In and Around the City of Medellin

Minorista Market

Our guides on this day were Brian and Laura.  Brian is the director of the tour company and Laura is an associate guide.  Brian is originally from the states.  They were showing us around the city of Medellin.  First on the agenda was a trip to the local market. The Minorista is a huge commercial market located downtown, Medellin. This is a bustling, hectic market which sells everything from clothes to fruit and vegetables.

We had a great time on our excursion through the market and had fun taking photos.  From there, we went to the Museum of Antioquia – Botero Museum and Plaza.

Here is some background information on Fernando Botero. Fernando Botero was born in Medellin in 1932 and is a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor. His signature style depicts people and figures in large exaggerated volume, which can represent political criticism or humor, depending on the piece. Botero resides in Paris and in Italy.  He is 80 years old.

Here are some of his works of art:

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We enjoyed walking through the museum.  Much of it was dedicated to the work of Botero. Afterward, we walked out to the plaza which contained a variety of Botero’s sculpture.

We walked across the plaza and then entered a building called the Cultural Insitute of Antioquia and went to the top to take photos of the view.

The transportation system in Medellin is one of the most successful in the world.  It is successful for promoting not just environmental sustainability, but social equity as well. The city of Medellin transformed violence and despair into hope and opportunity, using sustainable transport as a motivation for change.  The most impressive feature is the metro cable system that takes passengers up steep mountainsides that line the valley of Medellin. It revolutionized mobility and accessibility for residents, particularly the poorest and often most violent communities that line the valley of Medellin’s mountainous region.

We completed our meandering around the plaza area and then it was lunchtime. We were taken to what looked like a residence but then were welcomed into the house by a chef.  It was like a private restaurant in someone’s home. They keep a record of what everyone eats and then you can say if you want the same or something different when you come again.

We drove out of the city toward the airport to shop in a handicraft store that had all kinds of Colombian crafts from all parts of Colombia.  It was a huge shop and it was fun just looking at everything made by Colombian artisans.

On the way back we stopped at this site which had a very nice view of the city along with some interesting statues.