For most people the city of Medellín in the center of Colombia is all about Pablo Escobar and his cocaine-escapades, mainly in the 80s. Now after 22 years of his death in 1993 his legacy is kept alive. It's money. For sure. And so tourists enroll on a Pablo Escobar tour or play paintball in one of his houses that has been destroyed by 200!kg of dynamite at the time of his death. Some locals make money, the others hate that his still seen by some as the Robin Hood of Medellín. Back in the day he knew how to keep people on his side with building schools and churches but also handing out money for any dead cop. Dark decades.
Now Medellín is a really nice, green city. Last year they won the award for the most innovative city worldwide - with building a free library in a poor neighboorhood or a fairly cheap "Metrocable" that makes it easier for people to commute. Plus for me Medellín was mango heaven. Every morning I got fresh mango juice right from the street vendor. The fruits almost fall into your mouths from the many Mango trees.
One day I went with a nice group "on holiday from the holiday" - how one Australien guy put it. To Guatapé east of Medellín, in one of these shaky minibusses. There the others went paintballing with some Kiwis we met along the way in one of Escobar's houses (which is about to be turned into a hotel??!!). And we climbed up 740 steps of LA ROCA to enjoy a stunning 360° view over hundreds of little lakes that had risen after they flooded the area in the 60s.
Now Medellín is a really nice, green city. Last year they won the award for the most innovative city worldwide - with building a free library in a poor neighboorhood or a fairly cheap "Metrocable" that makes it easier for people to commute. Plus for me Medellín was mango heaven. Every morning I got fresh mango juice right from the street vendor. The fruits almost fall into your mouths from the many Mango trees.
One day I went with a nice group "on holiday from the holiday" - how one Australien guy put it. To Guatapé east of Medellín, in one of these shaky minibusses. There the others went paintballing with some Kiwis we met along the way in one of Escobar's houses (which is about to be turned into a hotel??!!). And we climbed up 740 steps of LA ROCA to enjoy a stunning 360° view over hundreds of little lakes that had risen after they flooded the area in the 60s.