WELCOME TO 2-2-2 TUESDAY
Here are 2 Cultural Highlights, 2 Quotes, and 2 Brief Stories for you to enjoy.
Inspired by Medellín, Columbia
2 CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS
1.
Columbian Fútbol Fun:
There’s nothing quite like foreign fútbol matches. Tens of thousands of fans chant and sing at the top of their lungs. They jump up and down as they are accompanied by booming drums and brass instruments. Hundreds of car-sized banners wave in the air displaying team colors. Somehow it’s both chaos and harmony simultaneously. By the magnitude of volume and crowd energy, an outsider might think the World Cup final was being played. On the contrary, this was a regular season game for eleventh-ranked Independiente Medellín against the eighth-ranked opponent.
The experience goes beyond crowd energy. Farah and I were all smiles as we devoured choco-cones, drank water out of plastic bags, and watched the world’s most beautiful game at the professional level.
2.
Shocking Transformation In Medellín Columbia:
As you stroll down the streets of Medellín, it’s clean, green, and inviting. There are no shortage of towering mature trees. You’ll find plenty of dogs. Unlike many Central and South American countries, none of them are strays. Happy dogs = Happy Farah and Zack. The people aren’t bad either. They smile, laugh, and dance a lot! On multiple occasions, we were greeted warmly by elderly locals who wanted to get to know us a bit. We loved those interactions.
You may be wondering, “Is this the same Medellín formerly known as the most dangerous place on the planet?” Yes. It is! Riddled by gang violence just thirty years ago, parts of this city averaged nineteen murders a day. It was also the kidnapping capital of the world.
Shortly after arriving in Medellín, we had the opportunity to connect with a local for a few hours. Juan, only one year older than I, shared first hand experiences of what is was like to grow up in the area. While playing fútbol outside with his friends, gang violence broke out for no apparent reason. He was shot twice while running away from gunfire. During that same incident, six of his friends were killed. One thought kept crossing my mind as he spoke. “That could’ve been me had I been born here.” Sobering.
Why was it so violent? Because the ruthless drug lord, Pablo Escobar, and the Medellín Cartel which he founded, made the city a war zone. During the 1980s and 90s, he amassed about $30 billion USD by smuggling drugs before he was killed in 1993 (The equivalent of $70 billion in 2022). Today, most Medellín locals refuse to say the name of the man or the white powder which brought destruction to the city.
However, shockingly, there are groups of people who see the man as a sort of hero. What!? Why? How? In short, he built hundreds of homes and some recreational facilities for poor neighborhoods as an effective ploy to get votes on the path of winning an election.
If we zoom out, it’s scary to consider how blind and susceptible we (humans) can become as leaders have repeatedly, successfully distracted the masses. It’s a pattern that has been repeated many times in different places and in different ways. Food for thought…
With that being said, the most impressive part of this story is the turnaround! As mentioned at the beginning of this cultural highlight, Medellín is extremely safe. The resilience of the people of this city is inspiring. They are living proof that it’s not where we’ve been, but where we are going that matters.
2 QUOTES TO CONSIDER
- “Those things that hurt, instruct.” – Ben Franklin
- “Resilience is more than just disaster response – it equips cities to deal with a range of challenges before they happen.” – Judith Rodin
2 BRIEF STORIES
1.
“Sorry. We can’t let you on the flight,”
said the gate attendant as we attempted to board our flight from Guatemala to Columbia.
How did we get here?
Last Thursday, Farah and I successfully checked into our flight 24 hours before, verified documents such as passports, and completed the mandatory health screening form.
On the morning of our flight, we made it to the gate super early and felt completely relaxed as they called our boarding group. Things were going swimmingly as we had our tickets and passports ready to go.
As we handed our tickets to the gait attendant, he asked for our onward tickets to the next destination following Columbia. We explained we didn’t have any. “Sorry. We can’t let you on this flight. It’s required to have an onward travel ticket less than ninety days from today.”
We had no idea this was a requirement. There was no time to argue or complain. We briskly turned around and found a place to drop our bags. We then hopped on Kayak and worked together to book one way flights from Columbia to Peru about ten days out using our credit card. Within five minutes, we were back in line just in time to board at the end of the final group.
Because we don’t know exactly when or where we are going, we planned cancelled the flights within 24 hours. Phew that was close! 
Fortunately, we had actually planned for this exact scenario as a “just in case this happens in some country…” Farah executed like the amazing woman and partner she is. Reason number 3,964,352 I know I married well.
2.
Two Older Columbian Men With Shovels:
Recently, my mother-in-law asked “what has been your favorite part of world travel up to this point?”Great question. After chewing on it for a bit, I’d have to say my favorite part has been the unexpected interesting friendships.
Yesterday, we climbed to the top of Cerro Tres Cruces (Hill of Three Crosses). It’s a challenging hike with over one thousand feet elevation gain. At the top, finishers are rewarded with a stunning birds-eye view of Medellín.
We were stunned and impressed to find two old Columbian men with shovels near the top. They were volunteering their time and energy to carve out steps in the firm, clay-like trail grounds. Backbreaking work. Turns out, they were treating the trail to make it safer for hikers when it rains.
On our descent, we caught them sitting and enjoying the views as the took a break. As we approached, one of them cheerfully yelled something to me in Spanish as he put out his arm for a fist bump. I have no idea hat he said, but we bumped fists as I thanked him for his work. He then thanked me for visiting. Much was lost in translation on both sides, but I’m certain we both moved on feeling happier. We’ve been greeted and thanked countless times by Paisas (Medillín locals) for visiting. The locals have shown great pride in their city and appreciation for visitors. They loved talking about all the ways they have worked hard to improve their city. Inspiring stuff.
Later that day, I had my hair cut at a place called “Cool Barber.” The man who cut my hair, Hector, spoke less English than I do Spanish, which made for very short conversations. That didn’t keep us from trying. At one point, I shared with him that one of my good friends from home in the USA came from Columbia. And I explained how friendly the Columbians we’ve met have been. He replied, “Y ahora tienes dos amigos de Columbia” (And now you have two friends from Columbia). Good people here.
Thanks for tuning in to 2-2-2 Tuesday!
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Have a wonderful week!
– Zack and Farah
