The American Airline 737 touched down like a feather on the runway at Medellin International airport. Both Marney and I were in aisle seats and our companions in the window seats pulled down the window shades immediately after take -off so deprived us of any opportunity to catch a glance of Cuba or Jamaica as we passed. The main Medellin airport is modern and sophisticated with a well-stocked duty free. Set in a beautiful dark green luxuriant valley, it is surrounded by mountainous looking hills and undulating forests. The air is cool, clean, and sharp. After the heat of Phoenix and the tropical warmth of Belize, it was beautifully relaxing to go outside. Juan, our contact, had no trouble finding us as we emerged from the baggage claim. He directed me to the commission-free foreign exchange where I signed away my life which I could only put down to concerns about the drug trade. We were soon driving through the longest tunnel in South America to the city of Medellin.
A runoff presidential election is in the offing so large advertising hoardings along the freeway warned us of the dangers of socialism and what Hugo Chavez had done to Venezuela. Politics are on the minds of most Colombians and the two candidates are remarkably polarized. In a country of such striking extremes of wealth, it’s difficult for people to choose. Candidates representing the middle ground, like the Mayor of Medellin ,whose good looking and fashionable wife was with friends at an adjoining table to us in a restaurant later in the week, did not hit the Colombian political nerve so is out of the running. I am looking forward to learning more.
As a Boy Scout, ever keen on getting badges, I had to know how to tie all sorts of knots – even a sheepshank. I still remember how … vaguely . Never had to use one in real life but useful for attaching two ropes together. I never know when I might need that skill. I put it all down to British nautical heritage. A more useful piece of learning was to know the names of trees, so I learned the difference between a spruce, a larch and lots of other arboreal stuff. Looking at the lush forest on the way from the airport I realized how little I knew of this rain forest. Here was a varied canopy of trees, none of which I recognized. This was not the rain forest of SE Asia that I got used to in Singapore.
Once through the tunnel we were in Medellin, a panoply of tower blocks springing out of the hillsides like a model city from the opening of Game of Thrones. Overpasses and underpasses took the traffic in every direction, cutting along the slopes of the long undulating valley. The car twisted and turned, ascended, and then descended. Traffic increased. Motor bikes maneuvered skillfully past taxis and cars to congregate at the traffic lights. This was not the “get out of my way” driving technique of Valley motorists, this was a wily “catch me if you can” ballet-like pursuit between car, motor bike and taxi, all to find the quickest way. Suddenly we were at a large gate at the entrance to the car park underneath four tall towers, then in a lift up to Torre Quatro numero 1111 to meet Juan’s in- laws who owned the flat we rented and who were in the process of repairing the washing machine. Juan had learned his English in Sydney so was remarkably fluent. We stuttered through our few phrases and communication was adequate, so we exchanged greetings. Finally, we could look down on the lights of the city stretching up and down then up and over the hillsides. We had our luggage and beds for the night and with a quick visit to the supermarket and we were ready for business. We had arrived and were made welcome.
Our Living/Dining Room.
Now that we have lived in Medellin for over a week, we have met nothing but friendliness and goodwill. Nobody has robbed us or attempted to rob us and our only sense of unfairness was a taxi driver who we paid and tipped too much because at that time we hadn’t a clue how to determine the value of the peso. How good is your math? $1 US is worth 3,968.77 Colombian Pesos. That’s a lot of COP. $250 US is nearly a million. Colombian currency is challenging. It short circuits the brain or at least does mine. But it’s a minor challenge. Getting used to a new culture, a new city, a new environment, new people, a new language, a new climate, at 5,000 feet above sea level, takes time and effort. So far – so good. We haven’t packed it in or booked a flight home. Mainly because… we don’t have a home. Home is here, temporarily, in a comfortable, well protected, high rise flat in the centre of Medellin. The City of Eternal Spring, eternal revving of motorcycles, eternal traffic, eternal barking dogs and honking horns, nightly thunderstorms, and police and ambulance sirens. We are enjoying it. It’s different.
How do you carry all that currency?
Lovelh and lively descriptions! Makes us almost feel as though we are there with you. I had to smile at your description of trying to order food when you almost—
amot know what the words mean, but, really, no idea. Thanks for including us on your adventure! We are absorbed in the Congressional hearingson January 6. They are really very well done and quite absorbing. Can’t see how Justice can refrain from charging Trump with insurrection. We shall see.
It somehow sounds “other worldly”. Maybe the language, the traffic, don’t know! Remind me again of why you chose to be there? SO BRAVE!
Now I know why. Your notes about the demise of the AZ Republic against the description of Madallin (sp?) made it sound like you are fleeing a dying society and have landed in a very strange and different land!!