"BOGOTA, COLOMBIA" a Bogotá Travel Page by Ames24

This picture shows so many aspects of Colombia: colorful colonial history and architecture, common people and traditional Colombian fashion (the "ruana"), society and politics (the presence of armed ones), narrow streets of La Candelaria, the usually greyer cloudy sky of Bogotá.

Bogotá is a city of contrasts. On the same street you'll see horse-pulled cart and the newest vehicle on the market. On one end of the city (north), most everything is more generally new, shiny and modern. In the middle, you find the historic centre of the city which is all colonial. That particular area / barrio is called "La Candelaria". There you will find some cobblestone streets, very colorful places along each side of the street, on its edge the city's main (oldest) historic Plaza where the Government buildings are... and there are many educational institutions in that area too. On the other end (in the large south side), is the poorer part of the city. See a picture and greater description below.

There are malls, and I'm told some 5000 (i'm told) street vendors in Bogotá who come out onto the streets daily to sell whatever wares they have, from cell phone covers and watches to shoe laces or toys, books, CDs, candies and gum... one man on a corner even had a mini microphone-loudspeaker for selling wrenches or something. Flowers. Fruits/Veggies. Clothing. You name it, you might find it from a street vendor.

You might find some music group on a street somewhere, I did on Avenida Jimenez, boy what a fantastic group! Was a type of Colombian Caribbean music. I loved it.

The music alone could draw me back there. You also here it in the city buses and taxis, many times it's vallenato, a genre of music from Colombia. Vendors will also hop on now and then to sell a ware of some sort. :) [For more on transportation, see my Transportation TIP.]

Other places to consider seeing: el Jardin Botánico; Paloquemao (a huge produce and flower market) i think it's on Calle 26; Carrefour is a huge supermarket (French chain) in at least Colombia; on Sundays there are some flea markets that aren't open on any other days..

Send Photo to a Friend

This is Bogotá too

In south Bogotá

In this (perhaps I can say) deep south part of Bogotá -- beyond and upwards from the southernmost Transmilenio system station -- another bus ride up into a barrio and a short walk before reaching the ends of paved streets in poor condition and more established housing and small stores... then a loooongg walk up the mountainside and you see something more like what is in this picture.

For me it seems like something I've seen on World Vision. These are squatter settlements of the tens of 1000s of "desplazados" (displaced ones) -- people who have been forced to leave their rural areas and homes and move into the cities, due to armed conflict and violence. This is still happening.

My friend pointed me out to the unfinished homes -- that many of these houses are probably being built illegally from mudbricks made from soil/mud from the mountain itself. She pointed out to me the different little gardens or crops and could tell maybe from what part people came from given teh type of crop they were growing. And more.. Her taking me to this part with her was a positive experience. She says it is an experience even few Bogotanos from the north side will have had.