"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide
Today was the first day that I felt like myself; I gained a little courage. I ventured out to find the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus. What better way to see a good amount of the city? I got on at Poblado Park with a couple from Sweden, who thankfully spoke English. I asked if I they'd mind if I toured around them for a bit and they obliged. From Poblado Park, we headed to city center where me made our first stop at Botero Plaza. This plaza is known for the large, plump, bronze sculptures by Colombian artist, Fernando Botero. Both myself and the couple were cautioned not to leave the plaza on our own and I rightfully remembered my chaotic experience the first day. So, as a group, we quickly visited the plaza, being extremely mindful of our things. I got some great shots and we entered back on the bus without any problems.
The other two main stops we made were at the Botanical Garden and the Mirador Cerro Nutibara, which translates to hilltop view. The botanical garden was a nice change of pace to the busy city. Lots of greenery, but I was hoping for more flowers. During the festival of flowers, there will be orchids and birds. While in the gardens, we came upon a Mayan festival where they were performing various dances. I think that's why I like exploring because you never know when you are going to come upon these unordinary experiences. Just like yesterday, Jorge and I were walking in the park near the Museum of Art and walked upon a guy doing amazing gymnastic stunts on the high bar, accompanied by awesome music. That kind of life really means a lot to me; seeing local people in their element.
The views of the city were pretty cool. The lookout gave a panoramic view of Medellín. I'm going to the area again tonight for the night views.
The bus brought me back to Poblado Park where I decided to walk home. It's about 1 mile or so, up hill. I thought when I left Quito that I was done with hills! The area I walked through was delightful and comfortable and much more my speed. There were plentiful options for food, drinks, and cafes. I stopped in at place and grabbed a "small" hotdog, french fries, and soda, for $3. Small was a joke. It was almost a foot long, covered in delicious toppings! I've yet to finish a meal since I've been here.
Yesterday, I visited a local market that was full of choices for anything you needed, especially fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. My family introduced me to many exotic fruits, so I enjoyed those as we browsed in search of fruits I didn't know; and there were tons!
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View from home |
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Market |
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Juice at market |
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Street art near Art Museum |
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Michelada - mango, beer, salt and lime |
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