The Much Nicer Side of Things

1) Avenida Jimenez is the OLDEST street in the city, making it a MUST! La Zona Rosa (LOTS of pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants, boutiques, galleries, you name it!), La Candelaria (the oldest part of town has a charm of its own during the day with rich colonial architecture and is transformed at night by club goers, artists, musicians, restaurant lovers, and all those seeking some culturally enriching fun (or a nice cold beer!), El Norte (north side of town has the upper-end boutiques and residential neighbourhoods that most seem to either ignore, or just never told about; you want to explore this area because you will also be surprised to find quite exclusive shopping, restaurants, country clubs---though most require membership and you must belong to one of the well-to-do families or are not accepted in--- and lovely architecture in the residential neighborhood.

Must know the all construction in Bogota is made of brick (some facades are covered with stucco or with stone, but brick is what homes are made of and we love it just like that!), MUSEUMS (you will find these through out the city: Modern art, antique shoppes, Pre-Colombian findings, Colonial art, history and architecture, El Museo de los Ni~os (Children's museum-----coolest one I have ever been to EVER), Botanical Gardens, Parks, etc.... 2) Known as The Athens of The Americas: this comes from a rich cultural diversity in its people and reinforced by the hundreds of arts/music/literary/film festivals held each year in this city. Go to watch some plays!

Theater is one of the biggest things in Bogota! 3) FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! Restaurants like Andres Carne de Res, La Parrillada Argentina, Yanuba (quintessential Bogota Tea-room---there are several throughout the city, great food at a great price), and more that I can not think of at this hour.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Rent a car, but better yet, have a local show you around! If you don't know someone there, star making some friends (there are a lot of Colombians throughout the world wanting to show you the beauty of this country!)

4) It is not hot! Don't think that because it is in the "tropics" it will be warm. Bogota is the 3rd highest modern city in the Americas (after La Paz and Lima), and because it is in the Andes, it will be cold;  think of it as an eternal spring/autumn. Annual average temperature during the daytime ranges from 58º to 68º F, but at night it can drop as low as in the low 30's. Bring yourself a nice leather jacket or a thick coat; people also use scarves and even gloves from time to time (usually late at night). On freaky days we do get up in the low 70's all thanks to global warming (thank you humankind!).

It rains a lot! Bring an umbrella. We also have a windy season and if I recall well, it's usually in August and you will see a lot of kytes up in the air (competitions and festivals to celebrate the windy season also occur around this time).

5) December: I think it's the best month to visit because you see true Colombian traditions come afloat thanks to the holiday season. Being a country of mostly Roman Catholics, you will see that the whole month of December is dedicated to Christmas, not because of the shopping, but because of the nativity scenes erected throughout the city (from churches and cathedrals, to schools, parks, homes, and even shopping centers!), the city is filled with lights all month long representing the spirit of the season. People make it a point to drive around to search out these nativity scenes and light displays. Another thing to keep in mind is that there is serious and heavy partying going on during Christmas and New Years. Lots of great food, and plenty of alcohol to be had (please don't drink and drive). There are also other traditions like El Dia de Los Inocentes (I can't recall if it's on the 28th of December or November, but everyone tries to prank everyone else; even in the newscasts! It's all fun and games and it is to honor the innocent souls of children and other kind-hearted spirits. A New Year's tradition in some homes and neighborhoods is the Año Viejo (The Old Year Doll): people make a life-sized doll by filling old clothes with newspaper and fireworks and they call "him" Old Year. At midnight on New Years Eve, everyone gathers on the block and hand this doll and light him up (to burn all those bad things from last year away and start with the new). Pretty fun and awesome, especially when they make them look like politicians or unlikable characters from everyday life.

6) There is so much more I am missing, so I suggest you make sure you go to Bogota and discover how great it is for yourself! Use your common sense and enjoy what this great city has to offer.