Bogotá/Bucaramanga

[HonkyTonk]

Detroit emailed me 2 weeks ago tonight to ask if I wanted to take a trip to Bogotá with his 1/2 Colombian daughter. I said no way on such short notice. Friday I said F it and booked. I Left on Sat, Detroit on Sun. Big E met me at the airport. He's no stranger as we've met before he took an extended "holiday" to be with Angie.

I really don't have any earthshaking news to report, but I believe in coughing up a trip report so here goes...

Got settled and hit Parque 93 for some chow at El Gato Negro with E. It was the 2nd restaurant I ever ate at on my virgin trip to Colombia over 10 years ago. It was great the 1st time, sucked every time after. I don't recommend it. I hung with E and A Sunday. I'm telling you Gringos, that is one nice couple and I wish them the very best! Big E, you've met your match! Angie is intelligent, opinionated, good conversationalist and just a pleasure to be around. I don't like doing all the talking nor all the listening. The conversation between the 3 of us just flowed. Oh I forgot to mention, an absolute knock out to boot!

Detroit and I were there just to relax and see a new city. Medellin was our 1st choice but we only had 3 days in another city and chose B/Manga. We'd rather save the Medellin area for when we have more time. E and I got the ticket arrangements; $104 RT including all taxes on Avainca. Detroit stayed with his family his 1st night then we hit Bucaramanga because neither of us had ever been there. 40-45 min. flight by jet, not turbo prop. To say we were unimpressed is an understatement. Went to the main University the next day at lunch time to check out what B/Manga had to offer. Ugh... I told D that it reminded me of the 70's remake of the movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" where you got pegged if you showed any emotion. I mean WTF?



BF's and GF's holding hands while showing no emotion. It was creepy. I did enjoy all the grub vendors and the dirt cheap prices. A huge fruit plate for $2,500 pesos!



After a couple of hours there we wanted to hit a big mall for a late afternoon snack and "sight seeing". I learned a long time ago that people who live in LAm can't give directions. If they say it's 2 blocks and turn left, it's 6. We were told it was maybe 6 blocks to the mall...it was about a mile, or so it seemed because it was all uphill; MegaMall Centro Comercial.



I know we were there mid week, but we had to look really hard to find good looking women. Lots of fat short legged women who havn't smiled since the Dr. smacked them on the ass at birth.

I actually wanted to take a left to Cúcuta. Detroit got married there in '90. The mall is to the upper far left. Cúcuta, so near yet so far...



We simply didn't have enough time to explore the surrounding cities which we really wanted to do; San Gill (sp?) being one of them. I think we would have had a better time if we took a week to explore, but it wasn't to be. The University is a place to hang out as well as Zona Rosa and Parque de las Palmas; if you like watching your hair fall out. I don't want to sound like any kind of expert on the city only spending 3 days there, but I liked every city I've ever traveled to SOTB better after only 3 days.

We had a good time there but will probably never return. LL found some really nice places to visit outside the city, but he had more time. I do know there's other places I'd rather explore.

One odd thing I did notice in B/Manga, lots of people pushing their out of gas cars/motos into the gas stations. I didn't think it was possible to run a tank lower than I've seen taxis do all over LAm. I guess it's still a learning curve in B/Manga. In case you're wondering, it takes an average of 5 men + the driver to push a taxi up hill. It also seemed we never walked downhill anywhere there, it was always uphill. The weather was great. While we were there no rain and in the 80's.

Landed in Bogotá early AM and we saw what we must have missed in B/Manga; fine women. It was a day/night difference. Headed to Nelson's LAI just to say Hi. E met us there. Nelson invited us to a party he was throwing that night. Sounds good to us! Got there an hour late and was pleased to see E and A there. Nelson throws some good parties and the women were friendly and attractive. What more can you ask for?

Spent the last day with Detroit's family. They are as fine a people as I've ever met. We had a blast! Too bad all they had to drink was Rum I can't drink the hard stuff but enjoyed the others who did. I still ache for my friend who had his wife taken from him, their daughter and family by that drunk driver up here in '95.

Some observations about Bogotá in the 10 years I've been going there. Everything is better except for the prices. I got about $1850COP per $ at a cambio and maybe $1950 at an ATM. Won't know till I get my bank statement. Restaurant prices much higher. If the exchange rate was higher it might have worked itself out. It wasn't. Restaurant prices generally equal to or more than the US for equivilant meals. I don't know how Colombians can afford it. El Corral burger joint $19,000COP for the equivilant of a Happy Meal? McDonalds is considered an upscale eatery down there? Cars much nicer now as well as the traffic and roads. Colombia really is on the upswing! I hope it continues even if it costs me more to visit there.

All in all a great trip as most everything went like clockwork. I wrote this pretty quickly, at least for me. I expect some heat on my limited take on Bucaramanga. Have at me! I'm too damn tired to care...

[JMitch1959]

Nice Report HT,
I enjoyed every word. Nice photos. The forum needs more trip reports like this. I hope you can take another trip soon.

[Micky10]

Tonk -

Good that you got out of town. Anytime in Colombia is better than time in Ty Ty. Nice TR w/photos. One word to those that pay at least a little attention, Medellin. I will dog you out later just for fun, right now I think that it was just great that you could pull off a trip.

Love - Micky

[Jim]

Nice trip report HT. I enjoyed the pictures.

Truly Detroit having lost his wife to a drunk driver is horrible.

Short trips can be really cool [although xpensive on a per day basis]. No time to get bored.

[LastLion]

As usual you might have scared all the good looking ladies in buca away into hiding!!!J/K

If I remember clearly you have to hang out in cabecera or sotomayor areas. I saw plenty of beauties there.. But you are right there is a heavy indegenous influence in the gene pool which may have contributed to the short pear shaped ladies..

What were a couple of older guys doing hanging at the university!

I am glad to hear you got out and about.. For a guy who wasnt taking vacactions you sure have gotten around a bit lately...

Medellin is tops for viewing the ladies, the climate tends to make the gals reveal a little more skin and of course the heavy spanish influence there mixes the gene pool heavily..


Bogota is so big there is really no wrong in going there, there is just so much to do.

How was the weather there? I always get the chills thinking about Bogota!!

Ok tonk so final question did you meet any interesting gals the may have peaked your interest?

[Benjio]

Tonk, that looks like a plate full of Diabetes. My teeth hurt just from looking at that spread....Goodness gracious!!!!

[Ricardo]

Thanks for the trip report Tonk. How is Dr. D doing?

[Whitey]

Thanks for the trip report, HT. Bumanguesas have a reputation for bad tempers ... maybe that explains all the expressionless faces ..?

Did you chow down on any of the hormigas culonas while you were there?

Hmmm ... bad-tempered, expressionless, squat, ant-eating women ... not sounding so good ... ;-)

Whitey

[Micky10]

If you will remember, last year, actually getting closer to two years ago, I went to Andes and said I did not see ONE attractive person all day. Andes is much smaller than Buca, but none the less it is true and hard to believe. Throw in the fact that I hang my hat in Medellin, where you can't go two minutes without seeing good looking people. I guess the Paisas have it ALL!

Love - Micky

[HonkyTonk]

JM, I hope I get another trip down under too. I thought this might be the 1st year I didn't since '99.

Micky, the trip report that was a little delayed because of work. Actually I didn't want to have to answer to you as to why not?? Detroit and I both felt our short time would have been better spent in Med....but I'd have always wondered what B/Manga was like.

Jim, Detroit's doing better than I would have under the same circumstances. The drunk driver served his full 12 years and is out now. July 18, '95 will be forever burned in my mind. It wasn't that short a trip, just shorter than usual. Sat. thru the following Sun.

LL, I just picked a # and I'm #99 to kick your ass. I don't think it will be a long time and no need for me to pack a lunch. I do admit I'm on the downside of my peak that never was very high

Ricardo, I guess I answered in my response to Jim. Thanks for asking!

Benjio, there's no way to take a pic of grub and have it look appealing. It was 95% fresh fruit and 5% semi sweet granola/icing. Not bad at all. I'm not into sweets. It was about 6" high though

Whitey, you posted something I actually had in my initial report but deleted it. D and I asked a cool taxi driver what the deal was with the women and straight faces. He said the women of Buca were angry. I didn't give it a 2nd thought till another man said the same thing. Back in Bogotá at Detroit's family get together 2 members of the family said at different times the women of Buca were angry. Seems they're not well thought of in general. I wouldn't go that far but...

Buca for angry women, Cali for party girls, Bogotá for professionals, Medellin for a wife. I've usually not believed in stereotypes but then again...