17th July 2025 at 01:59 - Damian

On the topic of Botero, this is a sculpture that was used to conceal a backpack of explosives at a concert in 1995. The blast killed 30 and injured over 200.

The city wanted to throw the wrecked sculpture out but Botero insisted on making a new one and having them side-by-side so as never to forget.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-birds-of-peace-medellin-colombia

17th July 2025 at 01:52 - Damian

A bit out of sequence. This is a sculpture by Botero. Lots of these in Medellín as he insisted that they be displayed free of charge.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Botero

17th July 2025 at 01:47 - Damian

Last night with our dinner we had chicha which is a fermented corn-based drink similar to kombucha. It was around 4% alcohol, slightly sour with fruity flavours. Refreshing.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicha

17th July 2025 at 01:41 - Damian

We're in Quito, Ecuador. A lazy day yesterday with a wander around the old town getting adjusted to the altitude (2850m) which makes you breathe a little harder with the slightest climb.

16th July 2025 at 06:41 - Damian

Ajíaco. Chicken and potato soup with half a cob of corn in it. It comes with a side of avocado, capers, herbs and cream which you garnish it with.

There were bananas also on the side so I sliced them in, too, and it actually tasted pretty good despite being a little unconventional.

Loco gringo!

16th July 2025 at 06:21 - Damian

Yesterday was our last day in Medellín. We went on a walking tour of Comuna 13 [1] which is emerging from a horrifically violent past. Really good to see how they're turning their energies to the arts and improvement.

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comuna_13,_Medell%C3%ADn

14th July 2025 at 12:59 - Damian

14th July 2025 at 12:54 - Damian

14th July 2025 at 10:26 - Damian

14th July 2025 at 10:18 - Damian

Some butterflies. It would really help to have better than a phone camera at times like these!

14th July 2025 at 10:00 - Damian

Today we took a couple of gondolas up to Parque Arví which is to the north and east of Medellín.

We didn't have high hopes but got to see a lot of nature. I need to submit a heap of photos to iNaturalist to see if I can get some identifications but will follow this up with a bunch of nature pics.

13th July 2025 at 08:10 - Damian

The Metro [1] system which opened in 1995 in the midst of the cartel troubles is the pride of Medellín. Not a single bit of graffiti or litter.

There are two lines and they're well used with 210 million rides per year. We purchased casual travel cards and a trip anywhere on the metro costs NZ$1.60 regardless of where you get off. It's cheaper if you have a personal card. Really easy to use.

You can also use your card to pay for bike hire and at supermarkets, etc.

The metro connects with busses as well as a series of cable cars and gondolas (these were critical to inclusion for the poorer neighbourhoods on the hills). We're going to use these tomorrow when we visit Parque Arví.

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medell%C3%ADn_Metro

13th July 2025 at 07:55 - Damian

A note about Pablo Escobar. It's not easy to discuss the topic in Medellín as there are too many strong feelings about him. It's still too raw.

It seems anyone who lived through the time absolutely hates him and everything he stood for. They hate the destruction he brought and many people were personally affected by the huge number of murders and collateral damage.

There is a younger generation that have only been exposed to the 'history' of it through Netflix and see him as a bit of a cool renegade. This isn't helped by the fact that it's a bit of a taboo topic so they only get the Holywood version.

13th July 2025 at 07:46 - Damian

This morning we went on a walking tour of the centre of Medellín [1]. Really excellent information on the history (generally negative) and future (generally positive) of the city and region.

Some interesting lessons on the unintended consequences of prohibition and economic protectionism and the dangers of both the extreme left (FARC) and extreme right (paramilitary).

Also super interesting how good transport infrastructure can make a city more inclusive to the poorer communities on the outskirts and how a focus on education and civic spaces for everyone has a massive effect on reducing crime.

1. https://realcitytours.com/free-walking-tour/

13th July 2025 at 00:53 - Damian

13th July 2025 at 00:49 - Damian

After the wedding up in Guatapé we relocated to a hotel/apartment in Medellín in the Laureles district.

Very impressed with Medellín so far. It's got a real up-and-coming vibe to it and feels safer than many US cities we visited last year.

Yesterday we did a 4-hour guided e-bike tour along with Richard and Krista and two others. We got to learn a lot about the history of the place and ate fresh fruits as well as a bunch of different styles of fried foods and breads.

12th July 2025 at 01:54 - Damian

Colombian coffee plus empanada for NZD$3.10 (7500 COP)

11th July 2025 at 09:16 - Damian

On Tuesday (the day before the wedding) we took a taxi into Guatapé where we poked around and had lunch with a few of our fellow guests.

From there we hired a couple of tuktuks to visit La Piedra/El Peñol[1] which is a giant rock with stairs. 700ish steps made slightly harder by the thinner air at 2000m.

Richard and Krista had brought their own climbing gear from NZ and climbed the other side of the rock earlier that morning. It took them about two hours. They thought it was all ok to climb but found fresh razor wire at the top and were detained by police after being ushered back down the steps. No charges laid. They're nuts.

I managed to catch a cold at some point during our flights and it had kicked in on this day with lots of sneezing and insta-drip nose.

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Pe%C3%B1%C3%B3n_de_Guatap%C3%A9

10th July 2025 at 02:08 - Damian

The trip from Auckland to Medellín via Houston and Fort Lauderdale was arduous but reasonably uneventful. It took over two hours to clear immigration in Medellín.

From Medellín airport to our accommodation for the wedding near Guatapé we took a 1.5hr taxi ride. Remind me to never complain about NZ driving again.

The wedding venue is incredible with views over a lake and it was great to catch up with Yif and Millie as well as a few other familiar faces when we arrived.

6th July 2025 at 08:14 - Damian

Today we fly to Central and South America for a few weeks.

We're heading first to Yif and Millie's wedding in Guatapé [1] in Colombia via Houston and Fort Lauderdale. After the wedding we spend a few days in nearby Medellín [2]. We travel to Quito [3] in Ecuador for another few days before heading to Galapagos [4] for a 9-day tour with Intrepid. A few days back in Cartagena [5] in Colombia before heading to Costa Rica [6] for two-week tour once again with Intrepid. After that I return home via Houston and Sally detours to NYC for a fortnight with Adrienne.

We've never used organised tour companies before so will be interesting to see how it goes. There's no other option for Galapagos. It certainly saves a lot of planning!