After three days enjoying Colombia tourism, I expected more tropical weather in Bogota but the first thing I notice on arrival is the temperature. No \u2026 it\u2019s not blistering hot \u2026 it\u2019s a cool 15 degrees and I need a jacket! How can this be when I\u2019m not that far from the equator? Well \u2026 Bogota sits at 2,500m above sea level at the foot of the Andes so it is cold to mild all year around. But the city itself is Colombia\u2019s warm and beating heart, a vibrant and sprawling metropolis cradled by the tall surrounding peaks and offering heaps to do.<\/p>\n
My guide Andrea (Andy) tells me we can race around and see the best of this city in one day if we go at a quick pace. I\u2019m up for the challenge\u2026<\/p>\n
The second thing I notice about Bogota is that there is graffiti everywhere. Andy reassures me it\u2019s street art \u2013 well tolerated although technically illegal. Strangely, they have an official \u201cchanging of the street art\u201d every six months so it can\u2019t be too frowned upon. Much of it is very clever work and there are even street art tours if that\u2019s your thing.<\/p>\n
I make my third core observation \u2026 there is security everywhere. Police, army and private security guards stand on every corner. I witness one handcuff arrest and another search of a young man spread-eagled against the wall. (I couldn\u2019t help but stare \u2013 you just don\u2019t see this stuff in Oz).<\/p>\n
Andy advises there are about a dozen core sites around the city. The first \u2013 and most renowned \u2013 is the gold museum. Set aside a good 45 minutes to learn how the Spanish stole gold from the indigenous people who had used it in their daily life without recognising the value to the rest of the world.<\/p>\n
Seventh Avenue is closed to cars to make a people-friendly public space. A walk down the wide, bustling avenue will take you past many shops and caf\u00e9s and eventually lead to the Plaza de Bolivar, the centre of the city.\u00a0 The square has all of the government buildings including the Supreme Court, the national capital where the government sits and the mayor\u2019s offices plus the iconic Cathedral of Bogota.<\/p>\n
We visit the Fernando Botero museum, a local artist who paints people and other items in \u201clarge\u201d proportions. Apparently, he never uses the word \u201cfat\u201d and I couldn\u2019t stop laughing at his version of the Mona Lisa (\u201cway funny\u201d as teenagers would say).<\/p>\n
My favourite part of the city is the bohemian La Candelaria precinct, the historic cobbled old town which attracts many travelers with its tiny bars, caf\u00e9s, craft shops, graffiti (whoops \u2013 street art) and young people everywhere \u2026 with that ever-present police presence.<\/p>\n