Top 12 Favorite Cities in the World: #8 Medellin Colombia

Over the last 8 years I have had the privilege to travel to over 80 cities, 30 countries, and 5 continents. I have made new friends, ate incredible foods, had some crazy nights out, navigated sketchy situations, and much much more ! With this in mind, I decided it would be a good idea to really sit down and put my thoughts to paper deciding what cities stand tall beyond the rest. This week #8: Medellin, Colombia

THE GRADING CRITERIA

-Category 1, "Food" 10 PTS

-Category 2, "Safety" 10 PTS

-Category 3, "Activities / Things to do" 10 PTS

-Category 4, "Cost" 10 PTS

-Category 5, "Energy / Excitement / Good Vibes" 10 PTSd

-Category 6, "My experience (I.e. How much fun did I have)" 50 PTS Subjective ? Yes ! However, I am not ranking these cities by how comfortable I think they are or what would be the best city to live in. Rather, the main factor really just is: Did I have fun and make some life-long memories while here ?

#8 Medellin, Colombia. Total Score:--

-Food: 5 / 10:

My sincerest apologies to any Colombians or lovers of Colombian food out there. I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of local cuisine. While nothing I had in Medellin was offensively bad, I also didn't really have any meals that were memorable. For the most part I found Colombian food to be a bit bland without many spices. When ordering the

traditional Colombian food platter 'Bandeja Paisa' (typically consisting of pork, beans, plantains, and fried egg), I found the side dishes tended to be lacking in flavor and the pork was often too dry. At first I assumed this may have been a result of trying not to break the bank on meals. So myself and my friend Jordan went out of our way to do a bit of research and indulge in a few splurge meals. Unfortunately what we found was that not only was the food bland at budget restaurants, but also at highly reviewed, pricier restaurants as well.

Moreover, Colombia's famous savory pastries arepas were good. Yet, I found them to be very inconsistent across the city, with some being down right delicious and others being borderline inedible. The best arepa I had across Medellin (and one of the best savory pastries I had across all of Latin America) was during my time exploring the city's infamous communa 13 neighborhood. Approached by a boy and his mother selling arepas wrapped in tin foil out of their backpack. Largely won over by the boy's persistent but charming salesman tactics, I decided to roll the dice and buy an arepa for myself and Jordan. Unlike many of the arepas we had from street vendors and restaurants alike, which were commonly too dry. These arepas were absolutely succulent and packed plenty of flavor, certainly a highlight of my culinary experience in the city.

Aside from Colombian food Medellin is quite a large city with various options for international cuisine. Yet, when compared to cities around the world of similar size I found the international cuisine in Medellin to be average to below average. However, I would be remised if I did not mention the tacos at Criminal Taquieria in Provenza. The tacos here were absolutely bursting with flavor and not far behind

with what I had in Mexico City.

What really saves Medellin's score in the food category is it's excellent cafe scene. Colombia, world renowned for its delicious arabica coffee beans harvested in the regions around Medellin and in the south of the country. While a large percentage of these premium beans are shipped to countries abroad to be enjoyed by coffee aficionados around the globe. Thousands of kilograms of these beans are also loaded into trucks and brought to cafes across Medellin as well. Best of all is that while a cup of Colombia's finest coffee might hit you for a cool fifteen to twenty dollars at a bistro in New York City, London, or Tokyo. In Medellin ? You will be able to find these same fine coffees for an absolute fraction of the price, think two to five dollars for a cup of some of the best coffee in the world. If you are a fan of light roast Colombian arabica, packed full of creamy and floral flavors you'll find no shortage of coffee options that'll suit your palate in Medellin.

-Safety: 4 / 10:

Once infamous for being amongst the most dangerous cities in the world in recent times Medellin has significantly improved its reputation. While the city now welcomes in flocks of tourists from around the world, it would be dishonest to say that Medellin is not more dangerous than your typical tourism destination. While the powerful cartels and guerrilla militias which once ruled the city have lost their stranglehold, violent crime as well as petty crime happen still frequently take place and some areas in and around the city remain as no-go zones for tourists.

We stayed in El-Poblado which was full of parks, gyms, restaurants, and trendy cafes. While you should still be aware of your surrounding pretty much no matter where you are in Medellin, El-Poblado was a very lively area with a high security presence. We walked from bar to bar and through parks even once the sun had gone down and there was never a feeling of impending danger lurking around the corner. In addition to El-Poblado, Laureles was very relaxed residential, but hip area with plenty of carefully manicured greenery lining the street and specialty coffee breweries dotting the spaces between higher-end apartment blocks. Generally a rule of thumb in Medellin is the further north or south you venture into the city the more dangerous it gets, while the central areas of the city typically tend to be safer.

If you're sticking to these areas and only exploring around town during the day time it is unlikely that anything bad would happen to you. However, there is so much more to see in Medellin than what it has to offer in its central tourists areas. If you are coming to Medellin you should experience the cities legendary night life, as well as, visit the city's famous mountain side communas (such as communa 13). You should just keep in mind that there are inherent risks here that you should be aware of. When visiting certain parts of the city (such as a commua) heavily consider going as part of a guided tour and be aware of areas that are typically safe during the day, but you should not linger around after sundown. Moreover, if you are going to party it is a good idea to make friends with locals in your hostel or in the tourist-friendly parts of town before heading out and trying to party where only the locals do. Medellin is a city where might see some of the vices of human society; people may approach you inquiring if you are looking for drugs, there is very visible prostitution, and violence certainly does happen in pockets of the city. With that all being said, the same could be said for cities like Los Angeles or New York. The common denominator being, if you visit these cities naive or looking trouble - trouble will likely find you. If you practice some street smarts you should be fine, just as we were during our visit.

-Activities & Things to do: 10 / 10

Action packed, wild, energetic are the first adjectives that come to mind when asked to describe my time in Medellin. No matter what

kind of trip you are looking for you are sure to find it in Medellin. We spent a week in the city with each day following a similar pattern to the following: Wake up hung over from the previous night, track down breakfast and an absolutely delicious coffee from one of the city’s many specialty roasteries, spend a hour or two relaxing and enjoying panoramic views of Medellin in the late morning/early afternoon sun at a roof top pool, meet up with friends and

head to the activity of the day, after a day of exploration heading to dinner and drinks, and ending it all off by crushing an increasingly blurry number of club colombias and aguia lights in energetic bars across the city.

A standout moment for me was going to watch an Athletico Nacional football match against their rivals from Bogota. Truth be told even calling this a ‘standout moment’ does not quite do it justice. Going to the game was akin to a religious experience. The energy and passion brought forth form the raucous die-hard fans around us was so intense that both Jordan and I found ourselves fighting to hold back tears. I can’t quite pin-point the exact reason for this emotional response, but between fans hanging off the upper deck with nothing holding them back other than their fellow fan’s arms, blinding green smoke, blaring noise makers, and so many thousands of people jumping with such unchained energy and fervor, not only could you feel the stadium shaking, you could see the upper levels of the concrete stadium swaying. Somehow this combination of extreme stimulation to the senses unlocked an emotional response in me that quite literally brought me to tears. Truth be told, judging the scene without any context you would think Jesus Christ himself was about to come down from the heavens, much less a football squad entering the pitch. While I still can’t quite put the precise description of my feelings into words, I certainly can’t recall many moments where I have been more awestruck in my life. What I am sure of is that in that moment I was thinking something along the lines of: “Holy shit is this incredible. How the f- did I end up here”.

If this sounds a little intense for your taste then an option would be to attend a game as part of a tour. Pretty much every hostel in town offers a tour service to the game for any interested gringos. In taking this option, you also have your transportation to and from the game covered so you won’t need to worry about navigating public transport after the game. Aside from attending a football match, visiting the infamous communa 13 was also a great experience. While it does have a very mild tinge of distastefulness, considering the neighborhood’s history and the current disneylandification of the community. Overall, I had a great time here. Learning about the history of the neighborhood and taking in the stunning panoramas of Medellin from high up in the communa are going to be staples in the cool dad lore library. In addition to meeting some locals and getting a glimpse of how life operates there. Cracking a few beers on the side of the street with them was certainly the best part of my visit to the neighborhood.

Other highlights include: cafe hopping through the city's many neighbors hoods that are lush with tropical greenery, partying until sunrise, and enjoying the legendary albeit infamous nightlife scene. Another great option for anyone looking for a easy day trip would be to head out to Guatape to take in the stunning nature views there.

Cost: 8 / 10

While Medellin is a budget friendly city, it is undeniably a city with an aura of luxury and a sense of suaveness to it. Like many cities across Latin America beers are cheap, and you’ve got your street vendors selling churros, arepas, along with an array of other delicacies. While all of that is great what I really loved about Medellin was that it also feels like a mountainside Miami. With streets lined with lush tropical vegetation and a skyline that is punctuated by high-rise apartment buildings, complete with rooftop pools, lounge bars, and outdoor gyms.

From the second I stepped into Medellin this sense of comfort was evident. To start, the

hostels that I stayed in and visited in the city were some of the nicest across all of travels in Latin America. During my time in Medellin I stayed at the Rango Hostel which for the price twenty dollars a night came with a roof top pool, full-service bar, and an inhouse bakery served superb breakfasts every morning. I also partied the Masaya hostel, Los Patios hostel, and the Viajero hostel. All three ranging between fifteen to thirty dollars and each equipped with their own rooftop pools and bars as well.

Regarding transportation, despite the mountainous terrain of the city Medellin is a city that is easy to navigate thanks to its efficient, affordable, and sprawling public transportation system. During my time in the city, I found that the metro system served as an excellent option for moving north to south (or vice-versa) across valley with extremely affordable single ride fares of just about 82cents. When visiting the mountain communities there are options as well with gondola services helping people move throughout the mountain communas, again for less than a dollar a ride.

For food and drinks I found Medellin to be one of the more expensive cities I visited across Latin America. However, compared to North American or European price it was still quite affordable. Restaurants and cafes around El Poblado and Provenza were a touch pricey with dinner and a drink typically going for around 10 to 20 dollars. However, at your local roadside bakeries, cafeterias, and sandwich shops you could frequently find cheap eats. Usually nothing special in terms of flavor, but perfect for a backpacker balling on a budget. In addition to food my experience buying alcohol in the city was quite similar as well. While the bar and nightclubs that catered to tourists tended to be quite pricey (well and truly not much different than what you would pay in Europe at times). Some of the most fun I had drinking in Medellin was at a curb side liquor store selling beer bottles for about 50 cents a pop. Let me tell you, no amount of ambient lighting and professional DJing could beat dancing with a bunch of locals on the side of the road to a blue tooth speaker with a blown out base blasting Colombian dance tunes into the night.

Energy, Excitement, and Good Vibes: 10 / 10

Medellin is a city with a palpable vibrancy that is immediately felt from the second you enter the city. Through the taxi window on our way from the airport into the city, I could feel this energy from my first views of the city’s hill-scape skyline. To add to this point, Medellin is a  very unique city from a geographical perspective. Located in the Aburra valley, a naturally formed river basin of the Colombian Andes the city has some of the most striking natural and urban vistas of any city in the world. Going back to that first taxi ride into the city from the airport. We arrived at night, looking out at the city through the cab window in the dark. The city’s mountainous terrain with its lit up vertically built communas created a visual effect that looked as if we were heading straight toward a twinkling tsunami.

From the second I stepped out of that taxi I could feel, hear, and see that Medellin was an energetic but suave, chaotic but serene, and stressful but confident city. That was my initial impression at least and everything from my week spent in the city helped reinforce these beliefs. During my time in the city, I saw that people danced, drank, ate, and partied on the streets at all hours of the day. Roof pools, restaurants, top notch gyms, bars, and night clubs were buzzing nearly everywhere you looked. There were lush green tropical gardens, manicured just enough to keep you from thinking the concrete was being reclaimed by mother nature, but also growing wild enough to truly make you feel as though you were in a true city in the jungle. These parks also happened to frequently be the scene lively markets full of stalls selling fruits or intricately created trinkets.

In contrast Medellin, the aura of chaos and violence from the city’s past still clings to it in the background. While for the most part I felt safe going about the city, I never truly felt that I was fully at ease. The city has never lost its edge and despite welcoming more foreign tourists each year you certainly don’t feel catered to as a tourist here. While this may be off putting for some people, I quite enjoy cities with a bit of grit and authenticity to them. Along with Medellin cities such as New Delhi, Berlin, New York City, Mexico City are amongst my favorites. None of which would win awards for being the most tourist friendly in the world. Yet, each of them get the adrenaline flowing a bit and in the process allow you to feel as though you are truly experiencing somewhere new and different.

My Overall Experience: 50 / 50

Medellin is a city that I will never forget. From the friends I made here to the experiences I had there are very few places in the world that match the level of excitement I felt while visiting the city. If New York City is the city of North America then I am proclaiming that Medellin is the city that never sleeps of South America. With an atmosphere of partying, somberness, sophistication, and chaos. It is a phoenix that has risen from the ashes of its infamous past, and is now a city is of perfect contrasts, in many ways serving as a microcosm of the human experience itself. From the beauty of the lush green low peaks of the Colombian Andes surrounding the city and the atmosphere of joy that can be felt on many of the city's streets, to the many vices of drugs, and violence which can also be found here. It may sound hyperbolic, but I truly feel as though the city serves as an accurate representation of what choices we have as humans. Should we embrace the wonders of our planet and cherish loving relationships we form with those around us or will we be pulled in by the powerful sway of many of life's unwieldy temptations. With all of this mind, along with the fact that I had a hell of a good time here, there are not many places that have left such a lasting impression on me. For that I am eternally grateful for my visit of Medellin and highly recommend you add it to your bucket list too.