Down, Down, Down, into the Valley of Medellin

I am lying on a very hard bed at the Intercontinental Hotel in Medellin. We landed at about 9:30 pm and were met by Alejandra, a 20-something young woman with a lovely smile and a shapely figure. One of the first things that she told us was that this city is home to the most beautiful women in the world. And that the city is known for flowers and fashion, and that partly explains the many good looking women. We couldn't disagree.

The route to Medellin from the airport is down, down, down. The city unfolds in a dramatic sweep. I cannot recall ever landing at an airport at such a high altitude, nor descending so far down to get to a city. It was dramatic! Alejandra pronounces the city like the pilot on the plane--Meh da JEAN.

We checked into our hotel and then found the restaurant. Alejandra asked us more than once if we'd like her to take us out to some nightclubs, but we (Paul Shoul, Jason from California, and I) were tired and hungry and so we passed. But she gave us her cell and I'm sure we'll get the chance to see the nightlife with her some time during the trip.

We got to know each other a bit during dinner. The food came on big plates in huge heaping portions, I had Trilogy of Aves, or chicken, turkey and duck chunks with veggies. Paul chose the traditional fare, rice, beans, fried egg and a Flintstone-sized piece of bacon. Jason is an editor for the E channel, splicing and dicing Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton footage and shoots video and writes for In the Know Traveler.

Tomorrow we'll get to see the city center and the famous Silleteros parade, men who come down from the hills bedecked with thousands of flowers, and we'll see some other city highlights.