Spent the day in Medellin today. The city is very beautiful. Immediately after the Pablo Escobar days, the government realized that they had to get the people back to work. They put in a full train line that runs the length of the city with spurs connecting all of the neighborhoods. The one issue the City planners had to take into consideration was that many families had taken to the very steep surrounding mountains, mostly to escape Mr. Escobar and his ilk. To help those people out, the government built the Continent's first gondola system. Free to ride, fast, and links directly into the train and bus system. A unique multi-modal system to say the least. The government here has done a tremendous job getting this city back on its feet. Hey Detroit, wake up, if Medellin can do it, so can you.
View From the Cable CarI
I was contacted by my friend Chris today, and we met for dinner in the restaurant district in the center of the city. It was very nice to catch up and have someone to hang out with for the night. The area we went to was was upscale with tons of restaurants, bars, open markets, and thousands of people. It was a good time. He is heading off to Ecuador to meet up with is girlfriend and child, and hopefully we can meet up in Peru as planned.
Heading off on the road less traveled to Manizales, Colombia in the morning. The City is a small mountain town about halfway to Bogota.
Trip Summary
Today's Leg: 0 miles
Total Distance Traveled: 5,479 miles
Total Borders Crossed: 8
Total Countries Visited: 9
Total Times Stopped by the Police/Tickets Issued: 6/0
Shaken Down by the Police/Police Success Rate: 2/0
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