Medellin Redeaux
After our last trip to Colombia, we were totally smitten by Medellin and the surrounding countryside. We simply had to take another look! A year after our first trip, we decided to make a return visit and stay longer. We rented a B&B in the Pabaldo district of Medellin, where we had stayed last year. The B&B was centrally located next to parks, restaurants, and the metro line. The Perfect setup for our next South American Adventure
Surrounded by Hills
Medellin is surrounded on all sides by hills which creates some beautiful atmospherics. In the morning and evening, the clouds move in, but during the day the rain stays mostly in the hills. The city is home to a vertical lifestyle of large high rises. Many of these are luxurious apartments with all the amenities within a short walk or metro ride. The metro lines run eat and west and then branch North up into the hills and South.
Day One - City Tour with Jaime
Our Day began with a typical Colombian breakfast of Arrapas, eggs, pork cutlet and cheese. After that we met up with our guide Jaime from Journey Tours Colombia, who had been recommended to us by our AirBnB host. He turn out to be a real find!
We started our tour at one of the large City Parks that overlooked the city and the small pueblo at the top called Pueblito Paisa.
We started our tour at one of the large City Parks that overlooked the city and the small pueblo at the top called Pueblito Paisa.
After that we took the metro into the center of Medellin to see the beautiful buildings, museums and parks in the city center.
Santa Elena and The Fiesta De Las Flores
One of the main reasons we returned when we did was to catch the Annual Fiesta del Las Flores. Every year around the first week of August there is a huge flower fesitval to celebrate the numerous flower growers, and their tradition of carrying Las Sillas. The Sillas are chairs that are carried on the backs of the peasants. Originally it was used to carry the wealth landlords down the steep hillsides, but later was the primary means of carrying the flowers to market. Every village and family creates their own float which are carried on their backs. It is a tradition of great pride to create these and carry them in the grand parade. Santa Elena is one of towns in the hills where they grow the flowers and make the floats. Every year they have a festival there where the stay up all night drinking and making the floats.