Medellin, Colombia

Medellin was a great stop. We ended up staying for five nights, more than we expected. A fascinating city set in the valley of mountains with an amazing history. First up was a Pablo Escobar tour. This was pretty incredible, not only to learn more about possibly the biggest cocaine drug lord in history, but also we happened to be on the tour that was sponsored by Pablo Escobar’s brother, Roberto. There is a big divide amongst the people of Colombia, some absolutely despise Pablo for all the violence he caused and some love him for the communities he helped build with his wealth.

We spent a morning on an Exotic Fruit tour, which went through one of the largest fresh produce markets in Medellin. We tried about 16 different fruits local to Colombia and South America, many which we had never tried. It was amazing the range of tastes from extremely sweet to extremely sour. Later that same day we did a walking tour of the city. This was a great experience and we all found it so interesting learning more about the city. One thing that stood out was how proud the locals are that Medellin was once labelled as ‘the most dangerous city’ in the world, but is now a safe, innovative and extremely welcoming city.

One day in Medellin was spent biking with Colombian Bike Junkies. We drove for a couple of hours to the top of the old

road to Santa Fe de Antioquia (starting at approximately 2700m altitude). This ride was incredible. Not just the fact that we started in the clouds, but we didn’t have to pedal, and our brakes got so hot they caused a burn when accidently touched. The ride ended with a beer in a small town and a drive through Santa Fe de Antioquia town square.

The day ended with plenty of mojitos and arepa burgers with Lani and Brodie. Our final day in Medellin was spent regretting that last mojito and lounging around in our favourite cafe. After an incredible few days in Medellin, next stop was Salento.