November/December 2010 New View A bicycle is the perfect way to see the new Bogota, a city now intent on healing, passion, food and dancing deep into the night. By Melanie D.G. Kaplan It’s a weekday afternoon in Bogotá, and I’m on a mountain bike dodging potholes, a horse and a minibus—and I’m wondering if I’ll survive. I’d hate to leave the country before I’ve had a chance to do some salsa dancing. So I jump my wheels onto a crumbling curb, giving the horse’s nostrils and the bus’ fender a couple inches of clearance. Despite a few touch-and-go encounters like this one, I’m having an excellent day. Along with my new Colombian friend Stephany, three Americans and a Brit, I’m following a somewhat loco Californian named Mike through the streets of Bogotá, making my way through traffic like I’m in a game of Frogger. But the real story is that I am here, in the capital of Colombia, and—other than fearing a two-wheeled mishap—I feel safe. In case you haven’t heard, it’s a new day for tourists in Bogotá. “We’ve had really hard times,” but now Bogotá is as safe as many major American cities, says Saul Cardozo, a marketing manager with ProExport, the government agency charged with promoting tourism. It’s the day before my bike adventure, and we’re sitting in a traditional Pacific-region restaurant in the historic La Candelaria neighborhood. We’re eating fried food and sipping lulada, a thick juice made from the lulo fruit, which looks like an orange and tastes like a sour kiwi. “These days, we’re a model for other Latin American countries,” he says. According to the Ministry of National Defense, homicides and kidnappings have decreased drastically since 2002, and the country—which celebrates its bicentennial this year—is a few years into a giant marketing campaign to change its reputation. But Saul knows that won’t happen overnight, or even in a few years—especially when pop culture continues to reinforce it. “Soap operas, sitcoms, movies—there’s usually a guy named Pablo or Pedro, and he’s Colombian, and he’s a drug dealer,” Saul says. “We’re trying to change more than 20 years of bad images, and we’re trying to change the stereotype from Colombia is Cocaine to Colombia is Passion. We have a big task.” Wheeling for Change People like Mike Ceaser are helping change that perception by showing us that Bogotá’s ugly history is, well, history. A former journalist who came to Latin America to learn Spanish, Ceaser made Colombia his home and opened Bogotá Bike Tours (bogota biketours.com; $14 for a half-day tour) two years ago. His tours start from colonial La Candelaria, where narrow streets are lined with colorful houses that have wood balconies and red tile roofs. Ceaser’s shop is filled with old bikes, maps, murals and shelves of used books (for sale or exchange) in English, Spanish, French and German. “It’s a nice city, with nice people,” Ceaser tells us at our first stop, Plaza Bolívar, home to City Hall, Congress, the Cathedral and the Palace of Justice, rebuilt after a guerrilla attack on the Supreme Court in 1985. “The country has changed a lot in the past 10 years.” We pass the famous Museo del Oro, the gold museum (banrep.gov.co/ museo), and several street markets, filled with handmade crafts and endless opportunities to bargain. Ceaser stops every five or 10 minutes and peppers his commentary with historical anecdotes, several of which involve Colom- bian drug lord Pablo Escobar. We pass the Emerald District, where men in jeans and leather jackets stand on the sidewalk and sell precious stones out of folded pieces of paper. We weave in and out of traffic, around motorcycles and past stray dogs and pedestrians on narrow sidewalks. The weather is mild, in the 60s, and it’s like this year-round: no snow, no heat waves, no seasons and no air conditioning. At 8,660 feet above sea level, Bogotá sits ad- jacent to an Andean mountain range, one of three that run through the country. The city is broken into sections: north, central (La Candelaria) and south, with the most up- scale businesses and residences on the north end. Streets and avenues are numbered, and I quickly learn that the best way to orient myself is to find the mountains, always to the east. “I can’t believe we got here on bike,” Stephany says with a laugh as we pull up to Paloquemao, the city’s largest meat, fish, flower and produce market. She’s there to keep me company, but she reminds me that a Colombian would otherwise never be caught riding a bike through the city like we are. Even children turn to stare. However, Bogotanos aren’t strangers to cycling. Every Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., more than 70 miles of streets are closed to cars for Ciclovía. Cyclists, runners and skaters seem to take over the city. But in the middle of the weekday on a bike? Loco. In the market, Ceaser stops at a half- dozen vendors, who all seem to adore him, handing him local fruits for us to sample. There’s the granadilla, passion fruit, lulo and mangostino, a tender, sweet fruit that looks like garlic. We pedal through an industrial neighborhood and down to Central Cemetery. We pass the National Museum, a gorgeous building lined with hardwood floors that was once a jail, and the Moorish-style bullfighting sta- dium (also used for other events, such as the Davis Cup in September). Ceaser, whose hands seem to be permanently stained with bike grease, stops a few times to buy street food for us to taste—fruit juices and strips of coconut that look like French fries. We head back to La Candelaria, which means pedaling up steep cobblestone streets. We pass Plaza del Chorro del Quevedo, a bohemian spot filled with students from the city’s many universities. It’s also known as the best spot for chicha, the country’s famous fermented corn drink. On one of our last stretches of the tour, I look down at the pavement and laugh: Finally, after nearly five hours of braving precarious city streets, lo and behold, I see a designated bike lane. Bookish Colombia The next day, I head out with my friend Francisco for a less adventurous and more literary tour of the city. We visit Biblioteca Virgilio Barco, a wonderful round, brick li- brary designed by the Colombian architect Rogelio Salmona. Not only is this a prized spot for schoolchildren, Francisco says when he was growing up, there was only one library in all of Bogotá), but it’s a fun building, filled with maze-like ramps, beautiful hardwood floors, skylights, an amphithe- ater, water features and an open-air lobby. We check out the photography exhibits, walk on the roof, look east and enjoy a fantastic view of the city. Salmona also designed the Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center (fce.com.co) in La Candelaria, which was a gift to Bogotá from Mexico. The center has an impressive, donut- shaped bookstore with a courtyard and fountain in the center. Up the street is Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango, one of the largest public libraries in Latin America. It hosts world- class musicians (and a cool music room with old instruments) and features a full calendar of other public programs. Across the street, the Botero Museum showcases the personal collection of the Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, including pieces by Monet and Picasso, plus works featuring Botero’s own plump figures. Into the Night My last night in Bogotá, Stephany, her jour- nalist friend Juan and I head 45 minutes out of town to Chia, home of Andrés Carne de Res (andrescarnederes.com), for a night of much-awaited dancing. Andrés is part steakhouse, part nightclub, part funhouse and part folk-art gallery. (Francisco described it best when he said he feels like he’s walking into a Fellini movie when he goes there.) Fantastic kitschy metal objects hang from the ceilings, and strings of colorful lights make me feel like I’m walking through a circus. We arrive early to get a table and, before long, it’s nearly midnight and I’m on a packed dance floor with Juan at what seems like the biggest party in town. After about six hours, I consider my morning flight and decide to head back to the hotel. By that time, I feel like everyone else at the party is my friend—the Colombian soap-opera star that Stephany is ogling, the guy dancing on the table next to us and the DJs behind us, playing everything from Culture Club to reggae to salsa. Leaving before 3 a.m. seems like a cop-out. But the beat of the music is so intense that it’s still in my veins the next day as my plane heads home. I close my eyes and am thankful—for the sake of a night of dancing—and that I made it off my bike alive. WHERE TO EAT First, ditch your apprehension about chain restaurants. When you ask a Bogotano where to eat, they often recommend a local chain, and they’re worth visiting. Start at Bagatelle (bagatelle.com.co), an all-day café and bakery. You can find traditional French pastries and favorite Colombian dishes, in- cluding hot chocolate with queso (cheese that goes into the hot chocolate) and arepas (corn pancakes). For mid-morning coffee—or really any time of day—stop by a Juan Valdez Café (juanvaldezcafe. com), nearly as ubiquitous as Star- bucks (which you won’t find here) has become in the States. Colombians tend to order tinto, which is black coffee, and be forewarned: It’s extremely strong. An excellent choice for brunch, and popular among young Bogotános (who are likely to be eat- ing their hangovers away), is Crepes and Waffles (crepesywaffles.com). not too much traditional, meaty Colombian fare here, but excellent fresh fruit juices, waffles with arequipe (Colombian dulce de leche), salads and ice cream. The restaurant, which hires only single mothers, has a beautiful location in a restored house in the Usaquen neighborhood. Latin Americans love their beef, so when they say el Corral (elcorral.com) serves amazing burg- ers, you listen. But it’s still fast food, so don’t say we didn’t warn you. Bogotá Beer Company (bogotabeercompany. com) is a brewery that serves mostly pub food, but it’s a good place to sample the local brews: Aguila and Club Colombia. Again, try the Usaquen location, with a giant patio, heat lamps and a fine view. GETTING THERE Nonstop flights on Avianca to Bogotá from Washington Dulles International Airport five times per week. GETTING AROUND The diesel-powered TransMilenio bus system is a vast improvement from Bogotá’s traditional minibuses. But the minibuses are still in use, and traffic is intense in this city of 6.8 million. So, on any given day, only 60 percent of residents are permitted to drive, based on their license plate numbers. Call a yellow taxi, which are plentiful— except for Friday nights—and inexpensive. (A 45-minute ride cost $7.) WHERE TO STAY Grand House Hotel (suitesgrandhouse.com; stan- dard double is about $180, including continental breakfast) is located on the posh north side of the city. It’s within walking distance of Parque de la 93, a cherished green space filled with children and dogs; restaurants also circle the park. The hotel has 64 suites, modern and minimal, all with king-sized beds, some with a spiral staircase and terrace. Hotel Casa de la Botica (hotelcasadelabotica. com; standard room for 2010 is about $140, including breakfast) is in La Candelaria. The hotel was converted from two colonial homes and today feels bohemian and artsy, a peaceful respite from the loud city on the other side of the lobby. There are 32 rooms (about half are brand new), some with lofts, overlooking two tranquil courtyards with fountains; don’t miss the new spa. Hotel de la Opera (hotelopera.com.co; stan- dard room about $185, including breakfast and access to the Turkish bath; about $270 for a junior suite) is also in La Candelaria, across from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This upscale hotel was renovated from two homes that once housed the personal guard of the South American liberation hero Simón Bolívar. Filled with natural light, the hotel has 42 rooms decorated in a classic Italian style and two restaurants, including one on the top floor that has perhaps the city’s best view of red tile rooftops (and a private dining room that is traditionally where men propose to their brides). You’ll be in good company here; it’s where the president stays the night before he takes office.