Bogota

CDMX to Bogota

After staying in Mexico, I moved to Bogota, Colombia. Bogota is a special place for me because my previous company has an office here — it was my first time here, but I'd heard from my ex-colleagues that it's a great city. I arrived in Bogota at night and went through immigration, which was pretty crowded. Then I made a mistake — I lost my AirPods! I probably left them on the counter when taking my boarding pass out of my pocket... a big loss. Since it's a bit dangerous to walk outside at night here, I took an Uber to my hostel — it took more than 30 minutes, and I realized what a big city Bogota really is.

Bogota City

To state the result first: I got sick on the second day and couldn't visit the places I'd planned. It was much colder here than in Mexico, and my hostel only had a cold shower, which left me freezing. Still, I met up with my friends on the first day, had some local dishes, and walked around popular spots in the old city.

The Gold Museum (Museo del Oro) is one of the must-visit places in Bogota. I didn't know much about it, but apparently there was a legendary city of gold called "El Dorado" (El Dorado is also the name of Bogota's airport), and Colombia has many gold mines. At this museum, you can learn about the history of the region's Indigenous cultures and see many historical exhibits made of gold.

The museum is located in the old city, and the surrounding streets are well organized for pedestrians, with tons of street stalls selling local food and souvenirs. It was Sunday, and the atmosphere was very lively — it kind of reminded me of Vietnam. I also came across political landmarks like the Parliament building.

My friend also took me to another museum where you can see Botero's works. Honestly, I hadn't heard of him, but he might be the most famous painter in Colombia. He has a unique artistic style — he draws everything round and chubby. I wondered what meaning was behind this style.

Fernando Botero (1932–2023) was Colombia's most celebrated artist, known worldwide for his signature style called "Boterismo" — depicting people, animals, and objects in exaggerated, voluminous forms to convey power, sensuality, and satire. Born in Medellín, his iconic sculptures stand in public squares from New York to Paris to Madrid. He donated his personal collection to Colombia, forming the Museo Botero in Bogotá's La Candelaria district — one of the country's most visited museums and free to the public.

Food in Bogota

As I got sick on the second day, I couldn't visit many places here, but I did try some local dishes, which were great. Colombian cuisine is quite different from Mexican, and the food has a simpler taste to me. Rice and corn are typical staples in Colombia, and corn cakes called arepas are especially popular here. I also had the chance to visit the oldest restaurant in Colombia on the first day and had traditional soup and hot chocolate (putting cheese into the hot chocolate is a Colombian tradition — what a new experience!).

We had been missing Japanese food so badly, so we enjoyed the best ramen in Bogota. I was surprised that Colombia isn't cheap — the ramen cost about the same as in Europe.

Glad to have seen my old colleagues and get some positive energy from them. After Colombia, I'll travel to Peru — the country of Machu Picchu!

Continuing to Cusco