We got a bit of a late start and the weather looked threatening, still, we set out. We needed to restock pesos. We are using more cash here than in Panama because the restaurants we seek most often cater to locals with local food. Most do not accept credit cards. Plus what seems like a lot of cash in pesos is only a little bit in dollars. We initially tried banks with no fee for international cash withdrawals but no workie. We panicked for a moment and thought maybe our bank was holding things up since we are out of the country and this is our first withdrawal. Then we tried a bank with a fee for the transaction. Absolutely no problem. We asked for the max per transaction, 400,000 pesos, and a wad of cash came rolling out. Woo-hoo! I know, 400,000 pesos sounds like a lot but actually it’s worth only a bit short of $120.
Money in hand, we can eat!
Back on the metro again we went to Alpujarra Station. In Atlanta, we are proud of the Olympic Centennial Park, its open layout, and access to lots of attractions and places of interest. It’s spectacular. I’m proud of it and it is a sure destination for most visitors who come to our city. I have to say however, I’m overwhelmed by the public venues Medellin has to offer. And walking is the very best way to experience it all.
The tour is centered in the city’s cultural and historic district located in the very heart of Medellin. I cannot imagine how it was financed but El Centro is fantastic. Beautiful plazas, historic churches, museums and markets in this single part of the city cover a space of about 10 city blocks long and 5 blocks wide. Important areas include Alpujarra, a government complex where ultra-modern buildings for City Hall, The Palace of Justice, and the Governor’s office are found. In the plaza connecting these buildings stand a gigantic sculpture, Homage to Our Heritage, a tribute to the development of the Antioquia. As a side note, Antioquia is the name of the Colombian region in which Medellin is the capital. Still connected to the plaza is the Ferrocarril de Antioquia train station. It’s a fully preserved grand old train station with shiny locomotive on its grounds and a small museum showing life at the time train travel was supreme. Across the street is the Parque de las Luces. Here 300 tall lighted pillars are illuminated at night making the plaza a magical meeting place. To get to the next spot, Palacio Nacional, we had to walk through El Hueco – a congested, wildly active marketplace for cut-price shopping and knock-offs. The National Palace is stately. This taupe colored, 4-story building was designed and built in 1925 as an exclusive office building for the best of Medellin’s lawyers. Its many grand arches and opulent lighting inside are akin to those in cathedrals. Today it is a busy shopping mall. Wow!
We passed the Iglesia de Veracruz but could not go inside that day. The church was built in the late 18th century but is famous today for the prostitution that goes on nearby.
Next on the walk was Plaza Botero. You’ve seen this artist’s work before in museums, in photos, or as decorator replicas — his sculptures feature very chubby people and animals. Plaza Botero is tremendous in size. It has to be since it spaciously holds 23 sculptures created and donated for the plaza by Fernando Botero, the famous artist from Medellin. I read that each of the sculptures is worth $2 million.
As we went inside for a light lunch, we looked outside and the sky was no longer threatening, rain was pouring! All those people in the plazas were huddling under the awnings of buildings and storefronts. Many had umbrellas. Some had sheets of plastic.
About the time, we left the restaurant, the rain began to subside. We thought we might catch perhaps one or two more spots on the walking tour. We were just outside Parque de Berrio. Again, this is a large paved plaza that sits in front of the Hotel Nutibara, once the grandest hotel in Medellin. It’s still a destination hotel and beyond that, lots of people today buy a day pass to merely enjoy the glamorous rooftop pool. On the other side of Parque Berrio is the oldest church in the city, the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria. Opposite on the other side of the park is a new modern metro station. What a pleasing example of old and new!
We did this tour on a Saturday. All the marketplaces were bustling and the two primary plazas, Plaza Botero and Parque Berrio were filled with people too. This, we learned is where locals spend their Saturdays. They abandon their small apartments and gather at El Centro to meet friends and family, to linger, chat, shop, flirt, eat and have fun. We should have had a hint to this might be a busy day. People on the metros to this place were packed like fish in a can.
We did not finish the tour but hope to resume later this week. Before leaving the area, I could not help myself. We bought a huge pineapple and three avocadoes; that’ll be a lot to enjoy in only our remaining days. They weighed a ton to carry but oh, how delish!
By the way, even though Stan’s phone was stashed in a sealed lower pocket of his cargo shorts, someone lifted his iPhone while on the crowded metro. As we all often say, it happens. Even though we are aware of our surroundings and know these things can happen, they still do no matter what. Phooey!
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