A Snapshot of Bogotá
This is a quick-shot glance at Bogotá (that's boh-goh-TAH), the most awesome of awesome Colombian cities, that gives you some tips about getting around. Whether you actually use the information or not, we hope we have at least one interesting thing for you here.
Okay... we realize that there are about 20,000 travel guides out there and that they all say the same thing. And that's just it: they all say the same thing. But this isn't intended to be a guide--just a snapshot of the city, some things you can do there, and some little tidbits we think might be helpful. There are plenty of guides out there that have wonderful information, so we hope you'll use one (or more) of those along with our little site to plan your best trip. We put this together because since our recent trip there, we've been talking about what we would've liked to see on the web about Bogotá. So we just decided to put it here.
At this point you might be asking yourself, "Who's this 'we' you keep talking about?" It's us!
Our promise to you: No matter what, you will never see Colombia spelled with a 'u' on this site when referring to the country. Columbia is a city in South Carolina, not a country in South America.
About Bogotá & Colombia
Quick facts about Bogotá, D.C.*:- It's the capital of Colombia
- It's huge: 7M+ people in the city and 8M+ in the metro area (that's comparable to Beijing, London, or NYC proper)
- Until 2000, its official name was Santa Fé de Bogotá (which was originally Bacatá to the indigenous Muisca people, then Santa Fé de Bacatá at it's Spanish founding, and THEN Santa Fé de Bogotá. Now it's just plain old Bogotá.)
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It's really, really tall: 8,661 ft (2,640 m), to be exact. That makes it the 3rd highest capital city in the world
- It's the only South American country that borders both the Pacific & Atlantic oceans
- It's the world's largest producer of emeralds: 95% of the world's emerald supply comes from Colombia
- It's a huge flower producer: 70% of the U.S.'s imported cut flowers come from Colombia
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It's the world's 3rd largest producer of lingerie & coffee (sold separately)
*D.C.? You mean like Washington, D.C., District of Columbia? No. In this case it stands for Distrito Capital (the Capital District).
Good Stuff You Might Like
There are tons of museums and tourist attractions in Bogotá, and the most popular are in pretty much every guide out there ( the Gold Museum, the Botero Museum, Plaza Bolívar, etc.). Those are all great and really shouldn't be missed, but here's quick list of things we didn't see in every guide. We'd hate for you to miss out on them.-
Iglesia Santa Clara: Built in 1647, this colonial church-turned-museum is breathtaking. Takes 10-15 minutes to walk through and it's gorgeous!
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El Chicó museum: A gorgeous colonial hacienda kept in its original 18th Century state (with many of the original furnishings) that sits in a beautiful green public park. Just make sure you ask your driver to take you to the museum and not just "El Chicó" because there is a district called el Chicó, and you could end up in the wrong place. You need exact change to get in here, and they close daily for lunch 12-1 or 1-2 p.m. Call in advance to make sure.
- Usaquén: This was originally an indigenous town that neighbored Bogotá and has a very rich history. Now it's mostly a commercial shopping center and is like a town of its own within Bogotá, with many beautiful examples of colonial architecture. It also hosts an awesome flea market on Sundays.
- Centro Comercial Andino & La Zona Rosa: Ask your driver to go to "centro comercial Andino" and have a great afternoon. If you like shopping, you can't beat the stores here. They have department stores, high-end places like Louis Vuitton & Bvlgari, a great artisan shop with Colombian folk arts & crafts (and they're cheap & beautiful!), banks, money exchange, and a really good food court. Plus, the neighborhood (La Zona Rosa) is beautiful. Walk around a bit.
- La Calera: Mountain on the north side of the city with lots of restaurants, clubs and overlooks as you go up. You can see beautiful panoramic views of the city from here (like at Monserrate), have a good meal, and party all night, if you're into that kind of thing.
- Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral: This actually can be found in many guides, and it isn't in Bogotá (about 30 mins north), but it's difinitely worth the trip. We hadn't seen anything like it before.
Tips About Tips & Other Stuff
Of course every place has its own customs, and those in Bogotá are different from many places you may have been, including other parts of Colombia. Here are a few tidbits about Bogotá:Taxis: Every taxi has a price chart. Make sure the meter is running, check the chart, and pay that to the driver when you arrive. No tip necessary--that's included in what you're paying. Some people give them for outstanding service, but it's not the norm.
Restaurants: Gratuity is often included automatically, and if it is, it will say so clearly at the bottom of your bill near the total. If it's included, don't feel you need to tip extra. If it's not included, the standard is 10%-15%.
Souveniers: Folk arts & crafts are much cheaper at the artisan stores in Andino & other shopping malls. There is a place next to the gold museum that has lots--and we mean lots--of little shops, but they charge a doodie-load unless you're really good at bargaining.
You can also hit the flea market at Usaquén on Sundays. Good buys, unique stuff.
We also recommend a little shop called Btá Capital, which has a booth at the Usaquén flea market and a regular shop in the shops next to the gold museum (it's on the 2nd floor there). This place has hip Bogotá clothing and accessories... t-shirts that say Bogotá on them that you'll actually want to wear!
Get New Glasses in Bogotá! For just over $350 (USD), we got a total of two eye exams, four pairs of glasses & lenses, a pair of lenses replaced in one of our old pairs of glasses, and contact lenses (eye exams are free if you're buying glasses). That's not $350 per person. That's $350 for both of us! If you wear glasses, you know how increadibly cheap that is. And they have good brands there, so don't think that this is a case of "you get what you pay for". It definitely isn't!
El Soroche
Called altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness by English speakers everywhere, el soroche is a formidable opponent for the fiercest among us.What it is: At high altitudes (usually above 8,000 ft.), the human body needs time to adjust to the lack of oxygen in the air. Altitude sickness, what Andean folks call El Soroche, happens when this lack of oxygen results in certain phsycial symptoms that can scare the bejeezus out of you if you've never had them before. As the body starts to acclimatize, the symptoms lessen, and the patient feels good as new. Soroche can last anywhere from 1-4 days, so be careful if it's your first visit to high altitudes.
Who gets it: It's anyone's guess. Physical fitness, being afraid of heights, or not having a healthy diet has nothing to do with whether a person gets el soroche. The one predicting factor seems to be that if you've gotten it before, you're likely to get it again. If it's your first time to high altitudes, you just won't know until you get there, so let yourself rest for 24 hours before doing any hiking or other physical excercise.
How it feels: This one's a toughie. Bascially it's one of the worst feelings ever. Symptoms can vary, but the most common include lightheadedness, headache, feeling of extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, heaviness in the chest, nausea, lack of appetite, diarrhea, nosebleed, sleep disturbance, weakness, and swelling in the hands, feet, or face. Severe symptoms include fever, inability to walk straight, persistent dry cough, and persistent headache that doesn't respond to medication, and require immediate medical attention.
What to do about it: While there's no real cure for el soroche, coca tea offers the best symptom relief we've ever seen. One of us had a bad case of it upon arriving in Bogotá, which lasted two days, and coca tea saved the day. Yes, that's the plant cocaine comes from, but it takes so many coca leaves to make a gram of cocaine that you'd have to drink about 250 cups of tea to consume a gram of the white stuff. So obviously, your getting addicted is incredibly unlikely, but the trace amounts of cocaine in the tea can show up on drug tests if you've had a lot of it, so keep that in mind if you are returning home to a place where you may be tested. Allow a few days for your system to clear up.