"Bogotá" a Bogotá Travel Page by acemj

Visiting Bogota wasn't exactly planned. This trip was supposed to be about Ecuador, but on the morning of our departure from Philadelphia, I received a call from American Airlines informing me that there had been an accident at the Quito airport and that our flight was canceled. After learning that we wouldn't be able to get to Quito for three more days, we decided to come to Bogota instead. During our visit here, we experienced some amazing things.

Despite its well-known crime problems, Bogota is definitely safer than it used to be. The government is putting effort into cleaning up the city and beefing up security, particularly in the historic center, La Candelaria. It is also the capital of Colombia and is the center of intellectual and cultural life in the country. You'll find a cafe culture, an educated population, a growing middle class and some modern facilities throughout town. Alongside the good, you'll find the bad, like anywhere. Bogota still has its share of pollution, traffic congestion, poverty and crime. The drug trade is still a huge problem in Colombia and it is the seed behind much of the violence along and part of the reason that there is a widening gap between rich and poor.

While Bogota is a big, sprawling city it has a true heart of gold. The people are very warm and friendly and the historic center, La Candelaria, holds a great deal of charm in its colonial style buildings and its museums and squares. There is no doubt an element of danger here. As a visitor, raising your guard a little above normal and using common sense should keep you safe, but check for any new travel warnings before arriving. The northern part of the city, including the Park 93 and Zona Rosa neighborhoods are probably the safest places to stay, while they do lack a great deal of character and uniqueness.

I was traveling with my buddy from Philadelphia, Jonathan. He turned out to be a good travel partner and was very inquisitive and sociable which will be perfect here in Bogota. People are pleased to open up and talk to interested visitors. They are proud of their maddening country and happy to dish out strong opinions on the best and even the worst of what it has to offer. Their passion and honesty were very appealing to me and, I'm sure, will draw me back to Colombia in the future.