venerating, celebrating and cashing-in on the ghost of Escobar’s drug empire

Quite by chance, I first arrived in the city of Medellín on the first anniversary of the killing of who remains the city’s and Colombia’s most famous (or infamous) son, Pablo Escobar.

Pablo remains in the conscience of the city and the tourists come to see what remains of Pablo.

Narco-tours now ply the city and tourists move between Escobar’s burial place, the house and rooftop where he was gunned down dead, the neighbourhood that bears his name and the house where his brother, Rodrigo, often received tourists and showed Escobar memorabilia for a percentage of the tour intake.

Beyond the city, others can visit the countryside hacienda Nápoles, where he had a personal private zoo whose four original hippos multiplied and spread throughout the middle Magdalene river region.

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Years before the deluge of journalists and tourists, I visited the many of these places and then again as the Escobar tour industry took root, grew and thrived.

Coming soon – “Pablo Remains” – pre and post tourism anecdotes from Pablo’s graveside, Hacienda Nápoles, Barrio Pablo Escobar and the neighbourhoods.