Wednesday, June 8, 2022
I went back to Cafe Macanas Parque Principal this morning, and then found my way to Jericó. The hostel in Jardín wasn’t super comfortable so that’s why I am heading to Jericó. I was originally thinking that I would relax in Jardín until my reservation in Medellín, but since the hostel just feels kind of cold and lonely I’m going to head to a town a bit closer to Medellín.
To get there, I took a Transporte Suroeste taxi to Andes, which cost $8. That was a good price for the distance, but it was shared with other people. They dropped me off at the bus station, where I then found my way to a Chiva bus to Jericó. A Chiva bus (or escalera) is like a wooden wagon powered by the engine of a school bus. It looks kind of like a carnival ride, and it’s not super comfortable. At least it’s shaded. This cost me $17.
I met an 18 year old American girl on the way and we chatted the whole time in the Chiva. There was a creepy man who was demanding us to speak in Spanish and inviting her to his house, but we fended him off pretty easily. Thank God he wasn’t going to the same destination as us. There was also a lady transporting several puppies, and we held one for a while. The ride was super bumpy, and the road winded through the mountains. At times, there was barely enough space for it to pass. There’s really only one hostel in Jericó, which we were both heading to.
Parcerito Hostel looks a little dingy, but is actually pretty nice. The showers are warm, but only sort of. They have a heater that’s fitted externally (I’ve seen this before, so I guess it’s standard here). The thing is these heaters can’t heat a lot of water so you have to choose between a lot of cold water or a little hot water. Either way you’re going to be at least a bit cold. It’s better than the shower in Jardín though. The hostel has some seating areas outside, but it’s a bit cold here too. The bed is comfortable enough, and they give you heavy blankets. There’s a kitchen too. We immediately met a French lady and a Dutch guy who are also backpacking and were super friendly. It’s a bit of a step up from my last hostel. The workers are super nice, and one of them (I believe the owner’s son) spoke English and Mandarin.
We locked up our stuff and then quickly headed out to the botanical gardens and mirador across town. We watched the sunset under the statue there. The view is pretty good.
Then we headed back to the main square and ate at Café Bendito. I got a pretty decent burger for very cheap, and then we ordered deserts. I tried a wedding cake which was chocolate with cherries inside. It was really good. We also chatted with the waitress for a bit and she found it really cool that we were backpackers.
Thursday, June 9, 2022
For breakfast, I head to Cafe Don Rafa and have some of the best French toast ever. I work there for a while and then walk around a bit. I’m already hungry for lunch so I go to Isabel Art Cafe and Steakhouse which is supposed to be really good. I didn’t love my quesadilla but that was personal preference. The presentation was really nice, I just didn’t love the meat inside (which is a common theme for me). Then I went back to the hostel to relax for a bit.
For dinner, I went to Meson del Poeta. The menu looked good online but they only ended up having a rice dish or pizza. I got the rice, and it wasn’t my favorite dish by far. I can’t even say why because I have no idea what was in it.
Friday, June 10, 2022
I’m back at Cafe Don Rafa, and this time I get the best waffles ever. Then I’m off to Medellín. I pay $29 to the transport office next to the church in the main square, and then hop on the bus at the top of the hour. The bus drops me off near the El Poblado metro stop, which is a bit of a hike to my hostel, which thankfully is on the near side of El Poblado (which is actually called Manila). If you are staying in the east side of El Poblado, you’ll probably want a taxi if you have heavy luggage.
Los Patios is a very nice hostel, but I don’t feel like it’s for true backpackers. There are lots of suitcases and digital nomads. You might get lucky and find a group of backpackers, but more likely you’re going to find some Americans or Brits who are just here to go to the most expensive clubs for the weekend. (Edit: After spending a while in Medellín, I say with confidence that the Viajero gives you the best of all worlds. It’s on the same block as Los Patios and has basically all the same amenities (except hot tubs in place of the pool). It’s still a really nice hostel (by cleanliness standards), but maybe a bit less so than Los Patios if I had to rank them. It has common spaces inside and outside, and a dedicated co-working space. The difference however, is that the rooftop bar is always lively and a lot friendlier for solo backpackers. If you don’t want to stay in Viajero for some reason, I suggest at least going to the bar one night and grabbing the QR code for the Whatsapp group at the front desk. Another tip about Medellín is that like I said there’s two sides of Poblado: Manila and Provenza. You will have to walk 15 minutes uphill or more to get from Manila to Provenza (but at least it’s downhill on the way back). It’s really nice to be in Provenza because you have access to all the restaurants and bars and can go home alone at night, however, Manila also has plenty of restaurants and is right next to the metro. It’s also quieter so if you’re in town for a while, it’s definitely the place you want to be.)
Los Patios has giant lockers but no shelf, not enough shared bathrooms, and also you can see into the shower from the floor above. That being said, it’s going to be a lovely change from the conditions in the rain forest, which was a fun adventure for the time being, but now it’s time to get my life back together (and by that I mean fix my AF1 problem and let my blisters heal).
From what I’ve seen of El Poblado, I’m so far unimpressed. That’s until I go to the east side of El Poblado for dinner. This is the real Poblado. I do a little research online and find out that the lively shopping and restaurant streets here are part of an area named Provenza. That explains why the song everyone is listening to by Karol G is named Provenza. Love that.
I go to a restaurant named Subula which was advertised as a good cheap eat. I really liked the wrap that I got with chicken, and I’ll have to go back for the falafel. My research also told me that this is a great place for cafes. I head to one of the more famous ones mentioned, after ambling down Via Primavera.
Pergamino Café is a super trendy cafe. I’m not drinking coffee so I ordered the house tea, which conveniently enough is made out of coffee beans. It’s super bitter, so it’s not my favorite. I also got a slice of red velvet cake, which was a bit dry but pretty tasty. I’ll give this place another chance for the matcha, but if that fails I’m sure they have good coffee. The vibes are good, so I approve.
Check Out My Guide to Jericó ⧉
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