Alone!

Nestled in the mountains several thousand feet above sea level, Bogota is known as the freezer of Colombia. It is renowned for being cold, something that my students have told me over and over. So why did I have to put on sunblock before leaving the house? It was definitely warmer than London.

What can I say about the trip so far? Staying with Baby Alex´s family was awesome, though it was a little hard to adjust to calling him just Alex. They have spoilt me rotten. Especially Jairo, Mr Baby Alex, who was given the job of babysitting this poor gringa through her first days in Colombia.

On Saturday he and Alex´s sister took me all over Bogota to show me the city. We went to the new public library where we saw a book called 'Ingles en tres semanas' (or English in three weeks if you prefer) which made Jairo question why Alex has to spend so long in London! We went to the Botanic Gardens and several big parks- including one that Shakira has played in!

Sunday we went to Monserrate. It was fantastic and I felt like a tourist. It was a bit like Korea really- there is nothing in nature that cannot be improved on with a little piped music. We looked over Bogota in all its straight lines.

Monday the whole family took me to the rich part of the city and we went to a shopping centre there where I finally plucked up the courage to try and get some money out of the ATM. And to everyone´s amazement it worked!

Tuesday was my favourite day. We went to Zipaquira to see the enormous underground salt cathedral (no idea why it is there), Raquira to look at all the fabulous crafts (it is like Camden but cheaper and without the hippies) and the hostoric town of Villa de Leyva where a film was being made.

Wednesday, Jairo and me caught the transmilenio (kinda like an underground system but run overground and with buses rather than trains) to La Candelaria, the historic part of Bogota. Poor Jairo must have been exhausted- he had driven me for hours around Boyaca the day before and now here he was again taking me round all the museums. I loved it there! The houses were so beautiful and the churches- well goodness! They almost had more gold than the gold museum. Almost but not quite as I was to find out.

We saw the government buildings and the President´s house (a bit grander than Downing Street), museums of everything! The gold one was as awesome as everyone said that it would be, depsite it being renovated at the moment. We were walking back to Plaza Bolivar and I was telling Jairo about my experiences so far. I told him that every new day brought more incredible things than the one before it. And that today was the best-- and literally at that moment a pigeon divebombed my shoe and shat on my foot! Great timing.

Yesterday I left Bogota. Alex´s family are very nervous about me being alone. There have been several family meetings- including extended family (Alex, I have met your cousin´s baby- so cute!) and another itinerary has been drawn up (don´t worry, Juan, it is the same as yours!). They gave me Alex´s old phone (Alex, who are Amor and Amor2 in your address book?) and called me last night to make sure that I was OK.

Because yesterday morning Jairo put me on a bus to Bucaramanga which is where I am now. Officially alone for the first time.

And, man, is it hot here! I haven´t done much today so far, watched CNN and caught up on the latest Big Brother gossip and started to walk into town. I got waylaid when I spotted this internet cafe though and thought that I should pop in and say hi!

And that is all that has happened so far. Photos will come later but I have shown remarkable restraint and only taken ninty so far and I have been here a week! I must continue my journey into town now. I have to decide if I am going to stay here tomorrow or continue my trip up to the Carribbean coast.

Hum, difficult!