Bogota

Medellin - Bogota : 285 miles

I had already ridden the road to Rio Negro many times, but this time it was different. There was no going back home, to my cute blue room at Casa Kiwi. And as for Katirga, man did she feel fat! Nevertheless, being back on the road in traveller trim felt really good.

Past Rio Negro, the trip was through more green hills and valleys under dappled light. When it all flattened out at some point, the green remained and the blue grew. It got much warmer. Then, the traffic stopped. A recent land slide still being cleaned up. The best time to pass all the trucks ahead of me.


Minor delay on the way to Bogota

A while after we started climbing up, rain started coming down hard. Waterproofs on, tinted visor off. We pressed on, swimming up and up, towards the 2600 meter altitude of Bogota. The rain stopped. It got colder and colder. The air started tasting like that of a ski resort. It got darker and darker, until it could be called night. Then a thick fog descended, and I wondered if this could get worse. The traffic jammed. We were in Bogota.

Eight hours after leaving home, we had made it to the capital. But getting to La Candelaria down south would take another hour and a half. Sunday evening at 8:30 pm, Bogota's south side looked as dark and dangerous as the South Side. So I paid a cabbie and followed him to Hostel Sue which I was told could host a bike. We rode right in.

Hostel Sue looks, feels, and is cold. The lighting via the overhead spot almost made me confess everything, but I was too tired to talk and went straight to my $9 dorm bed. Straight meaning after only two Costenas of course ;)

My first day in Bogota started at around 7 am waking up to shrill screams of Janis Joplin. As I later discovered, what's her name of Hostel (who on earth is) Sue staff doesn't like anyone sleeping late if she isn't. Things I put up with for Katirga's security...

La Candelaria is the historic part of the city which also hosts the government buildings and a few museums. To me, Bogota is La Candelaria as that's where I spent all my time. Still, I did get a look at the whole thing from Cerro de Monserrate. I'm proud to have walked all the way to the teleferico (several blocks!), and astonished to learn that some actually hike to the top of that mountain. Que loco.


Up at Monserrate, you can choose to enjoy the view with good food and wine.


Just don't show up with a backpack.


Catedral Primada and Capilla del Sagrario in Plaza de Bolivar.


Capitolio Nacional (Capitol building) in Plaza de Bolivar






The good news from Bogota is, admission to the Botero museum is free.


Botero was actually from Medellin. I wonder where he found his inspiration.

But then, so is access to even more interesting work...







And as for the bad news, Katirga still burns oil at the same rate. Woodoo.


The fine print says it all.

My two nights following the first involved some partying and it looked like there was more to come, so I urgently left Bogota. I simply couldn't take the risk of getting stuck in Colombia longer.


Next : Zipaquira