Bogota, Colombia

I only stayed in Bogota a few days and good thing because it was really really cold. Bogota seems to be a place that would be cool if a) you had a local show you around or b) spoke Spanish - any Spanish. I had neither a local nor can speak a word of Spanish so I wasn't so fond of the city.

On the way into the city the cab driver got incredibly lost and he and I couldn't communicate at all. He refused to look at my map and address and then called an English speaking friend for help. We finally realized the issue (at the taxi stand they wrote down the wrong address) and he told me he'd drive me to the correct address. After an hour and a half in the cab stuck in traffic his car broke down. Yes, in the middle of the street the car just wouldn't start. The dude seemed lighthearted about the situation, laughing it off and we were pushed into a parking lot. I took out my map to figure out my next move and if I could walk it with my pack to the hostal. He quickly told me in Spanish (from what I could make out) "don't go anywhere". Then another guy jumped into the coversation and showed me someone trying to take my bag. Nice - stuck in a neighborhood where someone will take my bag with my backback and again, no Spanish. So I decided to stay and wait for another cab which he assured me was on the way. After waiting about 10 minutes the guy tried starting up the car again and sure enough, vroooom. Whew. Once we arrived at my hostal he decided to charge me 4 times the amount requested on my original taxi slip. I gave him half that and walked away.

I didn't even take any pictures! What I can tell you, though, is that it is set right up against the mountains and was dark and rainy. Normally I'd dig this kind of city but I wasn't feeling not being able to navigate the city at all. I did check out the gold museum which was very cool. Out of the two gold museums I've been to (one in Cartagena, one in Bogota) this one was far superior.

I now have to say goodbye to Colombia. I absolutely loved the country (regardless of what I said about Bogota). Every part of the country was extremely beautiful and I was so impressed with the lack of tourists (well, white tourists) around. Colombian people are beautiful, particularly the women, and are generally very nice and welcoming. Also, their dancing skills are unreal. When couples dance together their bodies look like one and they move at exactly the same time. It's not overly "masculine" or "feminine" just something inbetween.

Now off to PERU!!