I’m just going to start this post by saying that Colombia has lots of entry requirements and I was not well prepared for that. Always proves that arriving early to an airport is worth it! The flight to Colombia from Costa Rica was only 2 hours and very pleasant (clean, free food and drinks, and everyone was required to wear a mask).
Julián was waiting for us at the airport after we went through immigration and customs (and what a relief to not have to worry about transportation from the airport)! Him and his brother drove us to their home and we caught up in the car. Bogota is huge! It was so cool driving through it and such a pleasant afternoon with sunshine and fresh air. Julian showed us around their home where him, his brother, and parents live with their dog. It was so clean and nice and Julian even served us a meal right when we arrived and gave up his bedroom for us.
We walked and took the bus to his climbing gym that was a bit far away. I was so thankful to be following him because I would have been so lost. We switched buses a lot and there was quite the crowd of people. He advised me to put my backpack on my front side and I thought I would stand out that way but then I noticed that everyone was doing that!
Once we arrived to the climbing gym, Julian introduced us to all of his buddies (he used to work at the gym). Everyone was so kind there. We climbed for a few hours and then made our way back to his home where we met his parents.
We got to know them over a rice and chicken dinner that his mom prepared. She also made us a delicious tea and some sweet cheese to go with it. This family has already been so hospitable and kind.
The following day we awoke at 7am to eat a breakfast with the family and then head out to a town called Suesca to climb! It was a beautiful town, surrounded by lush green grass and mountains. We walked along train tracks with a group of pups to a climbing route. Julián picked out a multi-pitch (3 pitches) for us to climb with trad gear. That was the first time I climbed a multi pitch and saw someone lead climbing with trad gear. I was a little freaked out at first but I decided to be on board. It was so worth it because the views were amazing and it was an easier route. We then ate at the top of the mountain and hiked down it.
We then did another route on our way back to the car. We then found a restaurant to eat chicken at and made friends with more dogs. Once we got back to Bogotá, we had another evening conversation with the family. This night felt hard for me to talk because I felt especially tired.
The following day was another big one but in the city! We hiked up just under a thousand steps to Monserrate. This was so exciting because it was the perfect mix of exercise and overlooking Bogotá as we got higher.
Eventually, just under an hour later, we reached the small town and church. It was so beautiful and luckily not busy because it was a weekday. We then went down via a gondola thing and walked to get lunch at a really cool and popular indoor market.
We ate new food and walked around the vegetable and fruit stands, learning about foods that aren’t in the U.S. We then made our way through dumping rain to El Museo del Oro (the gold museum). This was a very cool stop to learn about the gold and history in Colombia.
Next up was La Plaza where governmental buildings and fancy universities lie. This was near the old neighborhoods in Bogotá and had a fun nightlife feel. We went in a bar and tried “Chicha,” a traditional Colombian drink while we played janga and darts. Then, we took the buses back to the house and had another evening conversation with the family. They also seem to want to catch up and offer us some sort of food. It felt a lot easier to converse this night and Julián’s mom even practiced some English with us! We then watched her soap opera in Spanish which was very exciting and dramatic!
I’ve been practicing my Spanish everyday, Kendall and I only speak English a few minutes each day to each other. I’m learning new words, songs, and food everyday. I’m so thankful for Julián and his generosity to show us around Bogotá for 2 weeks. I love when I get the chance to talk to Julián or his parents one on one so I can get the most practice possible.
