Us at 4900m on Cotopaxi. My with my "Kiwi passport" and socks/sandals combo. Stylin'
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18th July 2025 at 10:04 - Damian
Today we climbed a bit of the flanks of Cotopaxi[1]. A 300m stretch from the carpark at 4600m up to 4900m. The highest we've ever been on foot.
The mountain is 5897m so quite a long way from the summit.
Thin air and windy with icy shards made for a breathless slow trudge.
I was the only person on the mountain in shorts. "The Kiwi passport" as my Argentinian friend says.
Afterwards we cycled (rolled, mostly) down to Laguna de Limpiopungo.
Cotopaxi viewed from the plains below.
17th July 2025 at 08:57 - Damian
The Quito Metro is only 1.5 years old. For US$0.45 you can go anywhere in the 22km system. It's new and shiny.
The entry to the Metro at San Francisco station.
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
Two Botero sculptures of birds.
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.
Sally in front of a sculpture of a horse and rider with disproportionate heads.
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.
Two wine glasses of chicha. The red one was made with purple corn.
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.
Basílica del Voto Nacional
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!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajiaco. A good gluten-free option. Bananas optional.
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.
The memories of the disappeared are held by the mothers.
Aphelandra. https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/184152-Aphelandra
Christmas lichen. Perhaps.
Scaphosepalum. https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/140390-Scaphosepalum
I don't know what these are but they look fake.
Grumpy-looking tiny frog in a bromelia. Might be a member of the Rain or Robber Frog (Pristimantis) genus. https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/64811-Pristimantis
14th July 2025 at 10:18 - Damian
Some butterflies. It would really help to have better than a phone camera at times like these!
Epiphile epimenes. https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/487403-Epiphile-epimenes
Cloud-forest catone. https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/513824-Catonephele-chromis
Another Cloud-forest catone. Apparently. Looks quite different to the previous one.
Graphita. https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/607229-Graphita
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.
A black caterpillar. Running. (I'll give its proper name when I find out. A variety of Hypercompe, perhaps? https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/63030-Hypercompe)
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.
At the end of the B Line at San Antonio everyone disembarks one side of the train while the other side embarks for a quick turnaround. It's efficient!
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.
The interior of the Centro Comercial Palacio Nacional. The place has a heap of galleries and knock-off sports clothing and shoe shops.
Handmade passionfruit and mango ice cream (left) and my personal favourite, sweetened avocado ice cream (right).
Sculptures in Plaza Cisneros. Once a derelict part of town, now a bright square with huge community library and the headquarters of the education department.
A living building in the administrative area.
A video slideshow generated by the cycle tour company. If you're ever in Medellín we recommend Turibike E-bike Tours. US$44pp all-inclusive.
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.
Waiting at traffic lights on the cycle tour.
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