Eternal Spring

Location: Medellin, Colombia

Introduction:

When Rich’s best friend moved to Colombia, we couldn’t resist the temptation to visit. Medellin is known as the city of eternal Spring for its year-round temperate climate. The upgrade from the chilly January weather back home in northern Florida was a welcome relief. Daytime highs were in the low 80’s dropping into the 60’s overnight with low humidity. That’s the norm year-round. We also benefited from our time zones being the same, which is a rarity when traveling internationally. Spanish is the dominant language. Given our daughter’s school schedule, we were limited to a weekend stay. We did not need a visa but we were required to register on Colombia’s immigration site both before arrival and then again before departure. We enjoyed the trip so much, that we’ll likely be back for more in the future.

Sights Visited:

We spent our first day at the impressive Parque Arvi. The fun begins with the extensive cable car ride taken up the mountain to the entrance. Within Parque Arvi, there are actually five parks. We took a taxi to Parque Comfama Arvi, which is known for its kids’ activities and ropes course. There’s a modest entry fee, and interestingly, everyone had to provide a form of government ID, including locals. Admission includes access to the Adventure Park with four different courses of rope bridges and zip lines geared to age and ability. Reservations are required and time slots fill up fast due to its popularity. Well-maintained gravel roads and walking trails wind through the surrounding lush green forest. There are a variety of food stands located around the park. We took advantage of them for lunch and snacks. There’s so much to see and do in the park that we wish that we had another day to continue our exploration.

We spent our second day at Parque Explora located in the heart of Medellin. The complex contains a science museum, aquarium and planetarium. We spent most of our time in the fascinating open-air science museum. There were three levels and they each offered engaging hands-on exhibits, which included descriptions in English beneath the Spanish headings. We moved on to the multi-level aquarium. It was modest in scale as far as aquariums go and not as engaging but well done for what it is. Given that the shows are in Spanish, we chose to skip the planetarium.

Play:

There was a nice playground just a short walk down the street from our hotel in Parque de la Bailarina Isabel Cristina Restrepo Cárdenas and several play areas spread throughout Parque Arvi.

Accommodations:

We booked a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment with a kitchen for three nights at the Sites hotel in the Poblado section of the city close to where our friends live. This section of the city is popular with both locals and tourists. There are lots of shops, restaurants and hotels throughout. The apartment was clean and comfortable. There was a euro-style air conditioner in each bedroom. The WiFi could have been better. A modest buffet breakfast was available with cooked-to-order eggs served to each of us. Surprisingly, our rate included a free breakfast for only the first of the three mornings that we were there. That said, the cost was just a fraction of what we’d be charged at a similar hotel in the U.S.

Food And Drink:

We ate at Il Castello, a nice Italian restaurant in downtown Poblado one night, and were treated to a delicious home cooked meal the next night. There is an Exito superstore located just a few blocks from our hotel where we picked up some snacks and wine. The selection of wines was mostly limited to Argentina, Chile and Spain. Wine prices were near double that of what we would pay at home, which was unexpected, especially for South American wines. The tap water is safe to drink and the hotel offered filtered water where we could fill up our reusable water bottles

Transportation System:

We flew Avianca non-stop from Orlando to Medellin and back. It was about three and a half hours each way. Our flights were smooth and on-time. Even though Avianca is part of Star Alliance, they operate more like a budget airline. We had to pay up for seats that recline and supposedly offer more leg room but were still snug. Any and all refreshments had to be purchased as there were no drinks or snacks included. Not even water. Our friends drove us everywhere in their SUV with the exception of when we went to Parque Arvi. To get there, we used the integrated Metro system. We started with an above-ground train, which connected to the Metro cable car system where we took two different cable cars up the mountain. Everything was clean and efficient.

Shout-Out:

We’re most appreciative to our friends Juan and Daisis who spoiled us during our visit. They joined us throughout the weekend, eliminating the language barrier and simplifying logistics. They taught us about local customs and culture and provided unique insights into life in Colombia. Muchas gracias amigos!

For Your Amusement:

The exchange rate with the Colombian peso was favorable at 4,300 to the dollar. The $ sign is used to show the cost in pesos making for some eyebrow raising prices like this million-dollar electric scooter: