The wonders of Medellin

So - the sun actually came out for a bit today, which was perfect for my little excursion that I took this morning.
I took the metro and the metro cable today, and WOOOOOOWWWWWW, how amazing is it??!!!!

Riding the metro cable upto Santo Domingo

It's the only metro line in all of Colombia, and even though it's only one very long line at the moment - the connectivity is amazing! Also it's connected at a few points by the metro cable, which is basically cable cars that go up into the hills, since a lot of the city is up in the hills. These parts used to be the poor-er parts of the city, and still are. But with this amazing and cheap means of transport more and more people can come into the city to work, study etc.
It's quite fascinating, and there were definitely a few times today that I said WOW, how amazing is this!

Medellin is an amazing city! From being the most violent and dangerous city to live in, its becoming one of the safest cities in Colombia.
I cannot even imagine what it must have been like, coz I feel so safe here - no threat of any kind.
The streets are super clean, the buildings are tall, grand, big! The people are so warm and friendly, the infrastructure amazing, public transports works well, good restaurants, great places to go out to, so many public/free libraries, so much public art, so much history - it's really taken me by surprise, and I have to say- I am so impressed!!! (Now if only the weather would behave!!!)

insideoutproject

insideoutproject

 I started way on the top of the hill, at Parque Arvi, which is a nature reserve. It's huge and so beautiful!

Looking dow at Parque Arvi

I didn't feel like wandering too far into the forest on my own - so wandered around the periphery and then headed back down to Santo Domingo and the Biblioteca Esapaña.

Biblioteca Esapaña

So. like I mentioned earlier, these are the poorer part of the city, and at the height of Escobars reign and the FARC days, this was one of the most dangerous parts of the city! But when things started to get better, a local architect was commissioned to build the library around 2005 (If I remember right).

It's not only a free library, but also a community centre. They have free education programmes for kids from the area, they have an exhibition hall showcasing talent from the area, a very prominent NGO - Confoma works out of the building- they have many free activities for kids and adults alike!

It's a great space and such a great idea! While I was there, there was a pottery workshop happening, and some sort of registration for something - I couldn't follow what though.

View of Medellin from the top of the hill

I was really impressed - even in these poor parts the streets were so clean! There is a school right next to the library, and when I go there, it was lunch break, so it was really fun to see the kids doing their thing! All saying hi to me and asking me questions- mainly where I'm from. :-) 

After wandering around the area and eating an amazing lunch - frijoles and a platos paisas (again - rice, meat, salad and friend banana, which im really beginning to like), I took the metro cable back down.
On the way I saw these huge posters with faces on them (pictures are somewhere on the post), and I remembered watching this TED talk by this french artist called JR and the insideoutproject. Check it out! When I did see it - I thought it was such a great idea, and then to actually see it in Medellin- was really cool!

 I finally made it to the Plaza Botero - the plaza is strewn (wrong word - but appropriate) with Fernando Botero's sculptures. He's a native of Medellin, a paisa, and they are for obvious reasons, very proud of him. It's very quirky, his work. I liked it. He donated a lot of his work to the Museo de Antioquia, which I got to see as well.

After which I wandered down Carabobo - a very long pedestrian street filled with all sorts of crazy things, many shops, many shopping centres, much colour, noise, food, laughter, mirth- all. Was great fun. After wandering down almost 4/5 blocks I stumbled about Plaza Cisneros also called Plaza de la Luz (The Plaza of Light), because it has this things, that looked like light sabers to me, that are lit up at night, and apparently really do look like light sabers!!!

Its quite an intriguing piece of art/architecture - 

At one end you have another very famous and very big free library - EPM.

I truly am impressed (I know i've said it a dozen times already) with the way the city has turned itself around! 

Among the light sabers

Plaza de la luz

 At dinner yesterday, Felipe was saying how the paisas are very proud people, and they feel that now is their time to show the world who they really are - and you can totally see that when you're here. They are trying really hard to change the image they had, and doing a pretty good job I think!
A lot of the people are really surprised when I tell them I'm traveling on my own, but then they feel happy I've traveled so far to see their country, and wish me well, and all the best for my travels and hope that I enjoy the rest of Colombia as well - it's such a sweet gesture I think!
Again - Colombia (well - Medellin so far) seems so familiar to me. The food, the smells, the people - their attitude. It feels almost like home. And again - that Asian soul shines through!
The one big difference I've noticed already between Argentina and Colombia is the diversity of people. While Argentina is mostly white/European, Colombia definitely has a larger ethnic mix - white, coloured (Black), indigenous - it's quite a change! A good change!

Hoping to go up to Guatape tomorrow - weather permitting of course!