Bogota, Colombia

The long-awaited day had come for us both to travel again, but not just a drive across Canada to camp, hike mountains and explore areas new to both of us or drive down to Florida for a few weeks (all done in the infancy of this relationship), but a full move to the only continent not traveled to or lived in by either of us. Colombia loomed for many months and many opinions of our coming journey were shared. A possible road being paved for a daunting “life” of working 9 to 5 and building a security blanket for retirement was about to be abandoned. Oddly or stupidly as some might say, the thought of walking away from a daily grind, obviously made worse by the mundaneness that enshrouds any job that your heart is not completely in and risking both financial and possible relationship suicide, when you have a decidedly easy, financial future laid before you, was and always has been exciting….relationship part aside.

Waiting in the special line for Canadians only in the Bogota customs area, we were greeted with a surprise of almost 400.000 COP (a little less than 200 CAD) charge for traveller’s visas. A treat for only us Canadians. However, Rebecca was able to get a Yellow Fever Vaccination at the airport health clinic that lasts for life and was free. The vaccination is really expensive back home and a pain to organize, not to mention the North American shortage, making it hard to come by. With things taking a positive turn, we got in our hotel transport and headed out, but not before seeing one of many, ridiculous ass implants, while still in the parking lot. This one was special, almost unmatchable for all our time in Colombia, although we never made it to Medellin, apparently the absurd, augmentation capital of Colombia and most likely the world. This disastrous surgery was shaped like twin torpedoes desperately trying to exit her pants. Truly an incredible sight….

Staying in the Parque 93 area of Bogota was a good plan researched and hatched out by Rebecca. A truly lovely stop for anyone looking for cute cafes and restaurants, with exceedingly nice people, always willing to help you out and patiently listen to you struggle with Spanish. Possibly the best way to start our Colombian experience. From the airport to Parque 93, you pass endless rows of indigent shacks and a seemingly never-ending strip of auto mechanics, but eventually the city of some 8 million people begins to show signs of safety and submerges the widely excepted world view of constant crime and danger around every corner. Just like every city in this world, there are parts best left to the locals, especially at night. Have some sense about you, respect for another’s country and customs and almost any place will feel safe and comfortable to travel through.

Parque 93 opened our eyes to the wonderful world of garlic, mushrooms and copious amounts of cheese, all sautéed together in a reduction of cream or milk, served with fresh made crostini’s. This meal has been re-created and recently mastered I might add, many times since. Besides the obvious, good food being served, we discovered the ever-changing Bogota weather on our first morning out and about. Wear a shirt and a sweater, possibly bring an umbrella and unless you have those “super cool” camping pants that unzip at the knees, be prepared to have legs that change from hot to cold on a regular basis. On our last morning in the area we walked through a ton of gorgeous streets, lined with unique architecture and greenery everywhere. Eventually, we got to a massive road closed to motorists on Sundays, as many roads in Bogota and filled with walkers, runners and cyclists. Across the street was a truly vibrant outdoor flower market, a specialty of Colombia, which then opened up to a long park bursting with all manner of activities and sports. This seems like an understatement even as I type. From mass groups of Tai Chi, Capoeira (a Brazilian style of martial arts combined with elements of dance), aerial silk gymnastics hung from way up in trees, unnecessarily ripped, shirtless Colombian men working out and applauding one another, plus all your usual city life, park activities. A very unexpected, but more than welcomed discovery on our last morning in Parque 93.

Northern Bogota was our next stop and main purpose for being in the city to begin with. We had a ten-day orientation program filled to the brim each day, before beginning our teaching English assignments in Barranquilla. It was a long 10 days, including a surprise of not staying in a room together, but each of us landing the distinctive role, of sleeping on a cot in a crowded room of strangers. We made it through, but unfortunately our days were so busy that we were unable to explore areas in Bogota, such as la Candelaria and the surrounding mountains, which we thought we’d get to visit when leaving Colombia in November, but then Barranquilla happened….