What to do in Bogota?

December 20, 2006 5:46 PM

Looking for things to do/see in Bogota, Colombia, over the coming holiday week.

I'll be spending this coming holiday week in Bogota, visiting extended family; I've never been before. Any ideas about touristy/literary/historic attractions or cool local (non-touristy) spots I should insist on seeing? Good bars/restaurants? Any annual holiday goings on that I should make a point of catching?

I've read several guides, but I'm looking for the personal touch that only askme can provide... I'll be staying with relatives, but I'm unsure of whether they'll be hip to such things, and even if they are I can only benefit from seeming informed on where to go and what to do, so any suggestions are welcome!

(I've read this thread, but that question concerned security, etc., and that's not what I'm after here.)

posted by ab3 to Travel & Transportation around Bogotá, Colombia (5 answers total)

Response by poster: also very useful to me would be any current idiomatic slang, phrases or greetings that are common in Colombia or in Bogota specifically. I speak Spanish, but I'm not familiar with the modern local variations there.
posted by ab3 at 6:43 PM on December 20, 2006

Whatever you do, try not to let yourself get kidnapped. I don't know how it is now, but a few years ago, Bogota had the highest kidnapping rate of any country in the Americas.
posted by HotPatatta at 7:37 PM on December 20, 2006

Best answer: It's been exactly 10 years since I've been there, but here are the fun things I remember:

1) Museo del Oro - fantastic pre-columbian gold displays.
2) Monserate (sp?) - church up on top of one of the hills, with fantastic views of the entire city. Take the tram or walk the steps (best to tram up and walk down), or do as the devout do and either run down the narrow steps or walk on your knees.
Note: there's a food stand there on Sundays, but be careful because I think that's where I got food poisoning - and it was AWFUL. Get some Obleas (sp?) when you're there - it's basically church-wafer-like cookies filled with Dulce de Leche. Mmmm.

3) Coco Rico - fast food grilled chicken. Best I've had anywhere and great for a quick snack with Colombiana soda.

4) Leather market

5) Candelaria district - really cool old part of town. We saw native Colombians with burros and wagons there alongside swank Mercedes. Interesting juxtaposition.

6) Superley grocery store near Hotel Fontana - I find it interesting to see the stuff the locals buy. Was weird to see eggs out, unrefrigerated, and to see the Colombian versions of American brands.
Hotel Tecandamo (sp?) - if you're in the mood for some US-style food, you can get that and good-quality approximations of local cuisine too. The jewelry galleries around the hotel are pretty cool, and they've got elaborate Christmas displays inside.

Other advice: bring layers of clothing - the temperature can range from the 40's to the low 70's. Be careful of altitude fatigue/sickness and pace yourself. Also, bottled water if you've got a sensitive stomach.

Have fun! Despite the dangers, if you keep your head about you and stick to the busier sections of town, you should be OK. Be wary of taxis - always CALL a taxi and verify that the one you're getting into is the one you called. It's a beautiful city.
posted by aberrant at 7:53 PM on December 20, 2006

Oh - forgot - the Plaza del Bolivar, next to the presidential palace. You can see 12-year-old palace guards (at least they looked that young!) marching around in full regalia toting (US-made) automatic weapons. It's also a great place to people-watch.
posted by aberrant at 7:59 PM on December 20, 2006

I don't know if Bogota streets are filled with beggars and vendors the way Cartagena's streets were, but I'd be prepared to be accosted by them at every turn. That was the only downside to my trip to Colombia two summers ago.
posted by emelenjr at 5:32 AM on December 21, 2006