Colombia
Instead of doing a blow by blow account of my time in Colombia, I`m just going to tell you guys a few things about this most excellent country and some things I`ve done here.
Bogota
Bogota ia a cosmopolitan and modern city with a very cool old town, a seemingly endless supply of students and excellent museums and nightlife.
When I was in Bogota for a little more than a week i stayed in an excellent layed back hostel and met lots of very cool people.
I think Colombia attracts a different type of traveler to other parts of South America and there was a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere around, less of the slightly manic `lets go out and drink all night then tell everybody about it the next morning in very dull detail then get into arguments about silly things because we`re tired and annoying` that some big hostels get.
Bogota has lots of great Museums, including the National Museum that is in a building that used to be a gaol, a money museum with some excellent contemporary Colombian art, The Botero Museum that holds over 200 pieces of art donated by Fernando Botero, probably Colombia`s most famous artist. Lots of the works are by him and the rest are by a large range of international artists including Henry Moore, Pissaro and Picasso. Though you may not know the name Botero, you probably know his style. All of his works show objects and people on a massive round scale.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Botero
There was also a light exhibition on at the library that all of us from the hostel repeatedly went to. It was a whole lot of different experiments with light, hard to describe but one of the best things I`ve seen in South America.
There is also a Police Museum with a whole lot of stuff on Pablo Escobar, including a blood stained jacket, his sunglasses and a picture of him dead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_escobar
The week I spent in Bogota was one of the best of my trip, therefore, that`s where i`m headed back to! I`m going to spend another few days there then go east and north.
Salt Cathedral
The Salt Cathedral is part of a salt mine in a town about half an hour from Bogota.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Cathedral_of_Zipaquir%C3%A1
I went with Kelly, Elisha and Eva, some girls from my Hostel. It`s really hard to explain how good it was but again, it is definitely in my top 5 of things i`ve seen or done in South America.
We had a really excellent guide who took us into the conference center, a section that other tours don`t go to.
It was a fun and exciting day. Earlier we all went to the British Consulate to help Elisha figure something out and i got to read an English Language newspaper and watch a little BBC. That night about 10 of us from the hostel went out and had a bizarre night out.
Night Time Activities
I`ve only really experienced the night life of Bogota so far as I haven`t been out in Medellin yet and the other places I`ve been are little towns.
Bogota has some most excellent places to go out and a bunch of us went out a lot. I went to a Hamburger Bar with live pop-rock-funk music, a house party with a live brass band, a club where a guy we were with knew the owner so we hung in the VIP section, a live electronic music thing by an Argentinian guy who I met playing Poker at the hostel and a bunch of other places. One of my favorites was Escobar for it`s excellent music.
Colombians are very very friendly and it`s easy to make friends when out and about. Though some of them will express a disbelief that we even came to travel in Colombia. I was in a liqueur store with a few others buying Aguardiente, a fiery Colombian alcohol, when this really dark and cute Colombian guy comes up to us, well, comes up to our shoulders and starts chatting, he asked us if we were scared of him because he was Colombian.
Zona Cafetaria
Colombia`s second most famous export is Coffee, and they have a big coffee region east of Bogots where there are lots of Coffee farms. i stayed at a cool little Hostel after taking a gruelingly hot bus from Bogota with Eva from Germany and Mark from Melbourne. We stayed in Solento, a perfect town, literally, it`s perfect. Try to imagine a Colombian colonial coffee town in the most beautiful place in the world and it`s probably not as good as Solento. Again, an excellent Hostel with excellent people.
The coffee region is all rolling hills and stunning green. We went to an exciting Coffee farm run by Don Elias, as coffee farmer who looks like what a coffee farmer should look like but with a bit of Cowboy thrown in. We also did a hike in the beautiful Valle de Cocora where the top of the trail is this little house where there are heaps of hummingbirds that are impossible go get good pictures of.
Then I stayed a night in a strange hotel IN a bus station and now i`m in Medellin, where i didn`t really mean to be.
I`m sure i`ve forgotten a lot, but i`ll try to update soon with some photos or something when I get back to Bogota.
Oh, and don`t worry, Colombia is safe. Last night was the first night there were no murders in Medellin for 15 years.
Here is a taste of the type of music I’ve been hearing a lot of, when Reggaeton isn’t blaring out of every speaker:
http://www.espacioblog.com/colombianos/posts/view/560897
The song is Que Bonita esta Vida and is very popular right now.
Tags: Travel
eb
hello my litte princess – tis your big ole aunty denise here -safe’n sound in newtown tho wishing to be with u in Solento. But Sydney it is and more police, wagons, dogs etc in the city today for the APEC demo than is decent. The ChasersWar on Everything has been very diligent and whilst their fake Canadian motorcade was amusing to some, not so amusing to the police who keep telling the populace that it is serious. No-one knew how dangerous Sydney was until APEC. Now, with most having left town it is a bit EMPTY. Not a car or pedestrian in sight at Martin Place on a Saturday night! But plenty of helicopters and snipers. CRAZY. Have not til now read your blogs – could not get my web at work to work…shame. Columbia sounds interesting and art galleries public libraries and museums are always revealing and restful places for weary travellers.i think they have good poets there and the best woven, strongest string bag I had til stolen was from Columbia (mountains). Keep looking, love u. PS yr mum dad and bro look v good. Dxxxxx
Hi Em,
I was waiting for someone else to post after Denise’s excellent one, but no luck, so here I am. I must say Colombia sounds very interesting. How does it compare with the other countries you’ve been to n term of poverty and wealth differentials? I imagine it as being very underdeveloped, hence the drug industry and insurrection.
The APEC demo was a big success for the left. Police over-reaction and harassment got front page coverage, and the Chaser stunt (check their website and the ABC news, was hugely successful. We bumped into Pip Hinman and peter in King ST last night, and they were very pleased with how it went. We’re doing the Munsters this Friday night on Leigh Sales book on David Hicks, and the shift in public attitudes to the politics of fear since 2001 and the Tampa/children overboard.
Seen any strong winds or hurricanes lately, or murders/drug deals for that matter?
Dad
YOU didn’t answer ANY of my questions….. so insted I joined your groups thats didn’t look to emmerish….. So are you going to Mexico/… and thanks for leting me know who that guy is that does all those bloated characters from Colombia,,,,
Dear Emma,Bolivia sounds fantastic and the coffee amazing!!!!!We are all going well, Michelle and Johnnie send their best wishes, as I do as well,Stay safe and well,Love always,Maryx
Hi EmnrnrStill trucking along at an amazing pace. Love the coffee story. We will be seeing Pip and Deb this weekend (camping out at Hartley with the donkeys) so will probably be able to catch up on some other stuff. Meanwhile, take care, keep having fun and lots of lovenrnrGeorge and Di
Hi Em
Where are you now? I came back from Jakarta in time for the APEC demo. There has been quite a bit of fuss here ( which I agree with ) about the police not wearing names at the demo. The funny thing is that I was very surprised to see any wearing names as my memory of the cops at demos was that they did not wear their numbers let alone their names The was a big fuss because the police wrestled a North Shore Accountant going to lunch with his 11 year old son tothe ground andheld him in the cells over night. Although i feel sorry for this guy, at least it helps let people know what the police can be like.
They also held the few others arrested overnight.
The wall was a public relations disaster for the government.
Columbia does sound great – post again soon so we know where you are or email us soon,
Love
Mum
Hi Em
Just reread your Colombia blog – it does sound seriously fantastic
Mum