article about Bogota in Toronto newspaper

arthur brode says on Feb 2, 2008, 11:22:

hey lady killer
i thought they fried you

http://www.calirentals.net/

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Simon says on Feb 2, 2008, 11:24:

It's a pretty good article. Like any article about Colombia written by anglos, the writer can't resist the temptation to mention the drug war era and exacerbate Bogota's reality during then, but overall, it's pretty positive.


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It was less than a generation ago that to stroll along Bogotá's wide leafy avenues was to take your life in your hands. Drug cartels had residents cowering, armed gangs roamed the cobblestone streets and Marxist guerrillas occasionally brought their fight to the city. Petty crime was rampant, and by the 1990s, the Colombian capital was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

Today, taking in the scene on a recent Sunday morning, our main concern is getting out of the way of bicyclists in this cycling-mad nation. Cars are banned on Sundays on the major thoroughfares, giving Bogotanos the run of the place. Women cook arepas - a big brother to the tortilla - on sizzling grills. Sketch artists render remarkable likenesses of their subjects in a matter of seconds. Families throng to Catholic churches. The Andes loom overhead, and the carbon exhaust that chokes the air of other Latin American capitals seems noticeably absent here at 2,600 metres above sea level.

"We have so many things to give and to show," says Mercedes Salazar, a jewellery designer whose boutique is in the Parque 93 neighbourhood in the north of the city. "I'm always talking about Colombia when I'm travelling. We have the most beautiful country. It's not as dangerous as people think."

The renaissance here is tangible. Everywhere you go, people smile and say hello. As visitors filter back to Colombia, you yourself become a bit of an attraction. Don't be surprised if slack-jawed Colombian kids forsake the dazzling pre-Hispanic gold artifacts on display at the Banco de Republica Gold Museum to look at you with shy smiles instead. (Go on a Sunday; it's free and filled with Bogotanos ambling through the exhibition rooms.) Expect the same while strolling through the city's wealth of art galleries and museums, or through the historic Candelaria district downtown, or at Montserrate sanctuary, which looms over the capital. It's more than 3,000 metres above sea level, but a funicular will take you to the top if you should feel a touch of altitude sickness.

Museums aren't the only indoor attractions. Hotels and restaurants here can hold their own with luxury accommodation anywhere. Most travellers gravitate to the north end of the capital, which serves

as a business and commercial centre. Bogotanos are adept at both small gestures and grand welcomes: a doorman dripping in gold braid greeting you at your hotel; a cool fresh drink, compliments of the house, awaiting you in your room.

The few blocks contained between Carreras 5 and 7 and Calle 69 and 72 are lined with restaurants ranging from elegant to robust, offering everything from French and Asian to local cuisine (read: expertly grilled beef). But don't get there too early: No Bogotano would be caught dead in a bar or restaurant before 10 p.m. That's when the fun and fashionable of all ages step out from the red-brick condominiums that dot the north end and take their tables, laughing, eating, drinking and flirting into the

wee hours. Waiters glide by discreetly. The servicio tip of 10% is included, and the bill is entirely reasonable.

If you want to go farther afield, make time for Andres Carne de Res, a Colombian institution that doubles as a restaurant, nightclub and carnival. Located in Chia, about a 45-minute drive north of Bogotá, it's magic realism come to life. Theatrical waiters weave around the sprawling, rustic complex carrying enormous platters of Argentinian beef, gallons of Chilean wine and sweating bottles of Colombian beer. Several generations of one family can be seen laughing and singing and eating, while businessmen sit at the next table, hatching plans and waving at cronies. The vibe is fun, never rowdy, even when the music pumps up and the dancing starts.

Colombians have waited a long time to relax and have a party. This is their time, but they don't mind at all if you join in.


GUIDEBOOK:

For all the progress made in Colombia, it would be wrong to paint the place as a Latin American Brigadoon. The country has the second-highest number of displaced people in the world, after Sudan. Many of them end up in the slums of Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena. The 40-year civil war is ongoing and, despite the eradication of the Medellín drug cartel, huge busts are regularly recorded, leading one to wonder what gets through. But, as with just about any place - Toronto, Washington or a Mexican resort - visitors need only exercise common sense. The payoff is discovering a place years before everyone else.

Bogotá enjoys a moderate temperature. Nighttime lows dip to single digits, while highs can reach the mid- to high 20s. Our winter (December to March) is considered the dry season, while April and October see the most rain.

Getting there

• Air Canada offers three flights a week from Toronto to Bogotá. Flight time is less than six hours and there is only one hour's time difference.

No jet lag!

• Canadian visitors need a passport and a return ticket to visit Colombia. On leaving, expect to pass through several security checks, including pat-downs, at El Dorado Airport. The departure tax is about $30.

• Colombian currency can take some getting used to - 20,000 Colombian pesos is about $10. So when your restaurant bill arrives and it's more than 100,000 pesos for two, it's actually a pretty good deal.

Where to stay

• The Casa Medina hotel (hoteles-charleston.com/casamedina) in North Bogotá is a historic property and a bit of a splurge (rooms start at about $250 a night), but it's worth it for its leafy courtyard, wood-panelled dining room and great location. The Charleston Bogotá (hotelescharleston.com) is in the cultural and financial district, close to the Zona Rosa shopping district. The smaller Hotel de la Opera (hotelopera.com) is in Candelaria, close to the National Theatre, and boasts a fine rooftop patio for cocktails.

"Tu vas a ver, llegaras a mi edad y veras que Colombia seguira igual"-----Simon Sr.

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arthur brode says on Feb 2, 2008, 11:54:

thanks Ted.i will pass
just dont go answering any cell phones from strangers while you are in Bogota lol

http://www.calirentals.net/

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adrimm says on Feb 2, 2008, 12:33:

It's a good article. Truthful.

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manINred says on Feb 2, 2008, 12:39:

That is from Canada's best newspaper. The bollocks Toronto Star paints Colombia in a very negative light to try and make conservative PM Harper look bad.

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adrimm says on Feb 2, 2008, 12:45:

I'd say that it's an easy tie between the National Post and the Globe and Mail as the best paper in the Canada, and both are generally considered "National" papers.

I'm a Globe and Mail gal myself and am pleasantly surprised by the National Post running this article.

Here is a Bogota article they (G&M) ran last year on a similar albeit non-touristy vein:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070622.whappyurba...

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manINred says on Feb 2, 2008, 12:51:

Yeah true adrimm, I used to think that, the Globe and Mail went through a wobbly period for a few years, but they seem to be getting back to where they were quality-wise before.

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Man Tequila says on Feb 2, 2008, 12:52:

The Toronto Star did have an excellent article on two Colombian bakeries in Toronto. I think I saved it, but could not find it on-line.

Globe has better news than the Post. I get the Star for other reasons, and get my news from The Economist and the Globe we get at work. The Star does print a lot of bollocks.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

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manINred says on Feb 2, 2008, 12:54:

True, the Star has it's merits, and at least it's not the Sun ;)

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manINred says on Feb 2, 2008, 12:55:

BTW if you find the article, can you post it? I live beside one really good Colombian bakery, probably one of the best in Toronto (if not the best)

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Colombiche says on Feb 2, 2008, 13:53:

I liked it when they said the arepa is a big brother to the tortilla, except they got the gender mixed up. Arepa is a big SISTER to the tortilla.


BTW, the Toronto Star website ranks as the # 2,689,283 with the most traffic. That's low. Maybe most people read it on print, or people just don't read it at all.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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Man Tequila says on Feb 2, 2008, 15:48:

I couldn´t find the article in the Star archive, it was in the paper in late November. If I still have the article I will retype it.

I don´t much like on-line papers, except www.economist.com, but might scan them occasionally when on vacation, to check the temperature and TSX.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

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