A Weekend in the City

Since arriving in Medellin over 3 weeks ago, we have not had the chance to explore much outside of our neighborhood. We packed a lot in this past weekend!

Friday – Medellín Museum of Modern Art

This was a last minute decision as we were looking for something to do and somewhere to walk after a week of sitting in classrooms. I really enjoyed this museum and it was in the middle of a neighborhood that had a college vibe – about a 20 minute walk from our apartment. They have rotating exhibitions, so I imagine we will find ourselves there again before we leave!

I was especially fascinated by their collection of potato art.

Afterwards, we stumbled upon a film & audiovisual festival behind the museum! We grabbed a couple beers from one of the vendors and sat on the steps enjoying the atmosphere. It was a nice feeling to be outside of a touristy area and experiencing a small festival for locals.

Once we left, we were on a mission for dinner. On our way home, as we were walking up our street, Alex was stopped dead in his tracks by a guy grilling meats on a charcoal grill out front of his house. He had a chalkboard sign with the menu and a couple of plastic tables – we couldn’t resist! We were served an excellent meal. He told us he grills every Friday night just for fun – no restaurant licenses needed in Colombia 🙂 The meal was excellent, of course.

Crispy pork belly makes Alex a happy man

Saturday – Memory House Museum, Plaza Botera, Botanical Gardens

On Saturday, we set out for the Memory House Museum (Museo Casa de la Memoria). This museum displays the long history of Colombia’s violence and murders starting in the 1950’s until the mid 2010’s and the memories of the people who lived through that time. The first picture below is a photo of the museum from the outside, I didn’t take any from the inside. The museum was a lot to take in (not to mention it was mostly in Spanish, so it was slow going for me). Colombia’s history of violence was new to me. Everyone is very familiar with Escobar and the drug trafficking reputation, but I did not realize that it extended far beyond and before that. I have some historical reading to do!

After the museum, we walked through the central business district of the city with tons of restaurants, markets, and people. This part of the city is action packed during the day, but we were told to steer clear at night – message received! We made our way to Plaza Botera which is famous for the massive statues donated by the Colombian artist Fernando Botero. The giant gothic looking building that is pictured is the “Palace of Culture” which was free to tour but much more underwhelming than the outside facade might suggest.

Our last stop of the day was the botanical gardens. I always appreciate reserved green space, especially a city like Medellin that is so packed with cars. It was nice to walk around and breathe in some fresh air.

Sunday – Parque Arví

And on Sunday we visited Parque Arvi! Parque Arvi is a nature park northeast of the city and the highlight of going there is taking the cable car system into the mountains. We got beautiful sweeping views of the city and then all of a sudden we were over dense forest. We explored around the park a bit, and hopped off the cable car at a stop on the way down for lunch. Pictured is a traditional “bandeja paisa” and probably the best one I have had since arriving here. It usually includes a soup or beans along with rice, a thin piece of grilled meat, a slice of plantain, and a (usually) sad little salad. This plate had bonus french fries! I would say these traditional plates are generally “just ok” but the Colombians do know how to make a mean soup or bowl of beans.