bogotá: high up, kinda cold, and full of surprises
so i just got back from bogotá and let me tell you, it's not like any city i've ever been to. i mean, it's literally the third-highest capital in the world sitting at like 2,640 meters above sea level. my first day there i was huffing and puffing just walking up a flight of stairs. but once you get used to the altitude, the city kind of grows on you.
first thing i noticed was the weather. i just checked and it's 16.47°c there right now, feels like 15.43°c, hope you like that kind of thing. it's basically spring all year round but with two rainy seasons that'll catch you off guard. june and july are apparently the wettest months, but honestly it rained on me in april too. pack layers and a good rain jacket.
the eastern mountains, or cerros orientales, are impossible to miss. they basically hug the city on one side and create this dramatic backdrop that makes every photo look epic. someone told me that most maps of bogotá are oriented to the east instead of north because those mountains are so visually dominant. i believe it.
history-wise, this place has been around since before the spanish showed up. the muisca people were here first, then the spanish founded santafé de bogotá in 1538. you can still see the colonial architecture mixed in with all the modern skyscrapers, which is kinda cool. it's like walking through different centuries depending on which neighborhood you're in.
if you get bored, chía and sopó are just a short drive away. they're small towns north of the city that make for easy day trips if you need a break from the urban chaos.
someone told me that the western neighborhoods near the bogotá river are more prone to flooding. i didn't experience that firsthand, but it's something to be aware of if you're looking at places to stay. also, the city's so big it's got around 11.3 million people as of 2022. that's a lot of humans crammed into one place.
bogotá calls itself "the athens of south america" which sounds pretentious until you realize it's actually a major cultural and political hub. the surrounding andean forests and paramo ecosystems are supposed to be really special too, full of plants and animals you won't find anywhere else.
honestly, what makes bogotá remarkable is that it's the largest city in the world at its elevation. there's nowhere else that's both this high and this populated. the combination of altitude, equatorial position, and massive urban sprawl creates something totally unique. just be prepared for the weather to change on a dime and for your lungs to protest the first few days.
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