Imani: Rumba Cumpleanera!

OK, maybe that title involves no correct application of the Spanish language but I sure love celebrating birthdays! The best parts of celebrating in Colombia:

1. Dancing!
We selected the ever popular Wednesday night spot of Quiebracanto. Once of the highlights of the evening is musica negra - so they pumped up some Beyonce and Snoop Dog and we busted a move.



2. Aguardiente!
OK, every Colombian celebration calls for this fine beverage but it is even more festive on a birthday. I just can't believe it was my idea to buy the second bottle!



3. Happy Birthday to You...
Yes, we sing in English...with a Spanish accent. I love it. I mean why would there be a need to sing the Spanish version.



All and all, a fabulous night out with the crew and a great way to send of Imani as she headed to DC to surprise her Mom!

Dia de la Mujer: Run, Lola, Run!

5 kilometers - shared across 7 other cities;

A Sunny Sunday;

Lunch at Crepes and Waffles with the Girls;

and a Great Day to Celebrate the Dia Internacional de la Mujer!

Bogota Day Trippin' #4: Suesca

The holidays may be over but the travels are far from done. On this edition of Let's Get Out of Bogota, I take you on a lovely trip to Suesca - the rock climbing capital of Colombia.





Just a quick Transmilenio ride to Portal del Norte than a 60 minute bus ride and I was in the heart of Suesca. Have I expressed how much I love visiting the center plaza of these beautiful pueblos? Suesca did not disappoint with the church, monument, and government building all surrounding the square.

How about for this trip, we do a little timetable(I know, can I make it any more exciting?!):



10:00 AM Rollin' Into Town I bypassed the entrance to the rocks since I wanted to take it straight to city hall! I love those centers of town. It was such a peaceful Saturday afternoon...and I am sure my gringa presence added an air of excitement to normal activities.



10:45 AMAlways Time for Cafe y Almojabanas! Oh, I love panadarias. And what better way to get introduced to a town then visiting one. It was delicious!



11:45 AMClimb Every MountainFueled by my delicious breakfast, I eagerly walked the 15 minutes to the path entrance and turned to conquer the mountain - only to be greeted by the gaggle of middle schoolers heading down. I knew I was on the right path!



12:30 PMI'm on Top of the World Looking Down on the City... It was an inspiring day and a beautiful day. It is amazing to think that in 60 minutes the immenseness of Bogota evaporated into this picturesque countryside. Even more exciting were the number of climbers that were starting to appear.



1:15 PMJust Put One Foot in Front of the Other Well, at least, that is how easy some of the climbers made it. Of course, I think it was the fact that the Virgin Mary was overseeing their climb...how great is it that there is a 10 feet tall Virgin Mary statue amidst a rock outcropping.

And, as time flies when you're having fun, the moment arrived to catch the bus back to Bogota. It was a great day and yet another reason to remind me of the beauty that Colombia has to offer. Let's just say it was a day of rock -n- roll. . .

Bogota Day Trippin' #3: Aguas Termales (Choachi)

It is the final day before Christmas break ends so that means - one last day trip!

The location of choice today is Aguas Termales Santa Monica near Choachi. And, we all know what this means - half the fun is getting there!

Here we go:

1. Take the Trans: Yes, we hopped on our favorite mass transit to head downtown to find the bus station.

2. When in Doubt, Just Ask: While downtown is familiar, the bus station address was not. We asked new fewer than 3 groups of police and all very generously assisted (I cannot deny that being a 6 feet tall gringa who speaks Spanish has its benefits.)



3. So Close, Yet So Far: After 30 minutes of wandering, we realized that we should have taken the Trans to the Tercer Milenio stop which is only 2 blocks from the bus station (past the police station)!

4. People on the Bus Go Round Round Round: Perfect timing, we immediately boarded a little white van...along with about 15 other people and started our mountain climb to Choachi.

5. Bolsita - a Distress Cry: Yes, the twists and turns are not for everyone and specifically not for the 10 year old boy who lost his cookies 20 minutes into the trip. The driver-supplied plastic bag didn't arrive in time so our ride was filled with the essence of human mouth excretion (as was the floor.) Oh well, only 30 more minutes to go.


6. Choachi - a true gem: This sleepy little mountain town was in the midst of its annual festival and it was great to see all the people in the street. We quickly hopped on to another bus to take us the final leg of our journey.

7. We Arrived - Shower Caps, Anyone? The promise land finally greeted us with a warm welcome (by a friendly Colombian woman who boldly inquired if I had found my Colombian yet...she probably has a son lurking in the shadows:)...and blue shower caps. That's right, anyone with any hair does not get in these pools without covering the head. We are a sanitary, and rather stylish crew!



8. Hot Water, Hot Tubs, and a Lot of People: Yes, a holiday probably isn't the best day to visit the Aguas...though I think it gave us the full experience. Us and about 500 Colombians enjoyed the approximately 10 pools...ah, what an oddly relaxing day.

Ah, so as I look forward to the office tomorrow, it is with a smile that I remember the many memories of the last few days. For a few dollars and a few bus transfers, it is amazing the unique sights, sounds, and people you can see in and around Bogota!

Bogota Day Trippin' #2: Parque Chicaque

Have public transport, will travel!

At least, I have adopted this statement as my new motto. The combination of Bogota's taxis, Transmileno, Busetas, and Colectivos maybe be perfect but it sure works for me. So, continuing on my extended Christmas vacation, I took the opportunity to find Parque Chicaque. Ironically, I don't think this website was posted prior to my departure...it would have been extremely helpful!

Early on a Saturday morning, I ventured to the south of Bogota to find the town of Soachi, which I understood was the gateway to this amazing cloud forest. As half the fun is getting there, I think you might enjoy my adventures:

1. Take the Transmilenio: I took the Trans to Portal del Sur. From there, I hoped on an Alimentador- ensuring to ask the bus driver to advise when we reached Soachi.

2. Arrival in Soachi: About 5 minutes later, we arrived in Soachi (which has now become engulfed in Bogota and seems another bump on the freeway). Hmmm, the path seemed unclear to me, so I took the next logical course of action....

3. Time for Coffee Talk: I went to the friendliest looking locale, ordered a cafe con leche, and asked directions. 20 minutes, 10 puzzled Colombians, and a handwritten note, I at least knew the direction I wanted to go. I wanted to go toward Meseta.

4. Just Keep on Asking: I generously thanked my new friends and headed out to the freeway to try my luck with the buses. After flagging down about 5, one finally understood where I wanted to go and told me to get on.

5. Time to Transfer: About 15 minutes down the autopista, they dropped me at El Puente which is the intersection right after the gas station Guayasa. I hopped on the little van which seemed to just be awaiting my arrival.

6. Entering the Entrance: Another 15 minutes passed and they let me out in front of an ominous looking gate that said Parque Chicaque. I had arrived! (Of course, I still had about a 3 kilometer hike to the actual park.


7. Nothing Like Hitching a Ride: A continued my journey with a renewed sense of direction as I was engulfed in the freshness of the space. . . and maybe feeling a little overwhelmed by the solitariness of it all. A car finally passed to ask me if they were headed the correct direction...because I am sure that I look local! The kind couple took pity on my and invited me to join them in the car for the journey.

8. We Arrived! Another 15 minutes later and we entered the official gates and were immediately taken over with the fog of the cloud forest...from that point it just kept getting better!


I hiked about 3 hours climbing hills, going down slopes, and finding the waterfall. It was an amazing day surrounded by natural beauty and also engulfed with true Colombian hospitality. People were so friendly and very curious when they discovered I was out and about on an independent adventure. In fact, I meet a great couple on the way out who were not only great walking buddies (yes, we had to walk the entire way out) but also helped find my way back to the Transmilenio. Another excellent day trip around Bogota!

Bogota Day Trippin': Lago Guatavita

The new year means times for new adventures! The first stop: Lago Guatavita .

After some brief cross-referencing of my travel book and the internet the previous night, I felt ready to make my journey to the outskirts of Bogota for this exciting adventure. And, since we all know that half the fun is getting there, here is how the adventure unfolded:
1. Transmilenio: Hoped on this innovative form of transport to Portal Norte.

2. Transfer to City Connector: After a few brief conversations with the transport staff, I navigated to the city bus and continued on my path north...I graciously gave up my seat to a visually impaired man which was rewarded by numerous uncomfortable looks by other passengers who hadn't been so generous. Curious, very curious?


3. Arrival in Guatavita> I arrived in town...an interesting locale that had actually been rebuilt after it was decided to flood the area to create a reservoir. The new town (slightly moved to the side) is a quaint version of what had been.

4. Hitching a Ride:So, the entrance to the mountain hike is about 10 km from town...yeah, we'll need some transport for this trip. I made some instant friends with a family visiting from Florida and Venezuela and we caught a collectivo to the park entrance.

5. Climb Every Mountain Our group started the trek up the mountain to view the lake...enjoying our guide sharing the indigenous history of the area (and the reenactments by the little boy in the group.)

Of course, once we reached the top, the trek back was much easier...because our vehicles were waiting:) We made our way back into town and after a quick trip to the lake, it was back to Bogota. All in all, a great way to kick off my resolution of more day trips in 2009!

You Gotta Have Faith - Along with 1,000s Others!

If I would have been any closer to the altar, they would have asked me to co-celebrate the mass.... At least, that was the main thought running through my head this Sunday morning, December 14.

Our friend Fr. Tom McCluskey (you may remember him from previous posts) invited us to attend Sunday mass with him at one of the Redemptorist. And, by mass, I should quality that by saying it felt like we walked into a rock concert! It is all due to the monthly celebration of the Miracle of Buga which also occurs on the 14th.

The Setting: A local parish that quadruples in size on the 14th with pilgrams arriving from around the country. As a mass occurs every 90 minutes, there is a constant line of people outside eager to get in...even after they have removed all of the pews!

The Feeling: Unbelievable! There is an energy in the crowd that only true faith can generate. Everyone is just so excited to be present and to share with one another.


The Hospitality: Once again, Colombian hospitality rings true and we are not only welcomed with open arms...we are sat directly to the right of the altar (right between the massive paper mache nativity scene and the donation of children's christmas gifts). I am sure that the three gringos were barely noticed:)

The Emergency Personal: What rock concert, I mean Eucharistic celebration, would be complete without EMTs? Yes, no fewer than five people fainted during this unique faith journey and many crossed our path as they were passed to the front of the crowd to be excited through the side chapel.


The Most Memorable Moment: Just when we thought it couldn't get any better...the priest actually invites a woman and her child to take his sit during the service. God Bless him! It didn't even seem strange at the time...it was just a natural progression of the day. (And, of course, we beamed with pride to hear Fr. Tom read the gospel in Spanish - bien hecho!)



While this experience may have been a far cry from Assumption Parish in Callaway, MN, I do have to give my parents props for giving me a solid introduction into my Catholic faith. I mean, I really think that, if the need should have arisen, I could have just jumped in and provided whatever assisted was needed to ensure that this mass was a complete celebration.