Bogotá, Part Nine

Bogotá, Part One:  Introduction
Bogotá, Part Two:  Getting There
Bogotá, Part Three:  Sunday Morning Market and the Death Cab
Bogotá, Part Four:  Sunday Afternoon in Zona Rose
Bogotá, Part Five:  The Salt Cathedral, Part One
Bogotá, Part Six:  The Salt Cathedral, Part Two
Bogotá, Part Seven:  Zipaquirá
Bogotá, Part Eight:  Sightseeing About Town



Bogotá, Part Nine:  Checking-Out and Heading Home

Tuesday arrived, which meant it was time for us to go.  It was also my birthday.

We got up early so we would have time to get ready and get to our flight.  The birthday breakfast was again in the lobby.  My appetite had returned and I was able to eat a good bit.

Back in the room, we made our final packing touches and headed out.

I thought this was an interesting perspective, looking into a mirror  and its reflection of the city

Last look out our window

Downstairs, our driver from the day before would be taking us to the airport.  He seemed happy to see us and helped us with our things.  It was morning rush in Bogotá, so traffic was heavy, but we were generally going against the flow and our driver seemed to know how to manœuver through it all.

The front of the airport

At the airport, I stopped past the tax desk for a refund of the taxes I paid.  As always with these things, the paperwork was ridiculous and made us question whether it was worth it.  Next, we checked in and were offered passes to the American Airlines lounge, which was, to be kind, spartan.  It took a good while to get through security and immigration, but it was trouble-free, which is always good.  The whole affair took a sufficient amount of time that we had but fifteen minutes in the lounge.

We headed to the gate, where boarding had already commenced.  Luckily, we were upgraded, so there was a spot for our luggage and we were able to jump to the top of the queue.

As we sat, still on the gate, I could see storm clouds gathering, which was a little worrying.  It seemed to take forever for us to get our turn on the runway.  We crept down to the very end and stopped.  The pilot powered up the engines.  The brakes still engaged, we did not move.  The power of the engine increased, reaching the point that the entire plane was shaking such that I could hear suitcases in the overhead bins shaking and glasses in the service trollies clanking together.  I had never had a plane's engines going so robustly while standing still!  At long last, the pilot released the brake; there was a loud "pow," as the plane started down the runway.  Quite the experience.

Climbing out of BOG

Climbing out of BOG

Tightly-packed houses and buildings

Last sightings of Bogotá

On the northern coast of South America, blue, blue, and blue

Leaving South America

Before too long (the flight is about three hours or so), we were in Atlanta, through immigrations and customs, recleared security, and were at the gate for our final leg home.


Thoughts on Bogotá

I had been reading and hearing so much about Bogotá, so I am glad that we made the trip.  That said, I definitely think it is still a bit of an adventure destination, in that it does not have a heavy tourist scene or infrastructure.  Matter of fact, one cannot even send a post card, as there is no postal service!

I can happily report that any concerns I had about security were unfounded.  We encountered friendly people willing to help us and genuinely pleased to have tourists in their city.  There is certainly huge potential there.  For me, the most considerable downside was not the security but the altitude!  Next time I visit a high-altitude destination I will be better prepared and take precautions when I arrive.

Visiting Bogotá certain is not for everyone but there is a charm.  Do some planning to help negotiate the altitude, consider the value of a car and driver for part of the trip, and choose the right area to stay in.