Bogota by Accident (and a Whole Lot of Coffee)

okay, so i didn't plan on bogota. it was supposed to be medellin, honestly. a friend of a friend had a lead on some seriously cheap flights, and i just…went. the numbers 3667873 and 1170000109 keep popping into my head, which is weird, probably just sleep deprivation. i’m a *coffee snob, okay? like, a serious one. i chase the bean. and apparently, bogota is where the magic happens.

let me tell you, the altitude is no joke. i just checked and it’s…a bit breezy, with a temperature hovering around nineteen point something. feels like eighteen-ish, which is fine, i guess. the air is thin enough to make you question your life choices after climbing two flights of stairs. i’m used to being on the move, touring with bands, setting up drums in dodgy venues, but this is a different kind of tired. it’s a “my lungs are confused” kind of tired. the pressure is 1011, humidity’s at 53%, and the ground level is…well, it’s high. really high.

i’ve been wandering around La Candelaria, which is basically the old town. it’s all colorful colonial buildings and street art. speaking of street art, i saw this incredible piece near the Plaza de Bolívar - a huge mural of a hummingbird. seriously, breathtaking. i tried to find the artist, but no luck. someone told me that the best empanadas are from a little hole-in-the-wall place on Calle 11, but i haven’t braved it yet. i’m a bit wary of street food, honestly. my stomach is a delicate flower.

“Don’t trust anyone who offers you aguardiente before noon,” a guy with a handlebar mustache warned me at a tiny cafe. “They’re either trying to rob you or sell you something you don’t need.”

that’s bogota in a nutshell, isn’t it? a little bit chaotic, a little bit suspicious, but ultimately…charming. i spent an afternoon getting lost in Usaquén, a more upscale neighborhood. it’s got this amazing flea market on sundays. i didn’t buy anything, mostly because i’m traveling light (ish), but i did spend a good hour haggling over a vintage leather jacket*. i think i got a decent deal. you can find more info about Usaquén here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297477-d188444-Reviews-Usaquen-Bogota.html.

the coffee, though. oh, the coffee. i found this tiny roastery tucked away on a side street. the owner, a woman named Elena, let me sample like, ten different beans. ten! i ended up buying a kilo of something called “Supremo,” which she assured me was “the best in colombia.” i’m inclined to believe her. i’ve also been trying to learn some basic spanish. it’s…going. i mostly just end up pointing and smiling. i heard that the nightlife around Zona Rosa is pretty wild, but honestly, i’m usually asleep by ten. old habits die hard, i guess. if you're looking for a place to stay, check out https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Hotels&find_loc=Bogot%C3%A1%2C+Colombia.

“The traffic here is insane,” my Uber driver told me, weaving through a sea of cars and buses. “Just assume everyone is trying to kill you.”

he wasn’t wrong.

i’ve been checking out local forums for events, and it seems like there’s a really cool independent music scene here. i’m hoping to catch a show before i leave. i’m also thinking about taking a day trip to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá. it sounds…intense. if you get bored, Villa de Leyva is just a short drive away, apparently. i’ve also been reading up on the gold museum, which sounds pretty spectacular: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-things-to-do-in-bogota-colombia/. someone told me to be careful with my phone, pickpockets are apparently a thing. and another person warned me about the water - “stick to bottled, trust me.”

honestly, bogota is growing on me. it’s messy, it’s loud, it’s a little bit scary, but it’s also…real. and the coffee is worth the trip alone. i’m already planning my next caffeine-fueled adventure. you can find more about Bogota on https://www.bogotatours.com/.

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