Colombia Forum

jooks
Joined 2019
Posts: 293

5 years ago

Installment 4

5 years ago

May 12, 2019

It’s Mother’s Day, a big day in the US and even bigger in Colombia, or so it seems. The flower vendors were getting their wares ready as I passed one after another on my insanely early morning walk. Which leads me to sunrise and sunset in Medellin. For those that care for consistency [ahem], there is approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness in Medellin. It is only about 400 miles north of the equator (the equator goes through southern Colombia.) Which in turn, allows me to plan my morning walk at the same time each day, when the sun surfaces, 6am or thereabouts.

I met Mariana in El Centro yesterday (see photos). This is a far different world than Laureles, where I live. El Centro is the heart of the city, much like downtown NYC. On the other hand, Laureles is akin to something like Queens or Brooklyn. But I digress. I’ve been to El Centro on past trips but strictly as a tourist. Yesterday, I had my buddy, Mariana the paisa, show me some of the cool spots. Like old book and record stores and a super coffee shop. It is a much more vibrant area than Laureles. The streets are teeming with inexpensive shops and vendors and wall-to-wall people. And great street food (see photo).

I see warnings on various tourist sites and forums about the danger of El Centro. sometimes even urging visitors not to go. To miss El Centro as a visitor is like missing the most fun part of Medellin. At no time yesterday or during past visits did I feel unsafe. While it may be a different scenario at night especially in the sketchier areas, day time is safe if you use common sense and not flaunt your Rolex.

I got lost on this morning’s walk to Medellin River Park, only a couple of kilometers from me. But can I just say, I love Google Maps despite that it had me making turns into the polluted river. I equate Google Maps to riding a roller coaster. You’re terrified during the ride but have faith that you will return to the start position with all of your bones intact. As a result, I felt free to explore much more knowing that Google will get me home eventually, even if it involves wades through a polluted river.

What a nice park! Well, the river is not really a river. It’s more like a canal and it’s polluted as heck. Unearthly creatures seem to live there. It’s actually 100km long and may actually be a river outside Medellin. Add that to my list of things to explore. But the walkway and bicycle path are wonderful with the mountains in the background all the time.

My pencil is sharpened. Tomorrow is my first day of school. And I am now an official immigrant having obtained a cedula (ID) with much work. A cedula is akin to a green card in the US, sort of. But alas, I need to amend it. Who the heck knew that one’s blood type is listed on the cedula?! I wasn’t prepared for that question and took my best guess. I didn’t think it mattered much since no agency seems to give a dang in the US. But in Colombia they take it seriously, a very good thing if you get run over and need a blood transfusion. So now, I have another chore to keep me occupied: dealing with the bureaucracy again and getting my card amended. On the plus side, the bureaucracy becomes more and more a way of life and makes me feel like I belong :).

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