View from high above Bogotá!
Most recently, Luisfer and I boarded a plane (no long-distance busses this time around!), and made our way to Bogotá, Colombia to spend 5 days exploring the city, visiting his friends, and eating and drinking our way from one part of town to the next. Since we had muy poco tiempo, we stayed in the city. But Bogotá is HUGE, so there was certainly plenty to keep us well-entertained, as well as well-fed. I feel like Bogotá was as much a culinary adventure as anything else. And our first Colombian food? Hormigas (i.e. ANTS!). That's right, these little buggers are a delicacy in these parts - and they dont come cheap. Luisfer and I both ate one each. And that was enough for a lifetime. Basically, I felt like I was eating a dirt-flavored peanut which may not have been so bad had I not had to see the head and little beady eyes before I took to munching away... Other tasty delights included Tamales, Arepas (white corn tortillas) filled with ham and cheese, Obleas - huge crackers filled with dulce de leche (arequipe in Colombia) and grated queso fresco, Bandeja Paisa (typical dish of rice, beans, meat, and platano), and Changua (cheesy bread in a bowl of milk).
Our days involved lots of walking through the centro historico, making our way through the hoards of street vendors, riding the elevator to the top of the tallest building in Bogotá (46 stories) for a panoramic view of la ciudad - Qué Grande!, visiting the Botanic Garden (I LOVE green spaces:)!) where our hostess Nataly works, visiting museums, and playing the typical Colombian drinking game of Sapo (or "Frog" in English) which involved throwing a coin at a box with nine holes of varying point values, two of which were covered by frogs sitting with their mouths wide-open on the top. Neither of us was skilled enough to actually get the coin in the "Sapo's" mouth, but it was still quite fun! And while I was certainly a winner in my own mind, the score card seemed to lean more towards Luisfer and Nataly's team...hmm....
Our nights were spent bar/disco-hopping in different parts of la ciudad where we made new friends, drank chicha (a drink made from fermented corn) out of a coconut shell, tried each of Colombia's different beers, as well as aguardiente, and danced to typical Colombian music. Colombians know how to drink and stay up until - literally - the break of dawn. I didnt make it much past 3 AM (I know, I know - abuelita!), but our hosts kept the party going until about 8:30 AM.
We had a great time and really enjoyed getting to see the city with our Bogotán hosts. It makes such a difference (and is a MUCH calmer experience) when you are with people who really know the city - how to get around, the best places to go, etc. We met some wonderful people, and while, yes, there are police with big guns everywhere - and one even tried recruiting Luisfer to join the force - I never felt more unsafe than anywhere else Ive visited throughout my travels.
I have only a few days left here in my home away from home and will be going this weekend with Ivo and Luisfer to Guayaquil to visit THEIR hometown before making my way to MY hometown. It has truly been a Grand Aventura, and I am sad to see it come to an end. But for now, I will live in the present and revel in my last moments here in Quito with my Ecua-familia:). VIVA!!
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