Arrival in the fabulous drug city of Medellin

I arrived in Medellín early in the morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise. And I remember that moment very clearly. Since I hadn’t slept all night on the bus and was completely exhausted, I kept nodding off, but from time to time I woke up and looked out the window — and there it was, a real fairy tale. We were descending from the mountains into a valley between those mountains, into a town that was drowning in flowers. It was truly beautiful and magical. Green meadows, colorful flowers, towering mountains all around, and bright sunlight over everything. Incredible beauty!

At the bus station, the very first taxi driver immediately grabbed my bag and ran off :) I ran after him, trying to take my bag back and asking how much it would cost, while he kept pointing at something and repeating it, pointing and repeating, repeating and pointing. Long story short, after a short struggle I gave up, and only once we were in the car did I realize that he was pointing at the meter — it was the first time during my trip across South America that a taxi driver actually used a meter :)

He brought me to an ordinary house with no hotel sign at all, and I got worried. It turned out that I had booked a room in a guesthouse — a regular private home where the owner hosts tourist guests. I have no idea how things work there with taxes, but it was interesting to find myself in a completely ordinary Colombian family and live like a real Colombian :)

By the way, a curious fact: in Medellín this type of accommodation is extremely popular, because locals genuinely see hospitality as part of their culture rather than just a business.

I slept through half the day, and in the evening, before the sun set, I managed to go for a walk and even ride the subway — which, by the way, runs above ground rather than underground — the views are fascinating!

I like Medellín a lot — clean, beautiful — almost European. There are many white people here, and almost no one stares at me, which actually felt unusual. This was not what I expected from a city that used to be a drug capital, because this is where Pablo Escobar lived and ruled — the most powerful and famous drug lord. Interestingly, crime began to skyrocket only after the drug lord was killed, while during his lifetime the city was in perfect order. So I wonder who is better — the light power or the dark one.

TAGS: daily summary, Medellín, taxi

MOOD: enchanted, sleepy, curious