Bogota, Wednesday

1325 At Parilla y Tizon, Carrera 9. Getting carne con arepa and possibly a lemonade.

Didn't get up til 12 as was snoozing 'pleasantly' from 11. Meh, sort of an improvement.

Didn't leave hotel til nearly 1 as looking about tours etc. Basically no. Guide book lists one agency fucking miles away and says most tours are min 2 or 4 people, not going there on offchance. Another is half-listed right by hotel but can't find it.

I asked at reception. I am sure they advertise a tour desk. The response was 'well... it's complicated... you could look on the internet'. FFS.

I am taking it easy today, probably go to Museo Botero after this (in same complex went to first day but didn't make it there). Tomorrow probably have to risk the public transport approach to Zapaquira and probably have to forget about Laguna de Guatita.

Oh, guide book says you shouldn't walk around alone after dark in La Candelaria. Yay, perfect for the solo traveller. I will probably continue to risk the three or four immediately adjacent bars.

Half wonder if I should have booked in at a hostel for 2-3 nights even if it meant a dormitory in order to take advantage of their probably better tour offers. Might - though prob wouldn't - also offer socialising options. Not really in mood at end of trip TBH. Maybe something to bear in mind in future. Suppose I could maybe drop into hostel nearby hotel and ask about tour on offchance.

1506 At Cafe Para Dos not far from - but not in, disappointed at lack of cafes, mind you it is titchy  - Plazoleta de Chorro de Quevedo. Getting an americano (COP2k), slightly tempted by Irish coffee at 8k but no. PdCdQ quite nice in a somewhat run down way.

Went to Museo Botero. Something oddly cheering about his work (chubby just-about-anythings, men, women, buildings, animals, fruit, etc), he also seems to have been amazingly prolific and done most of it in his 60s. I had a strange but pleasant surprise on walking into a roomful of his sculptures to be confronted with a familiar looking chubby cat (the sculpture is called Gato or El Gato). I am 95% sure it, or something remarkably similar, is used in an amateur video accompanying the Youtube version of El Cantor Del Fonseca I normally look at (in lieu of buying a copy of the song).

Then went to PdCdQ and here. Oh, before getting to PdCdQ I stumbled on a tour agency. They don't have any groups going to Zwhatsit in next three days but I left my email address - which hasn't ever worked before but what the hell... They do a 3h city tour at 10am, it is not every day but they have one tomorrow. Bit torn, might do it - I think I can turn up at the office before 10 to buy ticket - as on one hand was hoping to try Zwhatsit via public transport tomorrow and leaving that til Fri is pushing it esp when I hope to go up the hill on Sat when it's safer. On the other hand it would be a way to see more of city. Would be finished by 1 so in a way it would be 'free' wrt time since would force me to get up, but OTOH if I am going to Zwhatsit I would need to force myself to get up, I think 1 would be too late.

Oh, I did step just inside Templo de la Candelaria after leaving the museum.

1639 At Que Como... nr hotel, lard on. Bought some postcards and stamps nr Museo de Oro  (will write tonight and hope I can find place again in next day or two to use postbox), went to cathedral on Plaza de Bolivar (what I have been calling main plaza), also nearby Templo de San Francisco (no photos allowed in latter). Getting carne a la parilla (comes with arepa and chips, I believe) and a diet coke. Dithering but will probably go to a bar nr hotel tonight for quiet drink. Not being too excessive and it is coming to end of holiday. Will go back to hotel after this.

1714 Back at hotel. Food pretty good. 12900 plus slightly stingy (tho not usually tipping at all what with the 'go to till to pay' system in use here, so...) 500 tip.

Good (if long; I've chopped it short as is) quote from Following The Equator:

I find that, as a rule, when a thing is a wonder to us it is not because of what we see in it, but because of what others have seen in it. We get almost all our wonders at second hand. We are eager to see any celebrated thing—and we never fail of our reward; just the deep privilege of gazing upon an object which has stirred the enthusiasm or evoked the reverence or affection or admiration of multitudes of our race is a thing which we value; we are profoundly glad that we have seen it, we are permanently enriched from having seen it, we would not part with the memory of that experience for a great price.

2038 OK, I'm not entirely sure why but going to pop out for a couple of beers.