Every two years I attend my favorite scientific meeting, the International Conference on Malaria and other Blood Parasites of Wildlife. In 2022, it was in Bielefeld, Germany. This year, the 6th one, we all gathered in Medellín, Colombia. There were about 100 people from all over the world; I think the scientists came from 22 countries. The scientific developments over these years have been astounding. I have been in this field since 2001, and in the early days, we were just starting to use PCR to describe the distribution and diversity of the malaria parasites in birds. At that point, we would not have been able to imagine the questions we are answering now. My talk was about a very strange but simple virus that appears to infect the avian malaria parasites. They are called Matryoshka viruses, because they are like the Russian dolls: a virus inside a parasite inside a blood cell inside a bird or mosquito. Besides the science, it was an opportunity to meet friends, and develop new collaborations. The meeting was in the heart of Medellín, a huge metropolis nestled in a tropical river valley. I had been to Colombia before, to Bogota and Cartagena for another conference, but this was my first time to Medellín. I didn’t know what to expect, but in the end, I loved it. The people are friendly, the weather is great, and I found vegan restaurants everywhere I went. I must say it can be very crowded on the Metro system, and the traffic can be bad. It can also be dangerous, two of my friends had their mobile phones pick-pocketed. But for someone from Europe or the USA, it is generally safe and very inexpensive. I studied Spanish with ChatGPT before I arrived, so I conversed with the Uber drivers. Outside of the meeting, I got to explore the city some. I loved taking the Metrocable, which is the gondola public transportation system. The city is innovative, and it has long outgrown its bad reputation as a haven for drug cartels. Medellín is alive and thriving.
I landed in Medellín, and I must say that it wasn’t very efficient to enter the country. The immigration line took over an hour at nearly midnight. But the airport is small and easy to get around. I took a taxi $35 USD to my AirBnb studio apartment, in the Manila neighborhood of El Poblado. It was the perfect place for me to stay, because of the proximity to the Metro, and 4 vegan restaurants. (I have written reviews on Happy Cow for Veggie Vegan restaurant, AMA Vegan restaurant and Helecho Vegan Sushi). Mostly, I was hanging out with my friends from the conference, and getting inspired and motivated in my research. On top of that, I was fortunate to find some time to explore the city and surroundings.
Some of the interesting places I visited:
El Poblado: I was staying in this neighborhood, full of bars and restaurants. This is definitely the fun neighborhood, but overall felt a little overrun with non-Colombians. Probably the prices here are higher for the gringo clientele. But it is very safe and everything is walkable; no huge hills. The restaurants are excellent. Traffic can be noisy, and it is definitely a party atmosphere.
Museo de Antioquia, and Botero Plaza: This museum was one of my favorites, with many paintings and sculptures of Botero, who portrays the excesses of modern life in his depictions of large people. The museum also had paintings by Matta and other contemporary artists, as well as antiquities. Definitely worth the visit.
Parque de Arví: The best part of this huge park was the cable car ride to get there. You are in a cabin flying, first above the city, and then over the dry green forest. Then hiking in the park is also lovely. At the end of the ride artisans and food vendors sell their wares. It was a perfect afternoon outing.
Comuna 13: During the Pablo Escobar years this was a notoriously rough neighborhood, but now is a lively tourist attraction, where thousands of people take the escalators to see the murals and eat street food. It was so crowded that I actually did not enjoy this adventure. For me, it was a lot of loud people selling souvenirs. Maybe it would have been better on a weekday.
La Romera: This was the opposite of Comuna 13; a super quiet nature reserve. The bird scientists took the day to see yellow-headed manakins, mot mots, red-bellied grackles, and oropendolas along this beautiful hike through the high rainforest. There are wonderful views of the city, and plenty of incredible birds.
Guatapé: Yesterday I took a two-hour bus ride from El Terminal Norte to Guatapé. This was a splendid day trip. I hiked up the massive granite stone that dominates the landscape. It is more than 700 steps to the top of Piedra del Peñol. Then I took a colorfully painted tuk tuk to the village of Guatapé, which is similarly colorful. Probably the most brightly painted village I have ever been to. I spent a few hours walking around, having lunch at Namaste vegan kitchen, and looking at the art galleries. Then I took the bus back to Medellín, and packed up for my flight this morning.
Overall, I would definitely recommend a visit Medellín, and it was the perfect place for the conference. The hosts were tremendous, it is a ton of work to pull these events together. I am always astonished at all the opportunities I have. The life of a professor is fascinating, meeting people all over the world, working with young students, and studying things that nobody has seen before.