Santa Fe de Bogota

Finally I arrive in Bogota. There are clouds hanging low over the mountains and it looks like rain. But right at the moment the sun is shining brightly and Alvaro, my guide tells me that the weather here changes rapidly from sun to rain most of the time and that I should be prepared to bring an umbrella wherever I go.
My first visit to Bogota seems like a millennium ago and at that time; it was a lovely city with only one main hotel. Now there are several small boutique places in the Rosada district (THE place to stay in Bogota). These small hotels come at a hefty price but the beauty is that they are in the midst of the “happening place” in this capital city of Colombia. Just outside your door are restaurants, and shops and street artists and action 24/7.
If you come for business or want a somewhat quieter place to stay, there is a sparkling new Marriott in the financial district and soon to be a new Hilton around the corner. So if walking around shops and fun places is not your style, the Marriott would do nicely. It comes complete with a beautiful spa which is the first place I always stop to get over jet lag. In the case of Colombia, there is no jet lag as it is on Eastern Standard Time and only 3 + hours from Miami.
Bogota has come a long way since I was first here. It is a very safe city now, as is the entire country of Colombia. Gone are the drug lords of the past…their homes having been made amusement parks or apartment homes. In their place are beautiful new high rises made of brick and glass and all with parks in the middle for the families to use as they wish. Flowering trees are everywhere, as are lush green landscapes….a result of the frequent rains I guess.
There is a wonderful historic area with several little quaint hotels as well. Walking here at night is still a little dicey as it is in the center of a lot of cities, but during the daytime there are cathedrals to visit, palaces of historic patriots of Colombia and little streets filled with antique houses. There is a renovation project going on here and hopefully in a few years, the historic center of Bogota will be as safe and as beautiful to visit as is Quito, Ecuador.
So my first day in Bogota is all about exploring this new city. So far…I am delighted and finally after so many years away, it is lovely and safe and a great place to visit.