Colors of Guatape

Back from from amazing trip to the highlands around Santa Elena (damn, it was so cold there) I arrived back in eternal-summer Medellin.

Mondongo, cow stomach soup, another Colombian classic. Actually much better than it sounds

now living in Poblado, the touristy, save and upscale area of Medellin (though to be fair, it is really nice here)

Apart from Poblado, Medellin might be generally very vivid and exciting but not necessarily  beautiful. That's why many Paisas go to the neighboring villages to relax and enjoy nature. The town of Guatape is the most famous tourist destination. It harbors the famous “El Penol”, the third biggest rock (by now I should have seen all the big rocks on the planet :D).

because of a damn, they had to relocate whole towns here. This statures depicts Phoenix as rebirth of the city.

also the church is build resembling the Penol

Third biggest rock in the world, and probably the only one you climb up using a staircase.

the merchandise inside has often a “particular” theme. I guess the whole rock has some kind of associating with fertility.

a beautiful view though

Georgia, from Melbourne, my travel companion after Santa Elena

a look around

boat cruise afterwards, (very relaxing)

The city of Guatape

In order to live here it is mandatory to paint your house in vivid colors and decorate its front with certain reliefs.They usually represent the family, daily life or some kind of history. It is really beautiful here and actually a good (and cheap) shopping destination for souvenirs (not that I would buy any). Also I had my first really good coffee here (buy really good, I mean in comparison to Melbourne).

some other nice town on the way back to Medellin

On the left: Arepa de queso, actually just a massive bulk of fried cheese with caramel sauce

another typical snack here, mini Potatoes, usually with some kind of sauce

The brutal change of my day cycle last weekend (together with staying outside in the cold mountainside all night) brought me a cold this week. So I staid one extra day here in Medellin to get better. The Taitas actually gave each of us a couple of herbal medicines for free. Some herbal powder for cleaning of toxins and two bottles of fluids to make us strong. The lack of specificity of their medicine proofed to be very typical from what I have heard this weekend. Anyways, I got a cold to I started taking their stuff. I think when a medicine man talks about cleansing what he actually means is diarrhea. At least that's what the powder did to me last night (to take dissolved in pineapple juice). I am actually not joking. Vomiting and diarrhea was integral part of their detoxification rituals.

Anyways, I got over it. The other stuff tastes terrible but after 3 days I am not completely restored. So I will take the bus to Cartagena tonight. Almost one month in Medellin. its time to leave.

see ya

18.08.2016