Pearls of Life: Antioquia Department, Comuna 13 of Medellin, Colombia.

Carmit enjoying the Pablo Escobar souvenirs in Comuna 13 of Medellin, Colombia.

I love Medellin. I love traveling around the surrounding area of Medellin, including Comuna 13. Comuna 13 is called as well “San Javier”, is one of the 16 comunas of the city of Medellin, Colombia.

Welcome to Comuna 13 through the graffiti and art street.

Touring Comuna 13 is like being in a movie. The views, the population, the transformation of the neighborhood, the colors, the graffiti, the food, the sounds and the energetic environment, it's like you are living in a movie. Talking with the locals, you can learn from the history of this neighborhood. 

The streets of Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia.

Learning about the violence that Comuna 13 suffered for years due to the fights, which include military operations and presence of the guerillas and paramilitaries that were living in the neighborhood is going back to the black history of Colombia. The guerilla groups, FARC and National Liberation Army (ENL), had presence in the comuna. As well as loyal people, most of the neighborhoods were controlled by Pablo Escobar. I heard stories from local people that in the morning you could have woken up to a new reality where during the night those different groups including siccarrios that worked for the Medellin cartel were operating in the neighborhoods. 

Carmit and Hilla enjoying the beautiful scenery of Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia.

As an unbelievable transformation, today Comuna 13, welcomes tourists from all over the world and is very famous for the creativity, colorful graffiti and amazing local restaurants serving food. You can witness a lot of souvenirs with Pablo Escobar pictures and images and phrases of Escobar as you can see that he is still very popular among the Colombian in the neighborhoods and that time he was loved by them. 

View of Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia.

I was sitting in the restaurant up the hill, enjoying the view and eating delicious food for only 4$ a full meal. I enjoyed talking with locals and listening to music of teenagers in the street. The street art, the gardens and the graffiti, the hip-hop and the breakdance, leave you speechless. It is definitely a radical transformation of the comuna. I have a thought that the local Colombians can be proud of themselves for the achievement to have this area getting thousands of visitors a week and over the weekends. Comuna 13 is the most and foremost area visited of all Medellin. I salute to the transformation of Comuna 13 and the wisdom of the Colombian to turn violence to income, prosperity and creativity of art.

Beautiful graffiti of Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia.