Off to country #30.
This was a quick jaunt with a day and a half each in Bogota and Cartanega. This country has a very bad reputation from 6 decades of civil unrest. There are currently protests, some turning violent and even deadly, in Bogota. They say tourism is in its infancy here and I found that true. Very few speak English and my 5 star hotels weren't.
Thursday, November 28th, 2019
O'Hare to Miami.
Friday, November 29th 2019
4 hour flight from Miami to Bogota.
The 7 miles to the hotel on the northern side of town took over an hour; the first of many experiences of this sprawling capitol city's traffic issues.
The country started to reveal itself much like other Latin countries; a mix of old and new, all with the pallor of grime.
After checking in, started to hoof it around Zona Rosa starting with Parque 93 and heading south.
There are green spaces intersecting the myriad of urban sprawl.
Lunch at Canasto.
No one spoke English and when ordering he kept talking as I declared with a smile, "You can keep talking, still have no idea what you're saying."
Lomo A Caballo. It cost 30,000 COP, or less than nine bucks. It took about half an hour to get a check. Finally started doing the supposedly international gesture of wanting a check...and they brought me a menu.
It was delightful to walk and walk and take it all in.
These are motorcycle food delivery guys taking lunch.
They call this A** Candy. The ice cream is made to order and was very good.
There is an area with three shopping malls on adjoining blocks. Talk about competition!
Atlantis Plaza Shopping Mall
El Reitro Shopping Center
Andino Shopping Mall, 1991.
Fast food chains and their related obesity and another unfortunate export...
It's also a rare case of signs in English, clearly part of the marketing.
Throughout the trip witnessed the aggressive traffic. Pedestrians beware!
With wet feet and still jet lagged from UAE, headed for dinner and to call it a day.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
The drive to Candeleria. This is the original colonial settlement of this 613 square mile capital city in the Andes.
Whatever that is I'll have one. It was some kind of cornmeal filled with queso. Yum!
Museo del Oro (gold museum) is one of the top museums in Bogota. It was this precious metal that drew the Spaniards to set up this colony and fervently defend it.
Took a walk around the area. First impression- oh boy! Made sure to keep my wallet and phone in full view while looking aimless. Hope my black socks, sandals and fanny pack didn't give it way that I'm American.
Second impression- automatic weapon totting soldiers.
Third impression- does that make it more or less safe for armed soldiers to be posted?
Iglesia de San Francisco dates back to 1557.
It was fascinating to take it all in. What a country looks like with a history of violence, current use of socialism, crumbling infrastructure, 19% VAT and low wages.
Common in Latin America to see women making fresh juice. No way.
Doesn't the bleakness remind you of the Eastern Bloc?
I think coffee is gross, but...when in Rome. This place is supposed to have the best. Full rigmarole- weigh, grind, press, blah blah. Still don't like coffee.
Heading east.
A local mercado. Happy place!
Markets are such a fantastic representation of a local community!
This must be the Michelin starred place with its own dining room.
Went to play tejo. The goal is to thrown a lead disc into the clay target hitting paper triangles filled with gunpowder. It's a big deal here. And loud.
If you look closely at the center of this picture (behind the crane) you'll see the destination for later- Monserrate.
Back to Candeleria to an area more touristy. Then back to the areas real people are going about their lives.
Plaza de Bolivar is the heart of Bogota.
The black netting you may notice in this and other areas is to protect against graffiti and thrown bombs.
The Plaza was built in 1539.
See, touristy and all the pushy obnoxious vendors. Speaking of, barely saw any Americans and very few Europeans leaving most tourists domestic.
Bakery! It was a struggle to order and pay, but I forged on!
Back to the non-touristy area strolling down the seemingly never ending Carrera 7.
Just kept the wallet buried and phone inconspicuous and was mostly left alone.
Once grand buildings.
It's just crazy how much is going on in this world.
To the legendary Chantonner Delikatessen.
Kept putting the steps in taking it all in.
Zooming in to Monserrate. That is the shrine in the center and cable car building to the right.
Iglesia Nuestra Senora de las Aquas was built in 1633.
Parque Periodista
Museo del Arte Miguel Urrutia. Well, it was free.
Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Candeleria, 1686.
Museo Botero. Fernando Botero, still living, is the famed Colombian artist whose theme is, um, baby got back.
I found his work whimsical.
Time to take the cable car up to Monserrate. From 8,660 feet to....
...10,341 feet.
Bad news: it was overcast
Good news: within minutes a cloud encased this view.
This is the shrine you can see from below. Built 1650-1657.
Even further up is a market where Colombians eat.
They are very pushy trying to pull you into their stalls and I finally said to one of them, "Not going to help if you don't speak English". What a puzzled look that got. At least it stopped him from chasing me down any more.
Had queen ants and then a plantain filled with cheese and guava.
Back to the hotel and then onto an e-scooter to cover several kilometers of exploring Zona Rosa.
Didn't take many pics since I was focused on not getting hit by the aggressive drivers or bailing on their horrible streets/sidewalks. Use e-scooters a lot in Chicago, and even those frost damaged streets are better.
This is the Quinto Chamacho area, several blocks of half-timbered buildings built in the 19th and 20th centuries.
My trusty steed at Lourdes Parque, named after the church that anchors it.
Popped into the festive Avenida Chile Shopping Mall for a cone. I got chocolate since that was the only word she understood. Shockolot!
Monday, December 1st, 2019
Morning run.
Then off to the airport for the hour flight to...
...Cartagena. This is their airport. All of it. It was 90 degrees with matching humidity.
The hotel lies at the end of the Bocogrande peninsula.
Brisk walk up for a typical Cartagena lunch of fried plantains, coconut rice and grilled tilapia.
Soooo congested.
Heading east to the next attraction.
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas is one of several fortresses to protect the Spaniard's colony. It was built in 1536.
It was taken by the French (go figure) in 1697 and British in 1739.
It is amazing the effort that went into all the fortresses.
View of Bocogrande from the top of the Castillo.
Here is the aerial view of the walled city, the stop for the remainder of the day.
These walls were higher, but landfill for the roads added several feet.
Started exploring the labyrinth within those walls.
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
The Botero in Plaza Santo Domingo. With a Buddha you rub the belly, for a Botero apparently you....
Plaza de San Pedro Claver
Museo Santuario de San Pedro Claver. Built 1580-1654.
Back to the hotel then walked to get some froyo and then see the dinner scene come alive.
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2019
Morning run. 6AM and already in the 80s.
More of the morning run. A restaurant on the beach. Feel lucky there is no such thing as smell-o-vision.
Some of the wildlife around the hotel.
Started walking north. Riveting to see locals start their day.
Passing up the walled city.
To go to Getsemani.
To the east of the walled city, this was originally the African slave community.
More lately it became an artist's colony and today has that flair.
It is very local.
Plaza de la Trinidad (1643) is the heart of Getsemani.
Home Depot delivery.
Back out of Getsemani.
Of course I'll stop. Watched the guy in front of me to see how much something was to avoid the language barrier.
There was a row of guys fixing Smartphones.
This is like a food court.
Puerta del Reloj was the main gate to the walled city.
Inside that gate, Plaza de los Coches was the market for slaves. Today it is lined with....
....sweet shops.
Heading north and east found that part of the walled city to be very local.
It was very congested between jostling pedestrians and motor cars.
Heading west to the less congested and more touristy area.
Yes please!
Plaza de Bolivar is the heart of old city.
Basilica Santa Cantalina de Alejandria and Plaza de la Proclamacion. This picture may have been timed.
Basilica Santa Cantalina de Alejandria, started in 1575.
The vast Plaza de la Aduna was the seat of government.
Always on the look out for the American flag.
Walked the ramparts.
Hour walk back to the hotel. Tallied 12 miles for the morning over 4 hours.
Locals while walking to dinner.
Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019
Morning run.
More of the hotel wildlife.
Walk down Bocogrande. Of course, fresh bakery. For a popsicle got the Chicago- leche entera, leche condensada and brownie. The only thing that makes that Chicago is the brownie, which was invented at the Palmer House Hotel. (And I have had one there.)
Walk down the beach.
On the way to the airport.
Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Núñez has made it on my worst list.
Miami. (Yeah, already explored a few times.)
Wednesday, December 4th, 2019
