Medellin (pronounced Mede-jin). I had no real concept of anything to do with Medellin, yet when I told dad where I was and he asked if I was safe, I figured the city must be pretty famous.
Only 10 years ago it was one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Not a joke. The Colombian conflict was still in full swing and people were getting killed on the streets daily. The extreme left, extreme right, Government and drug dealers were all at war with each other and the citizens of Medellin (and the rest of Cololmbia) were the victims of this war.
(A statue that was blown up during a festival and around 20 people were killed. Instead of removing it, they left it there so the people don’t forget and built and exact replica beside it…past and present)
(Inside the old Palace of Justice (now a shopping centre) that was stormed by guerrilla in the 1980’s and 100 people were killed)
The city has come a LONG way and is now so much safer than it ever was. In fact so much of Colombia is much safer than people think. I have been on more buses that have been searched than anywhere else and the police presence on most streets is hard to miss. It was on a walking tour in Medellin where I learnt so much of the history of this amazing country.
(Emma, Tom and Luke messing around 🙂 )
Pablo, our guide, talked us through the history of his country, leaving nothing out. The crime, violence and corruption that plagued the country was incredible. But that is all changing. We saw how the program of ‘Education with dignity’ is building massive libraries across the city is encouraging kids to turn to education rather than crime. And how the metro is only $1 for ANY journey in the city, meaning people from the slums can get a job anywhere in the city and have a cost effective method of transport.
(Due to the mountains, the council has built cable cars to reach the highest points, instead of a train line)
(Beautiful building in town. Only thing was that the European architect got sick of the Colombian work ethic….so left them to finish it…and look what happened….)
(…they just bricked it up!)
We saw how the opening up and lighting up of public spaces is encouraging people to come back to previously unsafe places, allowing them to gather safely in the streets. We saw how friendly and proud the people of Medellin are about their city, often stopping to talk to us in the street and ask if we like their city.
(Looking upwards In the square of lights)
(Guinea pig races inn the park. I bet 25c on number 7…and promptly lost my 25c!)
While I learnt a little about the drugs of Colombia – Medellin was the home of infamous Pablo Escobar, one of the most notorious drug dealers in the world – I learnt that this is just a same part of their history. I also learnt that while Colombia is one of the worlds biggest suppliers of drugs, it must be said that the demand for this comes from elsewhere. Us. The west. Maybe if we reduced the demand for these drugs then the lives of so many Colombians might be just that little bit better.
(Luke, Emma and Tom)
(Emma and I messing around in hammocks)
