One of the best activities we have found in major cities has been the free walking tours. These companies have natives of the city conduct tours that usually run around 3 – 4 hours. The tours have no up front cost but they make it very clear that if you are happy with the tour be generous with your tips at the end. Every one of these tours we’ve done have been excellent and Real City Walking Tours Medellín was no exception.
Our guide, Juan, was excellent. He was passionate about his home city and never held back in his opinions of the cities past and its future. I found his commentary very refreshing.
The thing about Colombia in general and Medellín in specific is North Americans automatically link it to the drug trade, Netflix’s “Narcos”, and that “crazy guy” as he was referred to on our tour. This is unfortunate, for everyone. Foreigners miss out on a beautiful diverse destination and locals deal with being associated with something they would like to forget. But even though that whole tragic part of the countries history is over 25 years ago, it is still very fresh in the people’s minds. As we toured about it was addressed and then put aside, where it belongs. In the past.
This is a great example of part of the Transformation that Medellín is working on. This used to be a dangerous park occupied by the worst of the cities society. They installed these columns which light up at night and moved government offices and a library into the buildings around the square. The simple fact of adding light and working people allows one to enjoy the park without undo fear.There is a lot of art around the centre of Medellín, however the one thing that is striking, once it is pointed out to you, is the absolute lack of graffiti on the metro stations. In a city of more than 3 million people this is incredibly unique. As it was explained to us, the Metro was, and is, viewed as a great victory for the people of Medellín as it was built during “The Tragedy” so it is recognized as positive and a sign of renewal. I can attest to the fact that the trains we took were very clean and the system relativity easy to use. It is the only metro train system in Colombia.The guide referred to this church as The Church of the Loving Providers for good reason. It was surrounded by several dozen loving providers. The great thing about this tour was it tried to show a balanced view of life in centre Medellín.The artist Fernando Botero is from Medellín, Colombia and they are very proud of that fact. His artwork and sculptures can be found around the country but the largest concentration would be in Plaza Botero in Medellín. They certainly are entertaining pieces to observe.
Even though the weather was overcast and a bit grey this tour was for me a highlight of our time in Medellín. Listening to the stories and history as well as the hope and challenges in the cities future was enlightening and positive. I wish them the best and look forward to returning and seeing how things are going.
At the end of the tour we joined some other tour members and enjoyed a beer at this old salsa club. The club itself was fascinating, but the people in it truly set it apart. Lots of elderly folks enjoying some great old music. Loved it.
A great read and photos. Thanks.
Sent from my iPhone
>
Glad you enjoyed it.