Mendellin Rum But No Sun!

June 20th - 21st 2008

I arrived in Mendellin at evening and found Palm Tree Hostel. It was good timing as I mingled with other travellers at the Friday Night free barbeque. I made a couple of friends who showed me pictures of their journey from North to South as we drank Mendellin Rum on the rocks.

One of the Parisian guys and my new S. Korean friend Kim-Jang went out for a night in the famed Colombian party town. We went to the Zona Rosa and shred some shots of Aguardiente with the locals, and withdrew enough information to set us up for a good night local-stylez. The next bar was also full of locals (very few gringos) but was more of a disco tech playing dance music. I must say the women here can move their hips! Colombia is much different than the other South American countries. It is very clear that african blood has passed through lineage after lineage here at different points. I expect the further north I go, the blacker the hispanics will get (closer proximity to the Carribean islands). Back to the party. We met a few locals, shared some drinks, and went to one of the parents house for some more drinks. The apartment was set on the side bank of one of the more wealthy areas of Mendellin with a great view of the city. Leaving the Parisian behind, Kim-Jang and I headed home at about 5AM for some rest.

The next day I got right up at 11AM and started my agenda for the day despite my lack of sleep. The first stop was the Museum of History and a walk around the local parks. I sat and people watched for a few minutes before I headed towards the old-fashioned Pueblito atop Cerro San Blas. On the way, I stopped into a local bar to recharge on agua while watching the first half of the Russia x Holland Eurocup match amongst a bar full of Mendellinian regulars.

I walked up the steep stairway to the Pueblito that overlooks all of Mendellin. It was very touristy but had quite a neat feel. I found a restaurant that was playing the match and ate a typical set-menu (fried fish with salad and papas). SIDE NOTE: Russia annihilated Holland in the end and are playing the most attractive football of the tournament (doesn't mean they will win but if they keep up their tempo and creativity, they could win!).

Walking around the little pueblito was quite neat, there were nice flowers llining the old buildings and little craft stores squished into tiny hole-in-the-wall spaces. i took a gander at the view, snapped a few photos, and headed towards the Zoo for a peak at the wild life here.

Mendellin zoo-keepers deserve some praise for their pratices at this zoo. The animals are given more freedom and space than other zoo's I have seen but it is still quite safe to walk around (minus the fact that the Emu's could have easily bit my face if they were as rabid as the ostriches at the Vancouver Zoo). I was fortunate enough to see 2 sets of The Great Spirit Bear paired with a mate as well as a Black Panther co-habitating with another Leopard (big black leopard doesn't mind smaller normal colored leopard).

Back at the hostal I met up with Kim-Jang and we set off for an overnight bus to the northern coastal city of Cartegena (please let there be sun!).