Day 74
Today I'm in: Bogota, Colombia
I'll admit Taganga wasn't my favorite stop on the trip. It was hot, dusty and more than a little bit run-down, and although I was enjoying lying in a hammock and reading by the pool, for the last few days I've definitely been feeling the itch to get back home. To do so I had to fly back to Bogota and spend a final night there before catching my onward flight to Miami and finally Detroit.
Fortunately, my friends Camila and Heinrich proved to be wonderful hosts in Bogota and made my final day in Colombia a great one. I took a cab to their apartment, and we almost immediately hopped in the car for the half-hour trip up to Chia, a town north of the city. Along the way we picked up Camila's mother, who lives nearby, and who doesn't speak much English. That meant we'd all be speaking Spanish for the next few hours, which kept me on my toes as I worked to come up with the right words and keep pace with the conversation. Everyone was really good about speaking slowly for me, and I think I held my own pretty well. My vocabulary is pretty good, but I don't speak the language often enough to truly be fluent. It was a fun little challenge on my last day.
Chia is a fast-growing bedroom community for Bogota, but it seems to be best known for Andres Carne de Res, a massive restaurant, bar and entertainment complex. It started several decades ago as a simple roadside stand serving barbecued meat, and over the years it's morphed into a huge enterprise spanning several city blocks, with an enormous parking lot to match. Inside there are multiple dining rooms, dance floors, bars, and even an area for hammocks where people too drunk to get home can spend the night. The owner's wife has decorated the whole place with crafts and memorabilia and everything is decked out in lights.
In addition to being a Friday, today was also Colombia's independence day so the mood was especially festive. We were all starving, so I let Camila and Heinrich order a whole slew of Colombian specialties - arepa con choclo (a sort of corn pancake with cheese inside), refajo (beer mixed with soda water that's surprisingly refreshing), some of the best roasted corn I've ever had, fried yucca fingers, and plenty more. The main course was an enormous parrilla of grilled beef and chicken, prepared salted and served on a sizzling platter. Dessert came four ways - arroz con leche, lemon mousse, rich chocolate cake and a fried cheese dish topped with guava jam. Toward the end of the evening the music was turned up and couples started salsa dancing at the tables around us.
Alas, I had a very early wakeup the next morning, so we couldn't stay too late and paint the town, as tempting as it was. But I owe Camila and Heinrich a great deal of thanks for their hospitality and willingness to show me around, and I was happy to finish up the trip with good friends and good food. I'm currently sitting in the lounge at the Bogota airport, waiting on my flight to Miami. In just a few short hours I'll be touching down on US soil for the first time since May 6, and tonight I'll be going to sleep in good old Michigan once again. Expect a recap soon!
Today I'm in: Bogota, Colombia
I'll admit Taganga wasn't my favorite stop on the trip. It was hot, dusty and more than a little bit run-down, and although I was enjoying lying in a hammock and reading by the pool, for the last few days I've definitely been feeling the itch to get back home. To do so I had to fly back to Bogota and spend a final night there before catching my onward flight to Miami and finally Detroit. 
Fortunately, my friends Camila and Heinrich proved to be wonderful hosts in Bogota and made my final day in Colombia a great one. I took a cab to their apartment, and we almost immediately hopped in the car for the half-hour trip up to Chia, a town north of the city. Along the way we picked up Camila's mother, who lives nearby, and who doesn't speak much English. That meant we'd all be speaking Spanish for the next few hours, which kept me on my toes as I worked to come up with the right words and keep pace with the conversation. Everyone was really good about speaking slowly for me, and I think I held my own pretty well. My vocabulary is pretty good, but I don't speak the language often enough to truly be fluent. It was a fun little challenge on my last day. 
Chia is a fast-growing bedroom community for Bogota, but it seems to be best known for Andres Carne de Res, a massive restaurant, bar and entertainment complex. It started several decades ago as a simple roadside stand serving barbecued meat, and over the years it's morphed into a huge enterprise spanning several city blocks, with an enormous parking lot to match. Inside there are multiple dining rooms, dance floors, bars, and even an area for hammocks where people too drunk to get home can spend the night. The owner's wife has decorated the whole place with crafts and memorabilia and everything is decked out in lights.
In addition to being a Friday, today was also Colombia's independence day so the mood was especially festive. We were all starving, so I let Camila and Heinrich order a whole slew of Colombian specialties - arepa con choclo (a sort of corn pancake with cheese inside), refajo (beer mixed with soda water that's surprisingly refreshing), some of the best roasted corn I've ever had, fried yucca fingers, and plenty more. The main course was an enormous parrilla of grilled beef and chicken, prepared salted and served on a sizzling platter. Dessert came four ways - arroz con leche, lemon mousse, rich chocolate cake and a fried cheese dish topped with guava jam. Toward the end of the evening the music was turned up and couples started salsa dancing at the tables around us. 
Alas, I had a very early wakeup the next morning, so we couldn't stay too late and paint the town, as tempting as it was. But I owe Camila and Heinrich a great deal of thanks for their hospitality and willingness to show me around, and I was happy to finish up the trip with good friends and good food. I'm currently sitting in the lounge at the Bogota airport, waiting on my flight to Miami. In just a few short hours I'll be touching down on US soil for the first time since May 6, and tonight I'll be going to sleep in good old Michigan once again. Expect a recap soon! 
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