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Streets of Bogota

An extract from the Colombia Diary 2003
Monday 4th August

Tio Jaime had errands to run this morning, so I decided to go with him. It was a warm sunny day outside. We went to the Social Office to get his pension, then to the bank to pay some bills and get some money out.

Things seem to take place in Colombia with the maximum of fuss. Again this is the spoilt Brit talking, but everything seems to take so much effort. The queues in the bank stretch out the door and halfway up the street. It's like being in Communist Russia or something.

This is highlighted when we go to Chiquinquira to collect Abeula's prescription. We have to line up in one queue to register our name, we then have to go into another queue to show the prescription, then we have to sit and wait for 40 mins until they call our name and come back with medicine and then go and join another queue to get it verified.

The chemist is opposite the university of San Tomas, and the church of Chinquinquira. We go into the church to have a look, it's very impressive, walls of marble, and illuminated by thousands of candles.

We go to another clinic afterwards to make an appointment for Abuela, but the woman there tells us, that as Abuela is from [her village], she has to make an appointment at a different clinic on Calle 93. That's too far away for us to go now, so we head back home.

We're heading through the commercial district towards Av. Caracas, when we pass Fibriozi, an Italian shoe shop chain. Tio Jaime points out a wicked pair of boots and asks if I like them. We go in and he asks the pretty assistant if we can look at them. She's cute, with blonde hair and big brown eyes. The boots are beautiful brown leather. I'm not much of a boot person, but these were fantastic. Tio Jaime told her we'd be back later.

We had lunch when we got back, and then decided we'd go to Calle 93, and afterwards some shopping as we wouldn't be far from the major malls.

We take a Taxi to 93 and make Abuela's appointment for Thursday 21st. We then go for a stroll through the district towards the shops. We stop by a McDonalds for some ice creams. The till operator is a squeaky voiced, spotty youth, reinforcing the universal stereotype of fast food joint employees.

Afterwards we passed another branch of Fibriozi, and so we went in and showed the boots to Mami. I tried them on and after pronouncing them comfortable, Abuela bought them for me as a present.

As the old saying goes, when you've seen one shopping centre you've seen a mall. The Colombian ones weren't so different from American, or even places like Blue Water in the UK. We look round the various clothes shops before we come to the Bogotá branch of Tower Records. Liz and I are abnormally excited to see it, I hadn't realised it was an international chain.

We go in and look for the Shakira CDs as I owe Liz the latest album, after she lent me hers and I managed to lose it at uni.

The CDs are the equivalent to £9, so they're cheaper than back home, but not enough to make the difference worth it. Tio Jaime says there are places that sell much cheaper CDs and he'll take us there at some point.

We shop until dusk, and then get into a Taxi and head back home. On the way, the driver points out the burnt out wreak of Club El Nogal, following the terrorist bomb back in February.

We ate a light supper when we got home and then went to bed early.

By Cockney Colombian on Apr 28, 2006, 08:16 in Friendly Talkzone.

JohnnyUK says on Apr 28, 2006, 08:30:

Moving from London to Colombia hi there, i gather you're from the UK now living in Colombia? i've litterally just come back from Medellin, where my girlfriend lives! my intention is now to keep visiting as much as possible and eventually hope to relocate over there!

Have you any advice / sources of info you could chuck my way to help - apart from this site, i cannot find much on the net and im not sure where else to start looking

i'm so gonna move to colombia :o)

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gringolondinense says on Apr 28, 2006, 09:03:

Great JUK! Im from Blighty too! What was your trip like? Were you scared? Im dying to get my ass out there but Im a bit nervous about it. I might wait until my friend (colombiana) goes back there so I have a tour guide.

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MacGringo says on Apr 28, 2006, 17:28:

Cockney, I'm with you on the point about the banks. What is with, roughly 40-50 people in the bank queue, 3 women behind the counter (1 working and the other 2 sat on their arses doing buggar all).
I seen this a few times in Bogota.

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MacGringo says on Apr 28, 2006, 17:31:

Shit, looks like I'm getting a bit outnumbered with the English here.
Anymore Scots out there? Where are you LochNessGringo?????
Only joking lads, always a pleasure!!

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smoo says on Apr 29, 2006, 04:58:

so little time I found that too, you can plan a day with a few things to do but only get one of them done coz it just takes so long to get around, why is this? great to see some fellow UK'ers on the site. P2000 i would so recomend having a guide for your first visit, especially if you don't speak spanish.

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webmanco says on May 1, 2006, 15:44:

Streets of Bogotá

Chorro Quevedo

Plaza

De la Candelaria hacia el centro

Juan Valdez

Plazoleta del Rosario

San Victorino

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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caulfield2 says on May 1, 2006, 16:13:

It takes hours STILL to see a Notary Public in Russia, in 2006, not 1991.

If you´re an American, this is almost beyond belief.

Anything government related, you´re talking a 2-3 hour experience of waiting and frustration.

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Cockney Colombian says on May 2, 2006, 09:37:

Excellent photos Webmanco, the real streets of Bogota.

JUK, I live in London, though I have considered moving to Colombia for a few years or so, I'm still mulling over it.

If you've got a Colombian novia then she's gotta be the best source of any information. Obviously it'll be filtered through her own bias but if you're going to be with her when you're in Colombia then you've pretty much gonna have to put your trust in her hands.

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Neonovo says on May 2, 2006, 14:26:

Club El Nogal... The Club El Nogaloffers a great view of the traffic grind on La Séptima, down below, during the PM rush hour.

Paz
Neonovo

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mikescotland says on May 3, 2006, 14:34:

MacGringo Aye, man. Only bumpin' yer gums here.
Greets from Glezga!

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