There are a lot of dogs wandering around here, all running loose, all very hairy and all very big. I read somewhere that there's a link between how a country treats their animals and how the people are treated. Think this has been blown out of the water as these dogs look a bit dirty but very well fed and spoilt by the homeless people. It's a bit surreal to see an Alsatian dressed in a dinner jacket with his front legs in the sleeves and one that looked like a St Bernard's squeezed into a little girls dress. It doesn't look right and brings revolting images of Christopher Biggins in a leotard to mind. There were even more around today as there was an animal rights demonstration and everyone had brought their dogs dressed up for the occasion.

Today I met the other people in my group - all of the other 3 met on previous trips, 2 women and a guy. This was a day of walking round Bogota, a lot of which I saw yesterday so I'm really glad I could have a mooch about then. We left La Candelaria behind for the mountain of Bogota, Monserrat. You can't really miss it wherever you are in the capital as it rises nearly 10,000 feet above sea level ( Bogota is about 8,000 feet I think ). Although I was desperate to walk all the way up, I managed to be persuaded to take the cable car. Great views from the top, where, it being a Sunday there was a huge Catholic service going on and people crawling about on all fours having come all the way up that way for penance.

We made our way back down and resisting the impulse to bolt at the slightest sniff of a museum which might be crammed with old coins and bits of broken pottery, we walked down cobblestone streets to visit the Gold museum. I was lagging behind a bit just enjoying the atmosphere and colours of old Bogota but the time had come when I had to steel myself and go in. And it would be heaven for Russian oligarch wives and Mohammed Al Fayed (if he's still alive). I have never seen so much bling! It houses the largest pre-Hispanic gold work collection in the world including masks, figurines, breastplates, all made out of solid gold which was used to represent the sun and fertility. Everywhere is a golden glow. We also ended up back at the Botero museum where we pitched up in a gallery full of paintings of dead nuns. You can't say I don't know how to enjoy myself.

I have never been so cultured on holiday and it's quite nice not having a trip that is such hard work.