Colombia - Bogota

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So I arrived in the rain to Colombia - so just to let you all know that any tan I had from the heat of Argentina and Brazil has pretty much gone with this loverly rain here and Ecuador!!!!! You gotta love it they must know I need preparing for coming home!!!

It was all good though got to the hostel and checked in - not really too many people around so I thought what best but to get lost in the city to find your way around!!! So yes I did achieve my goal and did get pretty lost - no I did not really mean to but the roads on the map all have road names but in real life they raod names - I mean seriously how I am meant to work that out!!! ;-) so after a few circles I found my way back there are quite a lot of really cool buildings and I am hoping that the rain will stay off so I can get some pics with blue sky and not grey!!! Hmmmmmm.....so I get back to the hostel and ask for a good place near by to get some food and was told about a few but also that not a lot is open today........that to me is all a tad odd really, I know a lot of stuff is shut on a sun but that is everywhere out here but why a mon!!! Well after looking around for what seemed like forever I settled on a fast food pizza not really what I had in mind for my first night here but hey beggars and all that!!! So I head back to the hostel at about 9ish and there is not really anyone around so I just read and go to bed - I think after 3mths of travelling I may finally have my detox few days!!! Hee hee well just in time for coming home after all!!!

So I make a good effort today I get up nice and early and head out - it actually looks sunny but I am not holding my breath from what I have been told it will prob not last!!! ;-) So I head the Museo del Oro (the gold museum) and, well, I really am not a museum person but this one was pretty awesome and I actually learnt quite a bit. Since being in Ecuador I have become quite interested in the Shamen and what they mean and represent.......and this did bring a lot more of it to light so I found it all really worthwhile - I was in there for long enough hee hee!!! So I then happen to find the tourist information place so I find out how to get to Zipaquira tmw and if there are any local coffee tours, she was really helpful but I had to head over to see a tour place about the coffee...........looks like unless I want to pay an absolute fortune the coffee is not happening - just lucky that I dont like coffee really as I am in Colombia!!! Guess what happened then..................yup it totally tipped it down............so the walk back to the hostel was erm how to put it a tad damp for sure and yes I think I could wring out my trainers let alone everything else!!!! So I had a shower and popped out for dinner at least there were a few more open today which is a little bit better but after walking around I decided to try out the place next door to the hostel.............yes I know I should have just gone there straight off but hey that would be far to simple really wouldnt it hee hee and just not my way!!! It was dead good food tho so I am pleased I did go back!!!

OK me on my own with my great Spanglish at the ready are hitting the local buses today to get to Zipaquira....................yes I will make it in one piece!!! So its about an hr and a half all in to get there so I come with a book all prepared!!!! Well I have to say clap on the back I made it there all in one piece and not a mishap to be seen!!! Love it!!! OK so I get there and have a few of the locals pointing me in the right direction and I do seem to be walking forever and I think maybe a tad too far............I run across a couple from Finland who also seem to be lost so we all hook up together and do pretty good at finally finding the Salt Cathedral, you know the main reason of me being there after all!!! Was quite good to meet up with a few others as we managed to get an English speaking guide to take us around, it was all pretty awesome soooo much larger that I expected but also not so white with it, if that makes sense to anyone a part from me!!! ;-) Was pretty cool tho and sooo large it did take a while to walk around it so the day did pretty much drift away and so we all headed back to Bogota and by the time I got back to the hostel it was nearly 5pm!!!! I know pure madness hee hee!!! Was cool tho there were quite a few people just hanging around so got chatting to a few of them before heading out for some grub, I was starving I had not really eaten all day as I was on buses and stuff............sort of treated myself and went to one of the nice places that was mentioned in the book - well it has to be done sometimes and it is getting to the end of the holiday now after all!!!

So today I was meant to be heading up to Monserrate to get in the views but was chatting to Shannon the new girlie in the dorm and by the time I got out it had gone pretty overcast so I will leave that til my last day (tmw)!!! I headed into town and went to the Museo Policia which was really cool was taken around by a 19year old on national service - they have to learn English as part of it so it was all in his practice of the language as well - I say he did well!! The place was pretty good tho as they had all the information on a lot of the drug traffickers and a lot of the gang wars (Gorillas) so was cool to see the stuff they used and how they were finally caught - it was also free which is always a bonus!!! Oh and then it got to that time again..................yes down came the rain............so I did try and wander around a bit but it was far to heave so I headed back and it looks like that was what most others had done as well - a wee gathering in the common area!!! Shannon and I headed out for a brownie and fresh Lemonade - it was far tooo good ;-) Main downside tho was it was coming up to dinner so I just know I am going to be real hungry later but just not now - sorry mum!!! Was a pretty good last night as it was pretty cold and wet out side there were a lot of people milling around and therefore we all just hang around chatting til pretty late really was nice had a few beers and stuff.............and yes when it got to bed time I was pretty hungre but could not be bothered to go out and get anything!!!

So its a beautiful day for my last one in Bogota and so I headed out to Monserrate up in the ikle train thing to get the views of the full city and see the church up there................the views were fantastic I could not believe how large the city actually was and you could see the differences between the old and new parts of town really well.............the church on the other hand was pretty dull but the surroundings def made it a worth while visit. Was pretty cool met a family on the way down from Oz but they had adopted their daughter from Cali in Colombia and now at 16 have brought her back to see her background and culture which was cool and she seemed to be really enjoying the differences. After we got back down I hit the markets (well you all want pressies!!!) and as the sun was still shinning I thought I would re take all the pics with blue skies - well it has to be done hee hee!!! Yes it then rained and rained - hmmm this will not be the part of it that I will miss............back to the hostel and chatted to all the guys there - I am not to sure if they ever really go anywhere - seems a bit odd to me but each to their own and all that!!

Now off to get a plane back to Quito and hopefully the footie!!!!!!!

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