Bogotá, Colombia

"WARNING!!! If you stay at the Platypus for more than a week, you will be stuck in Bogotá. The city is wonderful, the prices are perfect, and there are a number of cultural events to enjoy. But, BEWARE, you will not be able to leave! I got stuck in the platypus last year for 4 1/2 months. When my friends Ahmed and Peit decided to stop here for a few days, they ended up staying almost 2 months! So, if you are dead set on seeing the whole of the continent, leave now; otherwise you will find yourself in the Black Hole that is Colombia."

Christopher Hashings
From the "Travelers Comments & Advices" book @ Platypus Hostel

Plaza de Periodistas
I spent many a day juggling in a grassy area just to the left
and out of the frame of the picture.

I in was Bogotá for the months of April and May this year. I had traveled through Colombia when I did my nine-month trip through Latin American and from Guatemala to Peru, this was the one place I could see myself coming back to for an extended period of time. The second week I was there, and part of the reason for returning, was the Latin Circus Convention, which was a lot of fun. The rest of my time was spent hanging out with the amazing people I had met, practicing Spanish, going to Crab's, and juggling as much as I could. I made it out to some surrounding areas as well, but most of my time was spent in Bogotá. I looked into doing some volunteer work but most of the positions deal with children, which I'm not always so fond of. I will have to find something to keep my occupied when I return, though. And I will be back.

And what is it about Bogotá that is so appealing? I can't really put my finger on it, but the quote above seems to say it all. People come for a few days and get stuck for weeks, or even months. Colombia is like a hidden gem that hasn't truly been discovered and exploited due to the bad rap it has throughout the world. The amazing truth is that I have felt more in danger in places like Ecuador and Costa Rica where it is definitely more popular and supposedly safer. True, there are guerrillas, FARC, kidnappings, bombings, etc., but you're odds of dying in a car crash on the way to work are probably much higher than any of those occurring. Part of me wants to keep this a hidden secret because an increase in popularity might ruin some of its charm, but I would also like to spread to word that you're missing out. Think about it and decide for yourself.

There was an old painter who was out everyday painting in the doorway of this
monument. He passed away a few weeks after I arrived and this is his funeral.

This is Thomas the Englishman. He's a very interesting story. He spent five
years in a Bolivian prison for drug trafficking and had been in Bogotá for the
last two years. I met him once before he left for Europe and his home for the first
time in almost a decade.

I went to visit a new friend, Agata, from the juggling festival in Manizales.
That's her on the far left and her three friends practicing.

I went on a hiking tour of the small canals and hydroelectric planst in Manizales
with Agata's father and his electrical engineering class.

This is the cathedral in Manizales. A few years back there was an earthquake
and one of those concrete statues perched on the roof fell to the ground.
Luckily, no one was hurt but it definitely could have done some damage.

A group of friends and I went to Cali for the weekend to take salsa lessons
and practice our new moves out on the town. From left to right:
Back: Gildas, Holly, Estefan
Front: Max, Nate, Jimmy

This is a chiva. They're very colorful buses with open sides typically used
for transportation in the small mountain towns. In the big cities, though, they're
used for tours.

We went up to an old church overlooking Cali
and a little girl was having her Communion.
This woman was releasing a dove as the girl
came out of the church.

Here's Jimmy (Bugalu) showing his new moves
with our teacher.

This is Wilson and Nilfas, two jugglers I met at
the circus convention, street performing.
A perfect example of how other countries see
the president of the United States.

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