never met. Many nostalgic memories flooded my mind, and I was at times very surprised at how people always offered
Enjoying a Bandeja Paisa
Platter consisting of rice, beans, avocado, ground beef, sausage, chicharron, plantains, arepa, and egg. Of couse the box of aguardiente in front of me. everything they had to me. I saw my sister that I had not seen in more than 17 years. I saw aunts and uncles, cousins and neighbors, and my godfather. They shared with me stories of myself and my family, stories that were of course new to me.
I was also able to hit the famous Parque Lleras, the place in Medellin were everyone says that the most beautiful women on Earth are supposed to be. (From my talks with Colombians, no matter where they may be from, man or woman, they always say that Medellin has the most beautiful women.) That night I spent it drinking aguardiente with my father's best friend, his son, and then finished off the night at Club Folia. The night was spent drinking and dancing.
The first weekend in Colombia was very eventful, after a Friday night in Parque Lleras, Saturday we left for a small town outside of Medellin, about an hour and fifteen minutes called San Antonio de Pereira. I was given the opportunity to drive, and was able to drive not only that day, but all over the city as well. The town was celebrating the Fiesta of the Empanadas (Empanadas
The Rest of the Group on the First Night
Patricia, my sister, Marcelo, and Lina. If you can see, in front of Lina, there are some potatoes. The best tasting potatoes one will ever eat. (Papa criolla, as they are called in Colombia) are corn-based pastries, that are almost always fried. Most empanadas in Colombia are stuffed with ground beef and potatoes. Though there are varieties, which this festival certainly had). The town's main square was packed with stalls of artisan crafts, and next to the small and beautiful church were the food stalls. We ate an empanada, and some chunchurria--fried intestines--washing it all down of course with aguardiente and beer. Around the square are bars, and we sat there for the night to enjoy a few beers.
The next day was El Clasico, the soccer match between Atletico Nacional and Deportivo Medellin. These are the two teams that represent Medellin in the Colombian soccer league. Lines are created due to these two teams, and many have said fans are divided by social and political ties--though even more so in the past than today. A life-long fan of Nacional, I was happy that the game was at the time of my visit. The atmosphere was intense, and at times a bit scary, as fans from both side were yelling obscene language at one another, and one could see fist fights between the fans--I was told that it was nothing new, and my guess
The Streets of Medellin
On the way to see family. it was probably just like many soccer matches around the world. The game was great in the first half, and the second half goal by Nacional was uneventful--a very stupid mistake by the Medellin goalie. Nacional won 1-0.
Monday and Tuesday I spent getting to know more of the city, making new memories through places I visited that weren't even distant memories, but rather flashes in my head from the early years in my life.
Wednesday I was off to Bogota.
*When talking about Colombia, it seems that drugs, and to an extent violence, always comes into the conversation. No doubt that these are problems with in society; they are things that most people reject, but have to live with. From my studies, conversations with my students and other individuals, and my time in Colombia, the perceptions that I have heard from abroad--mainly based on popular media--are blown out of proportion.
One thing that I have always seen and people talk about is the "40-year civil war" that is taking place in the country. The early guerrilla movements from the 1960s have fragmented, and no longer have the same foundations. Today's movements, largely left to a few
At a Metro Stop
In Medellin, with my sister, in the middle, and cousins. actors, are using the demand for drugs, from Europe and the United States, and kidnappings to finance a political movement, set in an ideology from an earlier period, that now has no backing, if not an extremely small backing, from the public at large. Instead, marginalized populations are suffering--many poor farmers and indigenous populations are being displaced or forced into a form of sustainability that the government at large does not approve. (Of course the problems facing the country are much more complex than this, and go beyond a few sentences of analysis--a whole thesis can be done on the subject)
Sadly, the population at large, often doesn't see this, and critique the "invasions" of displaced people, which some estimates are at 1.5 million, or the farming of illicit crops that people often have little choice of planting. Rather what it does see, is the change the many cities have undergone in the last decade, after drug-cartels were dismantled, in which violence is no longer as prevalent in the public eye. Though pickpocketing is very much part of everyday life, as in many places around the world, people, aware of their surroundings, are happier to be able to be in
Medellin
In the metro. I am the one kneeling, with my sister behind, and cousins. public.
Another critique that comes up, due to the perception of violence creeping into every facet of life, is the fact that people say that they would "stand out" in Colombia--as if their "whiteness" or "blue eyes" would somehow be so different, and so shocking that their safety would be in question. Sorry if I offend, this is not blanketing every tourist or traveler by any means, but these are comments that I have heard in my conversations with different people. To many people's surprise, Colombia has a very diverse population--with a very large population in many places of the country that have the "look" of Europeans, if anyone ever is scared of how their physical appearance might be looked upon in Colombia, please rest assured there are people who might have the same physical attributes as you (too bad sarcasm can't be expressed as easily in writing). Many foreigners visit Colombia, and traveling smart, your cultural and linguistic differences will not be a hassle when traveling in the country. (My last weekend in Medellin, we saw many tourists from the Middle East, as their translator explained to us.)
Enough of the rant. Cities are safer, travel is wonderful, and
In a Metro Stop
A view of Medellin from one of the Metro stops. El Plobado in the back ground, one of the richest neighborhoods in Medellin the places to visit are vast. Obviously, just like any time one travels, always be careful with belongings. Colombia, in a travel guide book from about seven years ago, was chosen by 9 out of 10 tourists who traveled to all Latin American countries as the most beautiful. Another surprise, many polls of happiest people/country on Earth, always have Colombia in the top 5--if anyone is ever interested in polls of the sort.
Tourists should not be deterred from visiting this beautiful country.
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Medellin Traveler
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Speaking of Medellin!!
Hola Juan - Good travelogue! I have traveled to the fine city in Colombia known as Medellin three times this year. It was probably the best travel experience I have encouuntered in my life. The Paisas made me feel like family. They invited me into their homes for dinner. Their fincas for the weekend. I spent a day in Santa Fe de Antioquia and was it HOT!! As my appreciation to the great people of Medellin, I created a website for Americans who are not aware how truly beautiful Medellin and Colombia are today. The website can be found at http://www.medellintraveler.com I will be back to MEDELLIN!! You have some fabulous fotos!! Saludos desde Chicago, EEUU