My favorite part of my six weeks in Colombia was my trip to Medellín. Medellín is a beautiful city in the mountains of western Colombia. Because the elevation is so high, the temperature is much more moderate than the Caribbean cities of Barranquilla, Santa Marta, or Cartagena. The accent in Medellín is also noticeably easier to understand than that of the Caribbean region of the country; the people speak considerably more slowly.
The first day, my friends and I went to the metrocable. We knew that it was a lift system with cars that would allow us to travel over the city, but what we did not realize is that it was public transportation. This made the experience more interesting; we struggled to fit all nine of us into one car and take pictures of what is simply a regular commute to the people who live in the city.
The second day, we made the trip to Guatapé. This town was about 2 hours away from Medellín, but it was well worth the bus ride. We climbed El Peñón de Guatapé, a rock with 659 steps. It was tiring; however, the beautiful views of the mountains and water were absolutely stunning. That afternoon, we took a boat ride on the lake and enjoyed our favorite songs.
It was the day before my birthday, so we celebrated that night. First we went to a restaurant where we ate on the roof, and when we returned, my friends brought out a cheesecake to surprise me. Midnight passed, and we celebrated.
Medellín was everyone’s favorite part of our trip to Colombia, and we are hoping to return for this upcoming spring break. The few days that we had there were not enough to satisfy our curiosity and excitement about the city.
