Nestled in the Aburrá Valley
The City of Eternal Spring
Medellin is called the City of Eternal Spring because of its lovely weather during most of the year, with average temperatures of 21ºC that make visiting the city a pleasure, no matter the season. These privileged climatic conditions are due to Medellin’s location in the Aburrá Valley, on the central mountain range of the Andes, in northern Colombia.
Welcome to Medellin, Colombia
Take a drive through the 8.5 KM tunnel through the mountain
I had so many plans to take this city by storm. I was arriving on a Thursday afternoon and I was going to spend the entire afternoon exploring my neighbourhood (Poblado) and milking it for every square inch it has.
Then on Friday I had to work and had several meetings so I had to wait until the weekend to expand my horizons into the other neighbourhoods. I was going to ride the tram to the top of the mountain, explore the old city, ride the subway and do all the touristy things you do when you visit a city for 2 days get-away.
By the time Sunday came around, I would have seen it all and done it all…or so I had hoped.
High high high hopes
Such a tragic missed opportunity
I arrived in Medellin and my hired car picked me up at the airport with my name on a sign. I felt like royalty. We drove the 30-40 minutes from the airport to the hotel…which took us through an 8.5km long, very dark, tunnel through the mountain, we drove through a police stop, through a toll booth, around twisty roads, down steep hills and arrived at the wonderous Hotel Du Parc….man alive does that hotel make a hell of a first impression and continued to deliver with elegant surprises around every corner.
The check in was easy, they sprayed my luggage before I entered the hotel (also at the airport as it came off the belt) and I went up to my room. I believe that they upgraded me to a very sweet suite! I was on the top floor with stunning views overlooking the city and surrounded by mountains and lush greenery. My room was HUGE, with a king size bed. The bathroom was bigger than my living room back in Vancouver, BC Canada and I was super surprised to see that I have a kitchenette…which ended up proving to be very useful.
And off I went to explore Poblado, my neighbourhood for the next few days.
It’s Friday
You have to be kidding me?
Friday rolls around and I wake up feeling super relaxed and get ready to start my day. I do my typical things, check my email, catch up on messages, take a quick scan of the expat groups I am part of, stay up to date on COVID related restrictions around the world as they are every changing.
Then I see the news…How did I not know this was happening?
Medellin, Colombia
Full Lockdown from Friday 9pm – Monday 5am
What a horrible thing to read…so basically I have 3 hours on Friday after work to run out and grab any food supplies I might need to get me through the weekend. I was able to get out and enjoy a nice dinner in a restaurant at least…sigh!
So I returned to the hotel by 9pm in time for curfew and I had to remain IN the hotel until I took my cab ride back to the airport on Sunday mid morning.
I missed out on soooo much that Medellin has to offer. The city really has such a cool vibe and I wish that I had more time to explore. The upside is that the hotel was amazing so if I had to be locked up for a weekend…at least it was in extravagant comfort!
It was an adventure and I suppose all part and parcel of living in this day and age. Either way, it sure makes for a good story to tell. LOL…until next time Medellin, Colombia, I hope we meet again one day.
Now You Know!
You need to stay in this hotel. It was incredible, elegant, super clean, breakfast was included, the view from the rooftop & my room was majestic, etc…Honestly the list goes on and on and on.
The bathroom in the suite was HUGE and I think it is very possible that they upgraded my room because I don’t remember reading that my room had a kitchenette but I did.
Top Notch!!!!
