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Christmas in Bogota

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msheehan
  10/5/2014 19:47 EST

Headed to Bogota for a few days including Christmas. Speak some Spanish with a husband that does not. Staying in an American style hotel. Any ideas for fun thins to do in Bogota during the holiday.

Msheehan

folvera75
  11/11/2014 19:12 EST

You should visit the following:

Monte Serrate
The Gold Museum
Usaquen
Zipaquira - the Cathedral Salt Mine
The Museum Botero
La Candelaria
Bolivar Square

Other than that you should visit small towns around.

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folvera75
  11/11/2014 19:13 EST

You should visit the following:

Monte Serrate
The Gold Museum
Usaquen
Zipaquira - the Cathedral Salt Mine
The Museum Botero
La Candelaria
Bolivar Square

Other than that you should visit small towns around.

HugoMaracuya
  11/11/2014 23:40 EST

Folvera ... the lady said FUN things to do. :) Whilst I would agree that those things you mention are certainly essential sightseeing stuff when visiting, I wouldn't necessarily call them fun.

If you want fun, try the ciclovia, held on Sundays and festivos from about 7/8am until 2pm. They turn over the main arterial highways into the city, to the public, for walking, running, skateboarding, cycling, or any other mode of exercise. Plenty of refreshment stalls and other stuff along the way. Ok, you might ask what is the fun in that? Aha, along the way, especially on the Septima (Carrera 7) near the national park, also in other places around the city, they hold public aerobic sessions, where hundreds of scantily clad females bounce around for hours, all hot and sweaty, gyrating sexily and their tee shirts going see-through with all the sweat, to loud music. I reckon MSheehan's husband would certainly regard that as much more fun than the Zipaquira Salt Cathedral. Don't you? He He. ok, maybe Mrs MSheehan would go much on it. Maybe he could do the ciclovia, and she could do the salt cathedral?

Ok, seriously, you made some good suggestions of things to do, and maybe if they do the Zipaquira salt cathedral, they could take the tourist train to get there. Its an old fashioned steam train on Sundays, (a deisel engine on other days), and they have bands and other entertainment along the way.

Also, if you are into old legends and history, you must have heard of El Dorado, where hundreds of people have tried and died to find the legendary gold at the bottom of the lake. The "Laguna" is actually only a couple of hours outside Bogota, to the north, at Guatavita, not too far from Zipaquira.

If they should go up the Monserrate (The mountain that overlooks the city), they can do it by cable car or funicular railway - truly spectacular, but it is NOT recommended to do it by the footpath, for its well known for getting robbed. At the top is a church, and a long stretch of gift/souvenir stalls and local eateries, but my favourite is the restaurant San Isidro. Its a French restaurant, good quality (but bear in mind that like the rest of Colombia, the meat is rather fatty), excellent service, where they have a guy play the grand piano, complete with white gloves, and is regarded as one of the best French restaurants around. The views are second to none, providing its good visibility. The Monserrate is also very close to several of the others you mention, the gold museum, Candelaria, Botero museum, and Bolivar Square, so with careful planning, you could do several all on the same day.

If they have children, there is a town a few hours drive south, (Melgar), where not far out of town is a water park, Piscilagos. There are countless pools, boat trips, flumes, and one of the flume rides is the longest in South America, half a mile long. It is fantastic, and the kids will want to spend all day there.

And as it will be Christmas, I always think its lovely to walk up Carrera 7 (La Septima) in the early evening when it just gets dark. Loads of street entertainment, music, singing, and seeing all the lights, especially on the Colpatria Tower, markets, stalls, street food, and some artesinal markets too, where you can pick up some souvenirs, etc. I think the atmosphere is fantastic, both Christmassy, and also distinctly Latin American, where the friendliness and values of the people shines through.

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