I traveled from Bogota to Medellin by 8 hour bus (which turned out to be more like 11 hours!) This is a typical sign seen the entire route. It is blurry, because our driver is taking these curves at break-neck speed!

A typical roadside barbecue stand seen as we passed through small villages on the way to Medellin.

The scenery of the bus ride was beautiful along the way, as we went up over lush green mountains through cloud forests, crossing many steams with waterfalls.

The Rio Magdalena, the principal river of Colombia, flowing northward about 950 miles through the western half of the country, taken from the bus window.

This is what a $20 per night room looks like in Medellin. Very nice place! www.61prado.com

Nice private, modern tile and glass bathroom with lots of hot water! A welcome change from my room in Bogota!

Medellin is a much more "hip" city than I had expected. It is clean and beautiful sitting in a small valley surrounded by mountains. This is the view from the Metro platform 2 blocks from my hotel.

Since the city dwellings are built into the mountainside, many "tier" on top of each other, most with beautiful views and rooftops.

These mountainside dwellings are accessed by an elaborate system of cable cars called "Metrocable," pronounced "metro CAB'-leh," part of Medellin's mass transit system.

They make multiple stops up the mountain at stations like this to provide access to the less fortunate who live along the mountainside, and do not otherwise have any other mode of transportation.

These Metrocables offer incredible scenic views over the city as they go up and over the mountains, all part of the metro system, for a cost of about $1 per ride.

You can see the distant city below, and tell just how far I have traveled by Metrocable! They go on and on for what seems like miles!