Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Headache!
After a "massage round" and chilling in the hostel, we went to a party with live colombian music. An american girl took some photos, that I will never see again. I was pulled onto the floor by the lead vocalist, for salsadancing. The guy was crazy, and exhausted me, but I got a lot of creds for my dancing! I went earlier to bed than the others, because I felt awful. This morning I woke up with a terrible headache, which I Never have. Thus I´m not sure if I should go for a 7hour, bumpy bus ride to San Gil.. we´ll see if I suck it up.
I tried my new can of pepperspray, and both me and Tom had to flee the area after breathing a little bit of it. It´s strong, alright!
Friday, August 13th, 2010
Me and Tom went to the police station and filed a report with some very friendly officers. The whole hostel was pretty tired, so we just watched a movie and a house episode before going to bed. I´ve read some chemistry because of my exam the 23rd of november.. yuck. I´ve been taking it easy to recover, and I feel much better. We went to the northern part of the city today, and it was a completely different world. Suddenly we were in a metropolis. It´s where the richer colombians live. Pretty interesting, and I bought a new camera, so I can soon post some pictures!
The whole process of buying something other than groceries is quite time-demanding and tiresome. To use your credit card, you need your passport number, and you´ll be sent from one person to the other, until you finally get security checked. There´s always too many people working in a shop, but it´s good that it gives people jobs.
I was going to fly to Santa Marta with Tom today, but an irish guy from the hostel is going to San Gil at midnight, so I decided to join him instead, and try to do some paragliding, etc. Tonight we might either go to the cinema or chill out here. It´s really cozy, with warm blankets and a fireplace, which we need in this cold city.
Showing posts with label bogota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bogota. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Bogota
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
After the bbq, I met an aussie guy and an american guy, named Taylor. We walked the streets, took the gondol up the Monserrate and saw the awesome view of Bogota. The city just goes on and on!
I´ve bought a new backpack and pepperspray!
I might try to get revenge for being hit on the back of my knees with a baton stick thing, just for fun, not painfully, thank God. A guy was hanging out of a car window. That was my first impression.. like What?!
Tomorrow I leave for San Gil, the adventure sport capital of Colombia. In Bogota the weather has been okay, but quite windy. And yeah, I got my luggage. So fantastic to change clothes!
One hell of a rough start - mugged
Ever done something that everyone in your life thinks is crazy? A part of me even agrees. I have no idea of what I'm getting myself into, but I´d rather lose my life to wrecklessness than never feel it due to fear. People who work in health care, like I do, get reminded every day that life is short. We aid those who no longer have the freedom to do such crazy things. Soo I don't really know what to expect from this trip. I'll have to be observant, careful, calculated, reasonable and be prepared that the people might change me. Going on this trip doesn't just mean putting my physical self at risk, but it means growing up. - And I personally don't know which is more scary.
.....................................................................................
The last days I spent in Norway were magical, and it was difficult to let go. I love my life, and I caught myself thinking that I´m crazy to even risk it. But I am. And yes, I am crazy. Today is my proof... but wait for it... believe me, it´s worth reading!
The journey here was.. well.. okay, until I reached the immigration line in Houston. It was insanely slow, and despite cutting lines etc, I still missed my flight by 5min. It didn´t cost extra to catch the next plane, and I even got three seats for myself, but it left me with several hours to kill at the airport. While eating mexican and watching a movie, I spotted my luggage all by itself outside, between two airplanes. I told the people and they said they had fixed it, but mine and another woman´s luggage, never made it to Colombia. I´m getting my stuff tomorrow.
My first impression was great. I walked around very early in the morning. People were very friendly, police was everywhere. Everyone was going to work or school, and there were lots of small vendors selling freshly baked food and coffee, making it smell wonderfully. It was easy to navigate, and my hostel turned out to be great. I took a stroll up the hill to get some photos of the view. Police was still around. I decided that it was best to go down again, but on my way, Murphy´s law kicked in and gave me the scare of my life....
I noticed a guy that had started to follow me, and went in loops. The police was gone. I tricked him into going further down, while I stayed up there and he stopped when he realized. A woman pulled me into her house and told me to stay there with her brother while they called the police. We hid in there for fifteen minutes while they tried to reach the police, but there was hardly any signal and the police was not to be reached. Meanwhile, the organized guys were shouting outside and looking for me. I was scared they´d come inside... The woman who had saved me was an unemployed english teacher that told me how terrible it was to live in that area, and that she was scared every day. I hadn´t had the chance to write down the dangerous areas in this city, like I did with the others, because I was supposed to go straight to San Gil. I was too afraid to stay in Bogota... Idiot...They eventually reached a police friend in civilian clothes that came to accompany me downhill. We started walking, and a guy ran after me, and I fought him a bit before he left with my backpack. With pepperspray or something sharp, it would´ve been okay. I was just about to go and buy it! Luckily I had my passport and credit card hidden on me, but it was goodbye camera! Nervously, we continued downhill. My spanish is still bad, but I was able to comprend much of what they told me. I couldn´t tell the police where it happened, because they´d get in trouble from the thieves. But that doesn´t matter. I won´t get it back. The people were amazing and comforted me a long time.I made a friend as soon as I came down that from now on calls himself "my protector". We´re going shopping soon, as I have no luggage what so ever. I´ll get it tomorrow. It´s good to have met him though. I´d be terrified to go out again. It´s just the area, though. Where I live, it´s very very safe. I was just ignorant. On my first day!! Does anyone feel worried? haha. No, it´s terrible. But lesson learned. I´ll never be that careless again.
I don´t like worrying you, so sorry about that. I did ask for it, did I not? But it happened, and I think the insurance company must really look forward to the rest of my journey. Como es tu, no? at least it gave me an experience I´ll never forget, and became quite a party starter for this blog! One has to look at the bright side..
We´ve been shopping now, and one of my new friends, who is from Buenos Aires.. His phone got stolen! It´s crazy. The worst part is almost the process of buying a new phone. You have to fill out several forms, write your Passport number several times and she has to call and confirm. I have NO idea why! I´ve now met more people and we´re all going out for dinner later, before watching Knight and day.. I just wish I could post some of the amazing photos I took today.. I´m buying a new camera tomorrow, as well as pepperspray. So mug me again, and this cheap norwegian will drown you it!
.....................................................................................
The last days I spent in Norway were magical, and it was difficult to let go. I love my life, and I caught myself thinking that I´m crazy to even risk it. But I am. And yes, I am crazy. Today is my proof... but wait for it... believe me, it´s worth reading!
The journey here was.. well.. okay, until I reached the immigration line in Houston. It was insanely slow, and despite cutting lines etc, I still missed my flight by 5min. It didn´t cost extra to catch the next plane, and I even got three seats for myself, but it left me with several hours to kill at the airport. While eating mexican and watching a movie, I spotted my luggage all by itself outside, between two airplanes. I told the people and they said they had fixed it, but mine and another woman´s luggage, never made it to Colombia. I´m getting my stuff tomorrow.
My first impression was great. I walked around very early in the morning. People were very friendly, police was everywhere. Everyone was going to work or school, and there were lots of small vendors selling freshly baked food and coffee, making it smell wonderfully. It was easy to navigate, and my hostel turned out to be great. I took a stroll up the hill to get some photos of the view. Police was still around. I decided that it was best to go down again, but on my way, Murphy´s law kicked in and gave me the scare of my life....
I noticed a guy that had started to follow me, and went in loops. The police was gone. I tricked him into going further down, while I stayed up there and he stopped when he realized. A woman pulled me into her house and told me to stay there with her brother while they called the police. We hid in there for fifteen minutes while they tried to reach the police, but there was hardly any signal and the police was not to be reached. Meanwhile, the organized guys were shouting outside and looking for me. I was scared they´d come inside... The woman who had saved me was an unemployed english teacher that told me how terrible it was to live in that area, and that she was scared every day. I hadn´t had the chance to write down the dangerous areas in this city, like I did with the others, because I was supposed to go straight to San Gil. I was too afraid to stay in Bogota... Idiot...They eventually reached a police friend in civilian clothes that came to accompany me downhill. We started walking, and a guy ran after me, and I fought him a bit before he left with my backpack. With pepperspray or something sharp, it would´ve been okay. I was just about to go and buy it! Luckily I had my passport and credit card hidden on me, but it was goodbye camera! Nervously, we continued downhill. My spanish is still bad, but I was able to comprend much of what they told me. I couldn´t tell the police where it happened, because they´d get in trouble from the thieves. But that doesn´t matter. I won´t get it back. The people were amazing and comforted me a long time.I made a friend as soon as I came down that from now on calls himself "my protector". We´re going shopping soon, as I have no luggage what so ever. I´ll get it tomorrow. It´s good to have met him though. I´d be terrified to go out again. It´s just the area, though. Where I live, it´s very very safe. I was just ignorant. On my first day!! Does anyone feel worried? haha. No, it´s terrible. But lesson learned. I´ll never be that careless again.
I don´t like worrying you, so sorry about that. I did ask for it, did I not? But it happened, and I think the insurance company must really look forward to the rest of my journey. Como es tu, no? at least it gave me an experience I´ll never forget, and became quite a party starter for this blog! One has to look at the bright side..
We´ve been shopping now, and one of my new friends, who is from Buenos Aires.. His phone got stolen! It´s crazy. The worst part is almost the process of buying a new phone. You have to fill out several forms, write your Passport number several times and she has to call and confirm. I have NO idea why! I´ve now met more people and we´re all going out for dinner later, before watching Knight and day.. I just wish I could post some of the amazing photos I took today.. I´m buying a new camera tomorrow, as well as pepperspray. So mug me again, and this cheap norwegian will drown you it!
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