El Tour de Bogotá

Today I took a bicycle tour of Bogotá - definitely not for the timid. There was no ciclovia today because of the elections, but the traffic was fine because it is Sunday. Even on election day it was more tranquilo than during the week. The hills were not too bad, but there were some scary moments on narrow streets with taxistas who insisted on the right of way. Plus, my helmet kept slipping over my eyes so I had to take it off and ride without one, blazing through red lights and down bumpy, pedestrian-filled sidewalks trying to keep up with the tour guide. It was a lot of fun though, and I got to see much more of the city than I would have otherwise. The first photo is of the original plaza of Bogotá, which is now where the hippies hang out. I had been there before but didn't know the historical significance until today.

I especially enjoyed the visit to the market, where we tried some delicious tropical fruits, the names of nearly all of which I cannot remember. We also stopped for a snack at some stands in Parque de la Independencia. The dog in the crate was not friendly, but I suppose that I did not ask permission for that photo.

The park is Parque Tercero Milenio, which was established after the FARC accidentally destroyed a poor neighborhood in that location when their missiles missed the president's mansion. The elections today were much less exciting. There are 3 main candidates all neck-and-neck, so everyone is expecting that there will have to be a second round. The tour guide, Nicolas, says that the first round you should vote for the best, the second you should vote against the worst. Still, I think I would prefer that to only 2 parties.