1 Week in Bogota: Day 1 Tabio
My trip to Colombia was awesome. Since I was hanging out with locals, it was a really great mix of low-key time and busy jam-packed days. I got to eat loads of delicious food, see amazingly beautiful scenery, and spend time with my friend L who I hadn't seen since last July in Chile.
I managed to snag myself some pretty affordable roundtrip tickets and because I took a relatively empty Thursday night direct flight down, the seat next to me was empty which meant I had some room to spread out and relax. Since there is no time zone difference (except that we observe daylight savings here in the US and they don't in Colombia), there was no jet lag to contend with.
I had the pleasure of experiencing the smooth bag check at Newark. Basically, you print your tags at the kiosk and then just drop them off; it's so fast. I don't usually check bags (as you may already know if you know me at all and/or follow my blog) but I was bringing a bunch of stuff down to L.
I packed a v. sensible carry on and decided to break out my backpack for the first time in a decade. I tend to end up with a backache when I use a backpack but I was pretty dainty with how I packed it (just a sweater, a sandwich, headphones, and other items I needed to access easily on the flight).
I feel like I packed the perfect amount of clothing and my wardrobe was perfect. I had a good balance of warmer weather clothing and layers to keep me cool during the day and cozy in the evenings when it was chillier.
The plane ride was uneventful and actually pretty enjoyable. I watched Bohemian Rhapsody and The Hate U Give, ate a delicious roast beef sandwich from my dad's deli (which meant I didn't have to eat the gross airplane food to sate my hunger), and took a tiny nap and before I knew it, I had landed.
L and her dad drove to the airport to meet me. I landed just before 10PM and it took a little bit of time for me to get through immigration, baggage claim, and customs. We ended up getting back to the house around midnight. I was put in the second guest bedroom, which was nice because it had two twin beds so during our downtime, L could lounge on the second bed to hang out and watch television with me.
I woke up on the morning of my first day bright and early. I was extra early waking up mostly because of the one hour time difference and the fact that I'm used to waking up at 6AM for work anyway.
The neighbors were weaning a little baby cow and it had been tied to a tree close to my window so here and there I heard it crying in the night. I'm a pretty deep sleeper so it didn't affect the quality of my sleep; it was just a weird thing to hear. There were also plenty of chickens clucking when I got up in the morning.
I marveled at the view that I hadn't been able to properly enjoy when we arrived home in the dead of night.
I forgot to take a photo of my breakfast because I was just so excited to meet L's mom and her housekeeper (whom I'd heard many stories about) but I had papaya and banana followed by corn and eggs.
After breakfast, I went around outside to tour the property and met the male dog, Black, and learned to stay away from the turkey because it's actually a guard turkey and a complete a-hole.
And I met a few of the adorable chickens running around the yard.
Then, I accompanied L to her new business in town, which is a steel supplier and fabricator. (If you are ever building something in Tabio, let me know so I can share the details with you.)
Then we went for a walk around the charming town of Tabio. It's a pretty small town and it reminded me so much of my town because it's really family-friendly, the population maybe skews a bit older, and they're all about small businesses and being a tight-knit community.
PARQUE PRINCIPAL DE TABIO
IGLESIA MUNICIPAL
CASA DE LA CULTURA
We stopped by a little pharmacy to buy a SIM card for my phone. The phone plans in Colombia are ridiculously cheap. Honestly, after my experiences here and in India, I'm blown away by what a ripoff it is in the U.S. to have to deal with the big money-hungry corporations who provide less than stellar service. I paid $10.000 COP ($3 USD) for a plan with 7 days of unlimited calls and messages and 1 GB of data. Unreal!
There were so many lovable street dogs everywhere. I was fawning over them (gringa-style, as L put it, since no local in their right mind would sidle up to every dog she saw) and laughing at their antics. There was one pooch that we saw digging through a pile of garbage. She pulled out a reasonably-sized bag and brought it over to her friend so they could share a lunch.
And actually, I have to recount the story of my altitude sickness. So L was tying up a few loose ends at her business and I was just hanging out. All of a sudden, I got hot. L had already taken off her jacket so I thought, hey, I guess the day is just getting warmer. I took off my jacket but I was still uncomfortable. I decided to go outside for some fresh air but I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I knew that I was about to faint so I grabbed L's attention and she made me sit in her car. She said my face was ashen and my lips were white. She was fanning me and kept her eyes on me like a hawk until she said color was finally returning to my face. I should mention that Bogota is about 8,500 feet above sea level. (For reference, Denver is only 5,000 feet and Machu Picchu is 8,000 feet.)
Needless to say, I gave L a little scare. At least I didn't actually faint like I did when I was with D in New Mexico!
After our time in town, we went back to the house where Lilia (the housekeeper) had made a delicious lunch of stewed chicken with rice and a celery and apple salad. The chicken was awesome. L was saying how every time she'd tried making this dish while she was in the states or even while she was in Chile, she failed horribly. L's mom, E, was saying you just grab a pot and add chicken, some onions, garlic, tomatoes, peas, salt, and top off with water and boil and bubble it away until the chicken is tender. It's definitely a dish I'll have to try and recreate. I 100% regret forgetting to take a photo of it but it's a meal that's embedded in my memory and one I'll look back on fondly.
After lunch, L and I hopped in the car with her dad and drove to the neighboring town of Subachoque.
To get to Subachoque, we had to climb up a mountain which meant we got to stop at an overlook to admire the view of Tabio. The large white rectangles along the left are greenhouses. L's dad was saying it's mostly for flowers that are exported.
PARQUE PRINCIPAL SUBACHOQUE & CATEDRAL DE SUBACHOQUE
Subachoque is also a small town in the same vein as Tabio but a little more built up. It's a bit larger, has quite a few more shops, and a stadium.
TIENDA ARTESANAL JUAICAFE
This little shop had loads of cute handmade items to peruse.
FRUTERIA NATALY
L's dad insisted we get some dessert so we walked into a couple of bakeries but they just didn't hit the mark so we went to L's cousin's shop.
L and I each ordered fresas con crema (strawberries with cream) which were humongous and we probably could've shared but it was so good we both finished our dishes. I also got a mango juice, which was freshly made for me on the spot. It was sweet and tangy and delicious.
L's dad asked for a brownie con helado (with ice cream) and ended up with this monstrously-sized sundae. He shared with us, which was generous because it was so good.
Before we left, I saw a basket of gooseberries and was looking at them to take a photo but L's aunt ended up insisting I try one and sent us home with a bag.
On our way back to Tabio, we stopped at the same overlook to try and take some foggy sunset photos.
L's dad is a great photographer and he took a handful of photos for us but I didn't notice that the settings were off on my camera (I had it on shutter speed mode for whatever dumb reason) so they came out a bit blurry. Still fun though!
Instead of heading straight home, we went into town so I could experience it at night. Plus the night was still young.
CENTRO ARTESANAL LA MOHANA
LA GRANJA TENJO
We also stopped by a tea shop to have a soothing hot drink. All three of us got the sol radiante, which had coca leaves, pineapple, lemongrass, and various other herbs. L's mom had said that coca tea would help with the altitude sickness so I had my fingers crossed it would ensure no more faint cloudy-headed feelings for me.
After our tea, we headed back home and relaxed. I started reading Sharp Objects by Gilian Flynn. I love reading books while on holiday and this one was a great, short read to zip through over just a few nights.
Here's my map:
xoxo.
I managed to snag myself some pretty affordable roundtrip tickets and because I took a relatively empty Thursday night direct flight down, the seat next to me was empty which meant I had some room to spread out and relax. Since there is no time zone difference (except that we observe daylight savings here in the US and they don't in Colombia), there was no jet lag to contend with.
The plane ride was uneventful and actually pretty enjoyable. I watched Bohemian Rhapsody and The Hate U Give, ate a delicious roast beef sandwich from my dad's deli (which meant I didn't have to eat the gross airplane food to sate my hunger), and took a tiny nap and before I knew it, I had landed.
The neighbors were weaning a little baby cow and it had been tied to a tree close to my window so here and there I heard it crying in the night. I'm a pretty deep sleeper so it didn't affect the quality of my sleep; it was just a weird thing to hear. There were also plenty of chickens clucking when I got up in the morning.
After breakfast, I went around outside to tour the property and met the male dog, Black, and learned to stay away from the turkey because it's actually a guard turkey and a complete a-hole.
PERFILERIA FERRACEL
And actually, I have to recount the story of my altitude sickness. So L was tying up a few loose ends at her business and I was just hanging out. All of a sudden, I got hot. L had already taken off her jacket so I thought, hey, I guess the day is just getting warmer. I took off my jacket but I was still uncomfortable. I decided to go outside for some fresh air but I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I knew that I was about to faint so I grabbed L's attention and she made me sit in her car. She said my face was ashen and my lips were white. She was fanning me and kept her eyes on me like a hawk until she said color was finally returning to my face. I should mention that Bogota is about 8,500 feet above sea level. (For reference, Denver is only 5,000 feet and Machu Picchu is 8,000 feet.)
Needless to say, I gave L a little scare. At least I didn't actually faint like I did when I was with D in New Mexico!
We also stopped by a tea shop to have a soothing hot drink. All three of us got the sol radiante, which had coca leaves, pineapple, lemongrass, and various other herbs. L's mom had said that coca tea would help with the altitude sickness so I had my fingers crossed it would ensure no more faint cloudy-headed feelings for me.
Here's my map:
xoxo.
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