Travels

Now that we (wife and I) have a month's travel across S. America coming up, it would be a good opportunity for me to start writing and also documenting our trip

Skipping the general introduction about oneself, I would want to move on to my travels and adventures. As you read, hopefully you will get to know me and all the dumb goofy things I do all the time.

So, the decision to move back to India has been made. After 4 months of planning our trip (this might require a complete planning blog by itself which I will write for all the people who have to go through excruciating experience to obtain visas) the day has arrived for our big move. Also forgot to mention that we've already shipped most of our stuff to India and are living at a friend's place for the last 15 days.

Day 1 SFO-Bogota

04/02/13

Finally the day had arrived for the big move back. With just 1 hour of sleep for me and a 5 hour sleep for my wife ( people who know my wife would also know that a 5 hour sleep for her is equivalent to 1 hour, so at this stage we are even, according to her) we were off to a slow and grumpy start at 4am. Thanks to Anshul Sharma, we were at SFO airport on time for a 6:15 flight. Next 9 hours on the AA flight was depressing, as we were moving back from a country, for good, that we had lived in for 11 years and besides that it was quite uneventful with catching up on sleep.

When the pilot announced our landing in Bogota, the excitement kicks in...Oh shit!!!..this is f*&^ing awesome!!!we are finally doing what we have been wanting to do for the last 1 year.

Took a cab from the airport to Casa Bellavista hostel in Bogota, which was already reserved through http://www.bellavistahostel.co .

Cab: 30.000 COP~ $18 USD

Hostel: $38/night for 2 people including breakfast.

Hostel is located next to Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo en La Candelaria Centro thronged with 25+ boys and girls PDAing, singing, drinking, smoking ( don't get ideas here my dear friends, they are just cigarettes) surrounded by narrow by-lanes (Pic 2 and pink building with graffiti is Casa Bellavista)), dim lit bars and restaurants (Pic 3), could be a little scary for first timers, just like us, but hey, give it 15 mins and a smile and you will flow with the crowd. We managed to check in and find a quaint and barely lit little restaurant, Merlin, right next to the hostel with dragon sculptures and wall paintings all over the restaurant. Surprisingly the food, vino and cerveza was quite impressive and EXPENSIVE for a location like that. With dinner out of the way it was time to crash and we slept like a rock.

Tips:

1. The myth is true, Colombian women are gorgeous.

2. The hostel can be quite noisy as it is right next to the "happening" plaza. So if you are a light sleeper you will have a hard time getting your beauty sleep.

3. Not many people talk english around this place, the hostel guys do, but you can still get around with a little bit of Spanglish.

4. The hostel sells Colombian Pesos for Americano Dollares at a much better rate than any of the exchanges. You can also get away by paying dollares at some places.