Oct 20, 2009
Medellin, Colombia
Elevation 1494m
There is a small network of hostels in Colombia and they all work together to recommend each other. From my experiences in the last 3 cities, these hostels are by far the best and most well run ones here in Colombia. For Medellin, the first hostel recommendation is Casa Kiwi.
Casa Kiwi is like no other hostel I have ever been at before. It has just undergone renovation and it is like a the "W" hotel for backpackers. It is modern, it is slick, it has beautifully tiled bathrooms that would not be out of place in a $400 per night hotel room in NYC. There is a pool table, a fully stocked open kitchen, a movie room with terraced seating, a large deck looking out onto the street below and a roof top pool that is not quiet complete yet. Casa Kiwi is certainly in a class of its own.
Ironically, the degree of luxury that is offered by Casa Kiwi only highlight some of the things that I have grown tired of from the backpackers crowd. The constant partying, the bit of decadence that is part of the easy life even though we are all traveling on a budget, and mostly the lack of engagement with the world. How can one engage in the world when one is a tourist and moves from city to city, country to country. When one's biggest adjustment is the changing currency and the brand of beer that is preferred?
Once upon a time I thought that I would want to be able to take off for 6 months, for a year at a time and travel long term like many who I have meet on the road. Yet as I meet more and more backpackers, their stories are all becoming more and more the same. Maybe this all goes back to that idea of FREE and what it means to be FREE (see blog entry July 2009).
What I am interested in is how to engage more profoundly with a place, with the people. What I want to know is how can I add an extra layer to the experience. An extra layer of uniqueness to a new country, of a new place, to get what makes it tick and makes it unlike any other. For that, I am thankful for the existence of "Wok the Dog" yet I want more. I want to learn more, connect deeper, understand better. Any suggestions?
Charlie Grosso
310-592-0895
