Bogota night view through the Montserrat tram cables
A truely stunning city on such a clear night.In order to get your motorcycle to get from Panama City to Bogota, Columbia you would have ride over the Darien Gap. No matter who you talk to you’ll be told that it is impossible. First of all there is no road, only a partial path through the jungle and over the mountains. There are apocryphal stories of those who have tried. Some riders were never seen again, one guy was said to have hacked his bike through the jungle for two months before leaving it to be enveloped by the jungle growth.
The group I’m riding with opted for the quickest and most expensive way. We flew the bikes and ourselves directly to Bogota. We then spent 7 hours getting them through customs. We had hired a Columbian shipping firm to speed up the process. The 7 hours was considered very quick.
Another less expensive way is to take a ferry to one of several coastal towns. Some consider this option dicey due to the nefarious shipping out of Columbia. You’ll have to weigh your options as travelers always must. The city of Bogota is immense. Its 7 million inhabitants are spread out over the entire shelf between the surrounding mountains. The elevation is over 7,000 feet and the city has an average temperature of 60°F. Perfect for riding! Tonight’s ride from the airport was during rush hour. Columbian drivers are in a hurry. Several taxis tried to push me out of my lane and motorcycles are allowed to ‘filter’ here. So, in a 15 mile rush hour ride I shared my lane with taxis, small agile Japanese bikes, and one horse-drawn cart (it was actually moving at a nice pace considering he was galloping along on a six lane road). Once at the hotel I decided to get room service and retire early. Tomorrow I’ll explore.
On the list of tourist must-sees are the Gold Museum, the salt mine with its Salt Cathedral inside and the sparkling white church perched atop a mountain above the city. I’ll do none of these. I’m more interested in what makes the city tick. Is it the drug trade? Is it the flower business (actually Bogota is surrounded by vast farms growing hot house flowers that are shipped to Holland)?Is it a safe city for the traveler? Our hotel is first rate and in a fancy part of the North side. However, we’ve been advised to walk nowhere after dark. Only take cabs we’re told. I’ve seen only a small part of the city so far and no poverty but I know it is lurking around here somewhere. Like many large South American cities there is surely a large population of very poor and desperate people. Often night brings them out looking for opportunities.
OK I lied. I did go Montserrat for dinner and to have a look around. It required a cab ride to a funicular that brings you straight up the mountain. The view is stunning. Tonight was an especially clear evening and the lights of the city tell a story. First of all the city is enormous. It fills every crack and cranny from Montserrat and the mountains on the East to the horizon on the West side. The lights also show where the rich live and play. The entire northeast side is full of brightly lit, tall and elegant buildings. To the south and west the lights are dimmer and closer together. It’s those areas we’ve been told to avoid.
FROM THE BOTERO MUSEUM. YOU MUST SEE THIS SLIDESHOW. You may not have known his name, but you've seen his delightful works. He is from Medellin, Columbia
The group I’m riding with opted for the quickest and most expensive way. We flew the bikes and ourselves directly to Bogota. We then spent 7 hours getting them through customs. We had hired a Columbian shipping firm to speed up the process. The 7 hours was considered very quick.
Another less expensive way is to take a ferry to one of several coastal towns. Some consider this option dicey due to the nefarious shipping out of Columbia. You’ll have to weigh your options as travelers always must. The city of Bogota is immense. Its 7 million inhabitants are spread out over the entire shelf between the surrounding mountains. The elevation is over 7,000 feet and the city has an average temperature of 60°F. Perfect for riding! Tonight’s ride from the airport was during rush hour. Columbian drivers are in a hurry. Several taxis tried to push me out of my lane and motorcycles are allowed to ‘filter’ here. So, in a 15 mile rush hour ride I shared my lane with taxis, small agile Japanese bikes, and one horse-drawn cart (it was actually moving at a nice pace considering he was galloping along on a six lane road). Once at the hotel I decided to get room service and retire early. Tomorrow I’ll explore.
On the list of tourist must-sees are the Gold Museum, the salt mine with its Salt Cathedral inside and the sparkling white church perched atop a mountain above the city. I’ll do none of these. I’m more interested in what makes the city tick. Is it the drug trade? Is it the flower business (actually Bogota is surrounded by vast farms growing hot house flowers that are shipped to Holland)?Is it a safe city for the traveler? Our hotel is first rate and in a fancy part of the North side. However, we’ve been advised to walk nowhere after dark. Only take cabs we’re told. I’ve seen only a small part of the city so far and no poverty but I know it is lurking around here somewhere. Like many large South American cities there is surely a large population of very poor and desperate people. Often night brings them out looking for opportunities.
OK I lied. I did go Montserrat for dinner and to have a look around. It required a cab ride to a funicular that brings you straight up the mountain. The view is stunning. Tonight was an especially clear evening and the lights of the city tell a story. First of all the city is enormous. It fills every crack and cranny from Montserrat and the mountains on the East to the horizon on the West side. The lights also show where the rich live and play. The entire northeast side is full of brightly lit, tall and elegant buildings. To the south and west the lights are dimmer and closer together. It’s those areas we’ve been told to avoid.
FROM THE BOTERO MUSEUM. YOU MUST SEE THIS SLIDESHOW. You may not have known his name, but you've seen his delightful works. He is from Medellin, Columbia
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