The Capital City

So Wednesday night, I left Medellin and flew to Bogota on Avianca. I only flew round trip from Bogota to Medellin on Avianca, but was impressed both times. I flew on an MD-83 both times, but the aircraft looked brand new on the interior and the cabin crew were all very professional. They do an abbreviated service as the flight is about 35 minutes, serving coffee, water, or juice boxes. It is the sort of thing Hawaiian and Aloha should consider. At the start of Ted (United's low cost carrier), we were doing lemonade and water between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It makes the most sense to not do a service on such a short flight. Vegas to L.A. is usually about 45 minutes or less and is usually turbulent at one end or the other due to the heat of Vegas. After a month or so, they went back to making us attempt a full service which does not get done much of the time with all of the idiots wanting double rounds of drinks in the 45 minutes they are in the air. Why would you want to pay five bucks for a beer anyway? Come on now.

Bogota is at a higher altitude and is colder at night (similar to San Francisco). You do not want to be out and about without some light jacket of some kind. It is also a city built amongst mountains and it is very beautiful. It definitely has a more cosmopolitan feel to it. The Zona Rosa area is where most of the nightlife takes place and the higher end restaurants and shopping malls are. There a fairly large gay scene located in the same area as well. Whereas Medellin has a Metro train system, Bogota started a large system of high occupancy buses a few years ago. These buses have stations similar to train stations and 4 dedicated lanes in the center of large streets. The whole boarding process is slightly chaotic and you could study the chart on the wall for five minutes and still not have a real idea of which bus you are catching. I end up hopping on a bus heading in the direction I am heading and most times it works out. I have only had to backtrack once thus far (knock on wood). Your other option on getting around the city is to take a taxi. The dollar goes a long way here, so the most you end up paying for a taxi is about five dollars. Still, the driving here is enough to make the average gringo have heart failure a few times before reaching your destination. Several factors contribute to this. 1.) Most streets in Colombia have a maximum of two lanes heading in one direction. The majority are one lane. These roads accommodate the traffic flow that would take 3 to 4 lanes in the U.S. However, you are not only sharing the busy streets with cars, but large amounts of people on motorcycles, scooters, in horse drawn carts, and on foot. People drive excruciatingly close to one another here. I am a pretty easy going guy, but I am mostly terrified every time I enter a taxi here. I have seen a few accidents since I have been here, but I am very surprised there are not hundreds of accidents an hour. 2.) Red lights are at best a suggestion. If a driver does not see traffic coming, he or she barrels through the light at 40 mph. 3.) There is no official taxi standard or exam here. If you are able to purchase a car and paint it yellow, you are now a taxi driver. The traffic in Medellin is not quite as congested nor as aggressive as the drivers are here in Bogota. All in all, I am a big fan of the bus system in Bogota because I feel like the bus will be able to take out anything it hits for the most part in an accident.

I spent the first few nights in the Candelaria district which is near the historical center of the city. There are a lot of government buildings, old cathedrals, and cobblestone streets. It is a nice area, but a bit run down and there are not a lot of white people here. (Nor are there many Asians here on a side note.) Thus yours truly sticks out like a sore thumb. I never was afraid of anyone because I am a good 6 inches or more taller than most of the men here. Still people will yell out stuff at you for no obvious reason ie. "Hey Gringo!" I did have one slightly disgruntled young Colombian guy curse me out on the street for no apparent reason. The basic part I got was "(something something) son of a bitch fucking (something something something)." It is not like they cover these choice phrases in Berlitz Spanish for Travellers. Still, I feel Colombia is as safe a country as anywhere else.

Today, I relocated over to the Zona Rosa for the last couple of days before I head home. I have made a few friends here and we are going out for sushi tonight. (I have been craving some good Asian food and have yet to find some. My friends swear this place has good Asian food. We shall see.) I am headed back to San Francisco via Atlanta on Monday. I have had a great couple of weeks here and I have learned a decent amount of Spanish, thanks to my Spanish book, chatting with people, and my makeshift flashcards that I have created along the way. (Another interesting side note, who knew that index cards were an American thing? I have not been able to find any since arriving here.)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and Bay Area folk, I will be seeing you all soon. Tomorrow is my dad's birthday, he is 72 and going strong. Happy Birthday Dad!

Cuidate.