I was very fortunate to meet Manuel and Carola, Lena´s neighbours who live opposite. I was walking out of the gate when I met Manuel and we struck up a conversation. It was very interesting as his daughter and son-in-law live and work in Singapore and he and his wife had recently visited them.
They kindly invited me to their home for Christmas eve dinner and then the following day to their farm in Neusa, a town 65 km from Bogota. There we had a relaxing day.
I admit to a sense of trepidation when Ben & Maria took me to see this incredible feat of Colombian architecture. Focusing on rational thoughts like the fact hundreds of people go through this mine every day, did little to calm my racing heart, fueled by my irrational claustrophobia. Continue reading
Filed under Colombia, Places of historical interest
My first weekend in Colombia was amazing! Ben’s father, Mauricio drove me, his mother Maryella and two of his best friends, Camilo and Adriana to his family’s holiday house near Anapoima. (Click on map to enlarge). We descended from the mountains into the valley, traveling about 75 km into a warmer zone. Continue reading
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Filed under Colombia
I flew into Bogota from Guayquil on Thursday morning and was met by Maria and Ben at the very new airport. I was very excited to see them! Ben and Maria were the first 2 gap students I accepted to come to UWCSEA from the Anglo Colombiano school in Bogota, Colombia, 3 years ago. (I tease them that I played cupid!) Both are now at university, following in their parents’ footsteps, Ben studying architecture and Maria studying medicine.
Ben settled me into his grandparents’ place and I rested most of the day. In the evening we went to an interesting restaurant called Andreas Carne de Res with Ben’s father Mauricio. The restaurant was set up like a hawkers and features many items made from recycled materials. The food was amazing!
The next day Maria and Ben took me up the top of the mountain on a cable car to see a church, built in the 17th Century. We could have taken the pilgrimage path but Mount Montserrat is 3152 metres above sea level and I need a day or two to acclimatize. Maybe next time! The mountain provides magnificent views across the city. Bogota is more beautiful than I expected, lying on a high plateau in the Andes at 2625m above sea level, along the Eastern Cordillera. Although it is a very populated and dense city with over 9 million people, it has good services and is very green and the streets are organized and tidy. The traffic is heavy but not chaotic as in Lima. It is warm and pleasant during the day and gets cool at night. My first impressions are very favourable!
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