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Line J Metrocable (Cable Car): The Prelude to a Transformative Experience in Medellin (VIDEO)

God moves. This chapter: Medellin, Colombia.

If you follow my blog, you know that I’m a big fan of starting my trip in any new city with a walking tour.

 

Fast forward, my travel partner and I had been in Colombia, South America, for over a week and had traveled to Cartagena, Santa Marta and Barranquilla. And finally, we’re in the place to be: Medellin. What makes me say that?! Idk. But for some reason, Medellin feels like the place (maybe it’s how people pronounce the city - with that medujjjj sound in the middle). Either way, here we are! 

 

Per usual, I booked a walking tour, but this time it was a street art walking tour. As a big fan of street art, oh yes, let’s do it! So off we went, headed to what looked to be a thrilling walking tour. We took the local train (something I’m also a big fan of!) and arrived a few minutes late.


I’ve been on enough walking tours to know there’s normally a little grace period for introductions, instructions and questions, so I was surprised to see no one at the meet-up spot...except Dr. Martin Luther King (see photo below, lol) and a few pedestrians. 

There were absolutely zero signs of anyone on a walking tour. Like no residue, clean streets! Just my travel partner, me, the street art and a few pedestrians here and there. It took a minute before I realized the unimaginable had occurred: we weren’t late; we were early -- a whole day early! Lol. And there I was, thinking we were late. Not. At. All. 

 

Luckily, with an adventurous attitude, no time is ever lost. Off in the distance, we spotted cable cars going high into what appeared to be the mountains. Riding a cable car had been a fun pastime during our trip to Rudesheim, Germany, so cable cars in Medellin it was! 

 

My love for aerial views knows no bounds, but I wasn’t ready for what I saw from the cable car view. As we rode the cable car from San Javier to La Aurora, we traveled above a mountainous region, seemingly crowded with people and homes.  

 

I remember thinking to myself that people were living and building in an area that seemed uninhabitable (in terms of utilities and ease of movement). How did they do it? Just wow. And then I saw animals — most likely beloved pets — throughout the area. Cats and dogs, which to me somewhat represent “life plus.” Not only were families sustaining their own lives, but some also even had pets to love on and sustain. I was beginning to appreciate and see the presence (and essence) of community — initially hard to conceive. 

 

I didn’t realize at the time that we were riding above Comuna 13, the place where we intended to do our street art walking tour.


Everything unfolded the next day and in the days to come . . . but for now, enjoy a view of Medellin's Metrocable Line J ride above Comuna 13.

See Yaa, Comuna 13!

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