Another rainy city
Trip Start
Sep 23, 2010
1
82
366
Trip End
Jul 13, 2012
Where I stayed
Medellin, Colombia
Saturday, April 23, 2011
We arrived into Medellin just after 2pm and thought we'll catch the metro to the hostel. Normally the metro would be quite close to the bus terminal, but this one was a 20min walk away and we wished we'd caught a taxi! Still, we made it to the metro station sweating buckets, bought our tickets and squeezed through the small turnstyles and down the stairs to the platform. We had to change trains a few stops down and the first train was packed but the next train was empty enough for us to get a seat. We got off at our stop and then tried to find the right road. The policeman on the platform told us it was 2 blocks up and after checking with a few more people on the way we arrived at the hostel. After checking in, the heavens opened so we waited for a break in the weather and then walked round the corner to the Exito supermarket. We like the Exito supermarket, they have lots of free samples to try and today it was Colombiana Beer! A plastic glass full, and not the piddly little thimbles you get at home but a full size plastic glass like the one you'd have Rum in! Shopping done, we headed back to the hostel where there was a free BBQ'd Chorizo sausage in french bread waiting on our return. As it was only small we headed back out and bought some chips to go with it which were really nice as they tasted southern fried. Back at the hostel we watched some more Hotel Babylon and then got some sleep.
24th Apr.
I have to say that the one thing I don't like about Colombia is the rock hard beds. This one seems springy enough when you try it, but to be honest it feels like a piece of hardboard on a few springs. So with not too much of a lie-in today, we got up at 8am and made breakfast from our rashions of 2 eggs and 2 slices of bread. Well, I had eggy bread and Cat saved her bread for a cheese sandwich and the eggs for an omelete tomorrow night and had cereal. After breakfast we walked to the Metro and caught it into town. We started next to the Palacaio de la Cultura in Plaza Botero for more (as it's his home city) of Botero's fat statues. Next we wandered to the huge Cathedral Basilica Metropolitan passing a few other churches on the way, which has a lovely fountain in front of it and there was also a military police band setting up. Not knowing when things were going to start, we walked up to the Teatro Prado del Aguila Descalza, which looked more like a grand town house than a theatre. We then walked back past the Cathedral (they were still waiting for the Easter service to start which it did as we left) and carried on to Parque San Antonio. In the park (more like a plaza) there are a few more Botero fat statues, including a bird (the bird of peace) that was sadly blown up by guerilla activists in 1996. Botero requested that it should stay as is, as a symbol of the futility of violence and a new one is placed next to it. From there we walked past San Antonio church and up to Plaza Cisneros where there is a mass of lamp posts to form a sort art jungle. Across the road was the central administration buildings and the Estacion Antiguo which were closed for viewing but we got a nice enough look from the gate. On the way to the Punto Clave shopping centre we had a look at the Puente de Guayaquil (bridge) that crosses the river and then in the shopping centre we enquired at the Copa booth about flights to Cartagena (taxes on top make it too expensive-shame!) and Cartagena to LA. After drawing out some money from the cash point, we headed back to the hostel on the Metro, stopping near the Exito for a Malteados (an ice cream milkshake). Back at the hostel we skyped our families to wish them a Happy Easter and then cooked dinner (attempted pancakes with corn flower, what a disaster!), showered and then chilled for the rest of the evening.
25th Apr.
Got up at 9am and had breakfast, then checked out of the room at 11. We then walked to the bull ring which is huge but not as interesting looking to look at as others have been. On the bridge we could see a homeless person washing their clothes in the river just down from what looked like a village of homeless under the bridge supports. From there we walked to Cerro el Volador which had some great views of the city. We then walked back to the hostel and had lunch then watched the cable TV for a few hours. We had dinner around 6.30pm and then loaded up and caught the metro to the north bus station. At 9.30pm we boarded the bus and settled in for a night of bumpy off and on sleep for the last time in South America, well this trip anyway!
