Mike writes: The quality of Salsa singing in the Cohiba bar was so bad last night that John & I decided it was time to leave town. We were confident that Chris would be well looked after by Maria and his large retinue of street vendors so we left him sweltering in Cartagena while we set off for cooler climes.
First we had to abandon our cases at the hotel to which we are scheduled to return on Monday, mercifully situated a mere 30 metres from where we were staying. At 8.00AM it was already 26 degrees in Cartagena so carting suitcases around was hot work. Meanwhile our destination, Bogota, was a bracing 11 degrees at that time.
Cartagena airport has little to commend it but it is clearly planning for the arrival hordes of Stag Parties in future with the soon to open “Pizz Up Express”.
It’s a short hop to Bogota mostly uphill. Bogota is a mere 8500 feet higher than Cartagena. It’s not just the climate that’s different, the city has a very different feel to it. Less Caribbean, more cosmopolitan and 10 times the size! We are staying at the Morrison Hotel which surprisingly has failed to capitalise on its name and has no references to the similarly titled Doors’ album of 1970. Happily there were no Roadhouse Blues nor have we yet found that “the blood on the streets is up to my ankles” as Jim Morrison suggested.
Possibly the absence of blood on the streets is due to the Bogotans’ approach to security. While falling someway short of the high standards set in El Salvador, where even the pool man had a pump action shot gun, the employment of huge dogs wearing BDSM gimp masks is a good start.
We are in Zone Rosa a lively area deemed safe, at least by Bogota standards, where we are spoiled for choice when it comes to bars and restaurants.
The other key attractions near our hotel seem to be Tattoo parlours and Karaoke Clubs, of which there are many. Regardless of what damage we do in the bars here, we will not be frequenting either.
Although not as colourful as Cartagena, we’ve spotted few interesting folk on the streets including this off duty accountant playing his sax
and this Andean woman begging who appears to have a child grafted onto her side.
Tonight we are braving Zona Rosa in search of some good food and reggaeton music but it will have to be spectacular to beat our big night in Cartagena’s Cafe Havana. Tomorrow in the safety of daylight we will venture out downtown to some tourist sights.
Our America’s Challenge Drive 