Medellin does not have the most beautiful centre, and hasn´t got numerous historical sites, but it is a city where people enjoy to live. Its leafy, wide boulevards and organised nature make it a popular place to settle down.
Our experience here was again dictated by couchsurfing. Staying with another of Lucana's family, with her youngest sister Monica, we were thrown into a huge community, as she lives in a residencia. This is one of the most popular ways of living. The residencia is usually run by a live-in houselady (Monica in this case) who arranges the rooms, and often cooks and cleans. Everyone has their own room, but shared kitchens and bathrooms. This residence was a mixture of Colombian students, professionals and a number of internationals learning Spanish. It was a warm place which quickly felt like home.
But our best Couchsurfing connection was a young Colombian architect/photographer/yoga teacher who invited us along to a houseparty nearby. It was a lovely evening, chatting with young Colombians, listening to them sing and make music and eating delicious food. Again, we felt so enormously welcome it was overwhelming. And learned about how people of our age live in this city. It´s strange how people can be so similar all over the world. Looking in on this party, we could have easily been in London.
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