Experiencing, believing Bogota

Sun, 09/07/2008 9:47 AM  |  Travel

(JP/Emmy Fitri)

Colombia -- home of beautiful sidewalk murals; painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, famous for his plump, whimsical characters; corny telenovela; Gabriel Garcia Marquez's birthplace and leader Simon Bolivar.

But it also has another reputation.

For most of us the very name of Bogota conjures images often seen in Hollywood blockbusters -- images of drug cartels, fierce-looking guerrillas and ghetto neighborhoods with continuous kidnappings and murders.

Bogota's images and worrying stories readily available in Western films or posted as Internet threads quickly evaporate into thin air once we landed in Eldorado airport. Cool breezes and clean air welcomed us on our arrival. It was a Bandung kind of weather minus the newly created traffic jams and mounds of garbage heaps.

Although located on the equator, its altitude translates into cool weather in Bogota D.C. (short for Distrito Capital). Flanking it are hills running north and south, parallel to the Guadalupe and Monserrate Mountain ranges.

"From a woman's perspective, I can say that Bogota in some ways is even safer than Jakarta," said Meity S. Ichwanu, ministra consejera or first councellor at the Indonesian Embassy for Colombia. Meity has been living for years in the country and for the past three years was acting as the first person in the embassy as the ambassador post was vacant due to political reasons at home.

Living alone with her teenage daughter, Meity drives to work and yes, she lives as a Bogotan lives. She said traveling by land out of town, however, was not always advisable because insurgent groups living in the jungle might show up unexpectedly.

"Traveling by land out of town is a different story but here in the capital city of Colombia, life is easy and safe," she said.

The remark came as a surprise but Meity was not the only one who voiced such opinions.

The wife of R.D.M. Johan J. Mulyadi, the embassy's first secretary, shared a similar view. She drives her car without a CD plate number because it is more convenient for her. Her daily chores including shopping around the city, dropping her children off at school and even driving her husband to his office -- yet she never felt in danger.

Her husband, Johan, said,"Colombians are friendly and hospitable like our people at home. They are helpful especially if they know you're visitor to their city."

Is that for real? Seeing is believing was passe; it's now time for "experiencing is believing".

Since we arrived in Bogota late at night, there was little we saw that day. We had had a long delay at Madrid's airport due to Spanair's tragic accident.

Morning broke -- time to hit the road.

Though it was rush hour and the streets were packed with private cars and yellow cabs -- literally -- taxis are one uniform color of yellow -- the air was fresh as trees and small parks were scattered along the avenues.

Buses from Bogota's signature public transportation system TransMilenio were packed during peak hours at morning and afternoon. Wide pedestrian paths lined both sides of the streets. In some areas, cycle paths or ciclorouta were built on the median strip to accommodate the ever-increasing biker population.

(JP/Emmy Fitri)

Impressive murals could also be spotted in some areas. Modern sculptures grace the city's extensive network of public parks.

Bogota is also know for its red-brick buildings which harmonize with the beauty of the city's green vegetation. Flowers of every variety and color -- including unbelievably rich blue -- could be found everywhere.

In fact, flowers are one of the city's important revenue-producing commodities -- and the country's -- as well as fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products.

There are many must-see places in the city such as the Gold Museum or Museo del Oro, the Simon Bolivar Metropolitan Park which is named after the country's founding father and Bogota Botanical Garden. La Candelaria, the old quarter, boasts colonial architecture, cobbled streets and also a park.

A trip by cable car to Santuario de Monserrate is also highly recommended as from the hilltop, the breathtaking vista of Bogota spreads out below.

Monserrate is the address for devout Catholics who also hail from nearby countries such as Argentina who come to pray at the church. Behind the church, which sits solidly on the peak of a hill 3,000 meters above sea level, a plethora of souvenir shops offer Bogota's knick knacks, including its renown coffee-filled chocolate and nectar.

Although a day or two is never enough to enjoy the city, it at least offers a window in which to view new images of Bogota -- in short, we were not kidnapped, offered cocaine nor killed while strolling the wide sidewalks or just sitting in the parks. Colombia's other cities such as Medellin, Calli, Pereira and Cartagena also boast unique beauties, but unfortunately there is not enough time. It is time to go. Adios.

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