The Urban Explorer 732: Medellin, Colombia

Neighborhoods

El Centro del Medellin

random street scenes (delete the name)

Fruit stall in Downtown Medellin.

As with any Latin American city, plazas are very important in Medellin. They function as social gathering centers, a place to relax after a long day's work and taking care of your family, as well as great opportunity for some peddlers to sell their products.

Below are some photos of these plazas.

Parque Bolivar

Parque de Deseos

Plaza Botero

Parque de Los Deseos

Plaza Cisneros

El Hueco

Everyone knows El Hueco as the shopping center for a lot of cheap deals!

It seems like you can find just about everything whether it's baby clothes, jewelry, electronics, and even tinto. There are also small vendors, as well. Going to Medellin's El Hueco really is a highlight.

This showcases how entrepreneurial and hardworking many Medellinses are.

Is this El Hueco tambien?

Group of American tourists on the streets of Medellin.

Avenida Carabobo is a pedestrian shopping street that encompasses about five or seven blocks.

It is a great place to walk around the downtown area and is near Plaza Botero.

I feel photos of Downtown Medellin don't do it enough justice. Which is why I included these videos.

They are on YouTube, as well, please check them out..

EDIT SPACE THEM!!!!!!!!

Highrises away from El Centro.

some more photos of the outskirts of El Centro

El Poblado and Envigado are among the wealthier parts of Medellin.

There is a large expatriate population in Poblado. Many Canadians Swiss Americans Brazilians, and Germans reside in this section of Medellin.

Poblado, along with neighboring Envigado, are among the wealthier parts of this city. As such, many expats from Europe and the United States, as well as Brazil, live here. This is one of the only neighborhoods in Medellin where you spot an obvious tourist and they will walk around without a care.

Poblado is also a dining destination and the center of Medellin's nightlife.

Zona Rosa

In El Poblado, Zona Rosa is the center of nightlife in Medellin, This is one of the trendier parts of the city. You will see upscale stores, restaurants, and nightclubs. I saw a group of young men with flashy shirts, impeccable sneakers, tight jeans, fresh hair cuts.

Your appearance is often important in Colombia and La Zona Rosa is no exception.

the marking on the street on the right, almost looks like a white rosary.

A shot of City Plaza Centro Commercial (shopping mall, in Spanish.)

Envigado

Pueblito Paisa

This delicious colorful candy is called Mazapan!

Mazapan is a type of bread dough that tastes kind of toffee.

Public Transportation

Some views of Medellin from the Metro station

Medellin has a well developed transportation system. There are buses and taxis everywhere. And, the city has its own Metro system, or subway.

I loved being on one of their taxis, but as with many Latin American cities, the traffic can be a bit chaotic, especially during rush hour. With all the imprudent drivers around, riding in a taxi in Medellin can feel like you are on a roller-coaster ride, at times.

One of the big problems that Medellin is its pollution. The smog made me feel like I was in Lima, a bit. However, Medellin is not as polluted as the Peruvian capital.

Note of interest, there are not as many traffic lights. And once the light is green, they don't wait for all pedestrians to cross so you have to run if the light turns red on you and aren't able to walk.

Colombians, because of the Latin culture, and maybe since there is more sunlight here, can be a bit imprudent. I noticed this also when I was standing in line for food in a retreat. If you are distracted or the line is crooked, people might skip in front of you.

Here are some pics of the Metro

The people

Most people that I saw in Medellin were Castizos.

Castizos are either pure Spaniards in Medellin or people who are mostly European with some Amerindian in them. A lot of the people here have a mostly white look.

However you can tell most have at least a bit of Indigenous in them.

There were Afro Colombians here. Unfortunately the ones I saw tended to not be so integrated as well as castizos, whites, and even darker skinned Mestizos.

Even though I am speak Spanish, I got to learn a bit of Colombian colloquialism.

"Eso" is a very popular Colombian phrase and it means "alright" or "I like it!"

I really loved Colombian culture. Even though I am not a soccer fan, I loved it when I saw kids playing soccer on the street, you don't see that in the United States. They are strong in their faith. Bonds of Marian Love, a Marian group that is now in eighteen countries, was founded here in 1999.

What I also like about Colombia and its people is that they are very laid back, more peaceful than us as Americans (especially those in the Northeast), and are more family oriented than us, as Americans.

I noticed this when I saw a mother was working in a salon but then took a break to spend time with her husband and child outside for a couple of minutes and went back to work.

maternal leave fact check 4 months here it is 6 weeks

I wonder if Colombia is like other Latin countries where young couples do not move out until they get married.

Food

The Colombian diet consists of a lot of carbs and starch.

Street stalls selling snacks in Medellin

Colombians do have a sweet tooth. And I loved going to the bakeries. However, their sweets aren't as sweet as ours. I think this is because theirs is more organic and they don't put as much chemicals as we do here in The United States.

I like the pricing of the restaurants. When you go to a bakery and get coffee with pastries it only costs 2,200 pesos (or 70 cents). Mango juice costs 2,000 pesos, which is about 50 cents. I also tried coconut lemonade, which was very delicious. I forgot how much it cost, though.

American establishments are more on the pricey side, however.

In Colombia, KFC offers a big box of chicken with sides for $15,600 pesos. KFC, 15,600 pesos big box, which is still about $5 US Dollars.

It may not be so expensive for an American. But for some Colombians it is a bit on the pricey side and instead go to traditional restaurants that serve authentic Colombian meals or eat at home, instead.

Surprisingly, I could not find Inca Kola, a Peruvian soda that is very popular the New York City metropolitan area.

Colombians do, however, have their own coffee called tinto. According to an article I found on Thrillst, tinto is what working class Colombians drink and Juan Valdez Cafe is more like the Starbucks.

Outdoor restaurants are a common sight in the streets of Medellin. You see so many people eating in the evenings, and I feel this is understandable because as Medellinses work hard during the day, they take it easy during the evening, when they walk around with their friends and eat out in these outdoor restaurants.

It seems crime is not as big of an issue when you see Medellinses walking around town at 10 PM or even later, without a care in the world and enjoying themselves.

There are also a lot of food stalls and peddlers in the city. You will especially find them in El Centro, the downtown area.

Nightlife

Medellin is known for its active nightlife. After I came from prayer group, I went to a bakery. It was the 10 Pm and noticed people were still outside and everyone was having a good time.

Elderly women were walking the streets, talking and laughing with one another. Children were out too.

Music

Medellinses love their music. They will blast them at loud volume everywhere.

Reggaeton and bachata are very popular genres in Colombia. Mariachi is popular, as well. From what I understand, Colombians admire Mexican music and culture. and I believe their films, as well.

Surprisingly enough, Shakira is not as popular here. I have asked around. Sorry, Shakira. But hey she has the United States and the rest of the world dancing to her music.

You will also see performers, if you are lucky enough! There was one restaurant I was eating at and out of nowhere, a reggaetonero was rapping against the corruption of the country (and later asking for change).

I definitely don't see this in the States.

Medellinses in Business

Medellinses are very well known for their entrepreneurial skills. When my driver took me to a parking lot, I noticed that not only was it a parking lot but a car wash at the same location.

Despite the poverty and challenges I saw people sometimes face in Medellin and in Colombia, Colombians do not look for a "handout." They work and try to make a living for themselves and their families.

"La gente si se los buscan", as my mom would always say about hardworkers.