12/21/08

A Day Without a Camera

Today I left my camera in the hostel on purpose. I don´t have any kids, but I think I now know what parents feel when the kids are away at grandma´s. Without the responsibilities that come with carrying around a camera - guarding the bag at all times, making sure noone is overly interested, turning the camera off and on etc. - I was able to enjoy Bogota with more ease. Because of this I am posting a pictures of the city at night instead of ones from today.

I woke up late thanks to a long night of Texas Holdém and bar searching with my new friends from Belgium. The search was successful but only so much as we ended up at a McDonalds at 4am.

Bogota is most fun on Sundays. Vendors are out in full force selling what seems to be any kind of treasure they have found. It is literally a city-wide garage sale. Also on Sundays the city shuts down an entire network of main streets for bikers and runners to enjoy. Imagine New York shutting down all of Broadway and half of Houston St. I can think of no better way to get to know a city then to run it; that is exactly what I did. I ended up way north on 82nd street (from basically 10th street) in what is the more affluent area of town. After some window shopping I took the Bogota equivalent of a subway home - it is actually an above ground bus system with platform stops.

I leave tomorrow on a 9 hr bus ride to Cali. This is a change in plans but I am completely suckered by the reputation that it has some of the most beautiful women in the world and that the festival that will begin on Christmas day is not one to miss.

2 comments:

Junrui Chang said...

Camera was invented in 1822. That means it's history of to be used in recording stories just less than 200 years. In the other side, human started to record stories since they found stone could make marks. By your writing, can tell that with words instead of camera, you still showed us many aspects of Bogota that couldn't involve in those pictures you took in night. Like it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Koki,

I love reading your blog. It makes me feel like you are sitting next to me telling me your adventures. Xmas without family is going to be different for you, but just know you will be missed and thought of often. I am so glad you are doing these trips. THere is nothing like traveling and seeing the world first hand that really completes an education. You are so special. I love you. NINA