Butterflies and Flat Tyres

I think I’ll live on empanadas. The highlight of my day today was finding a little street café which sold the larges scrummiest empanadas ever. But let me go back a step.

I arrived in Bogotá on Sunday without my travelling head on my shoulders, so got TOTALLY ripped off by a taxi. I walked out of the airport with my heavy bag and wanted to catch a taxi to the B&B. I saw a group of people with badges and yellow vests with taxi written on them so I asked them where I get a taxi to the B&B and gave them the B&B address. They got on a radio and there were a load of people milling around shouting and saying this B&B is too far and too expensive they have a better one… ja right I’ve heard that before … I insisted I need to go to this B&B and eventually they agreed and bundled me into a minivan saying the taxi is usd15. I argued that that was too much but they said no that is the fee take it or leave it. I stupidly took it. As the tax minivan pulled out of the airport I saw a long line of yellow small cabs. I asked the driver and he said ‘’oh no small cheap cabs not good, different company’’ uuggghhh I bet they didn’t cost usd 15. I get to the hotel which is 6 mins from the airport. Well stupid me, I should have taken 5 mins at the airport to get my travel bearings.

I was meant to collect my bike today but the stupid airline would not move it to the bonded warehouse on a Saturday. It arrived last Thursday but Friday was a public holiday. Then today they only moved it this afternoon so we can only get an appointment with the customs inspector tomorrow.  What a waste of a day as we (the agent and I) were hoping to get it out today and I had to stay at the hotel to wait for the agent to fetch me. I did however go for a long walk in the area. It was interesting, as always, to see buildings in a different country.  And the empanadas were worth it  J

I am also getting my travel head back on, having ‘’conversations’’ with the lady who runs the B&B who does not speak a single word of English, but she is so friendly and keeps feeding me coffee I don’t think I’ll sleep for a week  8)

I have been planning this trip for almost 3 years and kept promising myself that I would learn Spanish and got a couple of really good CDs. The problem is when you work 12 hour days you are just to damn exhausted to do much else, even my weekends were a bust as I was so tired I just wanted to chill, or I had a bike to fix or needed to spend time with Joern … excuses excuses but the bottom line is I never did learn Spanish and now I am sorry I didn’t. I do have a small intro course with me and have started working on that, I hope it helps.

Let’s hope tomorrow brings me good news on the bike and I can head off on Wednesday.