Hidden Jewels

I think a lot of you who have been reading these posts over the years have figured out what kind of traveller I am.  I kind of go wherever I feel led to go without giving a lot of heed to what is and what is not fashionable for tourists.  So is this my second time in Bogota.  Yes, there are lots of things to do and places to see that various well-meaning folk have recommended to me and you know something?  Usually they are not the places for me.  It is only natural that we are going to hope and expect that others are going to like the same things that we do but we are all a little bit different, eh, Gentle Reader?

So I am focussing my time here on quiet places.  Today I walked along the Rio Molino which is a beautiful park and walking path that extends almost to the mountain.  There are flowering trees, shrubs and vines throughout.  The only drawback is that in some parts this river stinks to high heaven.  Think of a very good looking person who seldom bathes and you´ll get the idea.  I heard a man singing in a tree. I looked up and there he was doing something to treat the tree and singing as he went along with his work.  I´ve never heard anyone sing in a tree before.

I did stop at a cafe to rest and draw.  I wan´t going to at first but I had a strong intuition that I needed to do this.  During my last visit to this city, the one time I ignored my instinctive sense about stopping to rest in a place I got into some potential big trouble when this fake cop tried to jack me up.  So, remembering the importance of travelling intuitively I went ahead and had a rest at a quiet table. It was a Juan Valdez cafe, a local chain in Colombia with all the ambience of Blenz or Starbucks, but a rest is a rest and it felt pretty good getting off my feet for a while.

I continued my walk up into Usaquen, that quaint and gentrified barrio on the slope of the mountain.  It still is lovely and I parked in a familiar cafe with a coffee and a chocolate mousse dessert called Bomba de Amor (love bomb in Spanish).  Later, I climbed up the road as far as I could go till the road ended.  I wasn't able to do this last year because I didn't have the energy.  I am noticing that I am feeling better and stronger on this trip and I hope to see some places that felt previously inaccessible because of my then undiagnosed health concerns.

On the way back I detoured through a beautiful wealthy neighbourhood with grand houses, trees and gardens and parks.  There is a military base nearby and the staccato racket of periodic machine gun fire provided an uneasy but not inappropriate contrast with the surrounding luxury and beauty.