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February 05, 2006

Medellin Colombia-Shhhh Part 2

Now, for the reason we travel to Medellin: The Paisa (pie-sah) Women;
As others before me have posted, Medellin is not for everybody. Even though the US Government lifted it travel warnings for Colombia in May of 2005, this city, infamous as the former home of the notorious Pablo Escobar and the feared Medellin Cartel, is the industrial center of Colombia and yet, still bears a cautious approach.

Medellin is called, "The City of Eternal Spring" because of its pleasant year round climate (an average of 24C). At 1,538 meters above sea level, the city sits in the Aburra Valley surrounded by the mountainous Antioquia terrain. It rains frequently except in January and June, which are considered the dry months, but the showers are usually in the mid afternoons and only last briefly. (still a good idea to bring or buy a travel umbrella). Medellin, is a proud and modern city of almost 2.2 million people, with an area of 362 square kilometers. It is the capital of the Antioquia department and is widely regarded as the industrial center of Colombia and as a clean, well-organized and economically vibrant community. Its people are hard-working and industrious. Major industries include coffee and flower export, textiles, information technology and household appliances. Medellin has more Internet connections than any other Colombian city. It is also the fashion capital of Colombia. Each year the "Feria de Las Flores" (Flower Festival) attracts visitors from all over South America for parades and conventions. The city's fast and efficient "Metro" is the only public transit subway system in Colombia and the "Empresas de Pública de Medellin" is widely viewed as the best public utility operating in the country. In culinary delights, Medellin is said to have created Colombia's ubiquitous "arepa" - a flat bread made from various types of corn. I find it somewhat bland when eaten by itself but when filled with meats, cheeses or eaten with eggs for breakfast, it can be quite tasty (add a little margarine, a little honey and you have a very tasty alternative to toast). Meanwhile, Medellin's historical traditions are evident in Pueblito Viejo in Neitibara, a squared section of town on top of a hill in the middle of the city (look for the microwave towers surrounded by trees) with homes and shops preserved as they were 100 years ago.
Medellin has a cultural focus on education. It is also home of many universities that serve mainly the province of Antioquia. Among the most important are Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad Nacional, Universidad EAFIT, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana and Escuela de Ingenieria de Antioquia.

The Medellin Ladies, affectionately called Paisas (pie-sahs), are seen by many as the most beautiful of the Colombian Latinas. A famous Colombian saying goes: "If you want a pretty mistress, go to Cali, but if you want a beautiful wife, go to Medellin."


Upon arrival, you will be impressed with the modern airport, the quick transit through immigrations and customs, rapid baggage retrieval and availability of transportation to your intended destination. Get ready though, for a 45 minute to 1 hour drive through steep, 2 lane mountain roads that twist and turn in every direction imaginable. If you suffer from motion sickness or do not do well on amusement park rides, you might even want to have some Dramamine on hand as the taxis look upon this trek as an adventure and test of their driving skills, passing other cars on curves with minimal visibility of oncoming traffic. There are also frequent slow moving trucks, busses, rock and mud slides, accidents, cars with mechanical problems, bicyclists, horse drawn carts and any number of other encumbrances to slow your trip. (also, remember this for your departure).