Bogotá: Completely Different Than What You Think
Written by Kyle on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 in Colombia
Feelin' normal
I'm willing to bet that when you think of Bogotá, Colombia you think of some god-forsaken steamy, hot, dirty, and violent city. There's not a lot of information out there about Bogotá, so you usually get your impression from the movies, which inevitably has Bogotá as the center for some group of bad guys. Well, get those thoughts out of your mind. Now. I'll wait.....Feelin' normal
Done? Ok, let me tell you about the real Bogota.
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!
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
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.
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?
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.
What others are saying
the art and food in Bogotá were so amazing. Really a great city. We went to the same thai restaurant twice (and blew our budget) just because we couldn't get enough.
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. :)
ALright, I always knew Colombia had what it takes. Pity its dark past has ruined its rep. How is it in regards to safety for tourists? PS I loved your para-gliding post, awesome!! Thanks for giving us the opportunity to know more of our beloved latin America.
Cheers once again from EL SAlvador and Australia.
I think it's pretty safe for tourists as long as you follow the basic South American rules: don't walk around deserted areas, look like you know where you're going, and don't walk around drunk in the middle of the night. It ain't Europe, but Colombia is just as safe (or more) than the rest of S. America.
I'll follow up to Kyle and say that it's damaged reputation makes it BETTER for tourists. The government has an excessive amount of tourism soldiers throughout the entire country, and police in general are everywhere from roadside stations to bus stops to malls. It's great really.
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.
Wow, multi-media extravaganza! Awesome Bogota! Thanks for all of the great photos including some secret wine in pretty glasses. What happened to the bottle and label? Why do you always discriminate against wine lovers in your photography? Wine has elegance, sophistication and great tradition right down to the cork brand imprint and its wrapper. It is very difficult for certain countries to produce. So it is worth seeking out during your travels for sipping and savoring and documenting in your photos!!! Great beverages are corked, not capped!!! :>} :>} :>}........... Keep smiling and discovering! ............
Exactly as how I'd describe it guys - well done! So much to do, so much to see, so little time...unless you're vagabonding of course! I LOVE Colombia!
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!)
We're going to wait to see the whole country before we make judgements about the people. So far, so good! Buena gente son!
Yea! I'm so glad its as good if not better than how my friend Andres describes it! Definitely seems like the sort of city I could happily get lost in for a few weeks! Oh and Kyle, how was the local beer there?
Well, it's better than most Latin American beers, but that's a pretty low bar. The dark beers are lacking, but we found a good micro-brew with a good blonde beer. It is a good city to get lost in, depending on where you are lost :)
Hope all is well (it certainly seems so)! You are continuing to change our minds about Colombia. Looks great!
Atom
The subjects in Botero's paintings make the Rubens chunky models appear to be malnourished! And don't ya luv "modern art?" My "favorites" are always huge canvases painted in some dark color with one tiny square, circle, or squiggle of color placed in a corner. They are usually titled "Journey" or "Daylight Dawns" or my favorite "Capitalism." The most imaginative "artists' " works are "Untitled." Huh???? Your journey into the cultural arts had me, especially the craftsmanship of the gold pieces, until I saw the entrance to the "free" theater. I think you'd possible be exposed to more than theatrical emoting if you went through that door! I thought St. Mark's Square in Venice had cornered the market on pigeons but I see Plaza Bolivar has its share too! Glad you got a chance to take a break from Latin food....but it looks like Bess still can't find a brownie!
by Linda at November 17, 2008 01:22 PM