Hola!
After another cheap, lovely night in Hostel Casaltura we left Santiago and Chile. Both sad to leave but we will be back for our last night before flying home in April, argh!!!
Arrived in Bogota after a 5 hr flight to a downpour, we were expecting that though as Bogota is high (about 2600m) so often wet and always cold. Our hostel was a bit of a shock to begin with as there was no heating and only shared bathrooms, but all were very clean and they gave you loads of blankets!! It is a traditionally built adobe house with rooms around pretty courtyards full of plants and hammocks so after a day I was very fond of it.

Well we certainly feel like we are in South America now, after European-esque Argentina and Chile. Bogota is getting safer and they are certainly investing a lot in the police and army as they are everywhere. Once they go home about 8pm, it is still not safe to walk around Candeleria, the historic part where we stayed. Because of this there is no night life to speak of so it's been early to bed, early to rise for us. In fact on Sunday, the whole place was deserted by 7 as we walked home - very eerie! Had great wifi though so got loads of admin and bookings made for the rest of the trip. Also meant I got to Skype all my family which was lovely, I was sad not to be part of their big Sunday lunch but hey, not that sad, would still rather be here!!

We saw loads in Bogota - Museum d'oro which easily competes with any European museum for content etc, full of indigenous gold jewellery. Museum Botero, a hommage to all things chubby! Botero painted and sculptured with great colours and simplicity, just adding a few lbs, loved it.
We went up Monserrate Hill in a cable car to look out over the city. We could see the thunderstorm coming which hit us about 5pm but thankfully we were inside by then as it was ferocious!

On Sunday we went to Zipaquira by bus, a town about 60km north of Bogota, an experience in itself. As G saw a dog being put into the luggage compartment I thought, well at least they don't have cockerels on here like in Asia. Lo and behold on the way back, a cockerel!!
Anyway, Zipaquira is famous for its salt mines (I thought it came from the sea?!) and a huge cathedral in one of the mines deep underground. Sunday is very busy as all the locals go and there is a mass at noon, so we would probably have enjoyed it more on another day but it was good to see it and it is very striking. I felt sorry for the folks trying to hear the priest and pray as there were tours constantly passing with microphones - very calming, not!!

Before we got here, we were told that the Spanish spoken here is much clearer and it certainly is, so I am understanding a lot more now. They still cant understand me though! It should be good practice for the next two weeks though.

Today we have flown up to Cartagena on the Carribean coast and it is boiling!! In an incredibly cool boutique hotel for 3 nights, so time for some R&R methinks after the last 2 months charging around!! Need to sort out what we are doing for the next 10 days too, before we fly to Peru.