After another overnight bus, we arrived in Medellin at about 5:30 in the morning. One of the nicest things about Medellin is that there is a great metro system that connects the north and south part of town. Also, as a benefit to travelers it is right next to the bus station too!
The metro is well used by the people in Medellin, and even at 6am on Sunday morning it was packed. We squeezed in, packs and all, and went to Zona Rosa where our hostel was.
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Zona Rosa is a beautiful neighborhood that is calm and filled with sidewalk cafes and little parks occupied during the day. It was a nice respite from the independence week craziness of Cartagena. During the day Zona Rosa is tranquil, but we heard that at night it gets crazy with people out to the bars until 4am. We did not see the crazy bar scene, as we are early dinner eaters (usually around 6pm, as compared to 9 or 10 pm when most people of Medellin eat), but did hang out in the hostel a little too late one night.
We headed into downtown Medellin, which was really crowded with little to see. Medellin has unfortunately demolished the old colonial buildings and were replaced in the 70`s and 80`s. We did not sight see in downtown too long, and instead decided to check out the gondola metro or "Metro Cable".
(Black buildings are the library)
The Metro Cable is a great concept. Its idea is to connect the slums of the city with the the rest of the city. It is the only mass transit gondola system in the world, and it runs up the hill to the district of Santo Domingo Savio. For about 75 cents a person, you can get on the train, head over to the Metro Cable and ride it all the way to the top and back. Even though this is somewhat a tourist destination and people (like ourselves) head up it for fun. It has connected slums and brought opportunities out to the area. But we were trying to not act too touristy taking pictures of the slums below, as the majority of the people riding the Metro Cable are obviously using it for their daily transportation.
We were in Medellin for my 30th birthday (!!), and Jim took me out to dinner. We actually decided on (kind of funny I know) to go to a Thai place which was pretty good! Also, I tried the "hot wine" which was interesting. Kind of cinnamon and spicy with sugar around the glass. The sugar is not surprising as Colombians put sugar on EVERYTHING! We had a great dinner, then early to bed to head to the coffee region of Colombia
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