Bogotá and a Colombian wedding 🇨🇴💕

After a very speedy taxi ride, we arrive at the hotel in Bogotá at 9:30 PM local time (we are now 7 hours behind German time). After a good 10 hour flight, we simply fall tired into our hard hotel bed.

On August 17, 2022, we wake up early and run into Fabi and Fine at breakfast. Here in Colombia, there are tropical fruits and smoothies everywhere you look. And every breakfast includes eggs in various forms. After a good breakfast, we take a walk around the neighborhood where our hotel is located. This district is very safe and affluent, with large shopping malls and many modern, beautiful restaurants. In the evening, we meet Timo and Vivi, who are the main reason for our trip to Colombia because their wedding is coming up! Vivi is Colombian and she explains the Spanish menu and regional specialties to us. We try Arepas (corn flatbread), Ajiaco (chicken soup with corn, potatoes, capers, cream), Patacones (fried plantains), as well as various meats, rice, and beans, which are well-known in South American cuisine. Vegetarians don't have it easy here... As "honored guests," our entire group receives sashes in the colors of the national flag at the restaurant.

The next morning, we take a taxi to the historic center of "La Candelaria." The journey takes almost an hour due to the traffic, but it only costs 5€. From the large Plaza de Bolivar, we wander through the streets and see many beautiful, colorful houses and interesting churches. On a guided graffiti tour, we learn a lot about the history and development of the country and the city, both politically and socially and artistically. In the evening, Timo and Vivi are abducted for last-minute bachelor and bachelorette parties, and we get a taste of Bogotá's nightlife.

After a relatively short night, on August 19, 2022, before the rush hour traffic, which starts in Bogotá on Fridays at around 12 PM, we take a taxi and a shuttle to Pacho. This small mountain town, about an hour and a half north of the capital, is where the wedding will take place tomorrow. Gradually, all the guests arrive and we spend a lovely day together.

August 20, 2022 - Wedding Day! We are incredibly excited about our first Colombian wedding and spend the morning getting ready. In the afternoon, there is a Catholic ceremony, but unfortunately, our Spanish is far from sufficient to follow the pastor... Nevertheless, it is an exciting experience. Afterward, we head to the beautifully decorated venue where we enjoy delicious food, meet many new people, and above all, dance! The multicultural wedding party from Colombia, Germany, Mexico, and Austria never tires and dances to a variety of rhythms until the early hours of the morning, celebrating the beautiful couple.

The day after the wedding is for relaxing... so we take a big group of guests to the father of the bride's Finca. We go even higher into the mountains (no chance without all-wheel drive!) where we walk to a viewpoint and have a fantastic view of the green valley, listen to the sounds of nature, exchange stories with the hospitable Colombians, and get more tips for our further travels. Timo, Vivi, and her father also plant many mandarins, oranges, lemons, bananas, plantains, avocados, mangoes, and other fruits here (some of which are specific to Colombia).

On August 22, 2022, we continue our journey to Villa de Leyva, one of the most beautiful colonial towns in the country, with the groom's family and friends in a shuttle bus.