Cocaine Country
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
Another 13hr overnight bus ride from hell and we arrived in Medellin—the famed hometown of Pablo Escobar. I was not sure what to expect but it certainly was not what we were presented with. We are staying in an area called Zona Rosa, which is definitely the upper middle class sction of town, and it is something special. The women are exceptional; the amount of eateries and bars is stunning, and basically the entire area is instantly more impressive than anything I have ever scene in the states. They have done a great job of keeping everything to small business and not allowing in chains. Basically every door is a bar, restaurant or club for about 6-8 square city blocks in this one neighborhood we are staying in. One thing I have noticed is that this is a very affluent area and unlike much of South America the women are an active consumer and business owner in the society. I wonder if I will see this trend continue as I move on.
We did get to fulfill something I have wanted and that was to see a Botero exhibit in Colombia. For those who don’t know he is definitely an artist who Colombians are very proud of and he is most famous for his sculptures of fat women. The misshapen theme of his work is carried to all subjects whether man, women, horse and whether it is a sculpture, painting or charcoal sketch. Anyhow, the exhibit we saw—in the fine art museum of Medellin—exceeded my expectations and my only disappointment was not having more time. Sadly we could not take photos inside so please check out my pics of Medellin and it will be obvious what is by Botereo.
The not so fun part is that I have been having a challenging fight with my intestines the last few days. It is improving but it was not the way I anticipated losing weight….
Chirp Chirp…stomach groaning
dirtcricket