Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Bogota and Flat Stanley

My first trip to Colombia happened to coincide with a visit from Flat Stanley.  My friend Vanessa's little girl mailed him to me as part of their school project.  I'm certain I must be good at it because Vanessa's two sons also sent me Flat Stanley projects.  Vanessa's daughter hit the jackpot because I've got vacation this month and lady friend and I are heading to SFO and then I am off to Singapore to visit with my friends Carla and Steven.

Our first night was in Leon, Mexico.  We arrived late and so there wasn't much going on but the next day we did some posing in front of the engine of the new A319.  In addition to being my first time to Colombia, it was also my first time flying this sweet little airplane.



Flat Stanley enjoyed a little pre-departure Bloody Mary before leaving Leon.


After flying back to Dallas, we made our connection to Bogota.  It's about a 5 and a half hour flight.


We arrived into Bogota a little after midnight and made our way thru to customs and immigration.


The next morning we all met for the free buffet breakfast the hotel offers us (it's a beautiful hotel by the way and in a very upscale part of the city). The Captain had been flying the trip pretty regularly, so hw suggested we go to Monserrate, the mountain that sits along the outskirts of town.  Bogota is about 8,000 feet above sea level.  Monserrate at its peak is over 10,000 feet.  

We took the Funicular, a type of cable car, to the top of the mountain.  It was very steep, and if you are afraid of heights, this might not be your thing. Luckily Flat Stanley was short enough that he didn't have to buy a ticket. 





There is a holy site at the top of the mountain with a shrine dedicated to the Fallen Lord.  As you walk thru the gardens, they have statues depicting the stations of the cross.




Here I am with Dayna and Margaret. This was their first trip on international so they were fun and excited.  A great couple of ladies to fly with.


This is the Borrachero tree.  It's flowers, when crushed and inhaled like a dust, can create the same effects as a roofie.


From the top of the mountain, you can see all of Bogota and at 10,000 feet, I was really winded.  Thank goodness for my new and improved heart!


The church inside has some beautiful stained glass.  This one depicts Jesus being betrayed by Judas. 


After leaving Monserrate, we made our way down towards the city center.  There are lots of security guards with dogs walking around keeping an eye on things. I felt very safe walking around as a group.


We stopped at a local bar and tried some Colon beer (it's named after Christoper Columbus).  Flat Stanely tried to get in on the action, but he was too young. Kids these days!  Please not our departure this evening isn't until 1:30am so we enjoyed our drinks 12 hours before departing, in case any of you were thinking otherwise. 


Then it was back to the hotel in the afternoon for some good sleeping before taking the red eye back home.