2045 OK, I'm in small and slightly intimidating bar poss called 360 next to Bogota Beer Company. Stones' "Satisfaction" playing. Drinking Poker at IIRC 2300 a bottle. Sat at bar, feeling v conspicuous but f it. Lot of people on street btw. Pub under hotel was open earlier but is shut now, wtf? V dark in here and lots of people (though not heaving) lounging about on cushions behind me. I don't think it's dangerous but you never know, my paranoia has been stirred up. Feh. I have never been attacked etc in a bar, and I'm about twenty seconds walk from hotel. There are no certainties but I don't think the risk is worth worrying about. FFS, even given a 100% safe taxi I'd spend more time in the street getting in and out than I expect to on walk home.
2101 "Hit the road Jack". Always reminds me of C4 "Remote Control". Feeling smidge less awkward. Frankly the whole business about drugged beer etc almost makes me *nervous* that someone might speak to me.
2104 Second beer. Fuck knows how much it cost. Handed 3k in notes over. She didn't like that. Offered 4k even though I knew that was too much, that was waved back. Said something about coins so I proferred a handful and she took some. Probably had no change but my Spanish skills are evidently as a low ebb, waning with the outgoing of the holiday.
Apropos of nothing, Wikitravel says tap water is potable (tho can be chlorine-tasting) here. Quite possibly but not risking it. Touch wood I have avoided any serious episodes of diarrhea (good job as I can't spell it) with my 'bottled or purified water at all times, even for cleaning teeth' rule and I'm not changing now.
2127 Have had look at guide book on phone re getting to Zipaquia (sp). Apart from being possibly over 3h each way doesn't sound too bad. Will see what Wikitravel and maybe web in general say. Guide book says you can do it and Laguna de Guatita in a cab for 180kish but how the fuck do you arrange that? Call a cab firm and ask? Sounds more of a personal negotiation thing. But you're not supposed to take a taxi in the street. As always the guide book frankly sucks but it's better than nothing. I have some idea from this morning wikitravel mentions a 20 min walk or taxi ride in Zipaquira to get to the salt cathedral, if so the guide book says nothing about that. Maybe I misremembered. We'll see back at hotel. Inclining not to do that city tour if it has to be tomorrow, rather get Zipaquira attempted while I have a spare day in hand. Also be good practice with the TransMilenio which may be important to visit the hill safely.
2133 Some people have left and now I look round no one is on the beanbags behind me. Is at least one couple here beside me and it's sufficiently early I am not too worried. Don't want to be out mega late anyway.
Oh, place is '360(degree symbol) cafe bar'.
2143 Judas Priest, "Breaking the law". A song I first learned from Dick 'n Dom...
2155 Beer 4. "Riders on the storm". Made a point of breaking a 20k (but gave the odd 300 exactly in change) since if I am chancing that epic journey tomorrow I don't want to be short of small bills for the four buses (two each way).
0304 Well that paid off in spades. I just spent the night talking with two bar staff and a friend of theirs, and I guess the fact they were bar staff not random people adds confidence. I still hope to be up early, I don't feel drunk despite one of them (not bar staff) sharing aguadiente freely. Meeting them tomorrow 830. Do want to try and be up for Zwhatsit tomorrow, got some advice but basically think is safe and incidentally told that in Colombia it's totally OK to ask owner of random business (probably one you are a customer of) to call you a cab. While would feel wussy to not do the Zwhatsit trip frankly that kind of socialising with locals and Spanish practice is worth missing it for.
Maybe I'm drunk but frankly tonight alone justifies coming to Colombia. That sort of shit is a big reason I travel, and travel to countries where I can more-or-less speak the language.
Anyway, wrt tomorrow morning - not that I feel that drunk - I need to take a lesson from Colin in Bariloche, who got up at 6am to go biking the night after we stayed up til gone 3, and then met me the following night.
(PS Bars shut by law at 3am here, apparently.)
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