Viva Colombia Day 1 - Cruising on a bicicleta (7/29/16)

I planned this trip so that I could share my joy of traveling with a lifelong (29 years at time of this trip) friend of mine, Eric. We had talked about taking a trip together for half a decade and finally the stars aligned and we were able to take a trip together. The following is the day by day recount of our trip through the interior of Colombia (Bogota, Manizales, Medellin).

My flight was a red eye flight getting into Bogota at ~0500 (was direct just didnt leave IAH until almost midnight). So got on my flight and slept the way down there (as much as one can on a flight). Arrived into Bogota and immediately felt the amazingness that is the cooler temps coming from Houston and being up in the mountain climate of the Colombian capital. Get to customs and there is not a single line (benefit of landing at 0500). Since I didnt have a checked bag, I didnt stop walking from when I got off that plane until I got to the taxi stand and got into my taxi. As we leave the airport, one of the first things I realized was that their roads had designated bus lanes to make little bus highways which was pretty cool (first of a few ways they try to make public transit a priority). Taxi gets me to the hostel (Bogo Hostel), but as it is not labeled from the outside, I walk by the door a few times until a random person on the road saw me looking lost and points me to the right door.  

Not a bad view from the hostel's balcony.

The street I just came upon the taxi. Steep little street. Much more of that to come in the upcoming days. Just waiting for the city to awaken.

The hostel's logo of their bar. This is where we shall congregate.

Colombia, something tells me we are going to have a great time with you. With views like this, its a good start :). 

Walking to go get some coffee in this early morning hour.

Across from the coffee is this University. Was a pretty updated square full of people/auto traffic and shops around.

One of the many beautiful buildings of the Candelaria area. The bars and graffiti are unfortunate but looking past that is easy.

Got back to the hostel, and as we wait to head out to the bike tour wanted another view of our balcony's flag and view.

Talked to the desk worker (obviously this was way before check in time, but they worked with me which was much appreciated) who showed me around and then let me crash in the common area up on the balcony where they had a little futon on the ground where I could sleep for another couple hours until Eric gets up (he got in the day before and already had a day of Colombian fun under his belt). He gets me up and we catch up a little bit before going down to grab some food at the hostel's free breakfast (was minimal - toast, coffee, fruit, etc., but cant beat the price) before we head out to find some street coffee (When in Colombia). After a bit of a walk, we find one over near the university and Eric gets one. It was cheap but was not good compared to what he is used to, nor what he was expecting being in Colombia. Hung out on the street and people watched while we caught up some more before heading back to the hostel to grab my little day bag and going to take a bicycle tour of the city. Our group was so large, they broke us up into 2 groups that took 2 different routes (assuming we saw the same things?). The tour was incredibly informative as well as pretty hilly (imagine that being in a town built amid the mountains). Being on bikes, we got to see different parts of the city: after seeing a municipal area, we went through a pedestrian street, past an old, decommissioned bull fighting ring,  then over to a park that surrounded a neighborhood that had houses that were built to look like British village houses (we braked there to have a fruit bowl with cheese - tasty! :) ), before heading back through a more industrial part of the city with a good coffee shop and tons of graffiti (some of it was beautiful) where we listened to some of our guides friends give a few raps about their neighborhood and upbringing (it was in Spanish so I didnt understand a lot of it but could get pieces here and there). After that we rode through the red light district (women werent that attractive/they were openly playing with themselves and the places looked like old car garages with shiny tile floors/walls and wide open areas - really weird experience) before being back in town where we went into a bar that had Tejo (a game where you throw big stones at triangles filled with gunpowder to make it explode) where we had a beer or 2 and made loud noises.

Our bike tour outfitters. Seems pretty self explanatory what they do.

Eric is pumped to get this thing started as we finally got our bikes.

Cathedral in the main square (our first stop)

Little panoramic action of the square and its surrounding old and beautiful buildings.

Was this Eric photobombing the old English man in the back or vice versa?

Looks like we are not alone.

Some cool sculpture work on the side of the building. 

Church along the pedestrian street that had bells a ringing as we drove by.

One of our stops where this local artist incorporates guns/violent depictions into other people/signs to create interesting works of art.

Another example of the guy's work. 

The abandoned bull fighting ring. I believe the tour guide said the bull fighting had been outlawed for a couple years when we were there.

Got to the park and drove by a hard court soccer pitch. The world's game.

Part of the park as we make our way over to our first food break.

Our fruit bowls. We were looking around at the group, everyone else got these small snacks, the 2 Americans got the large bowls. Both of us saw that and were just thinking how that in a nut shell explains everything :) 

One of the absolutely gorgeous works of art on the sides of the buildings in the graffiti area.

Alright Maverick, lets move out!

Getting serenaded by some local rappers on a quick pit stop.

Bring it on Lance!

Tejo bar. It was a lot harder than one would expect. With my excellent drinking yard sport skills, I hit the triangle once or twice but never with enough force to create the explosion. Some locals did a couple times; it was loud!

We leave there to return the bikes and as we rode down that pedestrian street from before, this time they had street performers of all kinds out and about. We get the bikes back to the store, then walk back to our hostel to shower (had sweated a bit as the biking/sun made for some hot times) and hang out there for a little bit while we figure out the night. Grab drinks and play pool with some British folks before heading out to dinner. We go to check out the popular square (around Crr2 and Calle 12b) which is FULL of young men and women sitting around and hanging out, some smoking cigarettes, some playing little instruments, some drinking, just a giant social gathering which was pretty cool. After exploring the area a little bit, we go into one of the random spots and have a sandwich and my first chicha (a weak sour beer that doesnt taste that bad but nothing like the sour beers I have grown accustomed to in the States). We explore more of the square before heading back to the hostel to hang out a bit before bed.

Neighborhood cat chilling on a roof rehydrating.

Sunset from the balcony. Yes please!

This is one perk of booking a hostel on top of a hill. Was on the outskirts of the area but this view makes it worth it.

Panoramic going from light to dark.

City starting to light up a bit as the sun disappears

Sun practically gone. Beautiful sky with the expansive city all in front of us. 

Look at all these hooligans. Nah just kidding large density of young people just hanging out in group circles. Was pretty unexpected as we approached the area but a welcome surprise.

One of the alleys around the busy square.

Eric just trying to blend in among the locals.