Colombia
Colombia is has changed a lot in the past decade, thanks to the last 2 presidents, who fought a long hard battle with the FARC guerrillas and drug cartels. The FARC are now only found in remote parts of the jungle on the borders with Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The drug cartels have been smashed as well and some have gone up north, to places like Mexico, which is why Mexico is having major problems right now.
Colombia is has changed a lot in the past decade, thanks to the last 2 presidents, who fought a long hard battle with the FARC guerrillas and drug cartels. The FARC are now only found in remote parts of the jungle on the borders with Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The drug cartels have been smashed as well and some have gone up north, to places like Mexico, which is why Mexico is having major problems right now.
As soon as I landed in this massive city, with an altitude of 2600 meters, I managed to get some cash from an ATM in the airport and headed in a taxi towards my hosts' home. It was night-time and the airport police advised me to book a taxi at the taxi office just outside the terminal instead of getting into any taxi that pulled up. When I asked why, they said that kidnapping of foreigners for money does take place and some happen at the hands of rogue taxi drivers.
I was being hosted by a couple (both 25) who lived in north Bogota, the nice part of town. They are Couchsurfers and open up their apartment to other Couchsurfers who request a couch. Jose is a doctor and Maria is a speech therapist (their names have been changed to protect their privacy). I was sleeping on their couch in the living room of their 1 bedroom apartment. I ended up staying with them for 2 weeks and became part of their family. We always went out together, they introduced me to family and friends, and we also went to a town 4 hours away for a weekend, which I have mentioned below.
The first few days in Bogota gave me altitude sickness and I found it hard to breathe easily but I slowly got used to it. Bogota is an attractive city, with a high mountain range to the east of it. It has a European feel to it in the northern, middle class part of the city, and nice architecture. The nightlife is also good with plenty of restaurants and bars.
The mother of Jose, my host, had a chronic problem with her left hip. She had it operated on and it would not lock in place. One time she was in the intensive care unit of the top hospital there so I went to her ward and prayed for her. She said she felt peace after my prayer.
Some squatters had occupied a 2nd family home of Jose´s so I was asked by Jose to attend a meeting at that property with some local council officials and the squatters, as an international witness. Foreigners are held in such esteem in Colombia that the sight of an English speaking foreigner is supposed to mean something. The VIP status of foreigners is due to the fact that for 3 decades Colombia was such a dangerous place for foreigners to visit that there wasn't any tourism. Only in recent times has Colombia been safe enough for overseas people to visit. So, they are seen as a novelty. Also, Colombian people tend not to readily trust each other because of their difficult recent history, but they very easily trust foreigners and have greater respect for them than a fellow Colombian. One of Jose's friends, who lives in the US and works for Harvard, told me that Colombians respect foreigners first, then their president, and then celebrities.
So, I went with Jose´s cousin and stood around for a while and spoke some English, pretending to be a peace-keeper from the United Nations or a representative of the IMF or Interpol. My cover was blown when the mother of Jose told everyone that I was a relative. Anyway, Jose's cousin suggested we visit a local Persian restaurant, where Jose joined us from work.
Worst Persian Restaurant In The World
This restaurant did not even serve Persian food. It was just a steak joint offering really bad steak. The owner showed up towards the end of the meal and was taken aback when he found out that I was Iranian. He said that there are only 35 Persians in Bogota and 150 in Colombia. He asked me why I hadn´t finished my food and I told him because his food was not Persian and that I was disappointed. He agreed, with embarrassment, and said that the Colombians do not like authentic Persian cuisine because their tastebuds are not used to the food so he had to modify it. He offered me complimentary Ghormeh Sabzi (a stew) which was ok but still not the real thing. All in all, I was apologizing to my guests for the awful food and told them that the real Persian food was much better.
The mother of Jose, my host, had a chronic problem with her left hip. She had it operated on and it would not lock in place. One time she was in the intensive care unit of the top hospital there so I went to her ward and prayed for her. She said she felt peace after my prayer.
Some squatters had occupied a 2nd family home of Jose´s so I was asked by Jose to attend a meeting at that property with some local council officials and the squatters, as an international witness. Foreigners are held in such esteem in Colombia that the sight of an English speaking foreigner is supposed to mean something. The VIP status of foreigners is due to the fact that for 3 decades Colombia was such a dangerous place for foreigners to visit that there wasn't any tourism. Only in recent times has Colombia been safe enough for overseas people to visit. So, they are seen as a novelty. Also, Colombian people tend not to readily trust each other because of their difficult recent history, but they very easily trust foreigners and have greater respect for them than a fellow Colombian. One of Jose's friends, who lives in the US and works for Harvard, told me that Colombians respect foreigners first, then their president, and then celebrities.
So, I went with Jose´s cousin and stood around for a while and spoke some English, pretending to be a peace-keeper from the United Nations or a representative of the IMF or Interpol. My cover was blown when the mother of Jose told everyone that I was a relative. Anyway, Jose's cousin suggested we visit a local Persian restaurant, where Jose joined us from work.
Worst Persian Restaurant In The World
This restaurant did not even serve Persian food. It was just a steak joint offering really bad steak. The owner showed up towards the end of the meal and was taken aback when he found out that I was Iranian. He said that there are only 35 Persians in Bogota and 150 in Colombia. He asked me why I hadn´t finished my food and I told him because his food was not Persian and that I was disappointed. He agreed, with embarrassment, and said that the Colombians do not like authentic Persian cuisine because their tastebuds are not used to the food so he had to modify it. He offered me complimentary Ghormeh Sabzi (a stew) which was ok but still not the real thing. All in all, I was apologizing to my guests for the awful food and told them that the real Persian food was much better.
Zipaquira
One day I was visiting a salt cathedral down a salt mine about an hour away from Bogota on the outskirts of a town called Zipaquira, which is one of the oldest cities of Colombia, with very friendly people and a slow pace of life compared to the hustle and bustle of Bogota. When I was down the salt mine, I bumped into an Iranian lady (as you do). We ended up having a chat and a coffee. Her husband was a big shot in Kodak and they were stationed in Mexico City but were relocating to either Dubai or Moscow. She wasn´t sure which place they should go to so I was helping her decide. I told her whichever place she went to, she would find Russians.
Villa de Leyva
Considered one of the finest colonial villages of Colombia, Villa de Leyva, was founded on June 12, 1572, and has a population of around 9,600 people. There are several festivals held throughout the year that attract international and national tourists alike. It is 4 hours drive from Bogota and many Bogota residents go there for a weekend retreat.
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