Quick Trip to Jardín

We have been in Medellín for a total of 5 weeks now! We have 2 more weeks of school left before we leave Medellín to travel around Colombia for 6 weeks and show off our shiny new Spanish skills 🙂 Our school, our apartment, exploring the city, the people we have met (all of it!) has been a super positive experience. But we are looking forward to seeing more of the country and have found ourselves longing for some nature and small town vibes. Cue a quick trip to Jardín, the perfect mix of both!

We hopped on a bus on Saturday morning to make the 3-hour journey. The bus ride itself is not for those with a weak constitution. Drivers in Colombia, specifically bus drivers, drive like absolute maniacs. Almost the entire route is windy mountain roads heavy with potholes and the drivers do not care to take it easy on the turns or slow to a gradual stop. They are whipping around corners, passing on bends, and slamming on the brakes the entire time. And I made the regrettable decision to have a few too many beers the night before the trip. I have never been so close to barfing on public transportation. But we made it puke-free…whew!

Our first stop when we arrived was at our hostel, a super cute house just outside of town. The perfect place to relax.

The surrounding countryside was beautiful and from our hostel, it was only a short walk into town. Before exploring the town, we wandered around the outskirts to take in some views and fresh air.

We eventually made our way into town and were totally captured by the colorful houses. Almost every house was brightly painted and decorated for Christmas. It made the town feel so welcoming! The people of Jardín were also super friendly, the town just felt super happy and alive!

It also seemed like every resident of Jardín had a dog. There were dogs everywhere, and at first we thought they were all strays. We then realized that most of the dogs had collars and their owners just let them wander around all day. They go in and out of restaurants, rest inside of stores. It was actually very sweet! Not a mean dog in the bunch. We also encountered some cats and chickens.

The town also had a very lively square marked by a big Catholic Church. During the day, old retired farmers hung out on the benches or drank coffee and rum at one of the surrounding cafés. At night, the square explodes with people – mostly locals and Colombian tourists. The church, fountain, and trees were lit up with Christmas decorations, and people were everywhere! Drinking, dancing, enjoying the food carts. It was really a beautiful scene and so fun to be a part of!

We also witnessed a very strange horse display while we were in town. Through the day and into the night, there were these people with their horses prancing them around in this short, bizarre stomp. I managed to catch it on video a couple times, but I feel like it hardly even does it justice! In the first video, she is going a bit slow, but speeds it up in the second. I’m still not sure what the purpose was, maybe just showing off? Very interesting.

We ended our trip at a very cool restaurant. This place had their own little trout farm behind it and their restaurant only served one meal. Trout! You guessed it. The fish were deep fried butterflied whole trout served with a plantain arepa, coleslaw, and some excellent sauces. We figured if a place only serves one dish, it has to be pretty good. It did not disappoint!