Bogotà - Our first almuerzo casero
The arrival in Bogota makes our real journey to start! and we can feel it already at the airport where nobody cares about what we bring, alarms ringing or anti-drug dogs barking.
The 2 days in Bogota are mainly a stop to put together our backpacks in travelling mode, manage the jet lag and prepare our next stops. But we also take the time to visit La Candelaria, the old part of the city.
We take a walk there and it’s really nice with its old streets, colourful buildings and the large Bolivar square. Our senses are now stimulated as they were 3 years ago in Asia, where every sight, every odour and everything we tasted was something to add to our cultural and emotional baggage. Walking in this quarter, but even more in the suburb where our hostel is - Chapinero - make us feel as in Asia. Of course there are differences, but it seems that the concept of life is the same. Traffic, crowds, millions of kiosks in the streets selling anything from chargers to tinto y cigarillo at 1000 pesos (coffee and cigarette).
The culinary experience starts in a positive way too. The food seems good, dishes are made by any type of meat, rice, legumes and vegetables, all together. Both for lunch and dinner there are set meals, cheap but tasty. During our walking tour at the Candelaria we stopped for lunch in a small place selling almuerzos caseros - set meals with a soup and a main - for 7000 pesos, around 2 euros. The place was full of locals and they all were pretty surprised when we entered and we decided to stop there. And this has always made us feel a bit less tourists and a bit more travellers, that’s how we increase our excitement.
We are now in our first long distance bus ride to Villa de Leyva, now the journey has really started. Drivers are as usual a bit crazy, but at least there are seat belts to wear!
