The nightlife in Medellin is amazing, at least as far as this gringo is concerned.
And this past Saturday, I was invited to a birthday party at Paul’s apartment in El Poblado.
Paul is the American owner of Casa Kiwi Hostel where I had been staying for my first 4 weeks in the city. We piled into his truck, about 12 of us, and drove no more than a few minutes further up the side of the mountain.
We unloaded the truck which was full of beer and pinatas, and stepped into his gigantic, Cribs-style, 3-floor apartment with an almost audacious balcony.
It was huge. Paul and his roommate were great hosts, and soon had music playing outside, while we snacked and drank.
Eventually another truck load of hostel guests arrived, and the party was in full swing.
The view of the city from the balcony was awesome, and within the apartment, windows panned across the walls to ensure wherever you were, there was a stunning panoramic view to be had.
The cost for such extravagance by western standards was about the price I paid for a studio apartment in Arlington, Virginia back in 2003.
If you had the same apartment in the upper East Side of Manhattan, well, it would probably cost tens of thousands of dollars per month in rent.
I have been traveling through south american, been to brazil, rio is dangerous, came to Colombia, and i have been here 5 years living as an expat, i have 2 small businesses, i live in medellin colombia. its wonderfull, the biggest suprise in my life.
as far as safety goes, i feel better here than most cities in the united states. now just like big cities you have poor neighborhoods with higher crime rates, and likewise if you keep your nose clean,oops bad analogy, your not going to have problems. street gangs in the ghettos are just like gangs in Los Angelos in the USA.
Top it off the people in Medellin Colombia are the most friendly i have met literally in all south and north america.
check out some photos on the information portal of http://www.medellintours.net and see why Medelllin tourism has been going up 30% every year for the last 4 years! cleanest of the big cities in south america.
cheers,
james