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Published: December 4th 2012
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Monday - 29 October - touch down in Bogota, Columbia and jumped into a yellow cab to the Cranky Croc hostel, despite it's name, not run by an aussie, come to think of it i never did meet the owner just a series of hostel workers some columbian some other nationalities!! the cab driver was quirky maybe too old to be driving because when i spotted Monserrate in the distance and pointed, he pulled over to make sure he answered 'yes' correctly, this wouldn't have been too bad on a normal road, but we were on the freeway and he had stopped on the fork of a junction off it, much to the confusion and annoyance of all the other cars on the road, it would have been an instant fail in the driving test. i nearly offered to drive the rest of the way not being sure whether he was going to take an old man nap at the wheel! I arrived at the hostel in one piece and checked into my dorm room.
The hostel was really nicely set out through a series of mini streets around an open air courtyard building, i'm sure the architects reading this,
or anyone with any iota of building sense, will realise this is not the correct terminology, sorry, it was rustic! I settled in and met some of my room mates then headed to a supermarket to source some sustenance and supplies. The kitchen at dinner time is a hub of activity so when i got back and started cooking i met loads of people and got chatting. Some of the lads had been to a local bar and played a popular Columbian pub game of tejo which sounded like the best pub game ever as it involved gun powder!! Yep, i'd definitely arrived in Columbia!!!
The game of Tejo - Gringos have a reputation for harming themselves and others when playing. unfortunately the conditions of playing were that you had to start with 10 beers (that's me out and probably on the floor!) and it's men only!!! Columbian culture hasn't really progressed towards equality as yet, demonstrated to the lads when they were offered the breast of one of the men's wives to fondle!!! Tejo is like darts, but instead of a cork board, there is a square tray positioned at an angle and covered in fine sand. upon
the sand are placed triangular parcels of gunpowder around a metal ring. players take it in turns to throw a metal disc at the board aiming for the ring. if the player hits the ring, the spark caused by metal on metal contact ignites the gunpowder! (Now that would make darts amusing!! treble 20...booom!!!) Apparently there are different rules for scoring, but i lost track of this as the breast touching references increased! ironically it seemed the more beer consumed, the better their aim seemed to get!! Much like my pool game! Tejo would go down a treat in the Goat, but i'm thinking health and safety bigwigs would have something to say about it!!
My first full day in Bogota, I woke up early and ventured out to explore the city. I walked for most of the day but a lot of the places of interest were either closed or lay in derelict form which was disappointing. There were several protests going on in the city which it was hard to navigate away from at times, luckily my London feet sprung into action and i managed to dodge the worst of it but it did highlight that there
is a huge police presence in Bogota. The police have many different divisions but even the street police wear full body armour and carry big guns, left over from the presence of the M-19 guerilla group, but also because the city is still a dangerous place to be. It was really quite daunting when you are new to it and the locals not particularly friendly. Drugs and alcohol abuse were rife and the effects of the same clear on the street, from stepping over the many homeless camped out in the midday smog to the smell/stench. People openly take cocaine and you start to notice small things not unusual at first, men wearing thick crosses, talons on the pinkie fingers, all for the same pursuit. You can easily buy drugs on the street by asking street vendors or taxi drivers. It is legal to carry 2 grams of cocaine and 2 grams of HEROIN!! as well as some maruana if you fancy. From my naive world this was all new and i found it a bit hard to adjust, to get off the street i sought refuge in the Gold museum, it was quiet and everything glittered!! Like a magpie
i am!!
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