Final Days in Bogota

Sunday brought good weather (we could get used to this) and a nice breakfast at the Embassy Suites.  We then took a taxi (owned by the hotel) to Casa Eslava.  For once, the traffic in Bogota was light.  On Sundays until 2 PM they close a number of major roadways (or at least some lanes of them) including the one we were on to bikes, skateboarders and walkers.  We saw many people on bikes including some biking with their dogs in tow.

The view of a ruined mansion from our window of the Embassy Suites - beautiful, sad and a little creepy

Cyclists enjoy the street designated for them on this pretty Sunday

Arriving at Casa Eslava we gathered up Coco and walked the main square of Usaquen where there is a flea/craft market each Sunday.  This is an extensive market and I found plenty to buy and used up pretty much all of our cash (we got more from an ATM on the way back to Casa Eslava).  Lots of gifts for lucky friends and family in the U.S.  We also saw a few (rather lame) street performers.  The animal rescue organization from which the Eslavas adopted Coco has an adoption center open in the square on Sundays.  There were quite a few nice dogs and some cute older kittens.  Made me want to adopt there and then but I pulled myself away and shopped instead.

The complex of Casa Eslava in Bogota's Usaquen area

With Coco heading to the old square in the heart of Usaquen

Coco is a good walker and devoted to Angela

The spectacular flowered trees along the road

Bikes wait to cross in Usaquen

The entrance to a shopping mall that is semi-open air

The Sunday market in Usaquen

I found lots to buy

A few street performers including this older gentleman dancing

The animal rescue organization that the Eslavas are involved with

The sweet kitties await adoption

The church at the main square in Usaquen

Angela enjoys ice cream after the exertions of the market

Returning to the Eslava apartment we then walked to a large, modern mall nearby (Santa Ana) and ate lunch at a restaurant, Ranchero.  This specializes in hamburgers of all sorts which Mauricio, Angela and Randy had.  Paula and I opted for salads.  Returning home after a brief stop at the large Jumbo (kind of like a Walmart but more upscale) in the mall we decided to all chill out.  We watched some taped nature programs (in English, subtitled in Spanish).  One was on wild Hokkaido, the northern Japanese island which Paula visited last winter.  Others were on animals.  Rain appeared briefly but wasn't much.

The modern mall near Casa Eslava.  Angela's gym is in this mall and she works out 90 to 120 minutes each day Monday through Friday.

Our lunch spot on the mall upper level

With Paula at the restaurant - a nice garden environment

The Eslavas enjoy refreshing drinks before lunch

Randy and Mauricio ordered the same massive burger with fried egg on it each

Randy wanted to pose with this guy at the restaurant entrance

The huge arepas section in the big Jumbo grocery store in Santa Ana

The guys enjoy chilling and watching nature programs on TV

Beautiful Anis

So adorable!

Paula and Angela feed the pets

Chilling out with some white wine in Casa Eslava

We opened a bottle of white wine I had bought in Firavitoba and had happy hour and then our friends from Auburn, Nedret and Zeki Billor, came with their friends Ali and Adrianna.  Adrianna is Mauricio's younger sister and Ali is her husband.  They met at school in Germany.  Ali and Zeki were schoolmates in Adana, Turkey and had not seen each other for more than 30 years.  We met the Eslavas two years ago on our first visit to Colombia through the connection with Zeki and Ali.  The four of them had done extensive and exhausting sightseeing on Saturday and Sunday, coming from the Botanical Garden and the National Museum.  We enjoyed some drinks and snacks and talked away in Spanish, Turkish and English.

Nedret and Zeki Billor visit and Coco enjoys the guests

Zeki, Ali and Adrianna (Mauricio's sister) relax after two long days of sightseeing

Nedret multi-tasks as usual by petting Coco and chatting about politics

Paula listens to her Dad

We discussed U.S. politics and Turkish terror troubles in three languages

We snacked on cheese from Fitavitoba and Boyaca fruits and the dried lima beans

I accompanied Angela to take Coco on his nightly walk.  This was a brisk two circuits around the neighborhood.  It was good exercise and nice to connect with Angela one on one.  Coco enjoyed it too!

Nedret, Zeki, Ali and Adrianna did not want to go to dinner so they left and we drove to a nearby restaurant area in Usaquen.  We intended to go to a traditional Colombian food place but it was closed so we ended up at Crepes & Waffles, a Colombian chain.  It was surprisingly good.  I had a spinach stuffed crepe and resisted the dessert crepes/waffles (I did get a bite of Mauricio's chocolate waffle).  It was a relaxed ending to our time with the Eslavas.

A last photo of our beloved Anis

This Colombian chain restaurant was very tasty!

The boys have milkshakes!

Paula eats healthy with a veggie soup

My rich crepe with cheese, spinach and asparagus

Paula ordered a fruit crepe for dessert

Angela is amazed at her massive dessert crepe

Again, the traffic was light and we breezed to the hotel.

The next morning we again ate a large and tasty breakfast and I caught up on some emails and this blog.  There was a taxi strike (!) in Bogota so we arranged a driver with our hotel and we left early for the airport (11:45 AM for a 2:45 PM flight).  Well, there was no evidence of a taxi strike anywhere and it took only 20 minutes to get to the airport.  Security is quick in Colombia and so here we wait for our flight to take us "home" to Medellin.