End of the trip

10-12/09/2011

This morning we woke up late…at 9am!! We finished our bags, checking we didn’t have any liquids in the small bag and resting watching tv waiting for Oto to come pick us up.

Meanwhile waiting, we remembered that we had something to do before leaving Colombia: taste the famous “Santanderian” ants!!! Yes I wrote it correctly: ants, roasted ants to be precise.

 

 

 

My dad immortalized the moment: forbidden to laugh!

2nd try:

We went to have lunch with Oto and Antonio as Amanda had to work. We went in a very very good restaurant, the decoration was spectacular and the restaurant big. It was divided in small sector where you have: fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, bakery…etc so you can eat whatever you want! You ordered at the counter, they give you a small plastic square and you go finding a table (easier to eat^^). When your order is ready, they make your little square flash and vibrate! It’s very funny.

I don’t have any photos as it was on my dad’s camera and we took different ways before I had the chance to copy them on my computer :-( But don’t worry; I’ll put them very soon

We went back to Oto’s place,picked up our bags and went to the airport. After doing the check-in, we stayed for a short time together and at 3:30pm my dad passed the security and I stayed on the other side. Indeed we didn’t have the same flight as I booked mine in January and my dad bought his in march. It was too expensive for him to book the same flight as me.

At 6pm I was able to register my bag as the lufthansa desk wasn’t open earlier. I stayed a bit longer in the open area before passing the security at 8pm.

The flight in the A340 was smooth and nice. Except maybe my neighbor who was a bit annoying…. He was quite nice at first and we chatted for like half an hour. I then was watching a movie and he tapped my arm to attract my attention. I took my headphone out of my ears:

“-Yes?

-Did you go to Cali

-No, I went to Cartagena, Santa Marta, .. (telling him all the cities we’ve been”

-Ah ok, bad luck”

Going back to my movie and 3 minutes later: same thing tapping on my arm so I put my headphone half way on my ear to be polite and at the same time showing him that I was a bit busy.

“-have you been to Puerto Asis?

-no but maybe next time”

And so on for like 3 more time, at the end I stopped my movie and tried to sleep, hopping that would stop him…apparently no…

But apart from that the flight was pleasant. It was funny because we had to have the windows closed during the flight and at 4am I wanted to see the sky so I opened the blinder… clever Claire, very clever…because at 4am in Colombian time it’s noon near Europe…So you can imagine the sun I received directly in the face!

Once we got at Francfurt, I grabbed my suitcase and went for the bus. 2:30 later I arrived at Strasbourg bus station where I met an old teacher of mine. We didn’t have the chance to speak a lot as I only had 15 minutes to find and get on my train for Toulon. Luckily Kevin was waiting for me in front of the train with my ticket so I didn’t have to do anything else! Thanks Kevin!

I arrived at 7:40 at Toulon where my mum picked me up with my two dogs Chelsea and Cookie.

Tomorrow: Sorry but there is no tomorrow, that’s the end of my wonderful adventure in Central and South America. Thanks to all those who made this adventure the best one ever.

GOODBYE!!!

Bogota Part 2

09/09/2011

This morning was quite relaxing, we took our time to get ready and decided to go visiting the botanic garden and Silmon Bolivar’s park. We spent nearly 2 hours in the botanic park, walking around, enjoying the calm and the atmosphere. Then we moved on to go to Bolivar’s park. It was a nice relaxing time; we walked, ate, walked, ate, walked and ate…. Very productive would you say..you are right :-)

At midday we met with Giovanny and his daughter Gabriella. With them we went to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira. It was a very nice visit, quite impressive so see a cathedral 180 meters under earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We then went to have lunch…at 6pm!! It was a quite strange restaurant, very good food, but the decoration was quite…unusual.

It was sooo funny! We went out of the restaurant at 7pm and Giovanny took out his tickets from the parking “closing at 6pm”!!! He ran there to see if by any chance it was still open…it wasn’t! Fortunately a little shop in front had the number so we called and the lady kindly agreed to come back and open the parking! It was nice because otherwise we would have had to stay overnight or take a bus going back and picking the car the next day :S

Meanwhile waiting for the parking to be opened, we did some shopping at the little shop…they were very happy!!!

Back home we met Otto and Amanda, Carlos’ brother and sister and went with them to have a beer in a nearby bar.

Love it!! "we don't accept drunk people, we make them" Jajaja!

Back home it was time to pack for the last time our big bags

 

Tomorrow: Plane for Europe..

Bogota

08/09/2011

Today we woke up at 6:55 (to be precise^^) and had melon for breakfast. We got ready and decided what we wanted to do. Around 8 came a neighbor and invited us to have a coffee. We went on the terrace and enjoyed a good cup of coffee while chatting. We were in a long discussion about studies and the differences between Colombia and France so we sat down and had a glass of fresh orange juice.

At 1à we decided it was time to go and do something, we decided not to go to the Salt Cathedral but to go to Bogota Center. We told Giovanny about our plans by message and he told us he would meet us there. We took a taxi and went to la Plaza Bolivar where are the city council, the cathedral, the deputy and a lot of pigeons jajaja. It was a beautiful place.

 

 "Colombian, weapons gave us our independance, laws will give us freedom"

 

 

 

 

 We then went to see San Carmen church, surely one of the most beautiful church I've ever seen.

 

 

 

Don't you see anything weird in this picture?

 

In this picture to be more precise:

 Have you ever seen a man in a suit on a church drawing?

 After we took the road to go to the gold museum but stopped on the way to have churros and Obleas (who said “diet”???).

 

We met Giovanny and enjoyed the gold museum.

 

 

 

 

 

At 3pm we went out, met a friend of is: Johanna and went to have lunch: a plate of meat cooked on wood fire: it was all delicious. We shared a plate with my dad as we weren’t very hungry. Well enjoy if we had been hungry; it would have been difficult to eat a plate each as they were very big.

 

 

 

Montserrat Sanctuary was waiting for us on the hill near Bogota so we went to visit it. We had a spectacular view of Bogota from there. We could feel, while walking, that we were very high: we felt the lack of oxygen. Bogota is at 2600meters and Montserrat is at 3100 meters.

Johanna and Giovanny made us tried typical dishes: a kind of tea with Aguardiente (strong alcohol), a pastel de Pollo= chicken pastry, a chocolate with cheese.. there I need to make a comment: you actually put the cheese IN the hot chocolate…a bit strange for us but it was good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back home, we stopped at a local market to buy some souvenirs. I love bargaining and I was not too bad at eat. The best one was little glasses sold at 48 000 pesos that I got for 30 000 :-) I was happy and I’m still happy with my shopping!

Back home we met Otto and went with him to have dinner with all Carlos’ brothers and sister: Otto, Antonio, Amanda and her husband. It was a really good and funny night. 

Tomorrow: this time it will be the salt cathedral in Zipaquira