Well, just as I expected and as I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, keeping current and writing about our trips is time consuming and what I have discovered, the cataloging of photos is the real holdup. I am currently downloading all the pictures from both Bogota and Cartagena and tagging them so that they can easily be imported not only into the computer but also the blog pictures page. I want to present them to you in an organized fashion.

Notwithstanding the reason for the holdup, let me tell you a little about the trip. We left for the airport on Thursday evening for our midnight flight to Bogota. We were flying out of JFK in New York and I had reserved a parking space through Spothero at the Crowne Plaza Hotel just outside of the airport. It worked ideally and saved about 50% of the cost to park inside the airport for the week. I would definitely recommend using it. They shop the cheapest place they have contracts with and reserve a space for you. Worked equally as well on the return. Hotel shuttle picked us up and in a few minutes we were in our car.

People told me this, the flights to Colombia are always full…..and they were right. Well, we got to Bogota at 6:00 AM and the luggage was the first out of the chute. We cabbed it to the Hilton Bogota, gave our bags to the front desk and went in search of a nice hot coffee. There happened to be a Juan Valdez coffee shop around the corner. I like Dunkin Donuts…this stuff is way too strong for me! Betty loves it! She said she is filling up our suitcases on the way back!

Monserrate………Since the weather was beautiful, we decided to immediately head up to Monserrate, an old monastery in the mountains overlooking the city which is still a pilgrimage for many. It overlooks the city about 10,000 feet above sea level and the view over the city is fantastic. Keep in mind that the city is over 6,000 feet above sea level. Make sure that you get here on a clear day. There are two restaurants there for you to catch something to eat, but the main reason for going is to see the beautiful church at the peak as well as the views of the city. There is a long and narrow path down the back of the mountain that has a variety of gardens and statues depicting the stations of the cross. It is quite peaceful and at the altitude makes you feel just a little bit closer to heaven.

When you enter the cable car, when you are going up or down, stand by the rear of the glass allowing you to look down into the city as you travel up and down the mountain.

On our second day in Bogota, we decided to visit one of the truly outstanding places near this city, the Salt Cathedral. My next post will let you know exactly what you need to get there and back economically.