Even though my trip to Medellín was one week long, I had only one full day to explore the city. With its transformative reputation and vibrant vantage point, Comuna 13 was an obvious choice for a photowalk destination. Fortunately, there was something else happening. So the day was quite full-on.
Back in the days of the drug trade, Comuna 13 suffered from conflicts and violence. Now, it has been revamped into a major tourist attraction in Medellín. People from around the world come to visit and enjoy activities from the locals. Getting up there on foot and escalators just for a spectacular cityscape would be selfie-worthy. But the neighbours made the uphill trip to the next level. You could become sensory overloaded by the visual of colourful murals, shops, and vendors; by the sounds of Reggaeton from pubs to pubs and street performances; by the smells of grilled meat; and by the squeezes of crowded tourists. It was an organised chaos with the community’s energy and pride.
Another way to view the city from the top was a cable car. Before getting to Comuna 13, I took a detour uphill on a cable car and looped back. Metrocable is part of Medellín’s public transportation that serves far-reach and high-steep communities in the urban Andes. That was pretty real since I was in the car with locals (unlike the ones I took in Batumi and had great convos in the cars). Although I spotted some foreigners in the cue, there were no tourist attractions for them to get off for selfies. Nonetheless, riding it to the top-end and back was a sightseeing in itself, and without having to pay extra.
Moreover, the day was a public holiday, Battle of Boyacá Day. Therefore, some streets were closed for Ciclovía. I couldn’t help checking it out in the morning to compare the vibe with Bogotá. The scale was sensibly smaller. On top of that, the city also held the annual Festival of the Flowers. I missed the parade but caught some bikers preparing their march by the Ciclovía route.
That was the whole and only day of exploring Medellín. It was a lot of walking, causing sore legs. But it didn’t end there. After the last photo shot in Comuna 13, I hailed a taxi to the hotel area, met guys who I’d be in a retreat with, and went out with some of them. Of course, I paid the price for a wild night in Medellin in the morning.