Recent reads: "Yes Man" by Danny Wallace
The last stop on my South America itinerary was Bogota, Colombia. Many people skipped Bogota but I am glad I didn't. The fact that my flight back home was out of Bogota also played a significant factor.
Bogota is a huge city with a population of more than 8 million. While it's comparable in size and population to Lima, Peru, Bogota seemed far less chaotic than Lima. That being said, Bogota traffic is still pretty crazy.
I hit Bogota running--or rather biking-- by doing a biking tour of the city right away the morning I arrived. The highlight of the bike tour was definitely the fruit market. Colombia is home to tons of delectable fruits and we taste-tested quite a few exotic ones. A close second was our ride through the red-light district. Even though it was barely noon, the red-light district was in full swing and it was very clear when we were suddenly in the red-light district.
That afternoon after the bike tour, we took a cable car up to Monserrate, a church on top of a mountain that overlooks all of Bogota. It was insanely cloudy but still worth the trip.
The next day I went on a walking graffiti tour. Bogota is known for its amazing graffiti works all over the city. Btu these aren't the random vulgar tags done by gangs and juvenile delinquents that you'd normally think of. Many of these works are huge murals covering the entire walls of buildings or homes done with a variety of mediums and styles. The guide told us about many of the most famous graffiti artists in the city some of whom are college professors, respected architects, well-known clothing designers, etc. Many home owners welcome graffiti works on their houses because a beautiful large-scale murals deter others from vandalizing the facade with random tags. Since homeowners grant permission and businesses often recruit artists to do works on their buildings, graffiti in the Bogota has been largely de-criminalized and you will often see artists doing their works in plain daylight. These graffiti works are part of a full scale cultural renaissance currently going on in Bogota as it develops into a art and musical center.
That evening I went to a futbol match between the Millionarios of Bogota and Uniautonoma from Barranquilla. Both teams are in the bottom half of the league rankings and the game ended in a tie but I honestly say it was the most fun futbol game I have attended in Colombia. And also the only one.
Before I knew it, Tuesday rolled around and it was time to start my pilgrimage home. I flew from Bogota to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I spent the night in the airport before taking a morning flight to Detroit and then Green Bay. I cannot describe how excited I was to officially be on US soil again! I had told pretty much everyone that I was going to be home November 12th when it was really November 5th so that I could surprise my mom. If you were surprised that I was home early, you're not the only one. This woman is the most intuitive person I know, impossible to keep a secret from so if I could pull a fast one on her, it would be legendary. And legendary it was! My dad and I were at home when she came home and I can safely say that my mama was so shocked! Success!
Back in Wisconsin, I am keeping busy spending time with the parentals, meeting up with friends and applying for jobs in San Diego.
Although snow has arrived, I am still happy to home in the good ole U S of A!
