Domestic flights are super quick and easy, you only really need to arrive an hour before. Although, I say easy nothing seems to go too smoothly for us. We missed the several announcements for “Oliver Marshall”. At the gate there were two Avianca staff members waiting, “Oliver we have been waiting for you, you need to come with us to check your bag”.

Ollie was escorted off and I was forced to board the plane. I suddenly panicked, “what was I to do? What if he didn’t get on the plane? Was some planted on him? Should I demand to get off?” But it was no big deal as I saw his face pop up. The problem was the spare phone in his checked bag, they probably thought it was some sort of burner phone.

This wasn’t the last hiccup in Medellin we encountered. When you get out of the airport you are swarmed by taxi drivers and normally the loudest wins. Ollie read of some random Reddit thread that the maximum they charge is 90,000 COP to the centre until the guy said “that’d be 160,000 COP”. What! I managed to get him down a bit but we should have gone with the 100,000 COP trasnfer the hostel organised.

Not only that, the guy drove like a crazy person and there were no seatbelts. He also didn’t have Google Maps and so Ollie had to naviagte him the whole way. Worse than that, he was constantly on his phone. As Ollie says, they really do let “Jesus take the wheel”.

Luckily we arrived at Viajero Hostel safely and we checked into our ten person dorm. An unfriendly dorm.

On Day 1 Ollie was adamant he couldn’t cope with another tour. Therefore, we decided we would walk into the big shopping centre and find him a pair of walking boots. It is hard to know where you should and shouldn’t walk in Medellin as you hear all sorts of stories, such as people being pistol whipped. I think the general rule of thumb is, if it is light it is okay and then after 6pm be in a big group or Uber everywhere.

Our shopping trip was a success but a long success. We boughts some towels (as both forgot), some head torches and Ollie bought some walking boots. [Hello from the future, the walking boot were a disaster and way too hot].

After our long shopping spree we went to what looked to be the strip. We ate some decent empanadas and I decided to play ‘it dip doo’ and was rewarded with some awful cold meat.

We finished the day with a drink in rooftop bar followed by many drinks. We made friends with some Dutch people and I actually played cupid.

The next day I woke up with a banging headache and we had to get up early to head off to Communa 13 for our 9 o’clock tour. The heat and the hangover meant I had to try and find shade for the beginning part of it but then I rallied through.

Communa 13 used to be one of the most dangerous areas in Colombia whilst Pablo Escobar was alive but ever since his death it has turned into a vibrant and diverse community. Graffiti and street art everywhere.

Our guide himself said he too was involved in drugs from 18-24 and he was only 28. It was a really interesting place. It was also a Colombian holiday and so the streets were flooded with Colombians dancing and drinking fluorescant blue drinks.

Although, you can’t forget its troubled past with drug trafficking, extortion, murder, and kidnapping. I also wondered what the locals think about it becoming such a tourist destination.

On day 3 we decided to explore a new part of the city and we visited the city centre via the metro which was very easy to navigate. As lovely as El Poblado (where we are staying is) is is very westernised and is not a true betrayal of the city as a whole. We took the train to Parque de Barrio.

The centre is dynamic, chaotic and some say overlooked. It has a rough reputation, which I had to agree with. We visited the Museo de Antioquia, an art gallery, with lots on Medellin’s reinventition from a Catholic empire, contemporary Colombian art, and many paintings by the famous Fernando Botero.

Afterwards we headed back to the safer streets of El Poblado in time for the Beyond Colombia free walking tour. We should have probably done it on the first day.

Sebastian, our tour guide, was very charismatic and loved to talk about his wild partying antics probably in hope we’d join him.

El Pobaldo is an incredibly affluent area filled with chic cafes (many avocado toasts), fashion boutiques (I bought a lovely white blouse) and high-end restaurants. All amid tall apartment blocks and hotels.

We got to go up to the rooftop to the hostel Masaya which had a sensational view on the entire city. We definately regretted not staying here.

On the tour, we met a funny English guy called Joe from Brighton. Joe had come to Colombia to break out of his shell and teach English. He had a real naivety about him but was innocently very sweet. I just hope he doesn’t get mugged but he was pretty convinced he would be at least once and had already come to terms with it. On the tour, we were warned about the ‘local girls’, also known as ‘street hookers’. There are many esorts in Medellin as prostitution (the worlds oldest job) is legal but pimping is not. Joe took notes as we told they were very persistent and honestly men are just dumb.

For our final day we wanted to take a tour to go see Guatape, a nearby town with a very famour rock. However, we left it too late to join the tour and so had to do it ourselves.

The journey there was easy to navigate and we felt like we were becoming pros at bus stations. Guatape itself is incredibly touristy and the walk up the famous El Penon de Guatape, Colombia’s famous staircase, was heaving with Colombian holidaymakers.

Also, I couldn’t help to think how this staircase would not pass safely legislations in the UK and was convinced it was going to fall.

Once we got to the top I was relieved. We took some pictures and had a cold beer before heading back down for a delicious Colombian meal. The portion sizes astound me.

All in all, I think you are better off going with a tour. More is included in the tour such as a boat ride in the lake and you get to go through Guatape itself. Nonetheless, we had a great day and were rewarded by coming back to a private room with an ensuite! Ollie brought me a margarita in bed and I lay there like some sort of royal highness.

Off we go to Santa Marta.