oday was a tranquil respite from exploring the city. Phil and I each had a leisurely morning, then met to go to the Medellin Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden).
Phil knows that I’m a frequent visitor to the New York Botanical Garden and warned me this wouldn’t be as impressive. But that wasn’t my takeaway. Like most gardens around the globe, it focuses on the local vegetation. That is exactly what I wanted to see and the garden delivered.
The garden is a lush oasis in a bustling city. Once inside (admission is free), the sounds of traffic and people disappear. It was a hot day, but walking on paths through the vegetation was cool. Rays of sun spotlit a leaf or flower, helping us to see details that might otherwise have been masked by shadows. While we walked around, there were constant bird calls that Phil identified as parrots and macaws.
I love seeing plants that are exotic in New York in their natural environment. In Medellin, many of the ferns, palms, and flowers displayed in the greenhouse in NYC are in their natural home. I’ve grown some of the species to twelve inches as houseplants and considered it a success. Here they are more likely to be twelve feet high.
In the middle of the garden is a pond filled with turtles, fish, and ducks. Signs (and Phil) warned that large iguanas roam freely on the banks. I kept looking but never saw any.
Because it is the weekend, the garden was filled with families picnicking and having parties. I spotted a couple of Quinceaneras, parties held when Colombian girls turn fifteen. At one held near the pond, the honoree wore a puffy dress with a long skirt that younger children carried as she made her way through the vegetation.
We headed to In Sito, an upscale fine-dining restaurant in the garden. The space was lovely, the service wonderful, but according to Phil, the food was not up to its usual standards. I really didn’t care as the setting was so relaxing. And, I finally got to try a Medellin specialty, coconut lemonade. It was thick, sweet and would be a wonderful dessert. However, it’s not a refreshing drink. Next time I’ll stick with mint lemonade.
Because they were closed, we didn’t see were the orchid garden and the butterfly house. Good reasons to return.
A few other observations about the city. Driving to the garden, which is quite a distance from where I’m staying, I wondered about local driving etiquette. I learned that cars, not people, have the right of way. I have no idea how drivers decide who has right of way at intersections, but traffic moves smoothly, so drivers seem to know what to do. Stop signs and traffic lights are often suggestions, rather than fixed rules. When drivers are obeying the law, they stop at lights. Motorcycles make their way to the front, then move as a pack the second the green light appears. BTW, you can order a motorcycle as an Uber ride. The thought of that terrifies me.