Meeting up with Matty

Medellin is Colombia's richest and most modern City but also quite beautiful as it is surrounded by green mountains. I spent almost a week staying at The Black Sheep Hostel which is run by Kelvin, a friendly Kiwi who is a mine of information about Colombia. His hostel is situated near to the rich suburb of Poblado and so only a short walk from the best area to go drinking and dancing. On the Saturday night the area was packed with the rich, well dressed and beautiful - this area lives up to its party reputation! On Sunday a few of us from the hostel went to see Medellin football team play Cucuta and it was a typical Latin American game - two goals (both to Medellin) and three sendings off - great entertainment! My friend Matty arrived on Monday and we explored the centre near to Parque Barrio. The main plaza here is filled with sculptures by the famous artist Fernando Botero and if you want to see more there is a whole Museum dedicated to his work nearby. Plaza Bolivar is quieter and more relaxing with lots of shady trees and a lovely fountain centrepiece. On Tuesday we took the metro (very modern and new - the only one in Colombia) and from one station there is a link to a cablecar which lifts you up over some of Medellins barrios to a viewpoint up in the mountains. You can get off, enjoy the view, take some pictures and then get back onto the cablecar for the return journey - all for about 25pence!!! Tuesday afternoon we did a bit of shopping in a big airy mall and had some great steak at the Leños y Carbon restaurant. On Wednesday Matty flew back to Bogota but I stayed around and it was another hostel night out dancing and drinking. On Thursday I was all set to go but Stilts & Chris (an Oz/Kiwi couple) were cooking a roast lamb dinner and their offer to share was too good to turn down.. it was delicioso! The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent watching two good films - The Butterfly Effect & The Bourne Supremacy. Not often I spend the day in front of the tv (unless Liverpool are playing) so was a nice relaxing way to finish my stay in Medellin.

01 Medellin panorama

02 Black Sheep Hostel, Medellin

03 Fernando Botero sculptures in theplaza,Medellin

04 Another Botero statue

05 Plaza Bolivar, Medellin

06 Cathedral at Parque Barrio, Medellin

07 The cablecar top station, Medellin

08 Cable car view, Medellin

09 View of a barrio from the cablecar, Medellin