Medellin if You Want to

We rode the  transit train yesterday to see a chunk of the city. A few nice looking churches stood out in the cityscape but that was it. The people I’ve seen strike me as office workers. Business casual is the costume and focused are the faces. Even our superb Lebanese lunch was obviously for work lunches. I haven’t discovered Medellin’s enchantment. That just makes me want to look harder. 

I guess we’ve found a bit in this coffee shop’s neighborhood. It’s a strange mix of bars, houses, and businesses in what were houses. We walked past many night clubs and boutique dress shops to get to this cafe. There are well-kept trees and flowers all over. 

The city I saw from the train was practical and treeless in front of green mountains. I saw the jumbled clutter of housing rising haphazardly and encroaching on streets. I saw crowded convenience stores that are Latin America’s hallmark. In that city, life is a function; happiness is something put-off for another time. This is our world, not just Colombia or Latin America. The haves and have-nots living within walking distance. 

I realize I am one of the privileged. I’m looking for enchantment for goodness sakes. I have the opportunity to like or dislike this place and leave if I want. It looks as if Jill and I will be here another week. Whatever opinion I’ve formed of Medellin by then won’t change the impression it’s already made on me.