Two weeks on the road: Now in Medellin - Sept 29

We´ve made it as far a Medellin, Colombia. We´ve traveled about 1500 miles. Not much for two weeks, but we don´t travel every day and the going is slower. There are no freeways, so we have to slow down for every small town along the way (to say nothing of trucks, busses, burros, and pigs in the road).

This is the former drug capital of Colombia... home of Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel. However, since President Urribe was elected Colombia has become MUCH safer. In fact, I feel very safe. There are police or military on all the roads at frequent intervals. They are very friendly to the good guys, but heavily armed to deal with the bad. All it all, it is very comforting so see so much protection.

The countryside from Cartagena to Medellin was gorgeous. Green mountains, forests, and lots of pasture land. We arrived in Medellin yesterday afternoon and are staying in an area called the Zona Rosa (every city seems to have one), which is a very upscale neighborhood. Lots of restaurants, parks, bars, and shops. David (the South African I am currently traveling with) and I are in a very nice hostal called Tamarindo. Even internet so that I can post this blog!

Unfortunately, David took the wrong route into the hostal and his bike got stuck, literally between a rock and a hard place. Time to shed a bit of weight, David :)





Medellin was also home of the famous artist Botrero, he of the corpulent bodies. There is an entire plaza full of his statues. Ah, more hunks... a person could get a complex (although I hesitate to describe just what it might be)!