The Guided became Guide this weekend, as I welcomed my first visitor to Rionegro. Emma, a fellow British Council Language Assistant, came from Bogotá to experience the delights of Antioquia and I revelled in sharing my love for Rionegro. We drank rum and Michaeladas in a Frida Kahlo-themed bar in San Antonio, listened to various performances celebrating youth creativity in the area, in the square next to Teatro Inmigrantes, and ate at a superb vegetarian restaurant to which I will be returning.
I also visted Guatape and Peñol for the first, with my northern companion, both of which were breath-taking. The walk up to La Piedra de Peñol, a 70 million year old rock formation, is challenging but well manageable, especially with the promise of ice-cold Michaeladas at either end. The view from the 200 metre high summit also allows one to fully appreciate the vast scale of Guatape´s hydroelectric complex, built in the 1970s to become one of Colombia´s primary energy-producing centres. Well-oiled and aching, we descended and caught one of the many (over-priced) tuk-tuks to the centre of Guatape. I was expecting a Gap-Yah paradise, full of Tillies and Charlies ´doing Colombia.´ However, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, Guatape is touristy and is undoubtedly more polished than many other Antioquian towns of a similar size, as a result. Yet, its shiny exterior has not come at the expense of inauthenticity, at least for the time being, and there seemed to be a core local population which easily outnumbered the gringos. The cobbled streets and multi-coloured houses provided a perfect background for a chilled afternoon of sipping coffee and general meandering. So enamoured were we with the town that we almost cancelled our Medellín reservation for that night and stayed in Guatape.
The night out in El Poblado, Medellín´s traveller district was heavier than expected (5.30 finish), largely due to the fact that we bumped into another couple of Language Assistants who had come from Baranquilla to spend the holiday weekend, but good fun. It made for a chilled Sunday, prior to Emma´s departure.
Since the last update, I have also spent a night in Santa Fe de Antioquia, Antioquia´s capital until Medellín took its place in 1826. One and a half hours along a less-than-perfect road from Medellín (after one hour from Rionegro), Santa Fe is a bit of a trek. Nevertheless, it´s the perfect location for a lazy Sunday afternoon. As with Guatape, it is polished, owing to its popularity with tourists, but not too much. Its museum houses the table at which the Antioquian Independence Declaration was signed in 1813 and the town is surrounded on all sides by beautiful scenery. With only 24 hours there, I did not have time to visit a lot of the sights, including the Puente de Oriente, which links the municipalities of Santa Fe and Olaya and which was the world´s seventh (ok, not that impressive) biggest suspension bridge when it was built (1887), but I know enough to justify a return when more visitors arrive.
Any update wouldn´t be complete without the mention of a newly-discovered hiking route. Much of what I like so far about Medellín is its geographical setting, nestled in a valley, which provides spectacular views as you enter and leave the metropolis. One can the climb the surrounding hills and mountains, walking the numerous trails which lead directly from the city. One of these hills is Cerro de los Tres Cruces. A half-hour sharp and unforgiving incline is well-compensated by the views afforded at the top (see below).
Ben in Rionegro 