Independence Day

July 20, 2012

Today is Colombia’s Independence Day! Traffic in Medellin was light this morning. Most people have off from work. The streets were quiet this morning after all the partying from last night.

Our first stop was a complete waste of time. We went to a “town” called Publito Paisa. This tourist attraction was set up to look like a traditional Colombian town, the Epcot Center of Medellin. The highlight- free WiFi & the ability to check my email. There were “handicraps” for sale along with some food! The view was amazing, but I was so disgusted I didn’t bother to take any pictures. I would have much rather taken a ride to the outskirts of town and visited an authentic village. The “joys” of being 1 out of 16 people on a guided tour, you really have no say.

The Parque Berrio or the Barefoot Park, in the Plaza de las Esculturas, is a free public space designed for people rest their feet- literally! Our tour guide took us through the process intended by the park’s designers. First, we walked through the bamboo “forest”. Next, we exfoliated in the sand. Then, we sat and soaked in the still water pool and finally, we relaxed our feet over the jets in another pool. There were also sprinklers, which many children were enjoying. We all felt invigorated, which we needed after our trip to the fake village. 

 The Antioquia Museum visit was amazing! Fernando Botero’s paintings and sculptures were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Botero donated most of the paintings in the museum, which he painted himself and donated many others by artists be admired. The last donation, before his series of paintings of the passion of Christ, was the Pablo Escobar Dead. He wanted this painting to be a way to remember that the violent past of the city has been transformed.

Botero just turned 80 years old and still continues to paint.

 

Pablo Escobar Dead 

  “I fatten my characters to give them sensuality. I'm not interested in fat people for the sake of fat people.” –Fernando Botero

 Mini empanadas for a lunch appetizer

 Cafe Botero 

 Botero's newest exhibit "The Passion of the Christ" 

otero's statues line the square in front of the museum. People jump on the statues, take pictures, and it''s all welcomed!

On the way back to the hotel we drove through downtown Medellin. For the first time since we've arrived in Colombia, we were exposed to an area described as very dangerous by our tour guide. Homeless people lined the streets, prostitutes gathered in doorways, and I'm sure there was a lot more going on that was not seen by the naked eye. The government and many civilians in Medellin are trying to rebuild the community, but it's also important not to be naive to the fact that this city, along with many others in Colombia, still have a lot to do in order to transform many neighborhoods throughout the country. 

 We returned to our amazing hotel, Art Suites, in the upscale & hip neighborhood- that luckily we can walk around without any worry.