OK, way past time to update some stuff here...
After leaving Medellin, first stop was Pablo Escobar's former mansion and property. Most of you will probably remember Escobar's reign of terror in Colombia in the 80's and 90's, at the height of the cocaine boom. At the time he was the richest criminal in history, his wealth estimated in the billions. There was a story that he made an offer to the Colombian government to pay off the national debt, in return for the creation of an independent state within Colombia, of which he would be the leader. THAT'S how rich he was - rich enough to buy himself a county. The government refused.
More here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Escobar
He owned a property about 120 miles from Medellin, and I was curious to see it. That was to be my stop on the first day out of town, after 2 weeks in Medellin.
It's the strangest dead person's mansion I've been to since Gracelands! The government took it over after his death, and I guess since it was already more-or-less some kind of theme park, somebody thought it was a good idea to build on the idea. I think "Jurassic Park" was influential in the design... if you notice the typeface on the logo, it's the same as on the titles for the movie.
They've obviously put a lot of effort into it. The dinosaurs, the zoo, the hippos in the lake and his first drug-smuggling plane on the arch at the front all date from Pablo's time, but now there are 3 hotels and some other things that look like they are new. Admission is relatively expensive by Colombian standards, about $20, and I'm sure the hotels are expensive. I was the only visitor there! It seems to mean that this estate, which was a rich man's playground, has now been turned into, well, a rich man's playground. I don't think this is what was intended when the government took it over, I think the idea was to takes Pablo's riches and give it back to the people in the form of this theme park. It's quite well done, but apart from being expensive to enter and obviously maintain, it's also quite a long drive from either Medellin or Bogota. It would be a nice day trip for middle class people from the big cities, but it's a weekend trip really. With only one visitor this morning - me - I have to wonder if it will be around for long. But what the hell, it was paid for with drug money anyway. Thankyou to all the 80's American cocaine fiends!
All the things below are what Pablo had built on the property, or recreations of what was there. Remember, all this stuff was for his own amusement, only since the goverment claimed the property has it been open to the public. They have added hotels and some other attractions, but I wasn't really interested in those...
The entrance to the property - Pablo's first drug-running plane
A really weird water park and dinosaurs
Diplodicus, with some HDR treatment!
The hippo collection. At some point over the years a pair wandered off and started breeding in a nearby river system, and now there are an unknown number of hippos in the Colombian wilderness.
Gorgeous hotel overlooks the hippo lake - but with no guests.
This is a billboard advertising another hotel on the property. I guess the marketing people didn't realise that they don't have safaris in Casablanca when they named the hotel.
Pablo's collection of toys was on display
The Mercedes 6=door saloon in the pic got burnt out at some point, and now looks like this...
Remember these?
Just outside the entrance to the mansion is this giant pink dancing hippo, with flapping eyelashes - huh???
No mansion is complete without the flamingo flock.
And on into the mansion itself. It's interesting that in all the literature and signage, Escobar's name is never mentioned, until you get right into the grounds of the mansion. It's also the only part of the property that doesn't get maintained - just left to rot. It's now a museum dedicated to victims of violence.
Imagine the wild parties that went on around this pool...
Pablo's bedroom - with the image of Pablo sleeping like a baby.
What's left of the prick's crapper.
The rogue's gallery
Some kind of replica of Roman baths?
Pablo himself, beer in hand, shows the way.
The helipad with airstrip in the background.
Who wouldn't want one of these?
A life-size poster of a picture from the day the chased him, barefoot, across Medellin rooftops, and shot him dead. Cop is happy eh? Escobar had many police killed, in fact put a $500/head bounty on them so that kids in poor neigborhoods would do the killing for him.
The poster is mounted on the wall of one of the three garages
Before I wasn't sure what I was going to be in for, but turned out to be a creepy but intriguing look into the mind of a ruthless killer that terrorized his country for years. Creepier than Gracelands? By a long shot! (Weird thought - if Elvis had lived a few more years, he might have been one of Pablo's best customers!)
