The City of Great Innovation

Medellin built a waterfall,in a park in what is still considered to be a fairly dangerous part of town.  But the investment in public infrastructure creates meaningul community spaces, rather than areas congested with drug trafficking.  Kids playing and running through the waterfall.

Beautiful graffiti art along this leg of the Electric Staircase transit line of Medellin, with my friend Diana from Pänama.

There are five of these electric staircases through the Barrio of San Javier.  It is up on the mountainside so a very difficult place to communte.  But it was made much easier with the cites investment in electric staircases.  Two of the five electric staircase stations are equipped with community centers for the public to use for community related events.  When we were there a large group of kids were learning Hip Hop Dance.  The cities investment in these type of projects adds so much culture and meaning to the citizens that live in these low income barrios.

The beautiful Metro Transit System of Medellin.  1 dollar to ride it anywhere in the city for as long as you want until you leave the station.  There are four separate lines that you can transfer between and two gondolas.  This is not even  including the bus systems.  For a city of three million people you need a good transit system.  Bogota was 13 million and they only had busses.  It was very congested commuter traffic.  Here they even have special lanes, overpasses and tunnels exclusively for busses that allow busses to travel very quickly even when there is bad traffic.

Some beautiful graffiti art along the transit line in Medellin.  If you want to see more of the beautiful graffiti art I have seen in South America so far check out my instagram

http://instagram.com/_yycstreetlife_/

Mean Streets of Medellin

 This is a gondola shot of one of the neighborhoods in Medellin.  For the average Medellin person the income is about $300 a month I am told.  That is not a lot considering it is a relatively expensive city for South American standards.  Lots of beautiful neighborhoods looking like this,

 A look down at the city from the top of the Mountain Gondola.  3 Million residents in this city and you can see the vast expanse.

 Had my beard shaved off finally,  I asked the guy at the empanada stand if he knew of a barber nearby.  Turns out he wanted to cut my beard for me for free.  It was Colombian National Day so the spirits were high in the streets and the empanadas were extra delicious.

 A square up the mountainside of Medellin during the Colombian National Day Festivities.  Man rides his Motorbike with a small baby on the front.  People on motorbikes constantly driving into the crowds of people but it didnt seem to disturb the flow of the people very much.

 Shot of another neighborhood up the mountainsides.  These are the best places to go to find the best food at the best prices.

Park in Medellin Suburb with a giant halfpipe.   Now that is how you spice up a park!

Halloween in Medellin

New friends at the hostel.  From Left to right Jay (Finland), Diana (Montreal, Regina (Vancouver) and Steve (De Londres).

Big Botero sculptures in the center of Medellin.  This is Botero's hometown so he is bound to have a lot.

Another shot of Central Bogota.  Lots of amazing art, streets and museums.

Taking the gondola up the mountainside is actually a form of transportation that connects many Medellin citizens to the rest of the city.  How cool is it that you can ride a gondola to work.  Most of the neighborhoods around the gondola are middle to low class because they are the ones that typically live up the mountainsides.

Halloween with this rowdy group of individuals in a park in downtown Medellin.

Wearing pumpkin costumes.  Without the pumpkin I am supposed to be a lumberjack.

Shot from the mountaintop. Such beatiful red buildings everywhere.  All in all I like Medellin the best out of any of the cities in Colombia.  It is so modern with an amazing transport system.  It is not too touristy but it is still an amazing Colombian City.  The weather is 17 degrees all year long.  It does not get too hot or too cold.  It does rain a bit.  This place is paradise.

Capurgana, Colombia to Panama !!!

Beach of Capurgana with an untouched Island.  There was many moments that me and my Argentinian friend contemplated swimming to this island but we never made it.

 Fish Market in Capurgana.  Fisherman bring their fish to the market everyday and then the vendors sell them to us.  Very Cheap and delioucous.

Waiting at the fish market with my friend Jay (left) from Finland and my friend Steve from England.  travelled to Medellin with these guys after we left Capurgana.

Woke up early one day with my Argentinian friend and we decided to walk to Panama.  It was only a two hour walk and it was nice to be back in North America, the only continent I had known until September when I arrived in Buenos Aires.  This is the view of Sapzurro, a small town still in Colombia on the way to Panama.

 Deep Jungle on the walk there but we only saw one snake and it was dead and no monkeys.

 Finally made it to Panama.  They wouldnt stamp my passport but I did have to talk to military personell.  After this

 Here I am with my Argentinian friend as we ride the boat back to Colombia.  Walking there took  a lot out of us.  Argentinians are the funniest people.  So serious and direct in the way they talk and very loud too.  They talk a lot but they have lots of funny jokes and sayings that usually translate into English quite well.  I cant wait to go back to ARgentina in a few months.

 Up close shot of this beautiful Caribbean Island near Capurgana.

 Nacho with his favorite island in the background.  One day he will make it there.

 Drinking Club Colombias with my Homeboy Steve from England.  this guy has been to four continents so far on this travel and he is heading to Australia next.  In cambodia he was in a bad motorcycle accident at night with no helmet and nearly died.  I am glad he is with me on on this trip.

 Night bike shot on the peer in  Capurgana.

Waiting for the boat to take us away from this beautiful Island Paradise.  Steve is not one bit happy about this.  In the background the town is being stocked up with new supplies.  the only available way to transport goods here is by boat from Turbo.

Gypsies of the Caribbean

I got stuck in Cartagena for way longer than I thought I would.  I really didn't like it at first but it started to grow on me.  And then slowly it turned into a vortex and I couldnt leave.  Here I am with my Venezuelan friends and we are in my new hostel for 5 dollars a night.  It was kind of a shit hole though but it was good to save money from the other fancy hostel I was staying at for 15 dollars a night.

 Pasqual from Venezuela.  This guy is the most Original Gypsy I have ever met.  He can talk his way with anyone to get really good discounts.  He came here with no money at all and he is finding a way to squeak by everyday and make it to Panama to start a new life.

 This guy worked the door at the cheap hostel.  He is from Chile but he is trying to save up money to go to Panama (like pretty much everyone I met in Cartagena).  After Panama he is going to Mexico, US then Canada.  I have a feeling I will run into him again.

My friends from Venezuela wanted to go to Panama.  I wasn't to keen on going back to North America.  But I was down for  a little bit of a journey.  From Cartagena we took a bus to Monteria for 25,000 pesos.  From Monteria we took a bus to Turbo for 40,000 pesos.

 In Turbo we paid to take a boat to Capurgana.  Capurgana is right beside the border to Panama in the Caribbean.  Here is the station in Turbo where you can buy the boat tickets.

 Turbo was definitely an interesting town.  A true Colombia town with no tourism but it is a port town.  Everyone rode bikes here, so many motos.  It was definitely a dangerous place if you spend a lot of time there.  Lots of drug problems with Cocaine and crack.  We had to spend the night here to wait for our ferry.  The next morning we walked around for three hours and I bought the cheapest rum so far in Colombia.  But quickly we got on a boat and out of this town.

 Here in Turbo we have the fish market.

 Waiting for the boat to take us to Capurgana. 

 Hanging in the main plaza and port of Turbo with Phillipe waiting for our two hour boat ride to Capurgana.  I had been hanging with this guy for a few days so it was gonna suck to leave him when he goes to Panama.  He has a job lined up with REd Bull already in Panama.  He talks so highly of Panama like it is heaven but I dont think that he has been there before.  I hope it works out for him there.  He sold everything he owned just to have a little bit of American dollars to go to Panama.  

 Look at the port in Turbo.  What a place!  I had a strong connection with Turbo even though I was only there for about 8 hours.

 On the boat to  Capurgana.  So Close to Panama!

 Made it to Capurgana.  This is where I say goodbye to the Venezuelans.  I have to stay here and check out this town.  It is so beautiful and so untouched.  You can only access it by boat or two planes per week.  There are no cars here or motos.  The truest Colombian Caribean town.

You can see that CApurgana is so close to Panama.  The Panama Canal does not separate Colombia and Panama, it is actually further north.  The South of Panama doesnt have much and there are no roads to Panama City and North.  You have to take a plane or a giant network of boats like the Venezuelans were shaping up to do.  One day I will visit Panama.  I think on my next trip I will fly from Canada to Mexico and see all of Central America, and definitely come back to Capurgana.

 Having lunch in Capurgana with my amigos while they wait for their boat to Panama.

 The wild flowers in Capurgana are so beautiful.

 This is the path that winds its way to my hostel.  The hostel I am staying at here is called the Bohemia.  Very nice hostel with shared rooms for 5 or 7 dollars a night.  A beautiful kitchen and bbq.

Girl rides her bike through the main park and town square of Capurgana.  Nobody every locks there bikes here even if you have a good one.  There is a couple bars, a couple grocerias, and one bakery in this area where the photo is taken.  In the nighttime it is filled with loud caribbean music and people drinking rum, whiskey and beer.  You don't really need to know the time or the day of the week here.  It is always kinda the same thing.  A beautiful, untouched beach town with amazing walks, beaches and people.  You can walk to Panama in one hour and there is a beautiful beach there.  I may do that tomorow.

Cartagena, Colombia

The North Coast of Colombia and the touristy beach towns I have been too are unique.  The closest comparison I would have would be Mexcio because they have beautiful beaches and are very touristy.  Cartagena is the most famous and biggest beach town in Colombia.  It was one of the places that was safe even during the very dangerous 80s and 90s.  The people in this city are used to tourism being the number one industry, so you are going to get hassles non stop as a gringo.

Here we have a closed up shop.

Man on bicycle riding in front of one of Cartagena's buildings designed with Colonial Architecture.  PS) Under renovation

Man eating Plantane (Platano) walking down the street

Here is my buddy Jeff from Comox, BC, Canada eating Mangoes and drinking beer.  Only got to hang out with this guy for one afternoon because he was on his way to Medellin, but he was a really rad MAHF.  Jeff just couldnt get over how many fucking pigeons there are in this city!!!!!  Behind him a little girl feeds the throngs of birds.

Chillin with the holmies!!!

Civillian Military keeping on eye on things.  I just hoped he wasnt going to shoot me for taking this picture.

The Colombian Mens National Soccer team practicising in Cartagena's brand new soccer facility.

I caught a video of a penalty shot attempt:

The beautiful jaggedy rock garbage littered beaches of downtown Cartagena.  Too be honest this is the most overrated beach town in the world.  The main beach is Playa Blanca which is far away from the city so most people pay a tour company to drive them there and then pay an entrance fee to the beach.  Then when you are on the beach you are hassled by an endless amount of pushy salespeople trying to sell you nicknacks.  PLus the beach is filled with cabanas and hammocks so there is not much room to lay down.

If you want a true beach town withouth the hassles go to Palomino.

A shot of the beautiful courtyard of Media Luna Hostel.  I am staying at the Media Luna Hostel in Media Luna a neighborhood of Cartagena.  It is the nicest hostel I have stayed in during this trip.  Beautiful pool, rooftop terrace and gigantic rooms for fifteen dollars a night.  Its not a great place to learn Spanish though, everyone at the hostel speaks English as a first language.

Check it out here www.medialunahostel.com

The bicycling here is good... not great.  My hostel has some bicycles and they will rent them for free for the first hour.  After that its $1.50 an hour.  So cheap.  No Bicycle lanes so you have to ride on the roads.  

My view of biking down the streets of Cartagena.  Here is nowhere near as bicycle friendly as Bogota obviously.  Here cars practice the art of the Courtesy Honk.  It is when you honk at a cyclist everytime you pass them.  I am still on the fence on whether I like this or not.

Walking down the street and I ran into my friends that I had met in Bogota.  This is my favorite part about travelling when you run into people in different cities that you travel.  The girl with the balloon it was her birthday.  Next to me is my good friend Phillipe.

All in all Cartagena is a good city.  I would recomend you have to check it out for at least a weekend.  It is a difficult place for a twenty-something gringoe male to be.  People don't call you "hey amigo" when you walk down the street like Mexico.  Here they call you "you want cocaine" or "What do you need, i got everything".  Too many idiots have come to this city before me and really changed the dynamic of the tourism.  Even Bogota in the most touristy areas of the city was lightyears better than Cartagena for this.  The other troubling thing is the police will do random searches constantly.  They pick on gringoes, hoping to find drugs on them and then force them to pay $300 to avoid going to jail.  It is a very corrupt city.  I find it annoying and an invasion of privacy to be walking down the street and have police randomly stop me for pat-downs.  It is really bad on Friday or Saturday nights.  One of my friends from Australia, on the walk home from a bar to the hostel was stopped and random searched by four different police officers in twenty minutes.  I was searched within minutes of arriving to the city when I got off the bus downtown.  Of course they found nothing because I am here for the culture, the people and the food, definitely not the drugs.  But there is no shortage of Partyboy Australians, Americans and other Gringoes in this city buying copious amounts of drugs and getting stuck in hostels here, hung-over day after day, without the energy to wake up early and catch a bus to another city.  This city is definitely one of the bigger gringoe vortexes I have seen in South America.