|
Day 1 of
Bogota Trip
Following day, I went to
Monserrate at 8:30
am. As usual, took Carrerra 7 and at Calle 19, all I had to do was follow
the swarm of local tourists who went to Monserrate. It was a Sunday so
it was expected that there were a lot of locals who went to the sacred place
and attended church service. It was a 30 minute walk from the hotel to
the bottom of the hill of Monserrate. Upon reaching the station, I had the choice of taking either the Funicular or Cable Car to
go up the hill where the sanctuary was located. Round trip fare for
either the
Funicular/Cable Car was COL$9,200 or about CD$4.50.
The walk was a challenge as it was uphill.
Bogota was about 8,000 feet above sea level and I noticed that I had to
adjust the dynamics of my breathing. When I got at the Monreserrate church
itself, I felt the changes in my breathing and took things slowly.
Monserrate was packed with local tourists
and for a distinct tourist spot, I did not find any Americans/Europeans in
the area. For a country that had a lot
to offer, they should have promoted more their tourism especially among Europeans.
Monserrate was also the place to enjoy
authentic Colombian cuisine. From chicken, tamales, grilled meat, white
cheese, etc. However, prices at Monserrate were higher compared to the
restaurants along Carrerra 7. Probably to added cost of bringing food up the
hill.
Spent about 3 hours at Monserrate and
proceeded my walk to La Candelaria area. Typical of a Sunday, the area was full of activities
and had the chance to see Plaza Bolivar and
Presidential Palace.
After walking for about 6 hours, I decided
to re-energize with a hote tea and Amapola cake. A local delicacy
with poppy seeds. The waiter even said that one of the ingredients for
the Amapola cake was the plant where heroine came from.
More walking followed through and when
dinner time struck, I decided to go back to the restaurant where I had
dinner the night before, Leons and Palos. That time, I had fish that
was initially grilled then fried. Instead of cerveza, I had
Aguardiente. A
local liquor that was clear and tasted close to anise.
Just like Saturday night, by 6:00 pm,
activities started to dwindle down and by 7:00 pm, I was back at the hotel.
.
.
|
