After spending the majority of the past month in island heat on San Andrés Island and perusing the streets of Cartagena, I was more than ready for some cool, mountain air. Being a bit of a hiking and adventure enthusiast, my 11 month expedition across South America tailored well to my need for constant new experiences. Medellin had become mythic to me, a towering giant that I needed to conquer. The vivid, picturesque photos of the sprawling city nestled in the Andes Mountains drew me in and my curiosity overtook my frugal travel habits. Our team found a couple-day window and grabbed it, and before i knew it, I was re-visiting the VivaColombia kiosk with my passport.
The cold air and landscape hit us immediately upon stepping off the tarmac. It was a different Colombia than we had experienced so far- the smell of pine trees juxtaposed against the sight of palm branches gave Medellin an eclectic vibe even before entering the heart of the city. We spent the 40 min bus ride to Poblado barrio in silence, drinking in the drive. The wealthiest neighborhood in the city, Poblado, was a strangely welcome sight, feeling much like a veritable Colombian Denver. Coffee shops and European backpackers were on every corner and the food choices ranged from fantastic burger joints to a vegan, gluten-free dream. In every shop and restaurant, the soccer game blared from the TV interrupted by thunderous cheering and nationalism. Yellow, red, and blue colors abounded. We instantly felt right at home.
Poblado although seemingly normal for us, was more of the exception to the rule in the city of Medellin. Being the tourist and backpacker section of the city, it was dead center and by far the most affluent. The further you travel outside of Poblado and go up into the mountains the more impoverished and seedy the areas became. While we were comfortable in Poblado where our hostel was, we knew Medellin had more to offer and we quickly resolved to venture out. Our instincts were proven to be good and we found that the history surrounding Medellin made it much more fascinating than the tourist traps would suggest.
Along with the pleasantly surprising mix of people and urban cultures were rich histories of the conquest of light over darkness. This once corrupt and tumultuous city has been a beacon of hope and renewal as it slowly climbs out of the pit of drug infestation and organized crime. Not so very long ago, Colombia was a country only the brave and reckless backpackers still kept on the map. Now, only 15 years later, it has seen a fantastic re-birth, poetically fitting for the city of “Eternal Spring”.
What made Medellin a place worth seeing had not been its variety of available experiences which include day-long excursions into the Andes to see coffee farms, going paragliding over the valley, and street art tours throughout some of the most famous and iconic neighborhoods. Although these experiences are once in a lifetime (and highly recommended), it’s not what made me fall in love with Medellin. Medellin is worth the visit because it is life-changing to be a small part, a fly on the wall, as this city once ruled by Pablo Escobar rises from the ashes, day by day. It’s sobering and beautiful to walk through the “Comuna 13”, once the most dangerous barrio in the city and seething with crime and addiction now a beacon of hope for all of Colombia. Tourists can now walk the streets of Comuna 13 and see beautiful murals depicting civil rights warriors painted on every home in the clean and cared for streets. When walking through Comuna 13, I felt like I was walking through the woods after it had been ravaged by forest fire. It was silent and sobering- but life has made it’s relentless commitment to begin again.
I have a feeling that for most of us, this is the real reason why we travel. We seek to find life in places that we would miss at home in our beds. We seek to find hope, revival, beauty, and signs of the relentless nature of life. We seek reasons to re-commit ourselves to the pursuit of abundant life. We only have our one life to live after all.
From one wanderer to another: go to Medellin. Fall in love with the locals and the french press coffee, catch the sunsets from the tallest buildings you can find. Go paragliding, take a bus to one of the most picturesque overlooks I’ve ever seen called Piedra El Peñól in Guatapé. But most of all, walk through District 13. Marvel at the beauty of this city nestled in the mountains that has passed through a long winter. Stop and appreciate a beautiful country that can finally be seen for what it truly is: not dangerous and broken but restored and vibrantly alive. -AJR
