impressions from Medellin

Well, I landed with a small propeller machine at the local airport for small machines within the city and while flying over the mass of houses one thing caught my attention: the streets were completely filled up with cars as far as one could see. I asked myself how I will reach the hotel, and in fact, "driving" must be written within quotes because it is much more a stand - move 2 meters forward - stand... Although sometimes there suddenly there is a chance where everybody can show it's deep disdain for live and wildly change the lanes, accelerate to the max, full break half a meter behind the crazy motorcyclist, gaining maybe half a second. I'd still wonder what the people do with the gained seconds if it wasn't a fact that they lose them immediately again when the just outperformed others appear again in front on the next lane. My only explanation is that the Colombian automobilist has a deep desire to get to know the coffin, or at least the hospital, from inside as soon as possible.

Oh, while I took the plane from Manizales to Medellin, Priscilla took the car together with her parents. Here in Medellin she then drove me/us around and I must say that somehow I'd prefer to ride in a taxi - I now see that there are different levels of suicidal behavior... :-)

Well, so much about the dangers in Colombia.

Yesterday we were visiting Comuna 13, a place where in 2002 terrible massacres took place, a war between rebels and other rebels and police and military that caused a lot of pain and death and violence in, of course, one of the poorest areas of Medellin.

But this area has made a stunning development. Some artists animated the youth to invest in culture and art, invited them to create graffiti, to clean up the neighborhood to make it a place as friendly as possible - and to attract tourists. The result is very convincing.

We went with a local guide who lives in that area and felt completely safe. When I asked her if only those streets and points where the tourists walk (it's like a route) are so clean and friendly, she took as down a narrow stair to the inner part of that neighborhood and not without proud showed us that the efforts are not only taken to show something nice to the tourists but really to better the lives of the people who live there. Well, I cannot evaluate how living is there, of course, but I can tell you that also a little bit away from the common tourist path we have only seen friendly faces...

On the other images you see another part of Medellin, skyscrapers in masses, the roof top pool of my hotel - the contrast couldn't be bigger...

The round window is the window of my room in this design hotel. A very beautiful place but driving the aim to appear modern and fashionable to the extreme. I had to fill out about 10'000 forms at arrival (only slightly exaggerated) and sign contracts of A4 size full of small text, I hope I didn't sell my soul signing all that without really reading it - I didn't want to stay standing at the reception 2 or 3 hours.

Everything in the room is controlled by a mobile phone. This means you cannot turn on or off the light with a normal switch, not even open or close the curtains. You must start that phone, swipe to start the main app, touch "mood" and then select if you want "early morning", "work", "good night". Now whenever you change the light the curtains start to open or to close and you have to use the other app to correct the curtains again.

This all goes over internet. I don't know, if they have a contract with google to deliver the data of when I switch on or off which light, but fact is that, of course, most of the time the internet connection fails. In the first time you must call the technical service, which also doesn't work, because the call to the reception of course needs internet. He then explains you that you just have to restart the phone. This mostly works, indeed, although yesterday and today I had to restart the phone twice until it worked - a task of approx. 15 minutes (not exaggerated!) just to turn off the light at night.

Oh: some things though, like the small lights on the table and near the bed don't work with the app. They work manually. Also the loud ventilator in the bathroom. switching that off opens the curtains, by the way, except if they are open, then it closes them.

It feels a bit like living in a science fiction comedy and I think back to the good old times where you could simply turn on/off a light with a finger tip...

The last photo finally shows the nice young girl of which I took some photos for the eyes of my patrons only, some even for patrons of "special" level.

Tomorrow I'll fly back to Manizales and see if something happens, and what :-)

Have a nice day!

I wanted to upload some previews of the nudes I shot today, even some for special patrons only, but they are kicking me out of the restaurant in which I sit since hours doing backups, uploads, postings... You'll have to wait a little bit longer, sorry