Bogota

Bogota, the capital of D.C. (district colombia, this one is the actual one :) home of 12million people. A city that is stretched between 2 mountain ranges (just like Quito) but on a much grander scale. A city that is full of whatever and whoever you want to find, locals, extranjeros, drug dealers, police, etc etc. but mostly it's a huge metropolis for really good people, colombians that are always willing to help you out with advice or directions and will genuinely greet you "good morning" every day :) My stay in Bogota was shaped more by its surrounding natural wonders, parks and habitats more than the city itself. But here's a shot of the city's night skyline.

One of the days I went to the Reserva, this is a park situated on a mountain that marks the city's natural borders. It's sort of an escape to nature between the city's brick buildings...

Here's me with my trusty trekking pole contemplating about the path just traversed. The air is really different here, with all the pine trees keeping it fresh and clear while the sound of the city roars below with its rubber tyres and revving engines.

The city mirador opening through the tree branches.

On top of the mountain, there is a small statue of the Virgin where we took a rest.

On the other side of the mountain, sweeping hills define the landscape. I am examining them in a true trekker fashion, as if looking for Chingachgook's lost trails.

The pine trees shed their foliage every season and this place never gets cleaned so that the ground is always covered in soft goodness. So much so that it sometimes becomes a trampoline you can jump on.

The way down from the moutnain leads on a stone paved trail.

Cathedral de Sal
This is a must see tourist attraction near Bogota, it's about 30min outside the city. It's an old salt mine that was remade into a place with a religious content - a cathedral. When you get there, do take a tour because you will get so much more out of the visit, it really is a magical, underground place.

The cathedral is full with these long deep tunnels that used to be blown up by explosives to get the salt. The lighting is amazing by itself.

The marble kneeling places add to the entire charm or mysticism of the place.

Finally you get to the main hall where there is a huge cross chisseled in the wall and backlit marvelously.

You don't need to put much work in  making this place look amazing, since the minerals do the job for you, as you can see with this ceiling with salt grain boundaries resembling the flow of the water that formed them millions of years ago.

The waterfall of salt.

Me emerging from one of the crack-tunnels of the cathedral.

A brilliant realization of God giving life to Adam.

Light games as we ascend toward the surface...

Parque Chicaque
This is a huge park south of Bogota. It has awesome scenery, waterfalls, camping spots and even a very expensive cabana with an overlook of the entire park.

The midday greeted us with fog engulfing the tropical trees.

Inspecting the trail to our next destination from the height of a fallen tree :)

We climbed to a mirador (which essentially was a huge stone) overlooking the valley below. It was amazing! There were tons of condors, or vultures, circling in the thermals produced by the valley.

The valley was intensely green, since it rains often in the central region of Colombia and this zone seems to house tons of fog all the time due to the mountain ranges that keep the fog from dissipating.

I'm enjoying a little bit of sun on the giant rock :)