Day Fifty: On My Own, Last Day in Colombia

Another cold and rainy day in Bogota. I sleep in and spend the morning sorting out details of my trip to Buenos Aires.

I go to the gym and work out for the first time in about a week. I don’t feel guilty about skipping sightseeing today.

I spend about an hour on the phone with Copa Airlines trying to redeem my credit for my cancelled flights and apply it to my flight to Buenos Aires tomorrow. Finally they tell me I need to head to the local Copa Airlines office to do it. The whole process is unnecessarily complicated.

I walk to the office, where the ladies behind the desk do not speak English. I struggle to come up with the Spanish to explain that I want to use my credit. I have a handy iPhone app that translates what I need to say. I love technology. I’m not sure where I’d be without it. Certainly not in Buenos Aires. I am also determined to continue to learn Spanish to avoid this situation in the future. Even though she is able to understand me eventually, it turns out I can only use my credit with Continental because I booked my original flights through them. I booked my Buenos Aires reservation with Copa, so I need to pay for the entire fare, plus an extra $40 because I am paying at the office rather than on the Internet. Now its too late to pay on the internet. I am frustrated by all of this, but nonetheless, I have my ticket to BA tomorrow morning.

On my way back to the hotel, I stop in a grocery store and pick up a few snacks to avoid another costly raid on the minibar, for which I’ve been a guilty culprit. As the lady at the register rings me up and asks me a question in Spanish, I realize that today is the first day that i am really on my own since arriving, without a Spanish speaker to help me. But it won’t be long before I have Inez in Buenos Aires.

I have a 10 hour journey tomorrow. I can’t make the same mistake I made on my flight here. I load my iPad with entertainment; guidebooks for Buenos Aires and some new music I picked up in Colombia.

An email from Apple about the release of the iPad 2 is unwelcome news considering that I bought this one a little over a month ago. But alas, it is the nature of the product and I needed this device long before March 11.

I meet Jonathan, Lolo’s friend, for a drink. He is another one of the 4,000 Colombian Jews. He takes me to a tapas restaurant in downtown Bogota. On the way to the restaurant we drive by apartment buildings. Most are between four and seven stories high. He explains that there were only small houses here a few years ago.

Jonathan

I try to roll down the windows and Jonathan explains that his car is bullet proof, so they only go down about two inches. He bought the car because bullet proof cars are exempt from the pico y placa law. I ask why but it’s not very clear. I can only imagine it must have something to do with the type of person who needs a bullet proof car. Jonathan explains that he needed to go through a process to prove that he was simply a law abiding citizen who happens to drive a bullet proof car and there isn’t any reason he needs the protection more than anyone else.

Me and Jonathan’s bat taking on the bullet proof car

Photo opt with the bullet proof car and bat

After delicious calamari, good wine, great conversation and disappointing steak, we head to a going away party for one of his high school friends, where I meet many of Jonathan’s friends from high school.

Jonathan and me

I quickly connect with Kika. She recently opened her own boutique here in Bogota. I plan to see it when I come back. I do plan to come back here soon, perhaps on my way home.

The DJ played some Motown favorites and some funkFashion in Bogota is not up to Kika’s standards, or any standards for that matter. She studied fashion in Milan and worked for Missoni as a designer. She explains that everyone in Milan dressed to the nines and made a statement. Walking down the street or in the subway in Milan, she was inspired by what people were wearing. Here in Bogota, people just don’t care. She is going to a fashion competition in Medellin, Colombia’s fashion capital, but still a far cry from New York, Paris or Milan. The winner of the competition gets to go to New York, which is where she would really like to be.

Kika

“Here, I am somebody,” she explains. “In New York, there is little certainty of any attention to my line or success.”

I love her outfit. She definitely stands out in her tailored jacket and sparking harem pants that she designed. I wish her the best of luck and look forward to seeing her, whether its in Bogota, Cartagena or New York.

Me and Kika I am talking to Max, Kika, Jonathan and Nicolas. They are all friends from high school. Nicolas invites us over after the party. I meet his German shepherd who is a big cutie. Max offers to introduce me to Kike, his “Argentine brother” and I am very grateful considering I know no one in BA.

After hanging out for a while, I decide to go to my hotel for a few hours of sleep before my flight.

Max