Manizales and Bogota

litost says on May 12, 2004, 15:13:

Hey Shaner,

There's already been some discussion on the subject of Manizales on this old thread:

http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/node/view/2226

Besides what I stated there (as rob), I can tell you that despite its size there's plenty to do in Manizales. You can walk around the center and see the enormous Cathedral and the statue of Bolivar with a condor head, as well as appreciate some early 20th century buildings which have survived or been restored after earthquakes. Not far from there you'll see the Plaza de Toros which is home to one of the most important bullfighting seasons (january) in the Americas, despite what your personal feelings might be about tauromaquia it is undeniably a very important part of culture and tradition in the city, as well as a sign of how strong Spanish influence remains. Just a few minutes up is the neighborhood called Chipre and its famous view... you see Manizales is built on a mountaintop and in this place you have an incredible view of the valleys and cordilleras to the west, plus a beautiful pallet of colors at sunset if you're lucky. On the other side of the city is the trendy Avenida Santander (very recommended), which has a good share of bars, cafes, discos and places to eat and gets very busy on nights and weekends. Probably my all time favorite bar anywhere in the world is here, it's called Juan Sebastian Bar, see if you can find it. The Avenida Santander takes you to the "Cable" park where there is a new modern shopping mall, although its true charm comes from the college crowd that's always walking, sitting around or going to far off places (if you know what I mean). Descending from El Cable you'll find some of the nicest neighborhoods in Manizales like Palermo and the area around the Palogrande Stadium, there's also a nice little shopping mall called Sancancio. It's also a city full of culture and educated people, many places to see independant films and check out what's on at the Teatro Fundadores, and anyways there's always interesting things going in the numerous quality universities in the city such as the Universidad de Caldas, Universidad Nacional, Universidad de Manizales, Universidad Autonoma, etc. And if you wanna escape from the city you have some great options just a few minutes away like the Parque los Yarumos for ecological trails, and the Parque la Nubia near the airport.

Hope this has helped, also don't forget all the wonderful things to do near Manizales like going to El Nevado del Ruiz and the Termales de Santa Rosa...

Bogota can be a tough city, but also very rewarding if you take advantage of all it has to offer, and YES most girls in Bogota are ugly, or at least they look ugly when compared to the ones you find in other parts of Colombia. Luckily, it's the capital and it attracts the best in all fields... so most chances are if you do see beautiful women in Bogota, they'll come from some other part of the country.

Ahora si lo dejo, ya he escrito demasiado!

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glacierdaz says on May 12, 2004, 18:19:

Escuela Nueva lengua Hello all,

Well I am taking the plunge.
I have never been to South America before....
I fly to Bogota next week to meet up with a very beautiful Colombian girl who was travelling in Canada.
I have signed up for a week of spanish at Escuela Nueva lengua at the Universidad de la Sabana. Has anybody taken courses there???What was it like? In early June I will also spend a week in Cartagena.
After reading the security posts...I feel I should be ok. Any advice??? I am sure the trip will be adventurous and memorable.

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Mr. Hollywood says on May 13, 2004, 07:19:

Bogota is great But like any big city it can be heaven or hell. The most important difference is being with someone who knows the great places to go and those best avoided. Don't miss Candelaria. Take time to adjust to altitude and check out some of the various nightlife around town. Considering that you're both taking Spanish and visiting a local you should do all right on those fronts. Have a good trip.

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