leaving Bogotá

I am leaving Bogotá in couple of hours and could not be happier about. Not that I did not like it here, but I am definitely looking for something more special and different. Bogotá feels like just another big urban hive, people are busy commuting to and from work.

I hit all the streets in La Candelaria (historical center) - from the top where streets are flooded with students to the bottom where all the touristy sights are located. I visited the temporary exhibit of the Gold Museum and Botero Museum. Gold pieces of indigenous people are marvelous and I can´t wait to go to Peru and Bolivia where this culture is more apparent in everyday life. Bogotá is definitely not overwhelmed with tourists. When I went to the top of the mountain (one of the key sights) with a funicular I was the only tourist up there. Last night at football match we were also the only gringos. I am not complaining, I am surprised.

Colombians are very attractive people. I don´t know how they stay fit as the most common food around here seems to be deep fried chicken and empanadas. I miss Mexico where almost everything I tasted was delicious, not the case of Bogotá. Three days into the trip and I must have lost 3-4 pounds. My diet is horrible - coffee, beer and diet coke.

Bogotá is bordered to the east by a mountain range - dark green forests often in clouds make the city so much prettier. The altitude of 2600 m keeps the city quite cool. The nights are cold. I had to pull out my sleeping bag to stay warm at hostel. Altitude adjustment took a day, although walking up the stairs at Cerro de Monserrate (the panoramic view trip) left me breathless. I am worried about my Machu Picchu hike. But for now I am going down. Cartagena is the next stop.