Bogota

Jun 27-29
AC94 YYZ-BOG, AC95 BOG-YYZ

Continuing my plans to maximize points accumulation on Air Canada, I took advantage of good Premium Economy pricing from Vancouver to Bogota, with a stopover in Toronto. With the high elevation of Bogota, it has a great year-round climate, so it made a nice destination. Although this trip was mostly about the miles, I did plan one full day to explore the city.

Jun 28

I managed to sleep a good portion of the overnight flight, and arrived at my hotel where I was able to check-in and shower before taking an Uber to Plaza de Bolívar. Bogota is not the safest city to visit, with a high amount of crime, but on the weekend in the day there was enough foot traffic and tourists to allow me to cautiously explore the highlights.

Catedral Primada de Colombia (1823) located in Plaza de Bolívar, the largest cathedral in Colombia

Church of San Ignacio (1635) with soldiers lined up for a morning prayer

Interior, including elaborate gold leaf altarpieces still sparkling after 2017 restoration

National Capitol of Colombia houses both the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives, constructed between 1848-1926

Minting machinery at the Casa de Moneda museum

Courtyard of Casa de Moneda

Monalisa (1971) in the connected Botero Museum, focused on many works of Botero like this

“Una familia” (1989) in Fernando Botero’s distinctive pre-Ozempic styling

“Bird” sculpture also in Botero's signature style, known as Boterismo, which features figures in large, exaggerated volumes

One of many traditional colonial-style buildings in La Candelaria neighbourhood

The Palace of Justice of Colombia, back at the Plaza de Bolívar

Looking into the National Capitol of Colombia, which houses the country's Congress

Casa de Nariño (Nariño Palace), the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Colombia

Church of San Francisco (1567), the oldest church in Bogota

Bogota sign with a bit of grit, telegraphing the darker side of the beautiful old city

A Native American gold figure, one of many fascinating gold antiquities in the very impressive Gold Museum

BD Bacatá (67 floors), the tallest building in Colombia

Colonial Church of Our Lady of the Waters (1644)

The water channel of the Eje Ambiental leading to Monserrate mountain

Beautiful scenery surrounds, after riding the cable car up Monserrate mountain

Looking at the massive city of Bogota in a bowl of mountains

A more pristine Bogota sign on the mountain top

Manicured gardens in the monastery complex

More views from Monserrate at an elevation of 3,152 meters (10,341 feet)

Monserrate complex

Making my way back down on the cable car

Cloud beginning to disrupt the beautiful blue sky

Restored interior of historic house in Casa Museo Quinta de Bolivar

Kitchen in the separate back building at the museum complex

The gardens and exterior of the historic houses

Back at my suburban hotel, capturing the local skyline

After getting an Uber back to the hotel, I was able to find dinner near the hotel and relax safely in my room for the night.

Jun 29

I was able to grab breakfast at the hotel before heading to the airport and catching the flight back to Toronto. For my flight, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a dead-heading pilot who flew Air Canada cargo planes mostly to South America. He had flown overnight to Lima, and was making his way back to Toronto. I learned all about the challenges of flying into Bogota with its inflexible air traffic controllers and surrounding mountains. He also shared stories of public safety and mugging in many of the South American cities he flew in regularly. Hearing his stories, I was glad that I had an uneventful trip, but grew somewhat anxious about our planned trip to Quito.