Day 17- The last day (25/7/25)

 


My last full day in Colombia.
I woke and laid in bed looking out at the view across the city. The sun was shining on the rooftops of the houses and buildings. A nice way to wake up.

I noticed that the mountains behind me had a layer of clouds covering their summits; possibly putting an end to my trip up Monserratte. But, after a coffee, I could see the clouds lifting. I went up to the roof terrace to take in the 360 degree view of the city and the mountains. It was already getting warm when the sun was shining. However, the temperature dropped quite quickly when clouds moved across the sun. It didn’t look like there would be any rain, but I took no chances and packed my rain jacket in my day bag, just in case.

Liz, the taxi driver messaged me to say that she would not be able to pick me up due to a double booking, but that she could get a friend to take me instead if I wanted. I declined and decided to go for a Uber instead; they are so cheap here.

Arriving at Monserrate, there was already a long queue developing for the Funicular railway. I joined anyway and, within about 40 minutes I was aboard and climbing up the side of the mountain.

At the top of the mountain, it is like a small town. The most prominent is the church, which looms over the city. The view shows just how far Bogota extends. It is a massive expanse of houses and buildings that almost entirely fill the wide plateau between the mountains, that enclose the city on all sides.

I bought myself an Arepa and a hot chocolate and sat on some steps in front of the church. It was getting busy, but not so bad that it felt overwhelming. Several stalls were selling food and tourist merchandise. I did a little last-minute shopping and made my way back. I returned via the cable car, which offered a much clearer view than the funicular railway.

Time had passed faster than I had thought. Originally, my plan was to get a cab to the botanical gardens. I reconsidered this given the time that it would take to get across the city, leaving me less time to really enjoy it. So, instead, I walked down through the city towards La Candelaria.

In my previous time in La Candelaria, I was still tired from the journey and suffering from altitude sickness. This time, I felt more alert and able to enjoy the city more. There is a small square called Plaza de churro del Quevedo. I had passed through it a couple of times on my first visit and thought that I would be a nice spot to stop and have some late lunch and a beer. It was a great people watching place.

Following my lunch of Ajiaco with rice and avocado, I was starting to feel weary. So, grabbing an Uber I returned to the apartment for a little nap.

I rounded off the day, and my time here in Colombia with a couple of Mojitos. They were quite strong and caught me off guard. I was a bit wobbly on the way back to the apartment.

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