Our flights to Bogota were seamless. We flew out of Las Vegas, had a short layover in Panama City, then on to Bogota. COPA Airlines was very efficient, comfortable and pleasant. There was a long line at customs, but after 9 hours en route, we were happy to stand awhile. We were met by a taxi driver in a suit (arranged by the hotel) and driven directly to the boutique Hotel Santa Lucia. The roads were busy due to peak hour traffic, but he got us there safely and quickly...in sharp contrast to our Hanoi experiences.
Roger and I favor small hotels with local flavor and the Hotel Santa Lucia was perfect. It was an old, well-maintained, colonial building with 3 levels of rooms opening onto a central patio area. Only 15 rooms. Our room was spotless, hardwood floors, crown molding around the ceiling and a comfortable bed. Breakfast was included: fruit juice, fruit, eggs and coffee. All delicious. No one spoke any English. It is a steep re-learning curve trying to pull back our Spanish after not using it for 3 years. But we're getting by. By the end of the trip, we will probably be able to understand the answers to our many questions.
Since we had to be at the Vegas airport at 3 am, we sacked out immediately upon arrival and slept well. After breakfast the next morning, we went for a walk and discovered a free guided walking tour of the colonial center (recommended by Trip Advisor). The walk was wonderful. Jeff, a city native and anthropologist with a great sense of humor...who also spoke English, walked with a group of about 15 people for three hours. He introduced us Colombian history and culture, told us about important buildings, provided us with a tasting of chicha, a traditional fermented corn drink upon which he had written his dissertation, at a local restaurant. He invited us to try local street food, obleas, two crisp thin pancakes smeared with cream, caramel, raspberries, cheese, coconut...whatever you choose. Delicious! He took us through the Botero (the most famous Colombian artist who paints fat figures) art museum and interpreted the meaning of several. We went to several plazas with memorials to Bolivar and Santander...and saw men selling emeralds on the street. At the end of the tour, we had lunch with Jeff and several others from the group. We had a local favorite, ajiaco, a soup with chicken broth, potatoes, a piece of corn cob, and chicken served with heavy cream, capers, rice and avocado on the side to be added as you please. It was heavenly. I'll try to make when we return home.
With lunch (which served as dinner too) under our belts, we headed for the Gold Museum. It holds the largest collection pre-Hispanic gold in the world. The museum was divided into three parts: metallurgy (how it evolved in the world), the different techniques used by Colombians peoples, and lastly the symbolism of metals to the people. It was fascinating. Kathy saw some beautiful baskets at the museum gift shop and is now on a hunt for where they are being made in Colombia. Hmmm! We returned to the hotel. Roger suggested a drink at the bar. The staff turned the lights on and took instructions on how to make the concoctions. We ordered a bourbon and 7 and a bourbon and water. We did not realize that we would pay dearly for this moment of
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