A Modicum of Hope

For anyone over about the age of 10, Medellin is a place associated with drugs and violence.  Around 2000, it was one of the most homicidal places on the planet.  (Those who will admit to watching Entourage may also associate it with the plot line involving the terrible biopic on Pablo Escobar.)  The turnaround has been quite dramatic.  Medellin is a bustling, comfortable place.  We spent much of yesterday afternoon loitering in a park with a Sunday farmers' market.  It was every bit as yuppy as Lincoln Park in Chicago.  Below is the view from the balcony of our Airbnb apartment.  Yes, if you look closely at the billboard, it's Sophia Vergara from Modern Family.

We are taking a "down day" in the comfortable apartment for laundry, schoolwork, etc.  The girl on the right is Tess Kuczun (Leah's sister's daughter) who has joined us for the first three weeks.

Meanwhile, one of the best things about Colombia is the street food, and one of the best kinds of street vendors is the avocado peddler.  The avocados are HUGE.  You eat them in wedges sprinkled with lime and salt.

Night bus to Medellin

Sounds like a great film title.  In fact, it's the 13-hour ride up and over the mountains.  Thank you Dramamine!  Remarkably, we were able to Uber to the bus station in Cartagena.  We'll spend a few days here and then head to the coffee growing region.

Bidding farewell to Cartagena

The Old City really does deserve its status as a World Heritage site.  Remarkable photo opportunities around every corner.  After dark (when the heat dies down a little) the place really comes alive.

Street food!!

Please do not tell Rhonda at the DHMC Travel Clinic.

First day in Cartagena

We have arrived in Colombia! The flight was a quick 2 hours and 45 minutes from Fort Lauderdale.
Our Airbnb apartment is tucked in an alley in the old part of the city. We spent the afternoon roaming and enjoying the cheap (and delicious) street food. Everyone was excited after our first day out of the country.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

After nearly a week in Chicago (thank you Mom and Dad Wheelan), we've arrived in Ft. Lauderdale. Tomorrow is the Jet Blue flight to Cartagena. Chicago was a constant process of pruning luggage while simultaneously running to REI to buy last minute items. At long last, we are down to one bag each (plus carry on).

On the flight I finally finished the biography of Nelson Rockefeller, On His Own Terms. This was a triumph, not merely because it was a good book but because it was a huge, heavy hardback. I was eagerly preparing to leave it at the hotel when I realized my copy was signed by the author, Richard Norton Smith. Darn. I had to FedEx it back to Hanover. Now I have to make the case to Leah that this is not a trip-related expense. She is the budget czar. I am the king of Enron-like travel accounting to move expenses off budget.

Next book: Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here. It may have been published in 1935, but the book so eerily describes the Trump phenomenon that it's almost breathtaking at times.

And we're off!

We've left Hanover for Chicago.  We're still carrying too much weight.  (Maybe I shouldn't have brought all the unread copies of The Economist and 500 vitamin pills.)  The good news is they will both disappear gradually.  We left Sophie in Hanover, so she can play the fall volleyball season.  She'll join us in Lima, Peru.  After so much planning, it feels exciting to be on the road.