We left Mendoza at 2 am on the 17th (Monday) and had a 7 hr flight to Panama city, a 3 hr layover, and a 90 min hop to Medellín. We were happy to land in a warmer climate, and first impressions were as one would suspect in August in Colombia: Medellín is a green, lush, enormous city nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains with countless highrises dotting the landscape. Today, it was a bit humid and overcast with some spitting rain and fast-moving clouds drifting in the mist over cloud-capped mountains. Our Uber driver was full of info about the city… primarily and importantly, he said would never live anywhere else, including elsewhere in Colombia. Paraíso (paradise), he said because of of the weather, the people and the vibrancy of the city with never a shortage of things to do.
On the way to the hotel, we noted that the Colombian infrastructure is impressive: we took the main tunnel (only 5 yrs old and the second half not yet finished), a miles-long carved out route through the mountains that shortens the ride from the international airport to the city center by more than half. Reminded me of the Lincoln Tunnel, minus the Hudson river water above us. Our ride to the hotel was still a good 40 min.
After lunch at the hotel and a nap, we ventured out in pouring rain for a bite and drinks in our neighborhood, Provenza. It’s quite steep and hilly, restaurant-dense and lined with sidewalk cafés, wine bars, gelato spots, boutique clothing stores, etc. We had no problem finding a few lovely spots for some entradas and drinks, including a restaurant selling very expensive Mendoza wine (a Catena Zapata 2019 going for around $500 usd or 1,500,000 CP!) which we did not order, obviously. Apparently, Colombia may not turn out to be a place to drink wine! Tried a small sample of tequila, though. The restaurant had a nice selection, along with lots of rums and a few other interesting Colombian cocktails we may have to try before we leave. We have several restaurants lined up in the upcoming days, so just sampled some Colombian (fried?!) empanadas and gyoza for our snacks tonight.
Hotel Diez Catagoria Medellín, where we are staying, is very nice, centrally located and comfortable.
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