I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew is that the ticket was $180 round trip, and the AirBnB would come out to around $100 for a 5 day stay. My good friend Karlyle told me about the ticket price, and I had to jump on it. This is what I’ve been working for. Being able to work on the go, and enjoy the flexibility of just “getting up and going,” wherever I wanted.
With no expectations set, I packed my things in a backpack, and headed for the airport. I spent my time thinking about what to expect. Immersing myself in a culture that I’m totally unfamiliar with seems great, but only if I put myself out there and make a true effort to connect with the locals. I was curious about the difference in lifestyle. How do the locals spend their time? What do they value? That was my goal.
When I first got to Bogota, I realized that it was a bit tougher to breathe. The high altitude (about 8,000+ feet), really caught me off guard, and almost felt like I had a waist shaper around my chest! Nonetheless, I took an Uber from the airport to meet up with Maria Clara, my AirBnB host. She was extremely friendly, spoke english, and made herself available on Whatsapp, pretty much directing me exactly the best way to get to her house. Maria lives in Zona Rosa, which is a pretty lively part of Bogota, known for nice restaurants, shopping malls, and an exciting nightlife. Once I got to the apartment, I met up with my friend Karlyle, who I planned the trip with. Maria showed us around her apartment, offered us food, and gave us a typed out list of place to see and things to do. Hospitality was world class, and she really helped me get organized with a list of things to do in and around Bogota.
Karlyle and I spend the first day getting acquainted with Zona Rosa. The architecture of the buildings was unbelievable, and the city looked in a very much progressive state. There were many high end fashion retailers, american restaurants, and nightclubs in the area. My initial concerns of safety were put to rest. We had lunch at Archie’s, an Italian restaurant (I know, I know), then wondered around the outdoor and indoor malls. I couldn’t get over how developed the area was. It looked like New York for goodness sake!
El Museo del Oro
El Museo del Oro, or the Gold Museum, was the first “touristy” place that I visited. It was located right in front of a lively skatepark, where over 70 kids were riding around and doing tricks. The museum was filled with different gold artifacts, each accompanied by a story. Here are a few pics.
Zipaquira/ Catedral de Sal
Located in Zipaquira, Catedral de Sal, or Salt Cathedral, was definitely an experience to remember. Know for the underground Roman Catholic Church built within the Salt Mines, Catedral de Sal was decorated with different types of crosses, icons, and statue reenactments of certain biblical events. The architecture is what was really impressive, seeing that they use eucalyptus and salt to strengthen the walls and ceilings of the mines. It was truly a one of a kind experience, especially since I’ve never been in a mine, and pictures won’t do the experience justice. With that being said, here are a few I took in the salt mines.
Monserrate
Monserrate is a mountain in Bogota that you can see from pretty much anywhere in the city. The backdrop is one for a postcard, and the only place I knew I had to visit before I left for Colombia. Due to a recent landslide on the mountain, I had to take a ski lift to the top of Monserrate. The mountain is 10,000 plus feet, and I instantly felt the pressure in my forehead once I walked up the stairs, leading to the cathedral at the top of the mountain. Pushing through it, I walked around and saw they had a Church, restaurant, walking trails, and an insane view of the city.
Takeways
This trip was eye opening. I met a lot of cool people, and experienced the world from a different lens. Before I came to Bogota, I knew that I wanted to make connections with the locals, in order to better understand their views on life (What’s important to them, how they spend their time, etc). I will highlight a story with a man I met named Ricardo.
Ricardo is someone I met at Maria’s house, coming back from a walk in the city. He was born in Bogota, but lives and works in San Francisco as a management consultant for many different fortune 500 companies. He had said that he was mourning the loss of his father, and came back to Bogota to be with his family. To my surprise, he said that he has only met Maria 2 times before I saw him. He looked so comfortable with Maria in conversation, like they had known each other for years. It was obvious that friendships are highly valued, and was unexpectedly refreshing to see. We talked for a bit, and exchanged info. He invited us to meet up for the upcoming Warriors vs Spurs game(Which was a huge game in the states!), and of course we accepted. I didn’t think much of it at first. Usually if you meet someone for the first time, you close the convo with “we should meet up and ………” 9/10 times, the person that offers the invite doesn’t really want to hang out, but instead offers a gesture of kindness. This was different. I could tell by his body language and interest in our conversation that he was serious. It was very refreshing, and something that I took a mental note of.
We ended up meeting at a Hooters in Zona Rosa the next day to watch the game. We grabbed a few beers, realized they weren’t playing the game, then left. Ricardo picked up the tab, and we went on a quest to find a place that was playing the Spurs v Warriors game. After asking a dozen doorman and the local bars, we decided to take the loss and head to a place called Andres DC. Andres DC is a traditional bar/restaurant/live music type of place, and had a really cool and authentic Colombian vibe. We grabbed drinks, empanades, and talked for a few hours. We covered everything from family, work, life goals, the value of life, and so much more. I’ve never really opened up about those topics that quick, but Ricardo had a way of expressing genuine curiosity that made me want to explore those topics with him.
Expressing genuine curiosity and interest of learning about another person is something that I myself must work in. It’s a skill that isn’t practiced enough in the states. Empathizing with others is what allows us to see life from different viewpoints. Essentially, we are expanding our horizon, every time we genuinely engage with another person, no matter where they are from. We can’t learn what we don’t know, and you put yourself in a position to learn something new, every time you connect with someone on a deeper level, regardless of age, gender, ethinicity, status in life, and anything else that society classifies people as.
That experience with Ricardo, and in Bogota, has refreshened my self awareness on kindness. Always be kind to everyone, and take the time to engage in meaningful conversations with all types of people. Follow up on those empty invites that you send out to people, and don’t look for an excuse to avoid meeting up. Chances are that whatever else you’re doing isn’t that important. It’s time to value frienships and insights from others higher on the totem pole, because it is what really matters in life.
Adios!