[BOGOTÁ] Budget and Itinerary (2)

WEDNESDAY: 19 January 2022

Avianca (Cali - Bogotá) - 214,108.02

Airbnb (3 Nights) - 345,760.58

Katios (Grilled Chicken Breast w/ Rice & Potatoes + Pepsi + Milo) - 82,600.00

Uber (Airport - Zona G) - 25,000.00

Uber SPID (Groceries) - 73,650.00

COP741,118.60

[BOGOTÁ] How Rosa Is Your Zona

All this time I thought Zona Rosa automatically meant Gay Area, because “Pink Zone” right? Apparently, Bogotá’s is not, but it is a dangerous place. I was robbed there in broad daylight. By Lacoste. There I was entering the shop and minding my own business when suddenly I found myself swiping my credit card at one of the POS terminals. Next thing I knew, I was heading out of the store with a paper bag containing two overpriced shirts. So, yeah. Bogotá’s Zona Rosa is dangerous. Lots of voluntary daylight robberies happening there. Gosh.

[VALLE DEL CAUCA] Budget and Itinerary

SATURDAY: 15 January 2022

Spirit (Miami - Cali) - 410,276.73

Airbnb (4 Nights) - 507,566.69

Uber (Airport - Los Libertadores) - 41,000.00

Supermarket (Groceries) - 20,700.00

La Magua de Mapache (Strawberry Slushee) - 8,000.00

COP987,543.42

[CALI] Jesus with a Little Bit of Salsa

Travel Fatigue. Laziness. With your powers combined, we’re not going to San Andrés and Barranquilla anymore! Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha. Nah, the feedback for internet connectivity in San Andrés is pretty bad. I can’t sacrifice work in favor of another Caribbean Island getaway. As for Barranquilla, Shakira says she won’t be at home until next year, so what’s the point. And so the Cali > San Andrés > Barranquilla > Bogotá itinerary was reduced to Cali > Bogotá. Chill we will then. Chill, we will.

[BOLÍVAR] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: 1 November 2021

Avianca (Medellín - Cartagena) - 235,165.00

Hotel Blue Concept (3 Nights) - 535,800.00

Taxi (Airport - Bocagrande) - 30,000.00

COP800,965.00

[CARTAGENA] Intramuros By the Sea

Spaniards. You know the drill. THE THPANIARDTH ARE COMING! AAAAAHHHHH! Oh wait, we are the Thpaniardth. THE FRENCH! THE FRENCH are coming to take away the land we took away from the nativeth!! AAAAAHHHHH! PIRATETH!! AAAAAHHHHH! We need to build wallth around thith town! AAAAAHHHHH! THTHTHTHTHTHTH! AAAAAHHHHH! If they had to do it in Intramuros, there’s no way they couldn’t have NOT done it in Cartagena. After all, this city was their first colony in the Americas.

[ANTIOQUIA] Budget and Itinerary

FRIDAY: 29 October 2021

Avianca (Bogotá - Medellín) - 224,588.21

Airbnb (3 Nights) - 271,135.03

Combuses (Airport - San Diego Mall) - 13,000.00

Carnes Parrilla (Churrasco w/Rice & Fries + Pepsi) - 27,800.00

Uber (San Diego Mall - Lorena) - 10,200.00

COP546,723.24

[MEDELLÍN] The Transformation of Comuna 13

Colombia is often associated with drug cartels. Medellin is usually linked to the name Pablo Escobar. It’s been three decades. Perhaps we should all move on. After all, Medellin already did. From having the unenviable distinction as the most dangerous city in the world in the early 90’s with a 6500-murder count in 1991, the city was given the Innovative City of the Year award in 2013 by the Wall Street Journal, beating New York and Tel Aviv. At present, it’s Colombia’s second largest city after Bogotá and often touted as the country’s best. Give Medellín a break. Visit it and see for yourself.

[BOGOTÁ] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: 25 October 2021

Avianca (San José - Bogotá) - 505,803.00

Airbnb (4 Nights) - 558,950.00

Uber (Airport - Zona G) - 25,800.00

COP1,090,553.00

[BOGOTÁ] What's Left of Nueva Granada

The Spanish empire managed their colonies in the new world through viceroyalties. Much of their Pacific territories, from the Philippines to California all the way down to Costa Rica, were grouped together under Nueva España. Perú was its own virreinato. Then Chile and Argentina would become the Virreinato del Río de la Plata, while the northern South America bunch composed of Panamá, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and northern Perú would break away to become Nueva Granada.

[BOGOTÁ] Blast from the Past at La Candelaria

Imagine my anguish when I landed at and got out of El Dorado and immediately felt the cold breeze, not to mention it was raining cats and dogs. When Wikitravel said that Bogotá enjoys some sort of eternal spring weather, I thought it was going to be cool. 13C is not cool. It’s cold! At least for me. Add the Airbnb check-in booboo which quickly became an upgrade and what I got was a sleepless first night in the Colombian capital. I decided that this pitstop would just be chill and focus more on paying some sleep debt.