I landed in Bogota on a flight from Guadalajara and I was feeling sad to leave Mexico but also full of excitement to visit Colombia. I had always hoped to visit the country and this feeling had grown stronger in recent years as I'd recently finished a Tourism Management degree during which I completed both a dissertation and final exam relative to Colombia. I almost felt like I'd been there previously and it was a surreal feeling to actually arrive!

In all honesty the city game me a bit of a glum feeling to begin with as I went out onto the street during my first morning there. The city can have an edgy feel at street level and I think its notoriously overcast and wet weather conditions contributes to this. But I had been spoilt for blue skies in Mexico and miserable weather does not put off an Englishman for long, so I soon got into the swing of things and my mood was particularly enhanced by making the trip up into the lush green outskirts of Bogota. Here I walked up to the top of the Monseratte, a famous mountain top around 500 meters higher than the already elevated city center which itself sits at around 2,500 meters above sea level. You can take a cable lift to the top but I thoroughly enjoyed the walk up the steps, regularly turning around to admire the view of the city and also enjoying the surrounding wildlife and nature. The view from the top is incredible, and being there amongst the lovely gardens meant that the weather suddenly didn't seem so gloomy at all. If I lived in Bogota I would make the walk up Monseratte regularly, and I am sure lots of locals do. There is also a pretty monastery at the peak and some places to get refreshments, and I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down and drinking a coffee whilst taking in the beautiful setting.

I also walked back down from Monseratte and then spent the afternoon in La Candelaria area of the city. It is a very popular area for tourists so I was looking forward to having a look around, but I didn't get a great feel from the area or feel overly comfortable on my own, so I then headed back to the Chapinero area of the city where I was staying, my Uber ride arriving whilst I had 1% battery left (perhaps this added to my unease and I am therefore being unfair on La Candelaria!!!). Whilst I am sure there are some gems to be found in La Candelaria and I would have probably enjoyed it more if I weren't alone, I did prefer the Chapinero area of the city which is a little bit rough around the edges but also quirky with lots of going on. I enjoyed staying there and found it to be a good base to explore the north and east of the city on foot, and I felt pretty safe when I was walking around, including in the evenings.

In terms of highlights from my time in Bogota my customary attendance at a local football match was definitely one of them, but my absolute favourite experience was making the most of the weekly Ciclovía. Ciclovía in Spanish simply means 'cycle path', and every Sunday 75 miles of Bogota's streets become car-free so people can roam around the city by bike or on foot without worrying about automobiles. I had experienced this also happening every Sunday in Guadalajara and it is a concept that I absolutely love. I am a keen runner so I spent hours running and walking along the Ciclovía, stopping off occasionally for refreshments. I find it such a unique and exhilarating feeling to be able to run in the middle of a car-free highway in a world-famous metropolis. Lots of Latinos work 6 days a week so they really seem to cherish this time on a Sunday, taking the chance to exercise and relax with friends and family, and I think that joining them on the Ciclovía is a really great and inexpensive way to get a feel for a city amongst its people.