Today was a very sad, yet exciting day for Entrepreneurs Odyssey as we have to leave Medellin Colombia and head to Miami where we will board the Carnival Splendor.

Day 257 – November 14th, 2014.

The taxi picked us up dead on time at 4.15am from our apartment that has been our home for nearly 3 months here in Envigado, Medellin.

A taxi ride to the airport costs 60,000 Peso $31.80 AUD and takes about an hour. The route is windy and hilly if your easily car sick, be brave.

We arrived at the Jose Marîa Cordova airport with plenty of time to spare. A good thing really.

“Paying the departure tax at Medellin airport”

I had read up on this before and also having experienced it and checked when we said goodbye to Moni’s sister at the airport a while back.

However it seemed that nobody knew what was going on… We went straight to the tax counter and handed our passports with cash ready in hand, they looked and said a few words to each other (the two people working) and then handed back the passports saying they don’t accept payment here and we need to pay at the airport check-in counter.

That was new to us. And when we got to the check-in, it was news to them as well. Not sure if not many tourists stay as long as we did, but they all seemed surprised at the situation.

Anyway, we paid the check-in staff and got a receipt, I guess you’ll just have to go with the flow when leaving Medellin as it might be different for you.

Also we paid an extra $50 for the third bag which is a pretty standard thing these days with extra bags. The lady said that I’d have to take some items out of the big back to reduce the weight, but soon forgot about it as she was distracted, lucky us.

“The longest security check ever”

Passport control was easy but security was the longest, biggest search we have ever experienced. Apart from a full body search we had everything checked. It took about ten minutes for the lady police officer to search us. Everything out, squeezed patted and then actually put back which was a surprise.

She pierced my back pack and my hiking boots with a screwdriver and re-scanned them before we were free to continue on.

We sat and had a coffee and consumed the rest of the cake that Esperance had made for us, which was all we needed to keep us going.

Medellin Airport

Then at the boarding gate Monika was pulled aside for another total search this time I had to wait on the side. Eventually we got to board the plane. Apparently the machine picks people at random for these searches, twice in one flight!!

The Jet blue flight pushed away on time from the gate and we arrived early in Miami. The flight was good with some nice views over Cuba and the Bahamas before landing at Hollywood International Fort Lauderdale.

Jet Blue flight to Miami

Going through security and passport control here was actually quite easy this time and we were soon getting a shuttle to the hotel in North Miami Beach.

Check out the Holliday Golden Glades Boutique Hotel…