Day 1 bogota breakfast, columbia

Well maybe venturing into NYC for the day was a somewhat exhausting way to start my travels, but once I made it to Brooklyn it was well worth it to reunite with the prolific photographer and my past fellow lamb Tory. And I met some friends from Macedonia whilst trying to navigate the jfk baggage storage process. I think they are my first Macedonians I've ever encountered. So after a delicious Thai curry lunch and tour of Brooklyn I braved two more subway lines - I think so tired that I almost purchased a "nutcracker" beverage from a rogue vendor on the a train. I fortunately was not quite delirious enough to test this colorful concoction- perhaps the modern new yorker's moonshine.
I arrived at jfk ready for a nap, but still had to wait a few hours before my 1 am madrugada flight. Spanish does seem to be returning rapidly, though the Avianca airlines people quickly switched to English after I hablared a bit. But we were still in the US at least.
Arrived in Bogota around 5 am and after a fleeting moment of indecision but I though it'd be much easier to stay put rather than set off into scary Bogota on my own, I bit the bullet, got some Columbian pesos and charged towards a payphone to call my Columbian friend Enrique. I met Enrique and two of his friends in Nicaragua, and I believe he actually slept on the bunk below mine in our San Juan del sur hostel.
Taking a cab into Bogota, I took in the towering cordillera of mountains that envelope the city. Tall buildings, lots of road construction, people hissing, biking, walking to get to work on time. I met Enrique, dressed suavely in his corporate businessman attire, in front of the Museo del Oro in the busy center of Bogota. We walked around the old city a bit, which was actually quite picturesque. Photos to come. In the few hours I spent exploring a small part of the capital city, I felt quite safe. I am also under the impression that 1 in 12 Columbianos works for the polizia. On every corner, army green uniformed men stood with large guns and or perros bravos with big muzzles over their mouths. While their presence did make me feel safer, I couldn't help but wonder why there was a need for such a police prsence.
Overall, my short viaje into Bogota made a nice impression on me. What I enjoyed and appreciated most was how helpful and friendly the people were. No matter who I asked for help, they seemed totally happy to point me in the right direction, call me a safe taxista, or offer a simple smile! Oh, and I only heard the "machita" cat call once! Muy buena gente!
I'm now killing time while waiting for my flight to Lima- so far so good!

Me in Bogota!

My Columbian guide, Luis Enrique