The drive from the Cocora Valley to the nation’s capital was long. We had an early start but due to road, traffic, and weather conditions, we didn’t arrive in Cota until 6:30pm. We hate driving in the dark, especially when rain is present, but sometimes there is no choice. We needed to reach a decent stop for the night. Mark finished our trip slowly and carefully and I kept my teeth clenched.
Approaching Bogota and Cota after dusk
The day started out okay, with toll roads that actually were worth paying for and tons of amazing tunnels through the mountains. They depicted animal names with pictures, so we learned a thing or two. La Linea is the longest tunnel in the Americas. And there were donkeys!
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
As the hours and the scenery passed by, we reached the congested suburbs with deteriorating roads. We had to top up our propane tank, so that was a rush against the clock as the place closed at 5pm. We made it but were surprised to find this business in an industrial area with crowded, potholed, dirt roads. When we left with a full tank, the attendant asked if we wanted to take a puppy. They had one on their property and didn’t know what to do with it. We declined, heart-broken, as we listened to the yelps of the pup.
Church in Cota
Cota
The reason we decided to base ourselves in Cota, a “suburb” northwest of Bogota, was because we knew a helpful Colombian there, Juan from Overland Sally, who’d be able to assist with whatever we required. We had some projects to take care of, one of which was building a wooden platform to raise our camper a bit (after Bella’s overhang in the front banged onto the truck’s cab roof when driving down a bumpy hill one day).
A block from Juan’s house is a parqueadero (parking lot) that is friendly towards overlanders. They have a public toilet and allow long-term stays. But they are very busy, so it’s not ideal if you need space, privacy, or peace. It was noisy until about 11pm and by 4am, trucks would leave the lot with a loud engine and a complementary honk.
For the next five days, the men worked on the platform, the truck got washed, a part of its bed got spot welded (another repair due to the damage caused by a massive pothole we missed a couple of months ago), Mark visited the dentist, I managed to do laundry, and we stocked up our fridge and cabinets, as it was easy to walk to stores from the lot.
We also got to know Juan and his wife, Lali, better and spent quality time with them, enjoying a typical Colombian chocolate ritual, having lunch together, and taking them out to a couple of local restaurants.
From here, we visited Bogota twice without our camper. We had decided not to drive in the city. At the end of our time in this area, we returned to Cota for one more night, to meet with Bogota friends Carolina and Andrès, whom we met over New Years in Barichara. We appreciated their efforts to come to Cota, so we didn’t have to enter the capital. Luckily, the timing matched their license plate number being allowed to drive in Bogota that day.
Walking towards the center of Bogota – and another city sign
Bogota
Mark and I actually liked the center of Bogota better than Medellin. There are attractive historic buildings, pedestrian-only streets, and heaps of museums in walking distance from each other. Our first visit to the city was short, as Juan was running an errand there and took us in, and traffic was heavy.
We used a taxi to reach Cerro Monserrate, from where we took a cable car up the mountain for an expansive view over the city.
From there, we walked to downtown (La Candaleria), explored Plaza de Bolivar with Maya (who was enthralled by the llamas used for tourist photos), and had a local lunch. Then, it was time to join Juan again and head back to Cota.
For our second day trip, we used Uber and InDrive to get to and back from the capital. We started at the Gold Museum, where Mark and I took turns. I enjoyed an hour-long visit (entrance is $1 per person), while he entertained Maya. During his indoor time, I walked Maya back to Plaza de Bolivar for a photo shoot.
Everyone had been raving about La Puerta Falsa as a unique, original, and long-standing restaurant for lunch. It’s small and cozy, so we waited in line for 45 minutes before we were offered a bar seat. We’d decided to eat their signature tamales, but when the waiter suggested the typical soup, ajiaco, Mark ordered one of those too, thinking, “How much could a simple soup possibly cost in Colombia?”
Well, we were in for a surprise when we finally looked at the big menu on the wall. Unfortunately, we couldn’t cancel the soup order anymore and had to pay its steep $8 price tag, which was three times the amount of a filling tamale. We wouldn’t make that mistake again!
In the afternoon, Mark and I took turns again at the Botero Museum, which impressed us more than the famed Gold Museum. Fernando Botero is Colombia’s most famous living artist and is adamant about offering free access to all his work. We enjoyed “his” Plaza of statues in Medellin in February. This recommended museum doesn’t only present a look at Botero’s paintings and statues, but also at the art he collected over the years. Yes, Botero donated his Picassos, Monets, you name it, to this museum as well. It was a treat to stroll around.
Guatavita
Semana Santa (Holy Week) was upon us in early April and knowing the Latin American culture, we had to find a place to hide for ten days. Apparently, Bogota is quiet during this period of time, but living in a busy, loud, and grimy parking lot can only be sustained for so long. Mark and I found a free spot near a reservoir by Guatavita in the iOverlander app. But first, we met our good friends Katherine and Brandon at an established camping area along that same lake.
These friends were instrumental to us on many occasions. We’d met them in Baja, Mexico, exactly a year earlier, stayed at their place in Boise, Idaho, when we “swapped” truck campers in the spring of 2022, and visited them on the Oregon Coast that summer, before heading towards Texas. They had driven down Central America on their decked-out BMW motorcycles and are now in South America!
It was so very cool to meet friends from the US all the way down here in Colombia. Unfortunately, they were on a time schedule, so we only managed to hang out one evening and morning. Our paths will cross again later this year.
Katherine and Brandon leaving on their bikes – Until we meet again!
After this short time with Katherine and Brandon, we moved Thirsty Bella a few miles down the road, to the parking lot for Embalse de Tominé in Guatavita, a popular viewpoint over the reservoir. It was very busy during the day, with cars, pedestrians, horse rides, and “train” rides coming and going, but the nights were peaceful. And, no fireworks! This was probably the best place to be during the Easter period, so we stuck it out.
The first time we walked the 20 minutes uphill to the center of Guatavita, we were blown away by its cuteness. We had no idea, so our positive impressions were the cherry on top! The white buildings, arches, and well-taken-care-of properties filled us with joy. There were sidewalks, trashcans, grass, and multiple cute restaurants. Plus, the from then on daily climbs to town were good exercise.
Zipaquira
A highlight in the Bogota region and the “First Wonder of Colombia” is the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira. Our trio waited until Semana Santa ended, before we ventured to this super touristy destination. We managed to find a relatively level spot for the night in the parking lot closest to the church and walked Maya around to get a feel for the place.
We learned that Maya was allowed to join us inside this former salt mine, but only in a push cart. That alone had us interested in taking her. Fun! Mark was initially not going to join me, because of the steep entrance fee of $20 per person. He changed his mind, so the three of us visited the underground cathedral in all its glory. This architectural feat is impressive, but the light show is what stood out most to me. A free audio guide was included and we were glad with the information in English, since the route through the church didn’t provide any. We were a little put off by the commercial zone at the end.
On hindsight, Mark wished we had stuck to the original plan and used the extra $20 for a few more dinners out, but I’m glad to have experienced it. The town of Zipaquira had a few cute buildings as well.
Tire Terrorists
I had been in touch with our friend Carolina from Bogota about a meet-up. They were on vacation during Easter and we were leaving the area soon, so she and her husband agreed to meet up in Cota. We had a nice lunch and part of the afternoon together and in the evening, we invited Juan and Lali for another drink in Bella.
We mentioned the funny noise we’d been hearing in front of the truck. Mark guessed one of our bearings was bad. Juan knew a good mechanic in Bogota and encouraged us to meet him and let him diagnose, if not fix, the issue. Our “better safe than sorry” mentality had us postpone our drive down to the Tatacoa Desert and instead, yes, we took our “big” truck camper into the capital. Right…
Where we didn’t want to drive… You can immediately tell why.
Traffic. Stress. Frustration. Delays. Jhonatan, the mechanic, had been expecting us and started work in his “shop” (the street) from the moment we arrived. Within an hour or so, he diagnosed that the problem was indeed a bad bearing. Then, he tried to source the right part (a bearing hub) for a couple of hours. He did locate it, but the price was twice as much as in the US. We decided Mark would bring one back with him, late June, and we’d replace the unit ourselves. Our mechanic put the wheels back together after installing new brake pads that we had with us. If anyone is interested in prices, I report on those in my monthly expense reports.
We tried to leave the city as quickly as possible, which still took a couple of hours. Heading south, we passed through Soacha. Not a good idea, apparently, even though nobody told us…
Trying to leave the congested Bogota area in Soacha
At a traffic light, a motorcycle driver came close to the passenger side and stuck a spiky metal tube in the front tire. It deflated within seconds. The same guy (our dashcam filmed all of it) and a friend, waved us on to a tire shop further down the road. Instead, we parked at the closest fuel station.
Flat tire by intent!
I asked for help at the tire shop attached to the station, but the man in charge refused, encouraging us to continue to the next one. Another person ran over with an air compressor and a plug to temporarily patch our tire; long enough to reach his tire shop. Fishy? By then, Mark and I checked the footage on our dashcam and saw this was bad intent; a setup as I expected. Anger grew.
The compressor guy asked us if we were going to follow him to the next tire shop, to which we responded with a resounding NO, telling him we knew what happened and that we were going to call the police. As luck would have it, the Claro cell service was down that day…
I talked to the local tire guy again and, hearing threats of police possibly arriving, he agreed to help. We borrowed his phone to call Juan in Cota and let him know what had happened. Unbeknownst to us, he set some wheels in motion.
The tire guy told us it would cost the equivalent of $6 for the patch, so we moved the car and agreed to have him do the job. After checking the tire, however, he discovered there were five extra punctures; six in total. We basically destroyed the tire by driving on its rim when pulling over from the road. The cost was now $50 and I was livid. I didn’t want to pay for something others intentionally inflicted…
Mark saw a police car drive by on the highway, so we both ran into traffic to hail it over. That’s how the cops got involved. To make a long story short, within an hour, we had a police corps of fifteen arrive, including the Soacha Chief of Police and two undercover intelligence guys. They kept the tube, copied our webcam footage, and accessed the surveillance cameras of the fuel station. Then, upon my request, they struck a deal with the owner of the station – and tire shop – to have our tire fixed for $6.
We sure made a scene on the spot and we hope that the negative attention that was drawn to that area and the scam will prevent the banditos from trying their act again. The only issue, other than a damaged tire: it was dark again by the time we left the Bogota area. But it was imperative that we left the dangerous Soacha township to find a safe place for the night, namely in Silvania, an hour south.
From there, we started our multiple-week journey south, to the border with Ecuador. Of course, there were still a bunch of sites – and another crazy situation – to entertain along the way, starting with the Tatacoa Desert. Stay tuned!
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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May 20, 2023 at 15:37
So, what happened to the guys who punctured your tire? Did they get away. Obviously the guy at the gas station knew about this scam and didn’t want to get involved.
So there is a guy here in the campground who tells us we need to go to Colombia every time we mention our plans to go to Ecuador. He loved Cartagena but hated Bogota. I think a trip to the Botero Museum would be worth it for me to venture into the big city. And to see the llamas! I would have loved seeing Maya react to seeing them for the first time.
Love that tunnel. The road looks so smooth!
May 20, 2023 at 17:46
Hi Duwan,
That tunnel highway was probably the only smooth road in Colombia! 🙂
I would definitely consider visiting Colombia while you’re in South America next year. Also, Spanish courses are much cheaper than in Ecuador. You could do one in Jardin as well; our favorite town. We will let you know how Ecuador compares to Colombia at some point.
Cartagena is hot and humid. No need to spend more than a few days there. The climate is better in Bogota, in my opinion. I think every Colombia tourist should visit all three big cities: Cartagena, Bogota, and Medellin.
I have no idea what happened with those tire puncturers. They probably didn’t get caught or punished, but at least we didn’t give them any money. So, they didn’t get away with their scam.
May 20, 2023 at 16:32
Yikes, more tire terrorists! And the traffic photos made me shudder. I’m glad you’re at least finding a few cute and interesting places to visit in between all the unpleasantness.
May 20, 2023 at 17:49
Hi Diane,
I think they’re the same tire terrorists. I wrote about this event in a previous expense post. I’m slowly catching up with all my Colombia posts – the stories and the photos. Still a few more to go. Now that we’ve been in Ecuador for two weeks already, I better get cranking! 🙂
We did have a few negative and undesirable experiences in Colombia. I hope they’ll hold us over for a while here in South America!
May 20, 2023 at 18:15
I just don’t know how you do it–seamlessly fit into everywhere you go and solve all these problems. Reading your posts is like a thriller!
May 22, 2023 at 12:27
Hi Jacqui,
I’m glad I can entertain you with our antics and adventures! I’ve often believed that (our) real life is easily as exciting as some of the fiction stories that are out there, haha.
It’s interesting to read your awe and respect for what I’m doing, because I am always baffled at how you manage to do – and write and promote and read – everything you do in any 24-hour period!!!
May 20, 2023 at 18:40
I remember the tire terrorists. You were right to pursue justice. . . and move to a safer locale.
Thank you for the “armchair anthropology” here, much less expensive and harrowing than actual travel.
Take care!
May 22, 2023 at 12:29
Haha, Marian. I’m glad you are still enjoying our stories and shenanigans. When writing my daily diaries, I keep being amazed about how much actually happens to us each and every day, warranting hours of writing about it. Some easy and boring days would do me good, on many levels! 🙂
May 21, 2023 at 09:04
I’m so sorry you were targetted again by the tyre tricksters. I’m glad you made such a fuss – I hope it deters them.
May 22, 2023 at 12:31
Hi Jackie!
When I think about it, quite a few crazy and unfortunate things happened during our six months in Colombia. I’m hoping that’s the end of it for a while. Our first weeks in Ecuador have been relatively mellow. I have a hard time coming to grips with that, wondering when the next issue will arise or disaster will strike…
May 22, 2023 at 18:38
Wow, you are living it large among the crime. What shocked me was $8 for a soup in Colombia! I’m inclined to think there are ‘special’ prices for tourists – like hiked ones. You should always ask how much before buying anything. <3
May 24, 2023 at 09:15
Hi Debby,
Funny you say I should always ask the price before I buy anything. We actually do and are very adamant about it. Except in this case – it’ll teach us! Especially since I asked the price for the other item – the tamale – we ordered.
We assumed a simple soup would be affordable. And, yes, even though this was at a reputable restaurant, it felt like they were pushing this soup to tourists! Our own fault, as the menu was on the wall, with the prices!! It was a hectic scene, so we didn’t pay enough attention.
Even in grocery stores, I don’t buy anything unless I know the price. I often have to scan items (if possible), when there is no price tag and in these countries, when there is no tag, I either ask a sales person or don’t buy the item. We also always check our receipts, and I’m the one asking for drink prices in North America and often the waitress has no idea! Yeah, don’t get me started on asking the price before buying, haha.
May 24, 2023 at 09:49
It happens how we can sometimes slip from protocol. I’m like you, scan, too much?, put it back. In this expensive world we live in, we all have to be diligent to not overpay. I hope the soup was at least good, lol. 🙂
May 26, 2023 at 21:12
The soup was fair. Not worth the price, that’s for sure! 🙂
Good for you for being diligent when you shop as well. Few people do (you’ll be surprised how many people don’t know what they spend each month or know the price of big-ticket items when asked) and every dollar saved makes a difference in the end!
May 27, 2023 at 09:34
Absolutely. <3
May 22, 2023 at 19:03
Ditto what Jacqui said. I love following your adventures– they definitely read like a thriller!
May 24, 2023 at 09:18
Thanks, Donna. Happy to keep you entertained at our own expense, haha.
May 22, 2023 at 21:24
Extraordinary highs and lows. Loved the gold and former salt caves/church. The tire spike damage horrible. You guys are clever and able to get it repaired. Best part driivng to a safe city.
May 24, 2023 at 09:19
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for swinging by and leaving a comment! Yeah, the Bogota area was a mixed bag for us – and lots of things happened during our six months in Colombia. Thanks for introducing me to one of your favorite songs!
May 23, 2023 at 09:35
No, not another tyre terrorist, and then I saw in a previous comment that it was the same ones. So pleased that the police talked to the tyre place and got the price down for you, though. Bogota looks a crazy place, but I love the cablecar ride you took to get those wonderful views of the city.
And am I right in thinking you’re now in Ecuador? I’m seeing visits to my blog from there.
Take care, Liesbet.
May 24, 2023 at 09:23
Hi Hugh!
Yes, we are in Ecuador now and have been for three weeks! Funny that you noticed this based on Views and News blog visits, but I’m sure that I’m the one accessing from Ecuador, haha.
If you’re ever curious about our current location, I keep this up to date in the side bar of my blog. I know you’re not on Facebook, but there I post photos of our present experiences and sightseeing every day. 🙂
Mark and I have strong principles when it comes to being taken advantage of – or when people ty to do so – which is why we made such a big scene about the tire situation. We’d hate to be those tourists who get ripped off left and right. 🙂
May 23, 2023 at 16:56
All that fun you had contrasts with the tire puncturing – ugh. I might be frustrated enough to leave the country! (I do know there are many nice places and people there, though.)
May 24, 2023 at 09:25
Hi Lexie,
Life on the road consists of ups and downs, as you know. But we have to admit that the downs in Colombia those six months were extremes. So far, Ecuador has been less tumultuous! 🙂
May 23, 2023 at 21:13
I was talking to someone from Colombia and he recommended Cartagena and St Andres Island. So glad that you got help from the police. Wishing you happy and safe travels in Ecuador!
May 24, 2023 at 09:26
Thanks, Natalie! Colombians love San Andres Island, but it is apparently busy with party people and quite polluted. Their other island, Providencia, sounds more pristine and tropical. Cartagena is an amazing city – old town anyway, but a few days is enough. It’s very hot and humid there. Plus, we preferred the smaller towns in this country. They are less touristy and have more character.
June 1, 2023 at 05:43
What an adventure!
So many scams in South America – doesn’t matter which country you’re in but still, what an incredible continent for travel.
I spent 10 months travelling through South America in 2011 and saw many scams, but also a couple of months in Venezuela in 2008, when we sailed from the US to this amazing country. Although Venezuela was dangerous back in 2008, it’s much too dangerous today for foreign travellers (think we spoke about this in the past).
June 1, 2023 at 21:41
Hi Nilla,
I’m sure you had an amazing adventure on this continent in 2011. Your photos and blog posts emit so much beauty (and talent)! Did you actually travel on the mainland of Venezuela when you sailed there?
Mark and I also sailed north of mainland Venezuela in 2011 and stopped at the islands of La Blanquilla, Los Roques, and Los Aves. I wonder if our paths ever crossed… What was the name of the boat you were on?
Venezuela is the only country we will not visit on this journey for the reasons you mention.
June 24, 2023 at 17:19
Bogota has a lot going for it when the weather is right. We considered moving there but too grey and cold for us but a fantastic city for culture. Did you know they have over 50 museums? Doing a guided bike tour is so worth it and the Free Walking tour.You covered a lot of the same that we did. We have been twice and look forward to another visit. Your brave with driving, Bogota is a no go for us for driving. Cheers!
June 26, 2023 at 10:14
Hi Susan,
I knew – and saw – Bogota had a lot of museums, but 50?? That’s a lot! If we ever go back, we will certainly consider a Free Walking Tour. And maybe a cycling tour, depending on where we can leave Maya.
We never intended to drive into Bogota, but things changed when we decided to go to a friend’s mechanic for a diagnose of our wheel bearing. That brought us into the city and made us leave at the wrong side with all those tire hassles as a result. We should have stuck to the original plan on hindsight.