My Oyster

My Hometown: Medellin...

This is David.  Affectionately known as Dr. David to me, my family, and close friends.  We spent the afternoon together catching up.  He is Colombian but living here in Washington and doing some amazing work.  He is from Medellin. 

Medellin (MED A JEAN) is the second largest, and most progressive city in Colombia.  It is one of the most beautiful cities in South America.  The  home of  orchids, parks  and  tropical birds, Medellin lies cradled in the Aburra Valley, bisected by the Medellin River which runs North and South. Nightlife, called "Rumba", takes place in many locations, beginning in earnest on Thursday night, and running "hot and heavy" through Saturday night.

medellin 1 (HDR), originally uploaded by willy gil.

The artist Fernando Botero was born in Medellin.

Medellin, originally uploaded by Naty Rive.

Medellin was founded in 1616 and by 2006 had a population of 2.4 million people, making it the second most populated city in Colombia after Bogota.  Because Medellín is located at 5,000 ft above sea level, its climate is not as hot as other cities located at the same latitude near the equator.  The city's average annual temperature is 22ºC (72ºF) and because of its proximity to the equator, its temperature is constant year round with minimal temperature variations. 

Medellin... que chimba parce!!!!, originally uploaded by JoseDuque.

Most people from Medellín are of Spanish descent. The majority of the immigrants arrived from Spain during the 17th and 18th centuries. Later, some immigrants arrived from Syria, Jordan and Portugal during the 19th century. There are also some Zambo-Colombians and Afro-Colombians.

Because of David, Medellin and Colombia are near the top of my "Must See" travel wish list. 

For David...

Medellin - in three words:  Eternal Spring City

My Hometown: Mumbai...

This is Subodh.  Subs and I had brunch this morning.  I think he is the first Indian I ever..met here in DC.  His hometown is Mumbai.

Mumbai, formerly known in English as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, the most populous city of India , and by some measures the most populous city in the world with an estimated population of about 13 million as of 2006).

Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra.  It is the commercial and entertainment capital of India, and houses important financial institutions, and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies.  Mumbai has attracted migrants from all over India because of the immense business opportunities, and the relatively high standard of living, making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures. The city is home to India's Hindi film and TV industry,Bollywood.

OK.  That was the Wiki description.  Informational, but a bit...stale.  Here is the Lonely Planet description.  I like it.

Mumbai is the bubblegum glamour of Bollywood cinema, shopping malls full of designer labels, cricket on the Oval Maidan, promenading families eating bhelpuri on the beach at Chowpatty, red double-decker buses queuing in grinding traffic jams and the infamous cages of the red-light district.

This pungent drama is played out against a Victorian townscape more reminiscent of a prosperous 19th-century English industrial city than anything you'd expect to find on the edge of the Arabian Sea. It's a city with vibrant streetlife, India's best nightlife, and a wealth of bazaars.

For Subodh...

Mumbai - in three words:  Alive, Randy, Cosmo-Masala

My Hometown: Tuba City

This is my dear friend Michael.  His hometown is Tuba City. 

I have heard Michael speak often and with real feeling about Tuba City, so I am making it the first in my periodic series of hometown spotlights.  This is, after-all, primarily a travel blog.

Tuba City is the Navajo Indian Reservation's largest community with 8,225 people.  It is located within the Painted Desert on the western side of Navajo Nation in northern Arizona. The town is only about 50 miles from the eastern entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. Most of Tuba City's residents are Navajo but there is also a small Hopi minority.

The name of the city most probably came from Toova, a Hopi headman from Oraibi. The Navajo name for Tuba City, Tó Naneesdizí translates as “tangled waters” which probably refers to the many springs below the surface of the ground which are the source of several reservoirs.

The written history of the town goes back more than 200 years. When Father Francisco Garcés visited the area in 1776, he recorded that the Indians were cultivating crops. Today, there are two motels in town and a shopping center with a Basha's Dine Markets supermarket, a pizza joint, a chinese restaurant, and other stores.

For Michael...

Tuba City - in three words:  Lovely, Home, the Rez