Bogota, Day 1
First things first…I’m alive and well even though after today’s adventures this may be an overstatement. Last night I got to my hotel, which turned out to be okay for the price, but made up for all missing elements with superfriendly staff. This morning I went to the US Embassy to get my G-4 visa (international organizations visa). At first it was easy…no general lines, straight to the special window. Then, the fun started. Turns out the pictures I had were not the right kind. I had to leave the Embassy and go around the corner to a tent-like photoshop where they took the right kind of picture. After getting back into the Embassy, I stood in line for about an hour only to find out that the lady that took my documents really didn’t know anything about G-4 visa (she told me I would have to wait in line again to be fingerprinted and interviewed). Praise the Lord, He intervened, and after the lady consulted with a consular officer, they told me to come back tomorrow for my passport.
When I was planning my trip to Bogota, I was under the impression that even though there would be a slight chance that my visa might be ready in 2 days, the greater likelihood would be for me to come back to Bogota at the end of my stay in this country to pick up my passport. For that reason, I only booked one night at the hotel I stayed in. Well, since now I had to stay for another night, I had to find another hotel since mine was completely booked. My hotel called and made a reservation for me at a decent looking hotel. However, when I got there with my huge suitcase, they wouldn’t let me stay there since I only had a copy of my passport (the original was at the Embassy). Having 2 driver’s licenses from 2 different countries didn’t help either. I was starting to get desperate when a taxi driver that dropped off another passenger suggested he knew of a hotel. Of course, all travel guides warn that you have to be careful with taxi drivers who often partner with hotels and would take you to a not-so-nice one. My options at that point were either checking in to an expensive hotel (Four Seasons or Radisson), walk/ride around the city with my huge suitcase, or trust the driver and check out the hotel he suggested. It turned out to be an okay place, not expensive, and with a restaurant which makes it easier to take care of meals. It is also closer to the downtown, so after eating a rather nice lunch, I walked downtown and spend the rest of the afternoon looking around.
This would be a good place to end, but that’s not all (btw, this is the largest entry I think I have ever had). I was just beginning to look around at the Museo del Oro (which is also one of the largest gold museums in the world), when the fire alarm went off at the museum and we were directed to the hallway, where we sat for 10 minutes while the museum staff frantically ran around with walkie-talkies. When the alarm went off a second time, we were escorted outside and each given a ticket that said “evacuado.” At this point I decided to walk around some more instead of potentially spending the rest of my afternoon standing outside of the museum. After finding a delightful coffee shop and swallowing down a delicious lamb sandwich (oh, I can hear all the “ahhs”, but Im a hopeless carnivore), I decided to go back to the hotel and turn in for the night. Well, at the hotel I realized that I couldn’t live without some diet coke (an indulgence I allow myself only when traveling) and fruity gum and asked an old man on the street wearing an orange vest (the kind that the rush-hour traffic controllers on K street in DC wear) about where to find a small tienda. Upon answering that it was around the corner, he decided to accompany me there and wait for me until I was done shopping. That’s when my paranoid self started to get suspicious about not knowing whether he was doing it to be nice or wanted money. Praise the Lord, there were some policemen at the shop. After I told them what the situation was, they said that they would walk me back to the hotel. So, here I was, walking back to the hotel with 2 policemen and a weird old man in an orange shirt. What a weird day…My impressions of Bogota in the next entry. I think Im a little biased (in an unfavorable way) right now.
Bogota, Day 1
First things first…I’m alive and well even though after today’s adventures this may be an overstatement. Last night I got to my hotel, which turned out to be okay for the price, but made up for all missing elements with superfriendly staff. This morning I went to the US Embassy to get my G-4 visa (international organizations visa). At first it was easy…no general lines, straight to the special window. Then, the fun started. Turns out the pictures I had were not the right kind. I had to leave the Embassy and go around the corner to a tent-like photoshop where they took the right kind of picture. After getting back into the Embassy, I stood in line for about an hour only to find out that the lady that took my documents really didn’t know anything about G-4 visa (she told me I would have to wait in line again to be fingerprinted and interviewed). Praise the Lord, He intervened, and after the lady consulted with a consular officer, they told me to come back tomorrow for my passport.
When I was planning my trip to Bogota, I was under the impression that even though there would be a slight chance that my visa might be ready in 2 days, the greater likelihood would be for me to come back to Bogota at the end of my stay in this country to pick up my passport. For that reason, I only booked one night at the hotel I stayed in. Well, since now I had to stay for another night, I had to find another hotel since mine was completely booked. My hotel called and made a reservation for me at a decent looking hotel. However, when I got there with my huge suitcase, they wouldn’t let me stay there since I only had a copy of my passport (the original was at the Embassy). Having 2 driver’s licenses from 2 different countries didn’t help either. I was starting to get desperate when a taxi driver that dropped off another passenger suggested he knew of a hotel. Of course, all travel guides warn that you have to be careful with taxi drivers who often partner with hotels and would take you to a not-so-nice one. My options at that point were either checking in to an expensive hotel (Four Seasons or Radisson), walk/ride around the city with my huge suitcase, or trust the driver and check out the hotel he suggested. It turned out to be an okay place, not expensive, and with a restaurant which makes it easier to take care of meals. It is also closer to the downtown, so after eating a rather nice lunch, I walked downtown and spend the rest of the afternoon looking around.
This would be a good place to end, but that’s not all (btw, this is the largest entry I think I have ever had). I was just beginning to look around at the Museo del Oro (which is also one of the largest gold museums in the world), when the fire alarm went off at the museum and we were directed to the hallway, where we sat for 10 minutes while the museum staff frantically ran around with walkie-talkies. When the alarm went off a second time, we were escorted outside and each given a ticket that said “evacuado.” At this point I decided to walk around some more instead of potentially spending the rest of my afternoon standing outside of the museum. After finding a delightful coffee shop and swallowing down a delicious lamb sandwich (oh, I can hear all the “ahhs”, but Im a hopeless carnivore), I decided to go back to the hotel and turn in for the night. Well, at the hotel I realized that I couldn’t live without some diet coke (an indulgence I allow myself only when traveling) and fruity gum and asked an old man on the street wearing an orange vest (the kind that the rush-hour traffic controllers on K street in DC wear) about where to find a small tienda. Upon answering that it was around the corner, he decided to accompany me there and wait for me until I was done shopping. That’s when my paranoid self started to get suspicious about not knowing whether he was doing it to be nice or wanted money. Praise the Lord, there were some policemen at the shop. After I told them what the situation was, they said that they would walk me back to the hotel. So, here I was, walking back to the hotel with 2 policemen and a weird old man in an orange shirt. What a weird day…My impressions of Bogota in the next entry. I think Im a little biased (in an unfavorable way) right now.
When I was planning my trip to Bogota, I was under the impression that even though there would be a slight chance that my visa might be ready in 2 days, the greater likelihood would be for me to come back to Bogota at the end of my stay in this country to pick up my passport. For that reason, I only booked one night at the hotel I stayed in. Well, since now I had to stay for another night, I had to find another hotel since mine was completely booked. My hotel called and made a reservation for me at a decent looking hotel. However, when I got there with my huge suitcase, they wouldn’t let me stay there since I only had a copy of my passport (the original was at the Embassy). Having 2 driver’s licenses from 2 different countries didn’t help either. I was starting to get desperate when a taxi driver that dropped off another passenger suggested he knew of a hotel. Of course, all travel guides warn that you have to be careful with taxi drivers who often partner with hotels and would take you to a not-so-nice one. My options at that point were either checking in to an expensive hotel (Four Seasons or Radisson), walk/ride around the city with my huge suitcase, or trust the driver and check out the hotel he suggested. It turned out to be an okay place, not expensive, and with a restaurant which makes it easier to take care of meals. It is also closer to the downtown, so after eating a rather nice lunch, I walked downtown and spend the rest of the afternoon looking around.
This would be a good place to end, but that’s not all (btw, this is the largest entry I think I have ever had). I was just beginning to look around at the Museo del Oro (which is also one of the largest gold museums in the world), when the fire alarm went off at the museum and we were directed to the hallway, where we sat for 10 minutes while the museum staff frantically ran around with walkie-talkies. When the alarm went off a second time, we were escorted outside and each given a ticket that said “evacuado.” At this point I decided to walk around some more instead of potentially spending the rest of my afternoon standing outside of the museum. After finding a delightful coffee shop and swallowing down a delicious lamb sandwich (oh, I can hear all the “ahhs”, but Im a hopeless carnivore), I decided to go back to the hotel and turn in for the night. Well, at the hotel I realized that I couldn’t live without some diet coke (an indulgence I allow myself only when traveling) and fruity gum and asked an old man on the street wearing an orange vest (the kind that the rush-hour traffic controllers on K street in DC wear) about where to find a small tienda. Upon answering that it was around the corner, he decided to accompany me there and wait for me until I was done shopping. That’s when my paranoid self started to get suspicious about not knowing whether he was doing it to be nice or wanted money. Praise the Lord, there were some policemen at the shop. After I told them what the situation was, they said that they would walk me back to the hotel. So, here I was, walking back to the hotel with 2 policemen and a weird old man in an orange shirt. What a weird day…My impressions of Bogota in the next entry. I think Im a little biased (in an unfavorable way) right now.
Bogota, Day 1
First things first…I’m alive and well even though after today’s adventures this may be an overstatement. Last night I got to my hotel, which turned out to be okay for the price, but made up for all missing elements with superfriendly staff. This morning I went to the US Embassy to get my G-4 visa (international organizations visa). At first it was easy…no general lines, straight to the special window. Then, the fun started. Turns out the pictures I had were not the right kind. I had to leave the Embassy and go around the corner to a tent-like photoshop where they took the right kind of picture. After getting back into the Embassy, I stood in line for about an hour only to find out that the lady that took my documents really didn’t know anything about G-4 visa (she told me I would have to wait in line again to be fingerprinted and interviewed). Praise the Lord, He intervened, and after the lady consulted with a consular officer, they told me to come back tomorrow for my passport.
When I was planning my trip to Bogota, I was under the impression that even though there would be a slight chance that my visa might be ready in 2 days, the greater likelihood would be for me to come back to Bogota at the end of my stay in this country to pick up my passport. For that reason, I only booked one night at the hotel I stayed in. Well, since now I had to stay for another night, I had to find another hotel since mine was completely booked. My hotel called and made a reservation for me at a decent looking hotel. However, when I got there with my huge suitcase, they wouldn’t let me stay there since I only had a copy of my passport (the original was at the Embassy). Having 2 driver’s licenses from 2 different countries didn’t help either. I was starting to get desperate when a taxi driver that dropped off another passenger suggested he knew of a hotel. Of course, all travel guides warn that you have to be careful with taxi drivers who often partner with hotels and would take you to a not-so-nice one. My options at that point were either checking in to an expensive hotel (Four Seasons or Radisson), walk/ride around the city with my huge suitcase, or trust the driver and check out the hotel he suggested. It turned out to be an okay place, not expensive, and with a restaurant which makes it easier to take care of meals. It is also closer to the downtown, so after eating a rather nice lunch, I walked downtown and spend the rest of the afternoon looking around.
This would be a good place to end, but that’s not all (btw, this is the largest entry I think I have ever had). I was just beginning to look around at the Museo del Oro (which is also one of the largest gold museums in the world), when the fire alarm went off at the museum and we were directed to the hallway, where we sat for 10 minutes while the museum staff frantically ran around with walkie-talkies. When the alarm went off a second time, we were escorted outside and each given a ticket that said “evacuado.” At this point I decided to walk around some more instead of potentially spending the rest of my afternoon standing outside of the museum. After finding a delightful coffee shop and swallowing down a delicious lamb sandwich (oh, I can hear all the “ahhs”, but Im a hopeless carnivore), I decided to go back to the hotel and turn in for the night. Well, at the hotel I realized that I couldn’t live without some diet coke (an indulgence I allow myself only when traveling) and fruity gum and asked an old man on the street wearing an orange vest (the kind that the rush-hour traffic controllers on K street in DC wear) about where to find a small tienda. Upon answering that it was around the corner, he decided to accompany me there and wait for me until I was done shopping. That’s when my paranoid self started to get suspicious about not knowing whether he was doing it to be nice or wanted money. Praise the Lord, there were some policemen at the shop. After I told them what the situation was, they said that they would walk me back to the hotel. So, here I was, walking back to the hotel with 2 policemen and a weird old man in an orange shirt. What a weird day…My impressions of Bogota in the next entry. I think Im a little biased (in an unfavorable way) right now.
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