Ojibear65 Posted November 9, 2021 Posted November 9, 2021 Hello: I'm heading south to Bogota in late February 22 to celebrate my 57th birthday and meet some cute guys. How are things there since the pandemic began? I live in Canada. Cheers ... Ojibear Quote
Members Popular Post macdaddi Posted November 12, 2021 Members Popular Post Posted November 12, 2021 From my Colombian friends, thing are progressing back to a new normal. You will be expected to wear masks in almost all indoor situations (malls, hotels, government buildings, etc. Bars are restaurants are back to full capacity. There you will be expected to wear a mask when moving through the room, but can remove it once seated. A curious custom I saw last year was Colombians putting masks back on when the waiter or service person approached the table. The big megaclubs (Theatron, El Mozo, Ghetto Tank, et al.) are very relaxed with masking and you will see very few masks indoors. Clubs like Gigolo Erotic House, Recreo de Adan, or Perro y Candelaría are also very lax on masking once inside. Likewise, any outdoor space (cafe, restaurant, bar etc.) will not have a requirement for masking. Keep in mind that Bogotá is at a very high altitude. The days in January can run into the mid 20's C, but things cool off in the evening. Much like Canada, you will see many outdoor spaces with heaters to keep the punters warm. You will see big crowds around the city as things have largely returned to a routine. Colombians are fun-loving and very social as a society.. They are fascinated by the sudden global interest in their country, and I believe you will meet many cute locals that will be happy to introduce you to Colombian culture. I would also suggest you might want to consider other warmer options during your trip, like Cali, Medellin or Cartagena -- there is a big sale on intercity travel right now and I got my flight from Bogota to Medellin for just $20CAD on Avianca. It's an incredible country and I hope you enjoy an amazing birthday trip. Latbear4blk, vinapu, caeron and 2 others 4 1 Quote
Members scott456 Posted November 12, 2021 Members Posted November 12, 2021 [QUOTE] They are fascinated by the sudden global interest in their country. [/quote] Why is there a sudden global interest in Colombia? Quote
Members Popular Post macdaddi Posted November 13, 2021 Members Popular Post Posted November 13, 2021 2 hours ago, scott456 said: [QUOTE] They are fascinated by the sudden global interest in their country. [/quote] Why is there a sudden global interest in Colombia? Sudden is perhaps not the best choice of word here. Will keep this relatively concise. Following more than 20 years of internal strife (drug wars, paramilitaries, FARC) that made life in Colombia difficult, a peace agreement was reached (not yet ratified in 2021) that finally brought stability to much of the country. Since that time, tourism has grown significantly year-over-year until the pandemic. For an entire generation of Colombians, seeing foreign tourist is a novelty that they rarely saw during this period. Mass tourism as a business is relatively new, and Colombia sees tourists from all over the world. The NYT named it their top international travel destination in 2018. So this is not "sudden", I apologise, but rather a growing business that is still novel for the locals. Ojibear65, tm_nyc, caeron and 2 others 4 1 Quote
Ojibear65 Posted December 5, 2021 Author Posted December 5, 2021 On 11/12/2021 at 1:11 PM, macdaddi said: From my Colombian friends, thing are progressing back to a new normal. You will be expected to wear masks in almost all indoor situations (malls, hotels, government buildings, etc. Bars are restaurants are back to full capacity. There you will be expected to wear a mask when moving through the room, but can remove it once seated. A curious custom I saw last year was Colombians putting masks back on when the waiter or service person approached the table. The big megaclubs (Theatron, El Mozo, Ghetto Tank, et al.) are very relaxed with masking and you will see very few masks indoors. Clubs like Gigolo Erotic House, Recreo de Adan, or Perro y Candelaría are also very lax on masking once inside. Likewise, any outdoor space (cafe, restaurant, bar etc.) will not have a requirement for masking. Keep in mind that Bogotá is at a very high altitude. The days in January can run into the mid 20's C, but things cool off in the evening. Much like Canada, you will see many outdoor spaces with heaters to keep the punters warm. You will see big crowds around the city as things have largely returned to a routine. Colombians are fun-loving and very social as a society.. They are fascinated by the sudden global interest in their country, and I believe you will meet many cute locals that will be happy to introduce you to Colombian culture. I would also suggest you might want to consider other warmer options during your trip, like Cali, Medellin or Cartagena -- there is a big sale on intercity travel right now and I got my flight from Bogota to Medellin for just $20CAD on Avianca. It's an incredible country and I hope you enjoy an amazing birthday trip. Thank you very much. It's already been down to -20 here in NorthWestern Ontario. I'm meeting an online friend I've been chatting with for over 2 years. I'm brushing up my Spanish. My Colombian friend is learning English. Gracias! macdaddi 1 Quote
Members macdaddi Posted December 9, 2021 Members Posted December 9, 2021 On 12/5/2021 at 2:35 AM, Ojibear65 said: Thank you very much. It's already been down to -20 here in NorthWestern Ontario. I'm meeting an online friend I've been chatting with for over 2 years. I'm brushing up my Spanish. My Colombian friend is learning English. Gracias! ¡Buena suerte con los estudios de español! Good luck with your Spanish language studies. Wanted to share this article on best restaurants in Latin America, as many are in Bogotá. Maybe a memorable evening out for you and your Colombian friend. https://thecitypaperbogota.com/dining/colombia-rankings-among-latin-americas-50-best-restaurants/28751 There are also two restaurants on Monserrate (mountain above Bogota city) where you can enjoy a romantic meal overlooking the city. https://restaurantesmonserrate.com/ and La Parilla Monserrate (no website) +57 1 745 4630 Riobard and Lonnie 1 1 Quote
Members Riobard Posted December 9, 2021 Members Posted December 9, 2021 I’m light on breakfast and dinner and prefer a substantial midday meal when travelling. 26 months ago Balsa at the Gold Museum, packed at peak lunchtime but accommodated walk-in basis around 13:30, was quite fine. Similarly, Marcha within the cluster of museums that includes Botero Museum. Both satisfying following hours of sightseeing and without being tied to a reservation timeline. I had figured on returning at least once a year but, like everybody else’s best-laid plans … Good to have these recent top-tier eatery tips for an eventual return, having accomplished the typical first-time sched-loaded 1-week sights sweep and able to slow it down next time. tm_nyc and macdaddi 1 1 Quote
Ojibear65 Posted December 14, 2021 Author Posted December 14, 2021 On 12/8/2021 at 11:29 PM, macdaddi said: ¡Buena suerte con los estudios de español! Good luck with your Spanish language studies. Wanted to share this article on best restaurants in Latin America, as many are in Bogotá. Maybe a memorable evening out for you and your Colombian friend. https://thecitypaperbogota.com/dining/colombia-rankings-among-latin-americas-50-best-restaurants/28751 There are also two restaurants on Monserrate (mountain above Bogota city) where you can enjoy a romantic meal overlooking the city. https://restaurantesmonserrate.com/ and La Parilla Monserrate (no website) +57 1 745 4630 Thank kindly for your suggestions. I want to enjoy Bogota to the fullest. So as we say in Ojibwe/Chippewa, MIIGWECH! macdaddi 1 Quote
