La Merced

A lazy AM planning and conversation with a French couple who are staying here. They came for the first time last year and spent a month traveling the North of the Colombia and back this year for another month to visit the South of the country. All the people we have met here just love this country and the people. Our friends, Carlos and Claudia, have made this such a great experience and have helped us to understand that you really can (and should) talk to anyone, they truly want to be helpful. Carlos has said that, if you have a problem and are in a crowded room, just stand on a table and holler - I need help - and everyone will try to help you - and after 4 days, I believe him.
Sundays are special in Bogota. Every Sunday 76 miles of City - the Bogota Ciclovia - streets are closed for bicyclists, runners, roller skates, walkers and any other type of exercise you can imagine. ML feeling better and the 5 of us decided to join the tradition. Our B & B host got us 5 bikes and off we went. So much fun and entertainment!!! The routes are full of other activities and things to stop and see such as Zumba, dance, martial arts, yoga, music, food and drink along the way. Just a great way to get all out and doing something for exercise and health. Lots of people, in some areas too many - had to walk the bikes due to crowds. I had not ridden a bike in about 2.5 years but as the saying goes "just like riding a bicycle". Back to the B & B for an afternoon snack and conversation.
Montserrate is a monastery and church on a mountain that looks over Bogota. You can see it from all over the city. Website below. We thought we would go there today but our hosts warned us that on a Sunday it is very crowded and recommended the mountain next to Montserrate - Guadalupe - higher and even better views of the City. So off we went to Guadalupe. As it turns out today was an celebration of some sort and hundreds of vehicles were up on the mountain - all decorated and providing a significant traffic jam on a very small mountain road. Had to park about a half mile from the top - we are now at over 10,000 ft and climbing !! And ML with her already existing problem of not being able to breathe - and now we do this to her. Made it to the top - 10,800 !! Amazing. Just like Rio - to our surprise a huge sculpture of the Virgin Mary and all kinds of food and people. The view of Bogota - a city of around 8 million - were terrific. However weather at the top of the mountain quickly turning rainy and cold. A few pictures and back down the mountain. the
Off to dinner - all agreed we were hungry for Italian so off to a new area of the city. Good dinner @ Di Lucca with lots of wine - nice to have someone else driving. Said good by to Carlos and Claudia - they were so terrific to take us everywhere and help with everything we needed - and were so much fun to be with. An experience I will remember for a long time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MonserrateRead more