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Bogotá and beyond part 2

December 15, 2015 • By Kelly Glynn

Before traveling to Colombia, everyone warned me to be careful. Former residents claimed it’s “not dangerous anymore,” while the Internet stated to “use extreme caution.” I don’t like money belts. They make me sweaty and I end up emptying the contents out in the open anyway so I decided to embrace an alternative method of safety—My underwear. I stuffed my nearly expired driver’s license (tomorrow) in my underpants along with some money and a credit card. I took the remaining money and my current driver’s license and stashed them in more visible outside pockets.

Unfortunately, I did not foresee a drawback to this plan until the waiter delivered the bill at the fancy restaurant in Bogotá and I could not seem to find my credit card in my purse. When the light bulb went off, I sheepishly dug down there to find my girl, Capital One. I laughed and the waiter seemed to understand my dilemma briefly turning away. It only got worse when I went to the bathroom minutes later and the driver’s license and the equivalent of $20 fell into the toilet. Safety first!

Colombia today is a thriving diverse country. It borders Panama to the northwest, Venezuela and Brazil to the east, Ecuador and Peru to the south and it enjoys access to both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. There are approximately 48 million people in Colombia making it the third largest in Latin America behind Brazil and Mexico. Bogota is the capital of Colombia with a population of roughly 8 million people. It’s crowded but somewhat pleasantly. The traffic is horrendous and everyone seems to own a car or two but with spring like temperatures year round and stunning views of the Cordillera Oriental (foothills of the Andes) it makes it bearable.

Bogotá Brewery

Bogotános appreciate dance, food and art. They blast music in their cars and on the streets (take ear plugs), they consume breads, fruits and specialty dishes on every corner and museums welcome as many locals as tourists. The city closes streets on Sunday’s for bicycling and markets with handmade crafts fill parks on weekends.

Colombians are a mix of native tribes, Spanish conquerors and African slaves. Locals claim their shorter friends and neighbors are native, while taller lighter skinned people more European. I witnessed combinations of both but the differences only striking when side-by-side.

Chivas, the party bus with booze and music

Young adults (or old adults) celebrate life nightly on colorful party buses called Chivas. Imagine trolley buses for bachelorette and bachelor parties around big cities in the USA. What could be a better way to view the city at night but with liquor and salsa music? It seems a bit wild for my taste but I’m all for a magic party bus.

People in Bogotá make jeans and t-shirts sophisticated and salt in their food a necessity. They brag about possessing 90 percent of the world’s supply of emeralds and exporting 70 percent of their cut flowers to the United States. They consider themselves American. I am not an American and I am a United Statesian or something like that. Don’t bother arguing. You will lose.

aquaspanela & cheese

For breakfast, Bogatános sip aguapanela (sugarcane tea) accompanied with cheese for dunking or maybe they will choose a papaya or guava juice. They eat ajiaco (soup) for breakfast, lunch and dinner and its ingredients include yellow potatoes chicken, an ear of corn and avocado. The avocados are the size of a cantaloupe and the fruits as exotic and as tasty as they come. You must try curuba, a banana “passion fruit” or uchuva, a small cherry tomato sized yellow fruit tasting like a cross between a grape and a cherry. The fruit excites me more than Juan Valdez.

Salt Cathedral located in a salt mine in Zipaquirá

On a side trip to Zipaquirá, my guide ensured I feasted on Parilla, a hearty serving of grilled steak, pork, chicken and most of Colombia’s traditional dishes at Brasas del Llano. I may or may not have thrown up in my mouth and then passed out on the car ride back to the city but I’ll leave you to ponder. Zipaquirá is worth the hour drive north of Bogotá to visit the colonial city still very much intact. I also suggest a tour of the Cathedral de Sal, a former active salt mine. Miners and artists carved out enormous Stations of the Cross and designed a baptism and sanctuary complete with pews for mass on Sunday. It’s believed the oceans created the halite deposits some 250 million years ago and the area has been mined since the 13th century. If you are traveling with kids or more ambitious, there is an old-fashioned train that departs Usaquen for Ziparuirá on Sundays. I pulled up right as it was departing the station in Zipaquirá.

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Travel fail day in Bogotá

December 12, 2015 • By Kelly Glynn

Arriving in Bogotá, Colombia after a mere six hour flight from New York City, I should have felt refreshed and ready to hit the streets but what ensued after Colombianos partied all night celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe shows what happens when travelers visit a place unprepared.

In reality, I broke every rule in my self-proclaimed Travel 101 Guide.

1.) Blend in with the locals. It is obvious I have blonde hair and already stick out in most countries but I normally pack demure outfits as to not draw attention. With colors blazing on my first day in Bogotá, I donned my purple vest and pink fleece to attract even more gawkers. If that wasn’t enough, I let the sun scorch my face and now I am certainly not blending.

Soaring over Bogotá, Cerro de Montserrate

2.) Check for environmental limitations: When I was huffing and puffing up Cerro de Montserrate, I blamed lack of exercise the last few weeks but then my mouth begged for water and it dawned on me I was suffering from altitude. Ding ding..that would be the right answer as Bogota sits at 8,660 feet (2,640 meters). Oh and I am susceptible to altitude sickness. No bueño!

Pint size Taxis in Bogotá

3.) Ask a local: When in doubt, ask a local they are typically keen to assist. What I did was plain wrong. I asked every local I passed by if it was safe to walk down this block. Even though many locals commented on my poor Spanish or prompted that I take the bus, I convinced myself the exercise seemed more important than my safety, which brings me to my next point.

4.) Safety: Former Colombianos living in the United States told me safety concerns were definitely exaggerated. Articles online referenced petty theft so I mentally prepared myself to be mugged (It’s a common thing for me). After spending a few hours walking around and dodging many of the roughly 8 million people who live here, I am now bracing to be killed at the hands of a daredevil motorcyclists or an everyday bicycler rather than a mugger but I am open to that as well.

5.) Vulgar language: A tourist should never raise her voice when talking to locals. It’s a sign of respect and privilege to be visiting another country. That lasted for all of 45 minutes once I missed two buses, toured four different blocks looking for another bus and returned to the hotel exasperated. I highly recommend having a breakdown in English when the hotel staff only speak Spanish. They are convinced I am deranged. I am confident my performance was effective.

6.) Hire a local guide: When my first attempt at public transportation and touring failed, I hired Gustavo, an English speaking driver who lived in NYC for 20 years. He promised me a three-hour scenic tour, which turned into five hours because we sat in traffic much of the loop. If learning is a priority, book tours in advance or figure out an agency to visit right when you arrive. I paid by the hour.

Juan Valdez does Coffee in Colombia

7.) Eat local: It’s early. I am in a new country and I see a Starbucks like a mirage in a desert. I pause and even go inside but I depart wiftly and walk to MY girl’s favorite neighbor Juan Valdez because 1.) Juan has a bathroom I desperately crave and 2.) this Starbucks is not selling my prized collector mugs. I only ended up at Juan Valdez because my patience got the best of me and I abandoned dunkin donuts after a 10 minute wait (in fairness my seatmate told me their dulce de leche donuts called Arequipe.

8.) Shop ’til you drop: Markets and I are like salt and pepper or Baileys and coffee or maybe eggs and bacon. When the driver pointed out the gold and emerald jewelry shops, the skin on my arms stood alert and my heart started to beat a little faster but then he described how the area area used to be controlled by the cartel and the thought of being ripped off and finding myself followed by thieves curved my appetite.

9.) Don’t ask Stupid questions: I maintain I am very respectful of my host country but in this instance I claim utter stupidity. Bogotá is divided by a social class system, 1 being the very poor and 6 being rich, after about 2 hours with my driver I thought it would be a smart idea to ask him which class he considered himself. He answered 4. I thought that sounded pretty good until he pointed out typical 4 housing and I realized the middle class in Bogotá get by but nothing more.

Christmas Lights Plaza de Lourdes in Chapinero

10.) Trust yourself: My driver gave me a second cell phone and at first I thought it was strange but then I realized he cared for my safety and didn’t want me to get lost. I smiled. I felt welcomed and I confirmed this will be a great trip.

Up Next a Historical look at Bogotá

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