The Beauty of Medellin
In my life, most recently, there have been many firsts, one of them being visiting Colombia. Never did I think I would visit Medellin, but never say never. I have been there three times now. Here is the background. I started dating an amazing guy from Colombia and this was his home town. When it came time for me to meet his family and things like that, I made the trip with him so that I can learn more about his life and his family. When I would tell people that I was going there, they would sound all judgmental about it and be like, “are you sure? It’s really dangerous there!” Back in the day, YES, when there were lots of drugs and violence, YES, but today, it’s not like that. Medellin, is actually an awesome place to travel to with so much to do and so much to see. Tourism has really taken off here and if you get a chance, I highly recommend making the trip. This will be a 2 part series and this is part 1. I will get into it within this post, so sit tight! There is a lot to take in.
Medellin is a rather large city sit within a valley of mountains. Some people say it is a small city, but it would actually take you a really long time to go from end to end of the city. You will need some type transportation to get around.
Currency
What to do about the Currency! So I have learned the hard way that your best bet is to get money out of the ATM upon arrival to the city. If you do not have the countries’ currency, my recommendation is to take SOME money and exchange it at the airport, but be aware, you will not get the most bang for your buck. Actually, the airport will pretty much keep most of it, so I highly discourage this practice. If you need some, just exchange what you need to get to your hotel $100 max. At the time of this post, it is about 1 US dollar for 3000 Colombian Pesos. SO take your money and multiply it by 3. The beauty of Colombia is that your money can go a long way. Taxi’s only take cash too and it costs about $75,000 pesos to get from the airport to the city of Medellin, so about $25. Not bad but be sure to plan accordingly. ALSO, don’t forget to put the travel alerts on whatever card you will be using when you travel. Another way you can get currency from another country is to order it from your bank, Most banks won’t have it on hand, so its important to give yourself time to get it from the bank. Additionally, they keep some of it too and again, you won’t get the best bang for your buck. ATM is best practice in my opinion.
When you are using the ATM, just always keep be aware of your surroundings, just like you would be any other time.
Transportation
So I already said, there are taxis and that is the primary way people will travel in Colombia. Many people have their own cars, many people own scooters, but most will take taxis to get around. Uber is also available in the city of Medellin. However, Uber will only work if you decide to keep your phone active with full service while traveling abroad, which I also recommend. Medellin, also has a tram system that can get you pretty much anywhere within the city, so that is a great option and very affordable. If you want to travel up the mountain, you also have the cable cars that go from the very bottom of the valley to the other side of the mountains. Check out the pictures that I have here, it’s pretty impressive and quite the adventure. Again, the transportation is very affordable, about 2500 pesos, which is less than $1 per person per ride. Just always have cash on you.
Hotels/Lodging
When talking about hotels and lodging, we are fortunate enough to have lodging available to us because of family, however, the hotels there within the city center are around $30-$50 per night. You will want to do your research before hand so you can pick the area in which you want to stay in. There are some areas that more pricey than others. We like to stay within the city center which is very close to many things. But usually, depending on where we want to go for that day, we will most likely take a cab.
Activities
So on this trip we did a lot and usually when we travel we see alot. It can sometimes be overwhelming, but here I will discuss great places to go so you can maximize your experiences.
One of the things I love about Colombia is the culture. The people that live there are incredibly warm, friendly and very accomodating. They work very hard at what they do and they try to give you a great experience.
Parque Botero
Here in Parque Botero you will find statues that were created by Fernando Botero. His style is to portray people and animals in an exaggertated volume. I have attached pictures below. They are quite interesting and I very much enjoy going there every time I go to Medellin. So far, I have gone 3 times, HA! And it’s FREE!
Mirador at Sunset
Mirador is actually an overlook on the road that leads to the airport, there you can see all of Medellin from up above. You are very high on the mountain when you go here. t the overlook, there are food trucks so you can have food and drinks, and there are even people that will assist you in parking, because that can be a challenge sometimes., JUST because it is such a popular spot to visit. And it’s FREE!
Pueblita Paisa
Here you will find another overlook although it isn’t quite as high as the Mirador. It is a cute little town recreation filled with restaurants, is family oriented and is also FREE! You can either choose to walk up from the bottom of the very large hill or take a taxi, whichever you choose. You will also find small business like food stands and Colombian goods for sale. I have gone here both during the day and at night and I think at night is my favorite. The lights of the city are so pretty. The picture from the overview is the top picture of this post! So beautiful at night, under the full moon.
Parque Boston
This park is close to where we were staying in the city center. One thing that you will find in these little neighborhoods are these small parks. On the weekend, you will find all kinds of food, all kinds of fruit and all kinds of entertainment. One of my favorite things about Colombia is the street food. OMG, it’s the BEST. I very much love street food. I actually prefer it because the food tastes so delicious and it helps support small businesses and I am all about that. We went last Sunday and there were kids having a great time, running around and being pushed in little cars, parents were talking with other parents and overall, it was a great experience to see all the interaction. Unfortunately, you don’t see the same here, because so many of the kids are attached to their phones and IPADS. There, the kids are kids and I really appreciated that. This is ALSO FREE!
Jardin Botanico
Jardin Botanico are the botanical gardens in Medellin, Colombia. It is a park that is FREE to the public and filled with so many beautiful plants, flowers and even cacti. There is a path around the park and there is wooden bridge that goes through the park so you can easily get from one side to the other. On that wooden bridge, it kinda feels like you are in the jungle. It’s a cool feeling and a nice shelter from the sun, because it was so very hot that day. You can also encounter iguanas, ducks and turtles walking around enjoying the sun. FYI, the iguanas are very large and VERY used to people. They will not be intimidated by you, they will walk towards you head on! I learned that the hard way, they intimidated me …hahaha. This park is very family friendly as well, as everywhere you went, you saw families with kids having picnics all around the park, they even have restrooms for you. All in all it win-win for everyone. Pretty scenery, happy families, a good day as a result.
Orchid Exhibit 
Under the Orchid Exhibit 
Parque Arvi
We took the cable cars up to Parque Arvi. We started at Station Acevedo and took the journey all they way up the mountain. When you see these mountains, they are very high and we took these cars all the way to top to the other side of the mountain. It was really quite the sight! It took about 20 minutes to get to the other side and you also have to transfer at one of the stations to continue going up the mountain. People of Medellin take these daily if they work down in the valley so these are used quite frequently. Don’t be alarmed when you see the cable cars traveling very fast in and out of the station, though, they are safe.
Once you are up and over the mountain, there is a beautiful park with market, with some of the freshest, most delicious fruit I have ever had. Colombians put lots of things on their food. 1. Dulce de Leche 2. Condensed Milk 3. Chocolate 4. Moro Sauce 5. Cheese. You can bet that there is always one of these around to add a topping to your food, but its the BEST thing EVER!
Please stayed tuned for the continuation of Medellin!
