Latin American Adventures: BMX Family

Okay so blogger decided to delete my post that I spent the most time writing so let's try this again.

Medellín day 2. Wake up and message Jan that I am headed his way. The day before we had talked about a meeting point but I didn't have his number yet. I figured I could take the metro to his stop and find internet there and reconnect. Wasn't thinking about how I am staying in touristy area where internet is plentiful..

Anyways, after asking someone for a little help I made it to his stop. I get out and it's apartments...so I choose a direction and start walking, pretty nervous but confident that I will at least find an area with stores and more people.

After about 15 minutes of walking uphill with backpack and all, I arrive in an area with food and shops.

I ask around for internet, about 4 different people and finally arrive to a place where at first I am denied but once I explain I need to connect with friend they help me.

I then opened up messenger and up pops Jan's number! After a call to him we figure out where to meet. All I can say is thank god I speak Spanish. Didn't speak a word of English all day.

Jan Carlos and I met up a little over an hour later and we headed to his house where I thought I was going go be crashing on his floor. Jan lives in a little house where his room takes up almost a third of the house, but they have everything they need including internet and cable.

Jan's humble abode, this house is actually 2 units

Jan and Juan, who lives right across the street

Jan's room

Tricentenario, Jan's neighborhood. This is Medellín, Colombia

Simple but delicious food

He not only gives me his bed but finds me a bike to borrow for the week. Buena gente.

The next day we hang out for a bit and I decide to take the Metrocable (gondola) up the mountain to get nice view of the city.

The addition of the Metro and Metrocable are a major reason the crime rates have dropped so low in Medellín. The city is in a valley so naturally when it grows houses climb the hills. People used to have to walk for hours to find work but now everything is interconnected and allow for very efficient and cheap public transportation. My whole ride including a transfer to another line to go even higher and into the mountains cost less than $5.

After I got back, we headed out to two different skateparks where I met some rad people and got to ride around the city getting a good local perspective.