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Published: January 29th 2013
Ciclovia
Every Sunday in Bogota, a main avenue is kept for cyclists/runner/walkers/skateboarders etc until 2pm.Hola Amigos
Three of the things I was planning to do before I came was to hike in Colombia, find a nice beach and do some salsa dancing. Not sure exactly what I will end up doing but for want of a catchier title, this is the plan thus far!
I arrived in Bogota on Saturday 19 January after a 12 hour flight from Frankfurt and stayed in a quietish hostel in the nonbackpacker part of town. The first person I met was Irish and we had a good day sightseeing with an American guy and a German girl. Bogota is a city of 8 million, so there is loads to do and it just feels a bit like I could be in any capital city. We did the usual museums: Gold Museum and Botero Museum (he gives people an unmistakeable identity, i.e fat). We had a lunch of the day menu, ajiaco: a traditional colombian soup with corn of the cob in the soup, chicken and then they bring out rice and avocado which tastes amazing in the soup!
I went on a bike tour of Bogota which took us to
My first day in Bogota
Spent the day sightseeing with these lovely people. different parts of the city including the main sights, red light district and a market where we tasted about 10 different colombian fruits, all amazing. Mainly north Bogota is safe and is the more affluent part of town; south of the city is a no go area for tourists. The streets (in the 3 places I have been so far) are American grid system with avenues and streets so makes it easier to find places. Got sunburnt on the bike tour, it didnt seem too hot but the back of my hands were swollen with sunburn. The Bogota graffiti tour is also great, its run by an Australian who is a street artist and has lived in Bogota for 6 years. Bogota is the third highest capital in South America so can be chilly at times. Took taxis around the first 2 days but then graduated to using the buses.
On Wednesday I travelled from Bogota to Villa de Leyva which is where lots of Colombians go for the weekend. It's a pretty colonial town. I took a bus for 3 hours, then a minibus for about 45 minutes and then taxi for about 5 minutes to Renacer Hostal.
San Augustin sculptures
on the bike tour of Bogota It's just outside the town so very quiet. I mostly lay in a hammock reading Atonement and played Wagon Wheel on the guitar. Surprisingly, I have become used to staying in a dorm. Ate lots of interesting Colombian fruits but havent had much Colombian food here (yet). Had the hostel's felafel. Bit too crunchy, you would probably get arrested for that in the middle east.
Today, Monday 28 January, I am in San Gil which is the adventure capital of Colombia. Arrived yesterday via 1 hour minibus and then 3 hours in another minibus. Stayed in Macondo hostel and it has a really friendly atmosphere. Its great meeting people from all over the world, mostly been Northern Europeans and Americans and Australians so far. In Bogota, I met an Argentinian who looks pure latina called Victoria O'Shea. Yesterday I met a Canadian who has cycled with her husband from Canada to Colombia and they are cycling all the way around the world (http://twowheeledwanderers.ca/). That's my next plan.....
Saludos
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Claire Breen
non-member comment
sounds great
Am very jealous as I eat my lunch at my desk and look at the wind and rain!