Bogotá, Colombia!

Colombia was not on my list, especially after I continued my trip alone. Because when you think of Colombia, you think of crime, drugs, narco. Even what the German Foreign Office says did not motivate me to travel alone to the country.

BUT! During my time in Panama, I met many travelers, including women, who raved about the country and assured me that it is safe and no more dangerous than other countries in the region. AND, let me tell you, the country is truly breathtaking, the people incredibly kind, and so much more than what many associate with the country. Yes, I have to admit, I fell a little in love with the country...

But let's start from the beginning: in the second week of April, I landed in Bogotá. As usual, I didn't really have a plan for how long I would stay in the city and what exactly I wanted to do in the country. My first hostel was nice, relatively empty (it was the off-season in Colombia) in a residential area with a few nice cafes nearby. I quickly learned that English is not widely spoken, even among young people. But that gave me a good opportunity to improve my Spanish skills.

In the first few days in Bogotá, I took part in a free walking tour and a food tour to get a first impression of the city and the country. To get to the meeting point of the free walking tour on the first day, I took the metro bus and walked a short distance. Just before the meeting point, I came to a street corner where many men stood on a square and talked in pairs. I was a bit confused at first and thought I had stumbled upon a rally. Later during the tour, I learned that this is the oldest emerald market. I also learned a lot about the independence struggles and national heroes (Bolivar and Santander), Colombia's great artist Botero, and what Justin Bieber has to do with the graffiti in Bogota.

Our guide also took us to a cafe where we not only got very good coffee, but also got to try chicha, an alcoholic beverage that is also found in other countries in Central America, but is made with different ingredients. In Colombia, it is made from corn. There is no major producer for the drink because it was banned for a long time. Instead, chicha is made by farmers and you never really know how much alcohol the drink contains. However, the variety we tasted was quite weak.

After the tour, I had lunch with a few participants and went to the Botero Museum with a Finnish girl. The museum exhibits Botero's art collection, which he donated to the museum on the condition that admission must be free. Previously, there was no museum that was open to everyone.

On Sunday, I did something that was probably the highlight of my stay in Bogotá. Every Sunday and public holiday, the Ciclovía takes place in the city. For this, some of the major streets in Bogotá are closed so that people can ride bikes, jog, or skate there. And indeed, half the city is on the move. So I rented a bike at my (second) hostel and made my way through the city to a neighborhood called Usaquen, where there was an arts and crafts market on Sundays. On the way back, I stopped for a delicious lunch and a coffee. I enjoyed the day, which also had good weather, to the fullest. I never thought I would ride a bike through Colombia's capital!

In my second week in Bogotá, I took a three-day language course to help improve my Spanish skills. It was strange and tiring to be back in school, but at least it helped a bit.

Otherwise, my stay was once again marked by many nice people. I met an American who is studying at a distance learning university in the USA but lives in Colombia because it is cheaper there, with whom I had many interesting conversations and chewed coca leaves for the first time. And I met a few Germans and a Swiss guy with whom I went up to Monserate. It is a chapel and viewpoint on one of the mountains around Bogotá, from where you have a breathtaking view of the city. We were lucky with the weather again and saw a beautiful sunset and watched as the lights in the city slowly turned on.

In total, I stayed in the city for ten days. Contrary to what other travelers had told me before, I really liked the city. There is plenty of good coffee and always something new to discover. I wouldn't mind returning someday. But I wanted to see more of the country, so it was time to say goodbye - for now...