Whether it’s the nervous energy associated with moving on again or the prospect of entering Colombia (a country with a violent recent history) but I sleep poorly. Even the name Bogota conjures up feelings of tension and danger! The palm trees along Playa El Agua continue to sway as Christi and I taxi to the airport; perhaps they are waving us goodbye and wishing us good luck. To be honest I’m not that disappointed to be leaving Venezuela. Travel here is unnecessarily challenging. Flights back to the mainland and onward to Bogota are remarkably smooth. Customs and Immigration at Bogota airport are a breeze, which is surprising given the troubles.
The first thing I notice as we drive the narrow streets of Bogota is the extensive graffiti, which is daubed on many buildings. Despite reassurances from previous travelers, we are taking a few precautions such as staying at a nice hotel – in this case the Hotel de La Opera in La Candelaria (or Centro Historico). Of course, this may just make Christi and I more desirable targets for potential kidnappers!
As usual there is no time to dawdle on our Year of Wonder and Christi and I force ourselves out on to the mean, well, traffic-clogged streets of Bogota. Currently, the congestion stems from a funeral service in the Primada Cathedral in nearby Plaza Bolivar. President Santos will be attending to honor six soldiers killed recently by FARC terrorists – quite dramatic evidence that Colombia has not completely shed the twin threats of violence and the cocaine industry. With a little effort we find a taxi to take us to the base of Cerro Monserrate and follow that with a cable car ride to the top for great views of downtown Bogota and La Candelaria. There’s also a pilgrim route with the Stations of the Cross that culminates in a white church that dominates the skyline. The interior of the church has a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Monserrate and an altar depicting the Fallen Christ.
Back in La Candelaria, we see many uniformed military patrolling the vast open spaces of Plaza Bolivar, which still sports a huge Christmas tree and about a million pigeons, plus all sorts of demonstrations, hawkers, and assorted characters. It does not take long for the hawkers to approach us with their wares, but their sales pitches soon lose steam because they don’t know enough English (mainstream tourism is still in its infancy here) and our Spanish remains woeful. Moving around the area is problematic since police/army/security services are a rather edgy bunch and the presidential palace is nearby.
Still, it has been a great first day in Colombia and we have now completed the South American loop. Quito, Ecuador, where we began this crazy journey 5+ months ago, is only an overnight bus ride away to the south. Unfortunately southern Colombia is still potentially dangerous, so Christi and I will stick to the north and the west of the country instead. No sense looking for additional trouble – we seem to find enough of it as it is.
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching, laugh-wrenching ride.
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