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Published: June 20th 2008
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After a washout in Miami, I left the States Thursday morning and arrived in Bogota at around 10AM. Since my flight to Quito wasn´t scheduled to leave until 4:30, after some research and some courage-building, I hailed a taxi outside the airport, which was arguably the most dangerous part of the excursion. Eduardo was happy to help me despite my minimal Spanish, and I asked him to drop me off in la Candelaria, the main historical/cultural district in town. Before stepping out of the cab, I was already happy that I had made the trip. The city is beautifully situated, and the edges reach into the steep mountains surrounding it. There is a significant skyline, which I didn´t expect, and the roads were wide and well-organized. Once we dodged our way through the typical chaos in the commercial districts, the roads narrowed and a mix of colonial and pastel buildings took the place of litter, junk-ridden stores and incessant car horns.
I meandered up and down parallel streets, having my bag searched periodically by machine gun-toting policia and military. Those guys aren´t just part of the scenery - they were actually very helpful in giving directions. It was like having
three friendly personal tour guides at every corner. No one seemed to speak any English, though everyone was excited to meet a tourist. In one shop that I went into to buy some water and use a bathroom, I spoke with the owners, who jumped on the opportunity to give me travel advice, and pretty much said to avoid anyone with a beard or stache because they were communists.
The streets in the old town were quiet and peaceful, and the people were fun to watch. Most hombres wore black suits with a wide, brightly colored tie and the wealthy women looked right out of Miami. Juxtapose this with the vivid colors of the indigenous people and an occasional horse and every corner was interesting.
I stopped into the Candela Cafe for lunch and since I didn´t know what I was talking about, ordered everything they offered, the menu del dia, basically a four-course meal: some kind of delicious chicken and rice soup, refresco (I thought he said ´Fresca,´ so I ordered it), broiled chicken, buttery rice and a fruity salad, and finally a plate of flan. All of it was fabulous. Everyone in the family was surprised
Catedral Primada de Bogotá
the teleferico y funicular cable is to the left to see me there and laughed, saying I was the first tourist they had ever served.
Gaining some confidence in the safety of the area and in my reaction to the elevation, I then climbed part of the hill behind the old town toward Ciudad Universitaria de Bogota. The school is built into the hillside, so I just climbed staircase after staircase until some photography professor asked me if I needed help. Apparently you can take some gondola contraption (teleférico y funicular) all the way to the top of the mountain (to Monseratte, a Jesus statue of course), but I'm happy I opted for the hike instead -- I think it provided a better view and saved me five bucks.
Eventually I hailed a cleanly shaved cabbie and made my way back to the airport. I recommend a foray into the city area for anyone with a long layover in Bogota. My experience here was short and limited, but as long as it´s during the day and you only use the official yellow cabs, it doesn´t seem any more dangerous than any big U.S. city. Like most places in the world, if you mind your own business and
are aware of your surroundings, there seems to be little or no danger.
UPDATE 6-26 -- After another week of travel, I can say that more than any other country, travelers have great things to say about Colombia, particularly about its people. I regret not checking out more of it. It's apparently expensive right now for Americans, but get there while you can - before everyone else does.
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Joe
non-member comment
wow that sounded amazing.... a place where the girls get boob jobs for their 16th birthday? are you sure you weren't in heaven? oh wait this is a public comment... let's just forget I said that, and I'm going to start over. Wow Bellini it sounds like you are having a good time. hahahah be careful dumbass