Bogota 2015

This year, I decided that I would follow my dream and finally make it to South America, and the first South American Country I managed to get to was Colombia. Being American, under 18, and traveling by myself, I had always been told that Colombia was dangerous and that I should not go there, especially by myself. I am happy to report that I made it back in one piece!

Getting there:

Since I am from NJ, I flew from Newark to Bogota through Houston via United Airlines…the layover was short and I got to Bogota at night. When you arrive in Bogota, the first thing you want to do is find an authorized taxi stand to find a safe taxi to your hotel, you pay in advance and can do so by credit card…taxis called on the street do not take credit cards, remember that!

The hotel I stayed at in Bogota was the DoubleTree by Hilton, it is a very nice hotel with restaurant, pool, and sauna, in walking distance to the famous Parque 93.

Bogota is in the mountain, so definitely bring jeans and a couple sweaters! As long as you do not go to the downtown you are mostly safe, of course, take a guide or hire a driver. For my purposes, I hired a driver who was parked at the hotel for only about $70 per day…and I was out for a good ten hours on any given day. Drivers in Colombia don’t expect tips, but they are greatly appreciated! To be safe, do not go out at night by yourself, have copies of your passport at home, at your hotel, and even at the front desk, bring very little money with you when you go out, and only bring one credit card/debit card…you don’t want all your accounts to be emptied in the event you are “express kidnapped”!

Here is a list of all the attractions and places I went to in Bogota:

 

Gold Museum- An incredible exhibition on metal working in Pre Hispanic times…if you do only one thing in Bogota this is it, I cannot post pictures from inside the museum, but do believe that it is fantastic!

National Museum- The National museum is the place to go to learn about Colombia’s culture, it is FREE of entry and you can see plenty of Colombian artifacts and paintings.

La Catedral Primada- Located in Plaza Bolivar, this cathedral was built from 1807 to 1823 by a Spanish architect, it is built in the same place that three other cathedrals were built and destroyed. The cathedral is well known for its’ famous organs that are from 1890.

El teatro- The Teatro Colon is Colombia’s national theater, it is a national monument which was built in 1885 by an Italian architect. If you have the time, you can attend a performance there too!

Palacio Narino- This is where the President lives and it also is where the main branch of government does business. It is very close to Plaza Bolivar.

La Candelaria- This is Bogota’s historical district, much of the museums and government buildings are in this district!

Plaza de Bolivar- This is located in La Candelaria and is where you find the Catedral Primada, the town hall, and the National Capitol as well as the Palace of Justice.

Guatavita Lake- Do not confuse (like I did) the lake and the lagoon. The lake is a good two hour drive from Bogota and the lagoon at least another two or three hours!!! The lagoon is famous because it is said to be the El Dorado, people have tried to find the treasure in the lagoon but now it is blocked off and divers can no longer dive in there!!! This was a bad surprise for me, as I wanted to see the lagoon, but the lake is not that bad either! There is a nice and quiet town next to the lake where you can stop for coffee and food as well as bathrooms!

Mount Monserrate- My favorite part of this trip is definitely going up Mount Monserrate! Up top, there is a church and breathtaking views of the city and the mountains, as well as the Statue of the Senora of Guadalupe next door. You need to go up a funicular to get to the top of the mountain, and up top, there are plenty of gift shops and places to try local food.

Parque 93- This is a nice park with plenty of restaurants, night clubs, and shopping in close proximity. A great place to relax!

The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira- This salt cathedral is about 1.5 to 2 hours away from Bogota, but it is definitely worth the visit! The Cathedral is underground in what used to be a salt mine, and they carved 14 chapels and crosses in the rock to represent different stages of Jesus’ life. The picture below is one of the biggest and most famous chapel. I hope I did a good job presenting the city of Bogota (and vicinity) to you guys. The travel warnings do sound serious, but as long as you are smart and reasonably prudent you should be fine! My next post will be about taking a day trip to Cartagena from Bogota (one day is PLENTY to get everything done). Please comment!