Colombia Chapter 8
Last days in Bogota
I spent the next 5 days in Bogotá and then headed to Lima, Peru.
I don’t remember much during the last days in Bogota. Just for a tour with a guide and getting to know a young Korean and then also an Englishman, Miky. But about these two later.
Free guided tour of Bogotá
Bogotá is the capital and largest city of Colombia, located in the foothills of the Andes at an altitude of 2600 meters above sea level. It gets pretty cold here. It is a city full of contrasts, where history, culture, art and modernity mix. Bogotá also has a rich offer of tourist attractions.
One of the best ways to discover Bogotá is to go on a free guided city tour. These tours are organized by different companies and offer different itineraries and themes. For example, you can visit the historic center of La Candelaria, where you will see colonial architecture, the Plaza de Bolívar, the Primada de Bogotá Cathedral and the National Capitol. Or you can learn about history, war and peace in Colombia and the political issues of the capital. If you like art and culture, you can see interesting graffiti in the streets of Bogotá.
A free guided city tour is a great way to get to know Bogotá and its life. The guides are professional, passionate and knowledgeable about the city. The tour usually lasts 2-4 hours and is based on voluntary tips. So it is up to you how much you pay for the tour according to your satisfaction. There are people who leave halfway through and pay nothing. The guides don’t make a big deal out of it. It is recommended to book a place in advance online or to arrive at the meeting place at the appointed time. Just google: “free walking tours Bogota” and choose. By the way, it also works for Prague and other big cities.
A free guided city tour is definitely a great way to learn a lot about a given city. Not only did I learn a lot of interesting information about the city and its history, but I also met other travelers from different countries and enjoyed a great atmosphere. If you are planning to visit Bogotá, give it a try too!
If you want to see more of Bogotá, you can also try other types of tours, such as cycling, visiting the Monserrate hill or the City tour completo en Bogota, which will give you a wider perspective of Bogotá. Take a look at my 1. a story from Bogotá.
Interesting meetings
Young Korean
He just arrived in Bogotá from Korea, from the airport he went to the center and then straight to the hostel, where he meets me and says: “I’ve only been in Bogota for an hour and when I arrived in the center, a guy jumped out at me with his hand in his sweatshirt pocket and in his pocket the shape of something that could have been a gun, pointing at me and yelling MONEY MONEY!!” … I roll my eyes and say that I’m sorry and that this is the first experience in Colombia like this on the first day. I ask how much he took from him, he: “I didn’t give him anything, I pretended I didn’t understand and left.” I can’t recommend this solution to anyone, but it’s certainly interesting and certainly won’t work for everyone. But what is also interesting is that I was in Colombia for 40 days and without a single negative experience. Then someone else comes along and has a completely different experience. Such is life. I recommend being very careful in Colombia. For me, Colombia ranks among the most interesting countries I have visited in my life, and I find it more interesting than Peru, which is much safer. Colombia has a lot to offer, you just need to approach it with respect for your safety.Mikey
Just as I’m packing my backpack to end my Colombian trip and head to the airport, Mikey arrives at the hostel. Mikey is an Englishman who has been traveling for some time. I was drawn to his yellow sweatshirt and hat. He looked cool. We immediately started talking, he told me about the destinations where he had been and I told him everything interesting about the time spent in Colombia. What to avoid, what not to avoid and what to watch out for. It was one of those travel moments that fills you with an absolutely wonderful feeling. A person with whom you can instantly sit down, help each other and laugh at the same time. A meeting that only lasted less than an hour and I will never forget that person. There is a term for it “soulmates”, in Czech we don’t have an exact translation for it, the closest is probably a kindred soul.For me, Colombia has become the most interesting country in America after Mexico. If you have the balls, go for it!