Medellin: former headquarters of Pablo Escobar's drug cartel...

...Now the safest city in South America.

A fantastic change from crowded, overcast Bogota, Medellin had the perfect mix of sun, beautiful people, and a wonderfully organized metro. Part of the metro included the cable cars that I didn't realize were in store until it was too late. Those of you who have been lucky enough to witness my fear of hights first-hand should be glad you weren't with me in that metal box of death, precariously swinging hundreds of feet above the ground.

It was way higher up than it looks

Birthplace to Colombia's most famous artist, Fernando Botero, we spotted his chubby statues all over town. He has museums in both Medellin and Bogota which are FULL of his paintings and sculptures of overweight Latin lovers.

Plaza de Botero

We took a side trip to see "El Peñol," a huge rock that reminds you of Sugar Loaf in Rio, surrounded by a lake. It is one of the most beautiful places I have been on this entire trip. I can't even try to describe it, so I'll just post some pictures. Even they don't really do it full justice. I want to retire here.

"El Peñol"

The view from the top

We also went to the neighboring town of Guatape, which was the epitome of what I imagined a Colombian town to look like. Sitting on the side of a lake, a beautiful plaza surrounded by jeeps and colorful tuk-tuks, a cupcake colored church, cowboys standing in doorways and fresh empanadas for sale on every corner (the tastiest ever).

a street in Guatape

tuk-tuks by the cathedral

After returning to Medellin and spending one last day soaking up the sun and some disappointing botanical gardens, I got on a bus back to Bogota with Robin and Jun, two new friends who I'd been traveling with since Salento. They stayed with Linnea and I for a few days and had a squillion laughs together.