Done? Ok, let me tell you about the real Bogota.
An Overview
Let me just get this out of the way: it is not hot. At all. In fact, jeans and a long-sleeve shirt are required. At night, a jacket is necessary and a hat would certainly help. Brrr... I had to put away the shorts and sandals for a while :( For a great overview of the city, there is a tram to the top of Monserratte, which gives you a bird's eye view of the town and an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with the town.
The Arts
There is no shortage of art in Bogota. For starters, you could visit the Botero Museum which houses a collection of works by Colombia's most famous artist: Fernando Botero. I'm sure you've seen something by him before. He usually paints his subjects as if they eat a little more than they should.
Still want to see more paintings? Then head to the modern art museum where your head will spin trying to figure out exactly what the hell you are looking at. Art? Garbage? Steer horns with fuzz on it? Hey, it's all there to see.
If you're into really old art, espectially art that is made from a really expensive material, why not go to the Gold Museum? There you can see indigenous art that is hundreds of years old, all made out of pure gold. All well and good until the Spanish come and decide that the gold should be theirs.
If your not into the non-moving sort of art, then check out a theater performance. There are a lot of them around town and there are plenty of them that are free. All you have to do is look on any wall or newspaper and you will see listings for upcoming performances. You don't understand Spanish? Ok, well, that might be a problem, but, it's free, alright? Free = good.
Theater fliers; a small, independent theater in the Candalaria neighborhood
Ok, so there's free painted art, free theater, but where's my free music? No worries! We were able to make it to a free performance of 5 Colombian rock bands. And these weren't just crappy bands who will take a free gig, these guys were good! And if they're not good enough for you, we just missed the Rock in the Park, which featured popular bands from all around the world!
Culinary Delights
Latin America isn't really known for it's awesome cuisine. Rice + beans + meat seems to be a popular formula. I'm glad to say, though, that we didn't hit that formula once in Bogotá. We were able to dine on thai, fusion, deli sandwiches, french cuisine, and traditional Colombian cuisine. Not only was the food great, it was cheap and was served in small, hip restaurants. Think 5-6 tables and no more than 2 chefs, if that. And to think in 5 days, we only were able to hit the tip of the iceberg.
Great ambiance, food, and cocktails at La Esquina.
Wine at a local cafe; beer at a local brewery
Nightlife
If it's one thing Colombians know how to do it's party. All the bad years in the past gave them a Carpe Diem attitude and they show it by having a great time when the sun goes down. You can go to any number of clubs that you want: hip-hop, live rock, blues, electronic, etc. We chose to go to a salsa club and some Colombians were gracious enough to point us to a good one and part with us, too! It's pretty easy: show up, buy some bottles of Aguardiente (anise-flavored liquor...think black jelly beans), take some shots, and get your groove on!
Aguardiente and a shot glass; people getting their groove thing on.
Relax
Phew...with all this stuff to do, it's easy to get tired. Believe me, we were tired a lot. Well, if you want to take it easy you can take advantage of the city's extensive bike trails and take a relaxing ride. If you wait until Sunday, they even close down some major streets so that people can bike, walk, or run on them. How cool is that?
People taking advantage of "Traffic Free Sundays"
If that's still too much for you, then head to Parque Simon Bolivar and just watch the day go by next to the lake. Or head to Plaza Bolivar (he's a popular dude) and look at the churches and feed the pigeons.
Parque Simon Bolivar
Plaza Bolivar
And just when you get comfortable in your modern Bogotá world, there's always something there to make you smile and realize that you are indeed in Latin America. Take for instance, a traffic jam in downtown that includes some people and their donkeys.
We're silly and adventurous, computer geeks and yoga peeps.
November 12, 2008
Den & Sue
November 12, 2008
Jessica
November 13, 2008
Kyle
November 12, 2008
Olivia Cheung
Ooh and you forgot to add a section about the people!!! Let me see, Colombians...they are: muy simpatico, muy intelligente, ellas te amo fiesta, y tienes muchas interestantes cosas to hablas about..(sorry about the spanglish, it's not as good as yours yet!)
November 13, 2008
Kyle
November 12, 2008
DADDIO
November 13, 2008
Mezclado
Cheers once again from EL SAlvador and Australia.
November 14, 2008
Kyle
November 17, 2008
Bessie
Also, Colombians in general are eager and proud to share their country with foreigners. People are so helpful and welcoming, frankly, like their tourism slogan says, the biggest risk is that you won't want to leave.
November 17, 2008
Linda
November 17, 2008
Bessie
Funny you mention Brownies! We found some in the grocery store that aren't cheap but have a thin layer of caramel - the name is great too Mamá-ía. Not the same as your of course, but far from home, I'll take what I can get. :)