Fireworks in the street,
or something more sinister...
Gunshots
by Alex on Jul.06, 2010, under Blog
I’ve heard a few explosions since being in our new(ish) flat. I’ve never worried that they might be bombs and the lack of any subsequent siren action has suggested that they were indeed something other than bombs.
Hearing two bangs in quick succession this afternoon, I thought nothing of it, after all from the not unusual noises one hears ’round here it seems that letting off fireworks is not infrequent… Ten minutes later in my local shop I asked Ángel, the owner, what all the police were doing – he told me that they were looking for a criminal. I asked him about the bangs and he said that indeed they had been gunshots. Apparently the police had fired (into the air), presumably to frighten the guy. To be fair if anyone fired a shot near me I’d run like shit, cops or otherwise!
The mental thing is that about 2 blocks from here is a massive police complex with plenty of guys outside sporting automatic weaponry, not the place to do crime, by any means.
Still, I guess it’s better than worse, definitely a safe part of town to live in…
Taxis
by Alex on Jul.12, 2010, under What to do in Bogotá
Taxis are cheap and plentiful in Bogotá, outside of peak times or heavy rain you rarely have to wait long on the street to catch a passing cab. Although I have never had a scary experience, aside from the maniacal driving, there are those who recommend pre-booking taxis. Some taxi numbers are:
To call a landline from a mobile/cell in Colombia prefix the landline number with 03 followed by the region code. For Bogotá prefix with 031
Pre-booked taxis usually arrive within 5 minutes of booking. You need to give a booking code (clave) to the driver – this is the last two digits of the phone number from which you made your booking. Make sure that the driver resets the meter so that it reads 25 units at the start of your journey.
Taximeters are supposed to advance one unit every 100 metres or 30 seconds if stationary. The driver should have on display a tariff chart, at the end of your journey use the chart to convert the number of units to a cost then add the following where applicable:
Airport surcharge – 3,200 COP
Night surcharge (for travel including the hours 20:00 – 05:00) – 1,600 COP
Sunday surcharge – 1,600 COP
Public holiday surcharge – 1,600 COP
Pre-booking surcharge – 600 COP
Taking a taxi from the airport – on exiting the main terminal (El Dorado) from an international flight, turn right out of the doors and right again at the corner of the building to find the taxi kiosk; for domestic flights, there is a kiosk to the left as you leave the building, there is a similar set up at the second terminal (Puente Aéreo). On giving your destination address to the attendant you’ll be presented with a ticket stating your destination and the cost of your journey including surcharges thus avoiding any ‘discussion’ over cost of fare with the driver. It costs less than 20,000 COP to get to most places that you’d want to go in the city. If you want to avoid the queue or potentially save a few thousand pesos you can often get a cab in front of the airport building. If so, ensure that the meter is reset when you start your journey (meters start at 25 units).
Usaquen
by Alex on Jul.12, 2010, under What to do in Bogotá
Carreras 6 and 6a and Calles 118 and 119 (Parque de Usaquen)
An upmarket part of town with a villagey feel. Plenty of good restaurants and a craft market
Find Usaquen on the map here
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Alma
by Alex on Jul.12, 2010, under What to do in Bogotá
Club
Calle 85 No, 12-51
Zona Rosa
Three dance floors, lots of Latin music and a cool roof terrace with lots of beds for chilling out
Find Alma on the map here
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Penthouse
by Alex on Jul.12, 2010, under What to do in Bogotá
Club
Calle 84 No. 13-17
Zona Rosa
Entry 20,000 COP, worth trying to bargain
Open 21:00 – 03:00/04:00
Mixture of Latin and western dance music, dress is more smart than casual, some of my mates reckon the people there are a bit pretentious, I’ve had some great nights there
Find Penthouse on the map here
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Armando Records
by Alex on Jul.12, 2010, under What to do in Bogotá
Club
Calle 85 No. 14-46
Zona Rosa
Entry 20,000 COP
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 20:00 – 03:00
One of my fave clubs for the following reasons – great music – mostly funky western stuff, a roof terrace with heating where the music is loud enough to dance to yet not too loud to be able to talk, decent dance floor, friendly clientele
Find Armando Records on the map here
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Bus stations
by Alex on Jul.12, 2010, under What to do in Bogotá
Terminal de Transportes (main bus station)
Diagonal 23 No. 69-60
Most (non-local) buses depart from/arrive at the Terminal de Transportes. Buses to most destinations leave frequently and many destinations are served by multiple operators. Accordingly, there is rarely cause to arrive long before you wish to depart and it may be worth comparing prices between operators and bargaining over ticket prices. If you are staying in the centre and travelling north to nearby destinations (to eg. Zipaqirá or Villa de Leyva) it is quicker to get a bus from Portal del Norte
Visit the Terminal de Transporte’s site here
Portal del Norte
Autopista Norte with Calle 175
For buses to Zipaquirá, Guatavita, Villa de Leyva
Many buses that head north leave from the main bus station (Terminal de Transportes). However from the centre, it is quicker to travel by Transmilenio (B74 from Museo del Oro Mon-Sat, change at Jiménez for a fast bus on Sundays and holidays) to Portal del Norte and take your bus from there rather than travel to the Terminal and battle through town. For a guaranteed seat on longer journeys, you might be better off starting your journey from the main bus station
Terminal del sur
Autopista Sur with Carrera 75
For buses to Santandercito and other destinations to the south
To arrive at the Terminal del Sur, take the Transmilenio to Portal del Sur and walk (about 10 mins west along the autopista)
Find Bogotá’s bus stations on the map here
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Bogotá’s parks
by Alex on Jul.12, 2010, under What to do in Bogotá
There is plenty of green space in Bogotá
Parque del Centenario de la Independencia – Carrera 7 with Calle 26
A small park next to the planetarium, perfect for a break after taking a stroll up the 7th during the Ciclovia
Parque Simon Bolívar – between Avenida Calles 53 and 63 and Carreras 60 and Carrera 68
Massive park, well worth a stroll around. Take a picnic
Parque Nacional – Carrera 7 between Diagonal 36 and 39
Nice bit of green space about 30 mins walk north from La Candelaria. Free aerobics classes on Sundays and public holidays as part of the ciclovia
Find Bogotá parks on the map here
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