3- Bogota
There are two areas where you can stay in general. One is La Candelaria, which is called the most touristic and old historical city center, and the other is the Chapinero district, where the wealthy part of the city generally lives.. I chose the Chapinero area and stayed in a hostel for 7 USD including breakfast.. The room was for 6 people. There are plenty of hotel and hostel alternatives in both regions I mentioned.. You can find many places suitable for your purse.
As I said, Medellin’s public transportation system is good, actually Bogota’s is also good, but it’s a bit complicated. They have the same metrobus case with us.. But the stops are too complicated. If you solve the system once, you will not have transportation problems, but it is not easy to solve.. If you buy a metro card again, you can pass without waiting in line on buses and metrobuses.. Because some metrobus stops do not look for those in Istanbul.. Also, money is not valid on buses, so be sure to get this metro card.
Taxi is affordable here, as in other cities.. Feel free to use it and turn on the taximeter.
Some areas of Bogota are a bit troubled in terms of security. Namely; He met two Colombian girls in the La Candelaria area and they took me to a traditional restaurant. When we left the restaurant around 9-10 in the evening, the girls would tuck their cell phones into the jeans they were wearing.. up to the crotch. When I asked if it was that dangerous, they said it could be a problem in the evening.. And they’ve both had their cell phones stolen in the past.. After hearing these, of course, I wandered around those areas with a bit of anxiety, but I never felt a danger like they said.. The general opinion is that; before yes it was dangerous here but now it is getting safer day by day. Here it comes, but because their mouths are burning from milk, they also eat the yogurt by blowing it.
It is already a safe place in La Candelaria during the day as long as you don’t go into the back streets.. It is also useful to be alert in the evenings.. There are other neighborhoods in Bogota that are really dangerous. It is said that if you go, you will be robbed directly.. But there’s nothing out there that would interest a foreigner anyway. So don’t worry too much. Maybe you want to go to the shopping plaza called San Andresito. These places are partially cheap shopping places, but their surroundings are not very safe.. I went to the eldest one by myself during the day and traveled all over the place.. Although there was not much to buy in quality, the prices were cheap. If you have time, go and see it.
La Candelaria is full of colorful old houses as you can see in the photos above.. It also has a street like Istiklal Street, which is full of street artists and vendors along the way.. You can also see very good examples of graffiti around this area.. A famous graffiti master made the picture of the old woman below for a fee.. Similarly, it is possible to see very good examples.. There are dozens of shops of all sizes in this region for souvenirs and handicrafts.. You can spend a full day here.. From here, you can walk to the place where the cable cars leave and go to Cerro de Monserrate.. Almost all of Bogota is at your feet. You can watch the one-minute video I took from this hill below;
Again, the most important museums for Bogota are in this La Candelari area.. And strangely, some of them are free.. They may even be displaying works by Leonardo da Vinci inside.. So it’s an interesting situation.. In addition, the tickets for the paid ones are only 1 USD.
From here on, let me tell you about the Chapinero region where I spent a few weeks.. There are both elite restaurants and local and affordable restaurants for eating and drinking.. You can walk to many shopping malls in the vicinity.. If you need electronics, I recommend Unilago and Centro Alta Tecnologia plazas.. They’re both side by side anyway.. I got my macbook pro from here. It was both internationally guaranteed and even more affordable than the US price. You can go to the Usaquen area on the weekend. Because a street market that I can call good is being established. If I’m not mistaken, it was only Sunday.. It is possible to find many things from handicrafts to bags and antiques. La Candelari: You can see many large and small bars and restaurants like the side streets of our independence.. There are many tourists. There are also restaurants where you can find traditional dishes.. I say don’t go to alleys at night.
Chapinero: It has very good nightclubs, restaurants and bars. Although the prices are a bit high, it is still affordable when compared to Turkey.. It’s a safe place. As long as it’s not too late, you can walk the streets, it’s okay.
The truth is Bogota is not such an overly touristic place.. But the city can be fun for those who like to travel. On the other hand, the best Spanish spoken in Latin America is called Bogota.. Indeed, after traveling so many places in Latin America, I can say the same thing.. Just as we have an Istanbul dialect, it is the same in Bogota.. People speak many and clearly. You can understand easily.
Another thing I love about Colombian people is that they play chess everywhere, as you can see below.. Sidewalk, middle of the road or cafe, it doesn’t matter. In many cities, I have seen children, young and old, playing chess like this.
There are walking tours here, just like in Medellin. I did not participate in any of them, but if you like such tours, it can be evaluated.. Again, especially graffiti tours are very popular.. There are also tours that take you around the city by bike.. It may interest you.
After Bogota, I immediately went to the city of Zipaquira, which is 1-1.5 hours away.. The bus is 1.5 USD.
4- Zipaquira
What makes this place special is the salt cathedral in an old mine. I mean, even though it doesn’t have a very good joke, you can go while you’re here.. Since I don’t like to rush around, I found a hostel and spent two nights here.. Generally, travelers stop by in the morning and continue their journey in the evening.. That’s why there are not many hostel alternatives.. Anyway, I was left for 7 USD per night.. The entrance to the church in the salt mine is 8 USD.. You can easily travel anywhere in about 2-3 hours.. Apart from that, there are places in this region that make very good lamb roasts.. Both are very reasonably priced and delicious.. Definitely don’t skip this one and give it a try.
From here I pass to the town of Villa De Leyva. But getting to this town from Zipaquira is a bit tricky. Since there is no direct car, I went by making the transfers below;
Zipaquira —> La Paz = 2 USD by taxi
La Paz —> Chiquinquira = 5 USD by bus/minibus
Chiquinquira —> Sachia = 2 USD by minibus
Sachia —> Villa De Leyva = 1 USD by minibus
If you are not going to Zipaquira, there is a direct bus from Bogota, I say take it.
5- Villa De Leyva
This is Colombia’s oldest town at 400 years old. Stone buildings and roads are preserved. It can be surprising to see 400 year old structures.. A stunning place with fine restaurants, boutique hotels, handicrafts and souvenir shops. I stayed in a private room in a small family hotel for 14 USD per night.. 2 nights is ideal for this place. The only thing that disappointed me here was this; all the buildings and roads are like 400 years ago but people are new. So a friend can’t see anyone in traditional clothes? there is no. There is no unique culture there.. That’s why the town seemed so soulless to me. But of course, as I said, it’s definitely a place that deserves to be visited and seen.
Like in Zipaquira, lamb-style restaurants are very famous here.. Both the prices are affordable and very delicious. The men are eating lollipops without bread.. That’s why the portions are large.
There is also an interesting earthen house built by Colombian architect Mendoza Morales, 2-3 km from this town.. Cement and iron were not used in the construction of the house.. Although the aim of the architect was to show that such houses can be built from earth everywhere, on the one hand, he could not help but touch the work with its artistic side.. He planned the house 14 years ago, but it is still not finished, he says, it will be shaped even more with the comments of the visitors.. Admission to the house is 2 USD. It can be visited by taking a few hours.
From here to San Gil. I’m passing but still changing a lot of vehicles.
Villa de Leyva —> Arcabuco = 2 USD
Arcabuco —> Barbosa = 2 USD
Barbosa —> San Gil= 6 USD
6- San Gil
Stayed one night in a hostel for 8 USD in a shared room. There is not much to do in this city but there are nice places to go around. If you are interested in nature sports, you can join one of the tours in the hostels and go to the surrounding mountains and hills, and you can do many extreme sports, including paragliding, at very affordable prices.. Since there was nothing high adrenaline that interested me, I skipped these and went to the village of Barichara.. Going to the village is 1.5 USD by buses that leave from the terminal every half hour.
7- Barrichara
This place is like Villa de Leyva very very old village. But a smaller one is cute. Even if you go for a day trip, stay here at least one night while you’re here.. Hotel prices were high because it was close to New Year’s Eve when I went.. I stayed at a small family hotel for $18 per night. It deserves to be visited and seen with its restaurants, old building and a few churches.. Especially the doors of the old houses are full of photographs.
You can also go to the village of Guana, which is half an hour away from here, but I think you should never go.. The village seems to be a little older, but there is neither a beautiful building to see nor anything to draw attention to.. That’s why I say don’t waste your time.
Before Barichara, I returned to San Gil and then took the bus to Bucaramanga.. The bus ticket is 4 USD.
8- Bucaramanga
The point is there is nothing to do in this city. I stopped by so that I could go on the road and have a rest.. Since it was New Year’s time, almost all hostels were full.. I settled in a hostel for 8 USD the first night, but the city was so hot that sleeping with 8 people in a room without air conditioning turned into torture.. The next day, I paid 20 USD and moved to an air-conditioned hotel room.
Although it is a big city, there are not many hostel alternatives since there is nowhere to visit and see.. If you intend to cross to the Caribbean side like me, do not visit this city at all, I say pass directly.. But let me also say this; I think the most beautiful girls in Colombia were in this city.
I took the bus from here to Santa Marta, but unfortunately, transportation was extremely expensive because it was the holiday season.. I gave 32 USD for the ticket. Keep in mind, while you normally buy long-distance bus tickets in Colombia, you can always go to the box office and bargain and they also offer discounts.. But not during such holiday seasons, they even increase the discount and ticket prices.
You can continue from the link below;
Colombia Travel Notes -4-
