Me encanta Bogotá

Three prescriptions, two shots of medication, five ajiaco soups, ten glasses of tea, and eight liters of water later, I was able to emerge from my bed in order to go to work on Friday morning. By midday I was feeling much better as I waited eagerly for my first visitor here in Bogota. Daryl (aka Day) landed at 7:30 pm. I got a ride from Juan Carlos and we waited outside the exit doors of Bogota's new international terminal. The airport opened less than a month ago and is very modern with a glass exterior which made it very easy to spot Day.

We spent Friday night eating pizza and watching Taken 2. On Saturday morning, we ate a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, took some pictures on the roof of my building, and got picked up by Juan Carlos for a tour of Centro Bogota. On the drive there, we took Carrera Septima, one of the major roads here in the northern part of the city. Juan Carlos pointed out a church at the top of the mountain, which could be accessed by an aerial tram or by foot. We passed through the financial district of the city, where my office is located, before entering the youthful, university filled district. This part of northern Bogota is full of artsy, bohemian students sitting on top of graffiti painted walls eating lunches, and mismatched, bright, colorful buildings. We continued on and upon entering Centro Bogota, it was obvious that we were in a very historical part of the city. The streets were packed with pedestrians and there were various signs pointing to the homes of famous Colombia artists, extremely baroque cathedrals, and even an entire museum full of art made of gold called Museo de Oro. 

Interior of church

Exterior of church

After parking, we proceeded down a street that possessed the same feeling as Haight-Ashbury. There were artists selling unique paintings, colorful clothing, and hand-made jewelry. The streets were cobblestone and the buildings were extremely antique. We walked about three long blocks downhill until entering the grand Centro plaza which was full of kids playing, lamas, a gigantic Christmas tree, lights, and hundreds of locals and tourists alike. It was a site to be seen. Bordering the plaza was the Catedral Primada de Colombia, as well as various museums, theaters, and historical buildings. Juan Carlos walked with us and gave us some historical insight before we entered the Cathedral. A service was being held inside but we were able to enter the eighty foot doors leading inside. The ceilings were extremely tall with wood beams, decadent crown molding, and beautiful arches. Day and I took some pictures of the building and we continued on.

While walking along the plaza, we were asked to step off the sidewalk when we got closer to the home of the president, currently occupied by Juan Manuel Santos. Judging by Juan Carlos's response, along with other coworkers' opinions, the current president is accepted by the residents of Colombia but not loved. According to my sources, he has done a great job improving foreign relations, increasing trade partners, and mastering political relationships. However, when elected in 2010, he promised to focus on internal administration efforts and to reduce corruption here in Colombia, which has not been his focus as of late. Prior to the current president, Alvaro Uribe was president from 2002-2010, and he did an excellent job cleaning up Bogota, hiring thousands of police to ensure safety, and cracking down on the notorious violence in Colombia. As such, he was very popular among citizens. In fact, in 2008, his approval rating reached an unprecedented rate of 91%. However, after six years as president, in 2009, stories of corruption were leaked and his approval rate plummeted before leaving office in 2010. I was very appreciative of this brief history of the past two Colombian presidents, as it coincided with our own political elections. Ironically enough, in 2008, during the last US presidential election, I happened to be living in Chile (call it coincidence, genius, or pure luck...). Although the 2008 election was more of a celebration of Bush leaving office, as he eliminated many of the free trade laws with Chile during his presidency. During both of these presidential races, it was inspiring but also a bit uncomfortable to witness the overwhelming impact our election has on the citizens of Colombia and Chile, alike. This past week, nearly every magazine and news channel was almost entirely focused on the race, and I was asked up to ten times by various Colombians for my opinion on the election. The publicity and focus on our election is just one example of the significant influence the United States has on nearly every country around the world, including those located in South America. We have the power and influence to impact many lives, lives of people that we often do not realize are stakeholders. I hope every citizen of US, especially those with significant influence and authority, will begin to consider how their actions will affect the lives of people in every corner of the world. I know I will.


Anyways, enough about politics and back to Bogotá....

On the walk back to the car, we stopped for food at a traditional Colombian restaurant which was so old that it was almost too small for Day. In fact, he hasn't been able to fit just about anywhere in this country. Despite the low ceilings and tiny tables, we had a great meal. Here in Colombia, it is socially unacceptable for people that are on the clock to eat with their employers. As a result, Juan Carlos initially refused to sit with us and sat at a different table. Even though he was giving us a city tour on this particular day, I found it very silly, as he was now a friend of mine. I convinced Juan Carlos to sit with us and we had a wonderful lunch. We left Centro shortly there after for the hotel to rest. Around dinner time, Ana and Sebas came by. Ana and I cooked pasta, chorizo, and a salad while the guys played Sebas's xbox that he brought over. I found it endearing that Sebas wanted to be sure they had something to do together since the language barrier made him nervous. They ended up getting along very well and we had to literally strip their game controlers from their hands. Turns out Street Fighter II is a universal man language. Later that night, we went to a night club by the name of Bendito Bar, where Ana's good friend was the DJ. The music was mostly electronic, salsa, and some pop music. Although I felt awkward dancing to such drastically different genres of music compared to what I am accustom to, the club's extravagant light show, laser beams, and foam and fake smoke falling from the ceiling, made the entire experience very enjoyable.

Sunday was spent at the Mercado de las Plugas, a flee market near my apartment that is held on Sundays (and in this case Monday as well because it was a three day holiday weekend). There are three other markets similar to this one around Bogota but I was told this one, located in Usaquen, is the nicest due to its location. Usaquen is a thriving neighborhood, located behind the Centro Commercial de Santa Barbara, the shopping mall of the district of Santa Barbara, which is walking distance from my apartment. We weren't quite sure where we were going, as Day and I were solo on foot, but we knew we were in the right place when we turned a random corner and located a quaint plaza surrounded by great restaurants, as well as blocked off streets full of families, tents set up with art for sale, and great smelling food. While shopping, we met a man dressed in traditional Caribbean clothing who told us about a reggae club on Carrera Septima called Congo. We thanked him and continued on our way. Day and I had an amazing time at the market...so much so that we debated returning the next day!

Making police blush

After leaving the market, we went to back to the room, ordered food, and got ready for a night out. When we arrived at the address, we found that Congo was closed for construction but we stumbled upon Mr. Reggae next door. This nightclub was entirely different from the one that we went to the night before; it was very small on the second story of a cozy, eclectic building and was much more laid back, with music we were familiar with, and a crowd dressed in jeans and comfortable shoes. We danced, laughed, and soaked in the sounds of reggae into early in the morning. We also posed for various pictures request by people that honestly thought we were famous. I am becoming professional at pretending that I am a basketball wife. 

Day left Wednesday morning and although I was sad to see him go, I was so very thankful that he came to visit me. We were able to explore new parts of the city that I was apprehensive to go to alone (clubs, Centro, shopping markets, etc.). I fell even more in love with Bogotá and its bohemian yet polished, artistic yet defined, and antique yet  industrialized pockets scattered throughout the city.