Living the retirement dream

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Exploring Medellin

This has been a tough stay for us as the temperatures hit 80℉ by noon which is too hot for us. In spite of that we try to choose cloudy days to explore different parts of the city. These are a few of our outings.


We were advised by friends of friends to go to Envigado neighborhood. It is known for its architecture. It is located high on the hills of the Aburra Valley and borders El Poblado so it is a little cooler than where we are in the flat of the valley. It also has one of the highest standards of living in Colombia. Its recent history is closely associated with Pablo Escobar and the Medellin cartel. Despite that connection the area now has one of the lowest homicide rates in Colombia. The easiest way to get there is by Uber which is very inexpensive. The metro stop for Envigado leaves a 30 minute walk uphill in the heat to reach it. We really enjoyed walking this neighborhood.
St Gertrudes Church in the center of town was beautiful to visit and sit for a while to reflect.
We wandered through a small park with unusual blooms. This is a flowering banana plant.
It is so strange for us to see how much trash and garbage there is in certain areas. In most parts of the city people are constantly sweeping and raking and picking up any stray leaves and dirt and then you will see a pile of trash like this.
Most of the Colombian food is fried and unappealing to us. These are cornmeal based empanadas.
A colorful bridge over the Medellin River on our way to El Castillo Museum and Gardens in El Poblado.
The 5.5 mile 16 minute ride cost $4.31 tip included.
This castle-like structure located in a large park overlooking the city is owned by a famous family of Mexican and German origins who currently live in Europe. The family furnishings are on display in good and original condition.
We were only allowed to take photos outside.

Beautiful fountains in the garden and courtyard.
This gal was being photographed everywhere on the beautiful grounds for her Quinceanera, a Latino celebration for a fifteenth birthday which is a traditional coming-of-age ceremony for girls making their transition from childhood to womanhood with a large party that often includes a special dress, dancing and religious elements.
Lovely shaded paths around the home.
Stone sculptures in the garden, is that a Yoga pose?
Entrance to the house.
Back courtyard.
Nice views of Medellin from the home’s top terrace.
The Botanical Garden of Medellin is 14 hectares and has 4,500 flowers and 139 recorded species of birds. It is also free to enter.
Bamboo Grove.
African blood lily.
Golden shrimp plant resembles a crustacean, which gives it its name. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds with its nectar.
The Butterfly House in the Botanical Garden was small but had many beautiful species to admire up close. There were also many exquisite escapee butterflies flying around outside the entrance.
Video of fluttering butterflies.
Beehive ginger.
Fabulous palms in the Garden.
Vireya rhododendron “Simbu Sunset” variety named for its sunset-hued red and orange. These attractive blooms last a log time.
After exploring the Botanical garden we had lunch at In Situ Restaurant located in the garden. It is touted as a gastronomic and tourist heritage site for Medellin and the country. It gets booked up very quickly and we were fortunate to find one empty slot. Service was extremely slow and they were out of the main dish we went there for. The setting was beautiful and we would be willing to give it another shot. That is Jim sitting in the chair. We had a lovely table by the lily pond.
This little guy was sitting on this wire by the Lilly pond while we ate. Rusty-marginated Flycatcher a species of Tyrant flycatchers
We took a walk to San Joaquin neighborhood which has a road Carrera 70 that is the hot nightlife spot in Laureles. It also has Medellin’s Soccer stadium and this beautiful church which unfortunately and surprising for us we did not go into. This walk turned somewhat disastrous as Jim mapped out a different route home which went from sketchy to an onramp of a major highway. We just called an Uber at that point.

Even though this destination has been a bit tough for us we have made the best of it and feel that we have learned a lot. Jim’s Spanish has improved marginally as they speak so fast and with a Colombian accent. We are looking forward to entertaining Jim’s nephew and friends from Boston which will help make the last two weeks fly by.

Living our retirement dream

3 responses to “Exploring Medellin”

  1. Mark Neylon Avatar
    Mark Neylon

    Espero que disfruten sus últimas semanas en Medellín.

    Reply
  2. Peggy Avatar
    Peggy

    Great blog. Paul beat me to the comments, as I was also impressed with the gorgeous botanical gardens. Beautiful pics Sandy.

    Reply
  3. Paul Greenop Avatar
    Paul Greenop

    Excellent blog as always Sandy and Jim, I especially liked the botanical pictures! Enjoy your last two weeks . Paul

    Reply

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