Mural in the neighborhood Comuna 13, in Medellin, Colombia, sums up what has happened in this city since the decades of violence and civil war have largely ended.

By Sandra Hutchinson

After our family had spent several days in Cartagena, on the northern coast of Colombia, we flew with Avianca, the national airline of Colombia, to Medellin. It was an easy, less-than-an hour flight.

Known as the “city of eternal spring” because of its year-round temperate climate, this city of about 2 1/2 million people was also formerly known as the “murder capital of the world,” as the home of notorious drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar. But with Escobar’s death, and a peace accord between the guerrillas and the democratically-elected president,  Medellin has evolved, and it’s now considered a relatively safe place to visit.

I’ll mention the highlights of our two days in Medellin. Continue reading →