After years of violence, Medellín has become a tourist destination as well as a hub for digital nomads and expats. On our arrival in the city we took two forms of public transportation, a tram and a cable car. Both were clean and efficient, but our guides used the trip to illustrate the very different levels of Colombian society.

The government actually categorizes people based on where they live, with level 1 being the poorest and level 6 the richest. The people in the upper strata pay more for services so people in the lower brackets can pay less.

As the cable car rose, we could see the neighborhood change, from cute condos or homes usually made of brick to rugged looking structures, sometimes made of tin or plastic. These are some of the level 1 communities. Although they’re poor, the cable car allows them to easily get to other parts of the city for work, so their lives have improved over the years.

At one of these “communes,” as they’re called, we visited a recycling center largely staffed by former guerillas. The center not only helps reduce waste in the commune, but also provides jobs for 18 people and additional profits are put back into the community.

As we’d seen in Bogota, the people use art effectively – here they created sculptures in a community garden. One proud sculptor posed with his work. 

After a homemade lunch at the center, we visited one of many downtown parks that was still decorated for the holidays. The difference between our first stop and this one was stark. There we had a chance encounter with a young lady practicing her dance moves.

We went even higher up the social strata to reach our hotel in Poblado, the wealthiest area in the city. The hotel was attached to an upscale shopping mall and overlooked the city. It was very different from most Overseas Adventure hotel selections, which provide a very local experience. But we’re not complaining.

We of course managed to strike up a good conversation with the bartenders at our hotel, the Novotel, where the top floor bar offers panoramic views of the city. All in all, a good visit, we just wish we had more time here.