Bogota

View overlooking the City of Bogota

Bogota's iglesia de San Franciso

Sunset Bogota Colombia

With Stewart on his way south to indulge in Colombia's number 2 agricultural export (coffee), I headed back east towards Bogota to get a head start on checking out Colombia's capital city. I came into Bogota on a Tuesday night, giving me 2 full days to explore before our flight left for Panama city. We chose to fly as opposed to drive to Panama because it is not actually possible to drive from Colombia to Panama without a really intense 4 wheel drive vehicle, a week a free time, and a machine gun toting guide. So we chose to fly.

Between Colombia and Panama is an area known as the Darian gap that isnt actually patrolled or controlled by either country. It is an area of lawlessness and drug smuggling, where the government is more inclined to bomb any potential trouble than send in police. It is also home to some of the most undisturbed rainforest in either country. While sad we could not partake in this adventure, it was for the best.

Bogota would be our third week straight of transcending the South American Andes. From Cajamarca to Quito, Medellin to Bogota, we had been at high altitudes and low temperatures forever, and Bogota was no exception. I don't know what possessed ancient tribal leaders when they decided to place their capitals in environs where it routinely got into the 50s at night, when they had ample gorgeous beaches. I suppose it might have been the disease, but nonetheless it had been a chilly three weeks. I say this mostly to prove the point that the image of south America as being a hot humid place is not entirely true.

Bogota is situated on the edge of a mountain that runs the entire length of the city and directs the sprawl out to the west. Much like Medellin, it is a cleaner more well designed city, although it lacks the sexy metro. It too was dangerous several years ago, but it is quickly coming around to realizing that things must be done. Our Hostel for instance had two doors, one to let people in and a second one behind bars so that the hostel staff could get a good look at you before they let you in. The second door would not open until the first was closed, kind of like an airlock to the outside world. I was told that this was less and less of a necessity, but still used occasionally.

As I left my hostel to grab a quick bit to eat, I ran into none other than Ross from Finn McCool's in Quito. The coolest place to hang out in all of Quito by far is the Irish Pub in the Mariscal called Finn McCool's. Run by an incredible Irish couple, Lee and Ursula, this place truly is special to me, and all the people there are some of the nicest I know. Ross was a bartender there when I was working in Quito last semester, but his visa from Ireland had run out three days before and so he moved to Bogota to start anew. Ross and I met up with some people he had been hanging out with from Bogota, and as it turned out one of them had a way to sneak into a show that night in Bogota. Taking him up on the offer, we slid by security and got to party with Chic Bogotaians while I noodeled out to band called Bomba Estéreo. The second band that came on and led us late into the night (5am ish) was a Colombian version of the Talking Heads, all decked out in white suits. Suffice to say that it was INCREDIBLE! And to top it off everyone had cast aside their salsa upbringing and were dancing similar to a good phish show! I was in heaven.

I wonder what a full service bathroom is like!

The next morning I took a walking tour of Bogota, starting out at the Plaza Bolivar or central square. (side note: if you ever find yourself in a south American city and are lost, just ask for the directions to the plaza Bolivar and nine times out of ten this will be the central square) After an unintelligible 2 minute oral history from a drunk street bum wanting money, I decided to hack it out on my own.

Iglesia de San Francsico, Bogota Colombia

Iglesia de San Francisco, Bogota Colombia

When Stewart arrived the next day, we hit up the museum scene around Bogota. In addition to great infrastructure, cleaner living, and gorgeous people, Bogota also has one of the most amazing collections of free public museums I have found to date. Highlights were more Botero paintings, a photographic exhibition by photographer Carlos Domenech, and last but not least: an exhibition in national police headquarters on the 499 day hunt for Pablo Escobar including the jacket he was shot in.

Machine used by P. Escobar to pack brick of Cocaine. The white horse was his symbol for quality.

Pablo Escobar's Mobile Phone or "Celly"

P. Escobar's silver plated 9mm's

The jacket P. Escobar was wearing the day he was shot by police

Although sad to leave Bogota and Colombia so soon, it was time to move on, and so we headed to the airport on Friday to catch our flight to Panama and warmer weather.