Bogota 2019 - Night 1

Rested and Ready

Back at the Casa Dan Carlton we freshened up and headed out for a bite to eat and then check out a few bars. Our first meal actually in Bogota was actually a little Mediterranean place near the hotel. Nothing spectacular, but good overall. Locals tend to eat dinner much later that we would, so we pretty much had the run of the place. We ate outside on a patio, that had a view of the park which was still decorated for the holidays. 

View from Inside Apache bar on the Rooftop of the Click Clack Hotel

After dinner, we went to a rooftop bar called Apache. It was above the Click Clack hotel opposite the park from our hotel. The hotel itself has a unique modern character, similar to the POD hotel in DC.  Apache, the rooftop bar was very small but had a great view, good cocktails and a DJ playing 80’s alternative music. The Cure, Depeche Mode, Baltimora...It was heaven for me.  We stayed and checked out the skyline hoping it would be a good place to see the NYE fireworks the following night. However, unlike Medellin, Bogota is on a high plain so you can't’ see much even from the rooftops. You have to go up Monserrat for the views, or at least further up the hillside which is primarily residential. Medellin, on the other hand, is on a Mountainside side looking down into essentially a ravine and across to another Mountain. The views there at night are amazing. 

Holiday lighting in Bogota

Our travel partners tired out and left us to explore on our own. So we decided to walk down to the next area full of nightspots, It was probably a mile walk down through a quiet business district. It was well lit and at no time did we feel unsafe making the trek even at 10:00pm. Everyone we passed was out having a good time and had little interest in our doings. We ended up in the main entertainment district. It was full of restaurants and bars anchored by a high-end shopping mall and plenty of street vendors.  It was very festive with holiday decorations still up and a gorgeously lit Bogota 2019 sign which was a very popular place for selfies. 

Happy NYE from Bogota

After walking around a bit we found ourselves at a nightclub called House in the Sky where again we were early and beat the crowds in. We were ushered into a table with bottle service, which was very reasonably priced.  The host brought over the one bartender that could speak English and she took care of us. Apparently, we walked in just in time as a live salsa band would be taking the stage very soon. It only took about 30 minutes for the place fill up completely to enjoy the band. 

Three Generations of Fun 

Aguardiente is the drink of Colombia. It tastes very much like Sambuca (a bit less sweet) and they drink it with water. One shot of Aguardiente followed by a small glass of water. The neighboring table spanned about three generations and they were having a great time enjoying the show, dancing, and downing bottles of Aguardiente like crazy! They pulled us into their good time generously handing out shots as the night went on. What a great experience. I highly recommend going to this club if you get the opportunity. Just look for the House in the Sky. 

Waiting for our Late Night Street Meat 

It was getting late for us and we were getting snacky so we left the club and headed out for some late night street meat. Never to disappoint Colombia has some crazy late night foods, and we were on the hunt for a Colombian hot dog. Within a block, we found our spot. My wife was in hot dog heaven and I found a delicious skirt steak accompanied with a large pile of fries covered in some mysterious gravy. After refilling our tanks, we called it a night and grabbed an Uber back to the hotel. 

Transportation is always available in Bogota, with plenty of options from taxis to Uber. Most hotels have taxis waiting outside, but be prepared to squeeze in because as with most South American countries the cars a very small. Know you're Spanish or have your Google Translate out and Ready as the majority of cabbies do not speak English.

Tomorrow is Cyclovia Sunday!