My last day in Bogota and I played the part of the consummate tourist. I hadn’t had the time yet to explore the city itself and so I decided to visit the Paloquemao Market and the historic center. On the tour to Guatavita, the Mexican couple had recommended the Museo del Oro, which I added to my list; and I couldn’t miss visiting the Plaza de Bolivar. The Santuario Nuestra Señora de El Carmen was also on my list, having seen a photo of its unique striped paint scheme. And I kept the cable car up to Monserrate in the back of my mind if I had the time, though I was determined to have a chill day.

I called an Uber to take me to the market. I set out somewhat late in the day and while the market was still busy, I wonder if I had missed some of the hustle and bustle. The flower stalls all seem to have closed. I wasn’t sure if I had missed them or if the flower market ran on specific days.

Even without the flower market, Paloquemao was awash in color, the bright fruits more than holding their own against the most bountiful bouquet. And yet, one of my favorite stalls was monochromatic. The egg sellers were surrounded by cartons of eggs that towered over them. I don’t think I had ever seen as many eggs in one place, piled as they were on top of each other.

From the market, I called an Uber to take me to the Museo del Oro. I had contemplated walking the hour or so it would take, but having seen the route from the first Uber, I decided the scenery wasn’t going to be worth the time. As we approached, I saw that a neary street was a pedestrian mall and I asked the driver to let me off so I could walk down the open-air mall. Merchants had set out blankets and displayed their wares on either side of the promenade.

At the Museo del Oro there was a short line to enter. Security was patting everyone down and looking in everyone’s bags which had caused the delay. But the line moved quickly, and soon I was surrounded by gold hammered into many forms.

Just down the street from the museum, another line formed in front of a popular cafe, La Puerta Falsa. I had bookmarked it as a possible lunch spot, but I didn’t want to spend my afternoon waiting in line, and continued to the plaza, ducking into the Catedral Primada de Colombia to admire the architecture. Just off the steps of the church, a group of men played dice in the plaza.

From there, I continued on to the Santuario Nuestra Señora de El Carmen. The church was closed, and so I made do circumambulating it to see the towers and the structure from the outside.

It was mid-afternoon and I had crossed off almost everything on my list. I thought about having lunch in the area before heading home, but decided to do one last tourist thing and walked through the streets of La Concordia to the cable car.

La Concordia itself was lively, full of cafes and people. In the main square, a group of people worked on a mural; tourists and locals alike stopped to watch the progress as the artists measured and painted on a large wall.

Arriving at the ticket booth I was given the choice of the cable car or a funicular. The prices were the same, and while the line for the cable car was longer, I chose the former. The last time I had ridden a cable car within a city was in Barcelona, when I took it across the port to the park, and I thrilled at the view of Bogotá as the car lifted us far above the city.

At the top, I visited the church and then walked the mountain behind it, bound by fences from reaching the other side of the peak. Restaurants and souvenir shops lined the path, and I casually browsed the food options and wares before making my way back to the cable car and down the mountain.

I took an Uber home, and it wound through parts of my neighborhood I hadn’t yet explored. We passed a few interesting looking restaurants, and I took note so that I could walk back to that area for dinner. Just off the main road, the area was more residential and quieter than where I was staying, and I was surprised at how much could change in two blocks.

As we approached my apartment, we passed the Parque de los Hippies, and I asked the driver to let me off. I wanted to take a photo of the Bogota sign that sat at the far end of the park. From there it was only a couple of blocks from my house, and I looked forward to spending a few minutes at home before heading out for my last dinner in Bogotá. 🇨🇴