Looking for a long weekend getaway with a flight under 5 hours, I chose Bogota. It is the capital of Colombia – a major metropolis set in the Andes mountains with charming Spanish-colonial style buildings near the La Candelaria neighborhood.
PLAZA BOLIVAR
Standing in front of the cathedral
Colombian children happily playing with the pigeons
MONSERRATE
There is a hill towards the top of the mountain that you can walk up called Monserrate. It has spectacular views of the city below and of the surrounding areas.
My sister and I decided to walk our way up the mountain instead of taking the cable car since we are both in shape (or so we thought). It REALLY challenged our fitness abilities, but it was an incredible experience worth having your thighs screaming at you.
It took us about 1 hour and 15 minutes to walk up the stone steps. We stopped (frequently) to rest and take in the dynamic views of the city below.
Once you reach the top there is a church along with some local shops and restaurants. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch before taking the cable car back down.
The top offers wonderful views: a constant mist moving throughout the mountain, a view of a church and religious statue from the hill top across, and the entire sprawling metropolis below.
BOTERO MUSEUM
The Botero Museum was by far my favorite part about Bogota. It is located in the La Candelaria district and features over-sized cartoon-ish people and animals in the form of paintings and sculptures.
You’ll see a fat Mona Lisa, fat cat, fat Fideo on the roof, fat bird (my favorite), fat trees, and even a few works from Picasso.
One Bubbly Blonde 