Back in Bogota and the Platypus Hostel feels great except for the crappy weather here. It's not exactly cold but it's definitely not warm and the sky looks gray and stormy most days. I ran around town my first day back getting the lay of the land and trying to discern just how dangerous it is here. All the travelers at the hostel say not to bring my camera or much money when I go out but I felt quite safe walking the streets of Candelaria down to the gorgeous open Plaza Bolivar. I'm staying in Bogota for a week so I bought a load of groceries before heading back to the hostel to watch the game. South America is out of the World Cup but my hostel is filled with Europeans so this is going to be fun.
Yet another day of gray overcast weather but my plan for the day was to hit a few museums so the weather was the least of my worries. Walking through the gold museum was a lot of fun especially the the third floor where they locked me in a small dark room for a five minutes for a small light show displaying thousands of gold pieces. 
Next stop was the Botero museum, a free exhibit where they showcase many of his more famous paintings. I'd seen his style of painting all over South America but had no idea how famous he was. Back to the hostel to watch the game, of course, and then more wandering the streets. Pretty much everyone in the hostel makes their own meals which is fun and I finally figured out why the social dynamics here are a bit off. The hostel is about 70% male. I guess not too many single woman travelers head through Columbia which is a shame. This means game days and very important and there are always dirty dishes in the communal kitchen sink.
I wanted to get out of Candelaria for a while so I headed up north to Zona Rosa where all the ritzy daytime shops and all the hot nighttime bars are located. I had to get on the Transmileno bus again but this time it was super simple because the people working at my hostel told me exactly which bus to take both there and back. The change in weather was astonishing. It was warm and sunny with a beautiful blue sky. I should be staying here but it's a bit more expensive in these parts. There are a few cobblestone streets lined with patios which called out to me. I'd been dreaming for months about having a drink out on a patio and I finally got my wish. My glass of wine was Colombian, expensive and terrible but the whole atmosphere was, for me, worth it. I arrived back at the hostel late in the afternoon and found some people jonesing as much as me to go out on the town. We checked out a few small local bars before heading back up to Zona Rosa where we danced the night away.
I woke up pretty early considering how late I'd gotten in the night before. I walked around the east side of the city to check out some more museums, parks and the planetarium. I stopped for a while in a nearby park to watch a small military fiesta and by the time I arrived at the National museum at about 1pm I found a line snaking down the hill almost to the road. I was in no mood for a line so I carefully hopped a Transmileno up to Zona Rosa to watch a movie at one of the big cinemas up there. I had some roast pig with rice on the way home before hitting the sack for a quick nap. I met up with an American girl named Melissa at her new home-stay. It was a huge family and all of them were really nice and patient with my Spanish. We all headed out for a few drinks and dancing at a real neighborhood joint. Fun, fun, fun.
I wrenched my self out of bed at 8am to try and make it to the National Museum before the the lines got too intense. I was lucky and only had to wait 45 minutes to see the Chinese Warrior exhibit. the exhibit of actual warriors was small but they had a really great interactive piece to the exhibit with tactile puzzles and short films. On my way back I wandered by some ceviche place which got me really excited. I sat down and ordered a shrimp ceviche with medium large shrimp. I was almost horrified but what happened next. The waiter poured onions and shrimp into a tall glass and then squirted some vinegar and heaps of thousand island dressing on top. It did taste very good but not what I was expecting. Back to the hostel just in time for the game. With the whole hostel wanting Germany to win i decided to place a bet on Portugal to win 2 - 1. $1 down the drain. I went with a few people to check out some nearby bars in the night but I was dead tired and bailed out early.
Sunday was the World Cup Finals. I'm so glad this thing will finally be over and then I can get back to focusing more on traveling than on who's playing on any given day. I headed out to take some pictures of the beautiful colored houses all over Candelaria and then headed out to the Sunday Flea market with some guys from the hostel. The market wasn't too exciting except for how eclectic the tables of goods for sale were. We crossed the street and headed up the Colpatria Tower to see a view of sprawling Bogota. We ducked into a a small shop to check something out when I spied on the screen that the game had already started. We thought we had another hour. We started running to find a cab and made it back in record time but not in time to see the first goal. So now it's over and I've decided on a plan of attack for the rest of my trip. As much as I want to see everything, with time ticking down I've decided to prioritize. I'm heading tonight to Taganga to hopefully start my Divemaster course for the next month. I'm really looking forward to some nice hot weather and to staying in one place for a long time. Getting my Divemaster is just a bonus. I'll also be concentrating on Spanish improvement so that you all don't laugh at me when I get back!
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