Ta-ta Bogota

Preparing for the expected before a trip like this is hard work enough. My clothes will start stinking, my socks will get fusty, I will often have to have wet hair. I will sleep in a cold tent, eat dehydrated food, and probably get some dizzying gastro-intestinal illness even if I take all the right precautions.

I think I spent so much time before leaving repeating things like that to myself, that I rather forgot prepare for the unexpected. (As if you ever really can...) (Also, mom, this is not the set up for anything epic, dangerous, or terrible).

In all of my preparation for this trip, I have been thinking SOUTH America. In theory, I knew I was heading to spring, but that was difficult to imagine in the 100+ degree heat in DC. When I think South America, I think sunshine, Latin beats, the Amazon. Probably true in coastal places, probably true in Bogota in the summer. Not true right now. When Lauren and I arrived at the hostel, it was barely 60 degrees and none of the buildings have central heat (or heaters of any sort). There was a fire place in one of the main rooms, but the wood was in short supply. I pretty sure we burnt an old set of bunk beds one night...

As most of you know from my near-constant harping, I am trying to finish graduate school applications during the first part of this trip. Lauren and I were very intentional about booking only hostels and hotels with wireless internet. So, when my computer refused to recognize the signal in our hostel in Bogota, I was devastated. (Though, if I had slept more on the plane, I may have been slightly less dramatic about it.) Much of what I have to do doesn't require the internet, but a lot of it does. Blogging, for one thing :)

The deal-sealer though, was the lack of heat. 62 is pleasant when you're walking around the city, hiking, or doing jumping jacks. It is less pleasant when you are sitting still five feet away from a socket for hours. I'm sure it sounds silly, dramatic, wimpy to be saying this, but apparently being warm is an important component to productivity.

Lauren and I - trying on our ultra-flexible, boho travel spirits - had emotional breakdowns. And then regrouped and decided we needed a more relaxing, warmer, less rainy environment to work in. We re-booked our flight to Santiago and left mountainous Bogota for the "semi-desert" climate of Mendoza, Argentina. In addition to being warm and sunny, Mendoza is also the wine-growing capitol of Argentina. If you have ever had a glass of Malbec, you know the delight. If you haven't, wire the cash and I'll ship you some :)

Miracle upon miracle, the internet works on my computer here. We have a lovely room with a desk and our own bathroom. The door opens onto the back terrace that has tables and chairs and a awning of blooming wisteria. If you plucked me up and plopped me here, I'd probably think I was somewhere in northern Italy.

The sun is glorious, the good wine cheap, and the rocking personal statements forthcoming.

I hope this update finds you all well. I'll leave you with some pictures of Bogota from the one nice day we had. It is really quite lovely in the sun. On the sunny day, Lauren and I took a cable car up to a beautiful church on one of the mountains overlooking Bogota. The view was stunning. She brought here pocket-sized camera and has some pictures up on her blog:

wanderyear.blogspot.com



The view from the front door of our hostel.



View from the courtyard of the upper balcony of the hostel.




The really pretty, tiled bathroom.


Courtyard.




Hostel puppy!