Bogota is the capital of Colombia and the fifth largest city in South America. We explored various areas of this sprawling international city with the added bonus of local guidance. Visiting Bogota was an informative introduction to the complex history and fun culture of this country.
Best Thing I Ate This Week
Ajiaco Santafereno at Puerta de la Catedral
Ajiaco Santafereno is a traditional Colombian soup and regarded as Bogota’s most popular dish. The primary ingredients are chicken, potatoes, and corn prepared with a variety of herbs and spices. On our first day exploring Bogota, our friend’s brought us to La Puerta de La Catedral for lunch, one of their favorite places to eat traditional Colombian comfort food.
The large two floor restaurant was packed with people and there was a line out the door when we arrived for lunch. Luckily we had put in a reservation which meant a table was awaiting us. We ordered Ajiaco and a Tamal, two of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.
The tamal was delicious and unlike any other I had tried in previous countries. It was wrapped in banana leaves and much larger than other tamales that I have tried. The interior combination of corn, rice, chicken, bacon, and carrots made this a great appetizer. For our main course we had the Ajiaco soup which was so flavorful and perfect after a drizzly cool morning in the Andes mountains. The soup was not only tasty and warm but filling as well. To top off the great food, I enjoyed a cold Club Colombia Dorada, one of the most popular beers in Bogota and a nice complement to the rich warm dishes.
An Interesting Fact I Learned
Colombia has a long history of internal conflict
During our visit to Bogota, we decided to join a Colombian Conflict Walking Tour with Beyond Colombia instead of the general free walking tour. We knew that the landmark peace agreement with FARC in 2016 has led to a significant increase in stability for the country and a major increase in tourism. However, we did not know what led to the conflict in the first place and saw this tour as a great way to get broader context to the present day situation.
While on our tour, we learned that the conflicts in Colombia started relatively soon after their independence from Spain in 1810. Two parties were founded in the 1840s, the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, which then ensued to have 8 civil wars over the next 50 years due to their political differences. After the last of the civil wars, the country was decimated and vowed to stop the cycle of violence. There was relative calm during the start of the 1900s until a Liberal Party presidential candidate named Jorge Eliecer Gaitan was assassinated in downtown Bogota in front of his supporters in 1948. The supporters quickly captured and then proceeded to kill the assassin, so there continues to be some debate about the motives behind the murder because they were never able to question the assassin.
This assassination brought back instability to the country and initiated the Bogotazo riots which burned down significant portions of the city and proceeded to spread to the rural areas of the country. During this time of unrest, it was believed that 200,000 people died, about 2% of the then population.
As this conflict continued in the 1950s, rural groups started to organize into formal organizations. There were leftist guerilla organizations such as FARC and M-19, Narcos crime syndicates such as the Medellin Cartel, and Paramilitary Groups that were employed to protect private business owners’ property. Over the course of the next 50 years, the conflict is believed to have killed 220,000 people, the majority of which were civilians. During this time, the government continued efforts to combat the forces with varying degrees of success, but the most successful results were achieved with peace accords. The most famous peace deal was with FARC in 2016, which leveraged lessons learned from the Northern Ireland peace deal that many believed was a model to permanently declaring an end to the conflict. Since the deal was signed about 10 years ago the Colombians have achieved a relatively stable peace. While issues still do persist, the improved security situation has resulted in a drastic decrease of civilian casualties, and led to Colombia becoming a prominent destination for international tourists.
My Travel Tip of the Week
Visit some of Bogota’s amazing city viewpoints
Bogota is the 5th largest city in South America, with a population of over 9 million people. This makes it the largest city in the Andes mountains and accounts for nearly one fifth of Colombia’s entire population. Like many of Latin America’s biggest cities it sprawls out in all directions but it is unique in the fact that the eastern border of the city juts up against towering Andes peaks. These peaks have a variety of hiking trails and viewpoints that allow you to escape the bustle of the city for time in nature. Upon reaching the summit of the trails, you are rewarded with incredible views of the immense city stretching out below.
We had the opportunity to hike up to the top of Monserrate, which is the most famous viewpoint overlooking Bogota. The trail itself is a fairly steep uphill climb on stairs, which gains nearly 2000 meters in elevation before ending at one of the most famous churches in Colombia, Basilica del Senor Caido de Monserrate. Unfortunately, the day we did the hike there was so much fog over the city that we could not see it at all. We took the funicular back down instead of hiking and decided to come back when the weather improved. Later in the week there was an afternoon with perfect visibility so we decided to return to Monserrate for sunset, this time taking the teleferico to reach the top. Watching the various colors reflect off the city below was a wonderful experience, and after the sun went down, the city lit up with street lights, building lights, and cars for miles in all directions.
Another great viewpoint of Bogota city is from Torre Colpatria, which has a 360 degree viewing platform at the top. This tower is located at the northern point of La Candelaria in the heart of the city. The journey to the top of the building is a lot faster than Monseratte and only requires a quick elevator ride. At the viewing platform, there are tour guides that share more about Bogota, and there are displays around the building highlighting some of the most famous attractions in the city. The views here provide a different vantage point that is also impressive and shows off the magnificence of this great city. As you walk around the 360 degree platform, you are surrounded by the skyscrapers of the nearby downtown, the Monserrate viewpoint above, and the residential neighborhoods stretching out as far as you can see.
My Additional Anecdote This Week
Local knowledge and hospitality make for an even better visit
During our travels through South America, we have met many fellow tourists from all around the world. We hope to one day meet up with them in their home countries, or host them in our city in the future. In Bogota we had the ability to meet up with friends we met in Uruguay, and they could not have been more gracious hosts to welcome us to Colombia. The combination of their time spent showing us around Bogota and city recommendations made for an extra special visit.
On our first day of touring, they made sure that we got to take part in some of the best Bogota weekend activities, try typical dishes, and learn more about the capital city. Some of the highlights from our day together included hiking to the top of Monserrate, eating a traditional Bogota lunch, learning about the Colombia political system, visiting the famous Botero museum, and going for a stroll through the Usaquen Sunday Market. After our introduction, they shared additional top restaurants and attractions for the remainder of our visit.
During our stay, we were able to go to a handful of the places that they recommended, all of which made for a memorable trip. One of the best dining recommendations was to visit Andres Carne de Res D.C. on a Friday night. This multi-story restaurant had an enormous line when we showed up so we knew it would be good. The inside of the restaurant had live music and performances, with elaborate decorations throughout. Our food was delicious and included traditional Colombian items like Arepa de Choclo (a corn arepa) and Lomo al Trapo (beef tenderloin). As the night went on, the restaurant turned into a dance party, and on the first floor, a live band played Latin pop hits. It was a delicious meal and one of the most unique dining experiences given the diversity of offerings.
A favorite local attraction they recommended we visit were the parks in the Teusaquillo neighborhood. We spent the afternoon walking through Jardin Botanico de Bogota, Parque Metropolitano Simon Bolivar, and Parque Virgilio Barco. It was nice to get away from the busy city neighborhoods and take advantage of the tranquility of these lush green spaces. Besides observing the beauty of the parks, it was fun seeing all of the locals enjoying their weekend with countless family gatherings, friend hangouts, and special birthday celebrations.
What would have been a nice visit to Bogota was made extra special thanks to the local knowledge and hospitality of our friends. To conclude our visit, we were able to go out for a final dinner together at one of their favorite international food restaurants. It was delicious food, great company, a fun time, and nice to be able to share more about our experience that they helped to make a spectacular visit.