From the terminal I took a smaller metro bus into the 'La Candelaria' district and withing minutes of getting the bus to stop I eventually managed to squeeze my way through the packed carriage and onto the streets of Bogota. I stayed in a neighbourhood covered in great street art and close to a lot of bars and restaurants but the homeless situation was immediately apparent, so far it was the worst I have experienced in South America.
The next day I wandered the streets to get a feel for the city, and waited for my good friend Dave Miller to arrive. He turned up in the afternoon and after cracking a few cold beers to celebrate we set off to experience the city. We wandered the streets taking in the many churches, cathedrals and squares which are clustered adjacent to our neighbourhood, Bogota is a city of great history.
The second day we climbed 'Cerro de Monserrate' which at 3200m gave an amazing overview of the area. One side of the valley showed the sprawl of the city, the other a view of mostly untouched forest. At the summit we chatted to a group of very inquisitive young kids, further reinforcing my opinion that Colombians are the friendliest people in South America.
The remainder of our time in the city was spent walking the city, a definite highlight was the amazing 'Musuem of Gold' housing over 34,000 pieces of gold jewelery, religious and cultural artifacts.
A city worth experiencing but after a few days we wanted to leave the big city for something a little less oppressive so we made our way further north.
More photos here
