Bogotá

After a good 6 months in South America, we conclude our trip in Bogotá. As the capital of Colombia and a metropolitan area with over 10 million people, Bogotá is just massive and spans 2600m on a high plateau.The cooler weather, with rain showers, hits us right away on our guided city bike tour - but soon the sun appears, and we can experience the diversity of Bogotá!

Alongside modern streets, we also encounter beautiful historical houses. We are especially thrilled by the amazing street art - it seems like on every free wall there is a mural or graffiti!

During a fruit tasting at a market, we try out the different, very tasty fruits of Colombia - many we already know, but we taste a few varieties for the first time 😋

The Curuba belongs to the passion fruit family. It has a tangy-spicy taste.

The Guayaba tastes sweet-sour and has a pear-like flavor.

We learn that some fruits just aren't suitable for export to Europe because they spoil faster, and for example, only certain avocado varieties are shipped.

We get to try the Colombian national sport Tejo, which, to be precise, is a drinking game! 😅 Heavy metal discs are thrown at a clay box. The goal is to hit small packets of gunpowder arranged around a steel ring that explode when struck.

North of Bogotá, we visit an absolute architectural wonder: the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá. On the outskirts of the city, there is a Catholic church in a huge salt mine.

In several tunnels, structures such as the nave, chapel, and a Stations of the Cross have been built. There are also cafes, shops, and a museum in the mine.

The religious installations underground are spectacularly illuminated with changing lights. We are impressed!

Here is a final assessment: We loved Colombia (and the following applies generally to Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru too)! The country is very diverse and beautiful. It is not particularly dangerous. The people are very friendly, traveling is easy and cheap. The food is delicious and of good quality.

Politically, Colombia has developed and is relatively stable. There are no fights from paramilitaries or the FARC in the core regions. However, various guerrilla groups still exist in the border areas to Ecuador and Venezuela. This is mainly because Colombia has exported the most cocaine in the world, which is smuggled out of the country by drug gangs. However, we always felt safe and could move freely in the evenings as long as we knew the area.

One enormous problem for Colombia is that many large landowners still exist today. People who were displaced in the past are still not allowed to return to their land. Land reform is still pending. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there is again a slight upswing. Economic growth benefits only a small number of people. Colombia is one of the countries with the most unequal wealth distribution in the world. Poverty is widespread! Only those who can study have a chance at a well-paying job.The minimum wage is around €250 per month.

Unfortunately, the government is too corrupt and not strong enough to solve these injustices. Thus, there is also a large group of people living at or below the subsistence level who have to get by with low-paying jobs.

We are sad that we now have to leave this wonderful continent of South America - it has so much to offer!