18th-20th

After our boat ride back from Capurgana and a 9 hour very bumpy bus journey we got to Medellin and our hostel. We said our sad farewells to Dorthe as she headed south.

We hadn't planned to come to Medellin but are so glad we made the time. The climate is perfect, just warm enough for shorts but there is a breeze so we weren't melting like in Cartagena. The metro system is excellent and clean so we made full use of this by seeing most of the city independently. Part of the metro system is three cable cars which is a fantastic journey in itself. You travel over a poorer area of the city and get great views for miles around.

There were shopping malls that rivalled the US but didn't have anything we could afford. I joined in with the free Salsa lesson and met a few nice guys who we went out with for a few drinks during our stay in Medellin.

On the second day we joined the Pablo Escobar tour around the city. The sights we saw were not that interesting. However, the information about the drug cartels and some of the recent Colombian history was excellent. The lady who did the tour was funny, her English was brilliant but she hadn't quite learnt when it was necessary to swear. It resulted in funny stories made even funnier as she slipped in a few mother f***ers where it really wasn't needed. It was a great tour and good value for money.

Despite its dangerous history Medellin is now an amazing, safer city with the perfect weather, definitely a place to return too.